The Devil Who Breaks My Neck

o your room now.”

 

In fact, what scratched his nerves more than his wife’s attitude was the gaze of men in the hall looking at his wife.
Ezekiel found it disturbing.
To the point where he regretted asking her to attend the banquet.
He spoke to his wife, who looked at him suspiciously.

 

“Your thoughts are narrow.
There is no way you’re going to bless Miguel.
Do not ruin the atmosphere and leave the banquet first.
I’ll be there around midnight, so wait.”

 

Even though he was aware of his mistake, he did not apologise until the end.
He tried to hide his shame with cold eyes and harsh words.

 

It may be sad, but Herace’s blue eyes were filled with affection instead of sadness.
She held her hand to Ezekiel’s cheek.
The white hand swept slowly across his face.

 

“……I’m tired.
I want to sleep.”

 

When his wife reached out her hand first, the surge of emotions slowly subsided.
Ezekiel tried to cover up his embarrassment and pulled his wife’s hand roughly.
Herace swept the back of his hand and held their hands together.

 

When his hands fell, he was thirsty with regret.
Ezekiel sighed, cursing himself inside, but said in a softer voice.

 

“…okay, go to bed first.”

***

Herace went to sleep after lying on the bed.
At an early hour, the maid withdrew.
Herace waited for the maid’s footsteps to disappear, and then crept up.
It was quite a distance from the room to the hall where the banquet was held, but the noise was quite loud beyond the window.

 

Knock, knock.

 

Herace tapped on the front wall of the dressing table.
But there was no reply.
She took a deep breath with a nervous face and placed her ears on the wall for a moment.

 

Knock, knock.

 

A louder noise rang in the room.
Soon after, three knocks were heard in the room from across the hall.

 

Hearing the answer, Herace carefully opened the door.
Perhaps because of the banquet, the hallway was quiet without a trace of people.
She looked around and headed for the next room.

 

“Miss!”

 

“Shh!”

 

As soon as the door opened, Herace entered the room.
She went straight to the cradle and picked up Erzen and asked Anna.

 

“What about the nanny?”

 

“She fell asleep.”

 

Anna shook the empty bottle.
It was only then Herace saw a middle-aged woman lying on the bed beyond the cradle.
Herace looked anxiously at her son in her arms.

 

“Don’t worry.
I said it’s a medicine that I sometimes use for the Crown Princess.
She ate only a little, so it won’t be a problem.”

 

“But Erzen’s body…….”

 

“You have to change your clothes sooner than that.
You came up earlier than I thought, but the more time you have, the better.”

 

Herace nodded her head, shaking her sleeping son gently.
Anna stretched her arm under the bed and took out a bundle and untied it.
A couple of clothes and a pocket fell on the ground.
Herace picked up a modest brown dress, carefully putting her sleeping Erzen down in his cradle.

 

“…okay, go to bed first.”

 

Herace remembered her husband’s last words.
She was sure that after the banquet, he would come to find her in the bedroom.
She made up her mind quite a long time ago, but she still couldn’t help it, she burst into tears….

 

Herace rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
After changing her dress and holding her son up again, she looked at Lake Aunue through the window.

 

It was really time to get out of this castle.

 

***

 

Herace’s heart was pounding when she passed just under the noisy banquet hall, but fortunately, the fairly grown shrubs were enough to cover the three.
Even the knights on guard were kept near the hall, but there were few in the garden.
Herace’s group, who passed through the garden easier than expected, entered the stable, exhaling the breath they breathed in tension.

 

“Did you see something?”

 

Anna asked Herace, who naturally passed between the horses.
Unlike Herace, who looked at the horse without hesitation, she looked uneasy as if she were not used to the horse.
Whenever the horses scratched the floor with their front paws and snorted roughly, Anna shrank in fear.

 

“Lady, I’d rather walk…… At this rate, if these guys make any noise, Tom, the stable owner, will appear.”

 

“It’s dangerous, but if we don’t ride a horse, we’ll be caught quickly.
I don’t have a choice.”

 

Herace had a rather unique specialty as a woman called horseback riding.
Everyone was surprised when she rode a horse, who looked fragile.
Except for those who had seen her since childhood, everyone didn’t know that Herace could ride a horse.

 

Horseback riding was a familiar thing for Herace.
She learned horseback riding with Charles under the direction of Ulys since she was quite young.
At one time, she rode on horses all the time, so it was natural in some ways that she was not afraid of them.

 

“I don’t know if it’ll be okay because it’s been a while.”

 

Finally, in the corner of the stable, in front of a horse, she walked to it prepared by Herace and stroked his soft mane.
The light grey horse seemed mild and accepted Herace’s touch without making a sound.
However, in Anna’s eyes, Herace’s choice of horse was quite unsatisfactory.

 

“Lady, let’s ride on a stronger horse.
It looks like…….”

 

The horse looked old at first glance.
Like other horses, the hair was not glossy and the muscles were not strong.
Although there was a little bit of beauty left in the past, she could understand why it was roughly tied to the corner.
It was a horse that won’t be stolen at the end even if the horse thief runs into it.
The horse that Herace chose was an old mare.

 

“No.
It has to be this horse.”