Chapter 42

Two hours later, the caravan arrived at a small river on flat ground and came to a halt, beginning to set up camp for a rest. Following Richard's instructions, they dug a few shallow, winding ditches and felled a few trees from afar to create makeshift barricades.

After completing these tasks, it was time for dinner, which was followed by a rare period of freedom. Usually, the members of the caravan would indulge in raucous fun, finding various ways to entertain themselves. However, today was unusually quiet. They glanced at the nearby camp of the First Guard and, for reasons unknown, suddenly lost all interest in merriment. They simply chatted briefly before retreating into their tents to sleep.

Yet within her tent, Alex tossed and turned, unable to find rest. Staring at the patched ceiling of the tent, a sense of anxiety gnawed at him, and indeed he had reasons to worry.

To him, regardless of the day's outcome, he had undertaken a perilous act on Melissa's behalf. Although he hadn't made Richard lose face, he had come perilously close to losing his own life. Melissa had neither acknowledged his efforts nor uttered a single word.

The unfortunate Pascal had lost his tongue, clearly because of Melissa's actions. Yet Melissa hadn't even offered the simplest gesture of concern.

Of course, Alex was too weary to think about Pascal. Though he felt a tinge of guilt, the fact that Pascal had rushed at him to strike had allowed him to cast off all his remorse. What mattered most to Alex at this moment was that he had taken a risk, yet Melissa hadn't fulfilled her previous promises.

"Really, she wouldn't have forgotten, would she?" Alex flipped over, feeling incredibly restless and unable to sleep. Ultimately, he just sat up. Looking out at the night beyond the tent, listening to the chirping of insects in the wild, Alex gritted his teeth and decided to step outside.

Wandering to the entrance of Melissa's tent, Alex's expression grew serious. Noticing the light still shone within, he realized Melissa was still awake and immediately called out, "Miss Melissa, it's Alex. I have something to discuss with you. May I come in?"

The light from the tent remained bright, yet there was no response.

Frowning, Alex felt a surge of anger and didn't hesitate before pushing aside the tent flap and stepping inside. He intended to confront Melissa directly, demanding to know whether she would honor her previous promises. If she refused, he would...

Lost in his thoughts, Alex suddenly froze upon entering the tent. He found Melissa sitting in a daze, her eyes fixed on the flickering flame of a candle, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

This...

Alex blinked, finding himself unable to suppress his wild imagination: Was Melissa contemplating how to speak in his favor to the caravan's leader?

If that were the case...

Alex's expression softened, and he managed to force a smile as he moved closer to Melissa, asking in a charming whisper, "Miss Melissa, what are you thinking about?"

At that moment, Melissa was entranced, replaying Richard's swift actions in subduing Alex earlier that day—the rapid draw of the sword, the concise movement, the perfectly timed halt...

Replaying it again and again...

Earlier that day, Richard's decisive action to injure had stunned everyone in the caravan and left an unspoken impact on Melissa.

She had grown up pampered, never having anyone dare cross her; as she grew older, no one in the capital of Myron had ever defied her. She was always the one who came out unscathed, never experiencing any real danger in life.

But today was different; she had witnessed genuine peril and felt fear in her heart for the first time. She reflected on Richard's movements and realized that if he had intended to act against her as he did against Alex, she would have been utterly helpless. And if Richard truly wished to kill her, the people of the caravan would surely be unable to stop him.

Would Richard kill her?

In Melissa's mind, although Richard didn't seem like the type to harm her, she could not entirely dismiss the possibility. After all, what had happened during the day was indeed tied to her, and it wasn't lost on her that Richard noticed that connection.

In other words, her safety was not guaranteed.

This was a tremulous and novel experience for Melissa—it felt akin to the peculiar thrill of walking a tightrope.

Since childhood, she had harbored a fascination with violence and adventure stories. When she saw protagonists facing dire straits in those tales, her body would flush with excitement, but she had never truly experienced what it was like to confront real danger. Now, she was feeling it.

At this moment, Melissa felt a whirlwind of emotions—somehow drawn to Richard, as if he possessed a certain allure, enticing her to learn more about him, much like a brave warrior seeking to explore a dragon's lair.

It was a sensation that quickened her heartbeat and accelerated her blood flow; it made her palms sweat and her throat dry, igniting a dangerous thrill and an irresistible urge to explore further.

Lost in her thoughts, Melissa was entirely unaware of anyone entering her tent until a sudden voice from behind startled her.

"Miss Melissa, what are you thinking about?"

The voice broke in, prompting Melissa to turn around quickly, still ensnared in her reverie. Without realizing who it was, she opened her mouth and blurted out uncontrollably, "Richard!"

As soon as the name left her lips, silence enveloped the tent.

Melissa turned to see Alex, whose mouth now hung open in shock.

"You've been thinking about that guy who almost killed me?" Alex asked incredulously.

"…" Melissa did not respond.

After a brief moment of silence and exchange of glances, Alex seemed to erupt with anger, his eyes widening as he shouted, "Miss Melissa, you're thinking about the very person who nearly took my life?"

"Look! Look!" Alex pointed excitedly to the narrow wound on his neck. "This is all thanks to that guy! I merely wanted to teach him a lesson after he cut off Pascal's tongue! And Pascal lost his tongue primarily because of you, Miss Melissa!"

"Because of you, both Pascal and I paid the price, while you have neither offered an apology nor gratitude, instead thinking about the culprit behind all this—this Richard guy! You… you… Miss Melissa, what on earth do you intend to do?"

"I…" Melissa stared at the furious Alex, momentarily taken aback. She hadn't anticipated that the normally accommodating Alex could become so terrifying when enraged.

However, having seen much of the world, Melissa wasn't completely intimidated by Alex's fury; rather, she felt a spark of indignation rising within her. In a matter of seconds, she met Alex's glare, huffed coolly, and retorted, "What I think is none of your concern! Don't forget your position, Alex! You're merely a guard of the caravan, while I am the daughter of the guild leader! If you dare challenge me, just a word from me can have you thrown out of the caravan!"

True, he was injured and it was indeed because of her actions that he had suffered. But could she be wholly blamed for that? Wasn't it his own foolishness? She had only asked him to ensure that Richard could not make things difficult for her, not to attack him! Therefore, his injury was deserved, and so was Pascal's loss of tongue!

"Let me be clear: you will not gain anything from me! If you can keep your current position, consider yourself fortunate! Now, I want to sleep, so you'd best leave my tent at once! Otherwise, I'll scream for Uncle Mular to come and let him know you had the audacity to intrude upon my tent at night—I assure you, he will make you regret it!"