"Why are you glaring at me?" Kira raised an eyebrow. Her disgust was obvious. "Go on! Walk to the plaza! I don't have all day."

Ellena finally exerted all her willpower and got up from the ground by holding on to the wagon wheel. She glared at Kira one more time, then she started walking.

"Traitor!"

"Wicked witch!"

"You are a disgrace to many women!"

The spectators shouted their insults and harassments as they walked alongside Ellena who walked limply passing through the market. One man threw cow dung from out of nowhere and Ellena didn't have time to dodge. It hit her hair and immediately made her smell like cow shit.

"Hahahahah.. look! Now she smells foul just like how her rotten heart should smell...!" One person said with roaring laughter. The others laughed too.

One person took it as a sign to throw another dirt at Ellena. He picked up mud from the side of the road and tossed it at the woman.

"Ahh..." This time Ellena saw it early, but she was still too slow to dodge, so she could only shield her face with her hands.

The mud dirtied her hands, arms, and dress. Ellena cried but her tears were already dry and she couldn't shed anymore.

"WALK!" Kira pointed her sword at Ellena and ordered her to continue walking. Her eyes glint dangerously when she looked at the pitiful Ellena.

Inwardly, Ellena cursed Kira. She was promised freedom after they arrived in the market. Some people would 'kidnap' her and take her away. Kira would pretend to lose track of Ellena, while the thugs she hired hid the prisoner.

Then, one of the thugs would be 'captured' while trying to run away and he would confess that he was ordered by Duke Preston to save his daughter. His testimony and some evidence would be used to arrest Duke Preston and charge him with treason and a crime against the crown.

Mars and the judges didn't care if the witness and evidence were faked, as long as they had something to bring the former prime minister down. This was the reason why Ellena's kidnapping should be done in public, under so many watchful eyes of the crowds.

Ellena hated her smell and she hated how dirty she looked. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. But there was no sign of those kidnappers yet. How long must she walk? She couldn't bear the cold and her feet were sore.

"I don't want to continue..." suddenly Ellena snapped back at Kira. "I am injured!"

As she looked at the pointed sword on her arm, Ellena realized that as much as she needed Kira's help to get away from here... Kira, and the king, must need her help too. They wanted to bring down Duke Preston.

Only Ellena's kidnapping would give them the evidence and excuse to arrest the duke. Since they needed Ellena to play a role in this game, she wouldn't make it easy for them at her expense.

Her body couldn't take it anymore. It's freezing cold and she was tired.

Her lips trembled when she spoke again. "B-blanket... I want... blanket... It's freezing..."

SWOOSH!

Someone suddenly threw dirt at her and shouted, "That's your blanket! Now, walk!"

However, Ellena knew that she was needed and she stood her ground. Without her, the crown wouldn't be able to punish Duke Preston.

She was needed. They had to give her a god damn blanket.

She stood motionless like a statue and looked at Kira daringly. Now that she was out, and she had faced the crowd and got insulted, she thought she couldn't get any lower than this.

Kira winced in displeasure, but finally, she relented. Begrudgingly, she went to her own horse and took a blanket from the saddle. She threw the blanket at Ellena and kicked her feet. "Now, walk!"

Right at that moment, suddenly, there was a commotion among the crowds.

"THIEF!!! HELP!"

A woman screamed at the top of her lungs and distracted everyone's attention from Ellena. They all murmured among each other and tried to find the thief among hundreds of people who gathered in the market.

"Where is the thief?"

"Did you see him?"

"He is running that way!!"

"Hey!! After him!"

"He stole my wallet, please catch him!!"

The crowds immediately erupted into a commotion and people were trying to catch the thief based on the voices they heard among themselves.

Kira smiled faintly when she saw Ellena was pulled by a burly man wearing a hoodie and carried on his back. She pretended to get distracted as well and ran toward the so-called thief.

"Miss Kira! The prisoner is gone!!"

Suddenly, one of the knights shouted at Kira, trying to get her attention. The other three knights immediately ran toward the man in a hoody to chase after him and Ellena.

However, a peasant 'innocently' stuck out his leg when the knights ran toward him, then 'accidentally' tripped them. His face looked horrified when he saw the knights get up and glare at him.

"Oh, my lords... please have mercy, I didn't see you..." the peasant immediately dropped his body to the ground and begged for forgiveness.

"Shut up! Where did the kidnapper go? Did you see him?" one of the knights asked furiously. He didn't have time to punish this peasant when his job was on the line.

If he couldn't stop the kidnapper from taking away their prisoner, his commander would punish him severely.

"What kidnapper?" the peasant feigned ignorance. "Tell me his description. I might be able to help. There are so many people running in this direction..."

"He is a big burly man with a black coat and a hoody," the other knight quickly explained. "Did you see him? He was carrying the prisoner on his shoulder."

"Oh... I think I saw the person you meant," the peasant pretended again. "He went that way."

He pointed in a direction which was the opposite of where the kidnapper went.

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Yes, Kira's plan is in motion. ^^

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