Chapter 6

" Get the horse! The demon will follow the smell of blood!" Gautbert screamed to the remaining mercenaries who were able to stand against the demons attacking them.

" My lord, the lady is hurt!" Said the young mercenary who was guiding the carriage, he was about to jump on his way to help the bleeding noblewoman when an arm halted him and grabbed his collar.

" Stupid mercenary! I shot her to be the bait! Let us go now!" Gautbert shouted from his lungs with his eyes wide open and bloodshot, his knees trembling and in so much panic.

" What? You get in trouble just to bring the lady out of the mansion and now we are leaving her?" The young man was confused, of course, as they were initially hired to escort the merchant as soon as they got the lady out of the mansion. The original plan is when the lady resists, the mercenaries are going to force her out of the mansion and drag into the carriage.

"Just do as I said! Ahh! Go run the carriage while they do not notice us!" Gautbert hits the young mercenary once again, as much as he wanted to retaliate, they need to make sure of their safety. As the man got hold of the horse's reign, his eyes once again got in contact with Veta who was stunned by what she just heard.

" Ah, I'm just doing what is his order, don't blame me for your ill-fated life!"

Gritting her teeth, Veta couldn't believe how much of a scoundrel Gautbert is, her eye spotted the same steel that was used to shoot her left shoulder. Grabbing it with her unharmed right arm, she took a quick look and imitated how Gautbert operated the weapon. Aiming at the carriage running away, Veta was able to shoot one of the wheels and break it. She was surprised at the impact of the shot on her body, but at the same time was delighted that she was able to prevent the bastard Gautbert from escaping.

" Damn you Gautbert, I won't let myself be left here as bait, if I were to be left here, I won't let you go unscratched!" Once again she aimed the arm of the man who was about to get out of the overturned carriage, as soon as the body got up, she once again pulled the trigger and hit the side of the man's head.

"Aaaah!!!! My ear!" The aim was missed, but the bullet passed slightly over the side and bursted the ear of the man.

Screaming in panic as the pain and blood oozed out, Louie Gautbert grabbed the side of his face, the remaining mercenary runs to his side and pulled him out of the tilted carriage, then his eyes roam and searched for the direction of where the bullet came from, upon seeing the suspect, his whole being trembled at the sight.

A satisfying smile that doesn't reach the eyes, the dark orbs that often look down on him, it was the same determined look that told him off. Levesque Le Blanchet. A trigger of his old memory arises, the day he was kicked out by the man whom he thought to be his mentor, that very first time he was scolded and his voice rises with anger. He definitely knows those eyes, the child he saw when he walked out of the Count's office.

Veta who is covered in blood looks down on him, mouthed " You will never be forgiven" as if a curse has been casted on him, he was now more afraid of the lady rather than the danger of the demon around. He just remembered the seed has its roots grown and will always have a way to leave its traces in the ground. Like father, like daughter. He grabbed the dagger by the mercenary's hip and with all his strength threw the knife on the way to Veta, however due to the current strength left on his body and the distance, the dagger barely reached half of it. Veta, who witnessed the obstructed intention to revenge on her, stood on her feet regaining the strength of her body. Though with the blood loss, her stance remained of dignity as a noble, her head held high proving to Gautbert that she was still of the Le Blanchet blood.

That was the last sight of Veta before his eyes as the demons started to flock over again, they took the chance to escape the Desrosier Valley by endless running in the forest, luckily there were paladins strolling around the border and saw them. Gautbert presented his badge of identity and took the chance to report to the paladins.

" Sir knights, there was a lady left - - -" The young mercenary was cut off by him.

" Help me! Help me!" Gautbert ran and crawled to his knees on to the paladins.

" My lord, what is it?" The confused paladins take on guard of the remaining three mercenaries and the wounded merchant.

" These mercenaries took over the carriage I am in, then took hostage the lady I'm with!" Lies started to flow out of his mouth.

"What nonsense are you talking about merchants!" The elderly man shouted.

"See that, they are not aware we are entering the restricted area and we ended up being attacked by the demons."

" That's not true, we have a contract stating that you are to hire us to escort the lady of Le Blanchet out of the mansion! It's just unfortunate that we entered the restricted area and the demons started attacking us." The young mercenary did not let any opportunity be wasted and tried to tell the truth, but who would believe a group of mercenaries versus a wounded rich merchant.

" Enough, well all have to take you to the custody at the prison, you mentioned the lady so where is she?" The paladin's eyes look at the men who remained standing, but they're all tongue tied as they remember what Gautbert spoke before they met the paladins.

" There remains the only witness of the tragedy. No one will ever speak of the things that happened, even the fact that the lady was left as a bait. If you do so, I will all have you permanently working as my men and you will never go back doing those hideous orders at the guild."

" The lady was eaten by the demons."

The bushes kept hindering her escape, even if she tried to hide herself or remain quiet the smell of blood would always lure the demons to her. Thanks to the bastard who shot her, the thick blood on her shoulder was a perfect appetizer for those monsters.

" That idiot bastard, if I were to be left alive tonight, I'll cut off your limbs and throw you to the crows!" This dawned to her a bitter smile, even if she were to escape from the demons she may be a food to the wild animals or even be left rotting corpses in this forest.

At that moment her foot got caught in the vines and fell to the bushes, her strength all gone and with all strength looked back for the demons chasing after her. However, to her surprise, the demon sat and stopped chasing after her, as if something halted them, slowly the demon dispersed.

Luck it may seem, but she thinks of it weird, what else can disperse those creatures?

A fragrant thick scent of roses touches her nose, later she realized Desrosier Valley wasn't named for fancy reasons, but because the name itself is the most frightful thing you should have met in the forest. Trying to untangle the vines on her foot is futile, then a lot more starts to crawl and tangle to her body, what worse is that the torns scrapes her skin.

" No, it's sucking my blood!" She remembers that lesson at the academy, the roses are demons, thus thought it was beautiful and fragrant, the people are afraid as it was a sign of an evil creature that feeds on the blood of young women.

" So am I just a food for this fake pretty plant?" She cried.

"I don't want to die! " she cried, though feeling numb with the sensation of pain until she went half unconscious she heard a playful voice.

" Looks like someone has been caught in a silly trap."

It was of two people but seemed to have a heavy presence, maybe due to her current state that she became more sensitive.

" Unleash the young maiden, you are not given an order to perish a human." An authoritative voice has said so, then the vines who heard it, slowly untangle from her body.

" H-help me… I can't d-die…"

Chuckles.

"Why can't you die?" A deeper voice asked her.

" I… I'll make them… pay…" Though her vision is blurred, she can still see the clear eyes looking at her, it was funny that the bright color of the sea was so clear that it fascinates her.

"Are you willing to do anything to live?"

"Yes, I'll do anything." I answered without a pause.

"Even if it means that you'll have to sell your soul and enter eternal pain?"

"Yes…."

"Then, you'll live again. But in one condition, your life is all mine. "

Without any hesitation, I nodded. My life has not been mine all along, people trampled on me because I am an illegitimate child, as if I don't have the right to live among them, they treated me worse than a rat. No, they think of me as an object they possess and will be disposed of anytime. . So rather than to lose it without doing anything, I better give my life to someone who'll be needing it.

My blurry vision of a man shows a bright blue pair of eyes that calms like the sea.

That man inches closer and bit my neck, I gasped for the last moment as I breathed the air.

I lost all my senses.