Unfortunately, her joy was short-lived. As soon as she stepped out of the warehouse, Ellena's steps halted. She saw a shadow looming over from in front of her. It was Kira who just got off her horse and walked briskly toward the warehouse entrance.

"Well, well... Look who's trying to escape?" Kira said coldly. The smile on her face looked wicked and now truly reminded Ellena of the smile she often saw on Thessalis' face.

Did wicked women have the same sinister smiles? Or did Kira and Thessalis just happen to have similar personalities?

Ellena didn't know Kira well enough to understand her character. She only knew Kira was a pirate and she was strong and ruthless. Ellena kind of knew Thessalis well, having spent many years with her in her home, working for the wicked witch.

"I-I..." Ellena bit her lip. She stepped back involuntarily and looked at Kira in horror. "I am just asking them to let me get some air... I felt suffocated there."

Kira scoffed when she heard Ellena's words. "My friend was feeling suffocated for months, being locked up in the Grey Tower, while pregnant, because you framed her for the murder she didn't commit. You've only been locked up here for one day and you dare complain about suffocation? How dare you!"

SPAT!

Kira spat to the floor in disgust. Then she crossed her arms on her chest and stepped forward, closer to Ellena. The wicked woman actually took one step backward for every step forward Kira took. Suddenly her back bumped into one of the burly thugs and she realized she couldn't move anymore.

She trembled and looked at the man. Ellena turned to him and grabbed his arm. Her voice was hoarse and persistent when she tried to convince the thug to help her.

"You want the money, right? This is your chance to get rid of her. I will immediately bring you to the first secret location. You will be a rich man tomorrow."

The thug looked conflicted. He was all for trying to get the treasure for himself if he could leave this place fast enough before Kira returned. He would think about saving his behind by hiring people to protect him from Kira Grim's wrath. Once he had the money, he could do anything.

Alas! Kira was back much earlier than expected. So, now the thug had no choice but to fight the pirate princess to the death now if he wished to proceed with the plan. Kira wouldn't let him go.

Would he dare to look for trouble with the Grim Serpent gang?

He glanced at his friend. The younger man's eyes glint dangerously. He did quick thinking and realized if they both worked together they could kill this woman, take Ellena to get the treasure, and immediately go as far away as possible from here to avoid the Grim Serpent gang's chase.

They could change their identity and live like kings in a faraway land. Maybe they could go to Atlantea and start a new life. With that treasure, they could buy land, have lots of women, and live peacefully until they were old and grey.

Yeah, people said, get rich or die trying. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that might never come again.

"YEAAHHH!!!" Suddenly, the younger thug had unsheathed his sword and charged at Kira.

His partner immediately understood what he wanted and moved away to give him access to attack Kira. Then, he also took out his sword and followed suit to attack the young woman.

When the older thug moved his body to attack Kira, Ellena's body was tossed aside and she hit the door hard. However, she didn't feel the pain, because her brain rejoiced at the development.

She was glad she had managed to convince her captors to take her side. She pulled herself up and by leaning on the door, she managed to stand up.

Her renewed vigor made her think quickly. She took her scarf from the floor, then she ran as fast as she could, away from the warehouse.

Now, while Kira and the two thugs were fighting, she would disappear among the crowds.

Kira was enraged because these two lowly thugs dared to go against her after she paid them a lot of money. She took out her sword and started charging back at them furiously.

She knew there was no honor among thieves, but she thought these two idiots should at least use their brains and didn't try to betray her because they knew who she was.

"Idiots! You can betray anyone, but you should have known that the Grims always collect our debts!" she spat and swung her sword fiercely toward the younger thug.

The man dodged by moving his body to the right, but Kira had expected this movement and suddenly changed direction and used her elbow to knock the man's waist and kick his shin.

The thug dropped to his knees and growled in pain. The other thug immediately charged at Kira with his sword, but Kira turned her sword and stabbed him right in his chest without even looking.

"Aaaaahhh...." The man's shrill stream broke the sky. And the people around the warehouse immediately came approaching the origin of the sound.

When they arrived, the people found an older man lying in his pool of blood, his body trembled on the brink of death, while another, younger man was on his knees and both his hands were grabbing his neck, trying so hard to press the gaping wound from spouting blood.

His clothes were all drenched in blood. His eyes bulged and the voice that came out of his throat sounded like the sound of an animal being slaughtered.

Kira took her gold from their pockets before she left and look for Ellena.

"Oh my gods...! Aren't they the thugs that often frequented the Red Sparrow Tavern? I saw them there all the time..." A man said. He exchanged looks with his friends. "Who do you think they have offended this time?"

"I don't know..." His friend shrugged. "They have done many bad things in the past. Perhaps, one of their victims came to get their revenge."

"Call the soldiers! They need help," Another person suggested.

"I think it's no use. Look, that man is dying. He cannot be saved."

"Well, his friend can still be saved..." Another man said. "Shouldn't we save him?"

"Nah. He extorted me to pay protection fees last month and when I couldn't pay, he beat me up," a merchant chimed in. His voice sounded disgusted. "I will never help a pest like him. Serves him right!"

After he said that, the merchant spat on the younger thug and left the place. The other people looked at the two dying thugs and each other alternately. They also thought they were not obliged by anyone to help bad people when they needed help.

So, one by one, they left the warehouse. The older thug died ten minutes later from his wounds, but the younger thug tried to get help by crawling on the floor and begging people to bring him to see a physician. Nobody paid him any heed.

When the royal soldiers arrived an hour later, the younger thug had died from losing so much blood. He was buried together with his partner in a nameless grave.

***

Ellena was so nervous. She kept running as fast as possible with her frail legs, to wherever her feet took her. Anywhere but in the market. She could hide in the residential area and steal clothes so she could disguise herself and leave the capital.

Once she was far away from here, she would rest and recuperate. Then, she would find ways to get her father's treasure. She would keep it to herself and used it to start a new life somewhere else. 

Her body felt so tired and her feet hurt, but Ellena continued running. She remembered Emmelyn escaped after she had just given birth to her daughter. At that time, Emmelyn must be as weak as she was now.

Well, if Emmelyn could do it then, Ellena was sure she could too.

She was not less than Emmelyn in being resilient and perseverant. If Emmelyn, in such condition, could get away from Draec, and even went as far as Summeria on her own, surely Ellena could too.

She wouldn't lose to Emmelyn.

***

Meanwhile, in the royal palace, John reported to the king that Lord Edgar Chaucer just arrived in the capital and wanted to let him know that he came back and was ready to serve the crown again.

"What? I thought he would stay in Wintermere for much longer," Mars furrowed his brows. How long had it been? Only less than three weeks after he and his entourage arrived in the capital.

That means, Edgar only took extra three weeks in Wintermere to get to know Lady Clara Langley. What happened? Did the courtship not work?

"Where is he?" Mars asked John.

"He is outside, talking with Her Majesty," John explained. "They met outside."

"Oh... ask him to come in," Mars said. He was very curious to know what happened to Edgar and Clara. He actually liked that woman. She looked sweet and meek, and the way she looked at Edgar with her big round eyes, filled with awe, made Mars think Clara was the perfect woman for his best friend.

Edgar seemed to be highly attracted to Clara as well. So, what happened in three weeks?

"I will ask Lord Edgar to come," John bowed down politely to the king and left the throne room. He returned in ten minutes with Edgar Chaucer.

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I will publish another chapter later. xx

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