Three days later, the end of his trip to Ryvaad had finally come.
In the past three days, he had traveled to the famous landmarks of the city together with Hershey. It was a rare experience for Alaric and it made him temporarily forget the tragedy that happened in his past life.
At this moment, Alaric was saying his goodbyes to Hershey and her family.
“Thank you for your hospitality. I enjoyed my stay here.” Alaric shook hands with Baron Nathan who was very enthusiastic throughout his whole stay.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“You can always come here whenever you want. Just give us a heads up so that we can make preparations before your arrival.” Nathan beamed.
“I will definitely visit again.” Alaric was quite fond of the place and he was already looking forward to his next visit here.
“Hahaha! That’s good!”
Vivian also spoke with him briefly, but he didn’t have a good impression of this woman so he only responded out of courtesy.
Meanwhile, the two brothers, Theo and Liam, didn’t say anything to him. The older one gave him a nod while cupping his fists, while Liam merely gave him a strange smile.
Finally, he turned his gaze towards Hershey.
She looked visibly down even though she tried so hard to hide it. She failed to conceal the glimmer of sadness in her eyes which Alaric saw through at a glance.
“Thank you for the portrait you made for me, my lady. I will treasure it forever.” Alaric stared intently at her soulful eyes.
He wanted to embrace her and comfort her, but it would be inappropriate.
“I had a great time with you, my lord. Please visit again soon.” Hershey forced out a smile.
“I will.” He nodded.
“Before I go, I have something to give you.” Alaric sent Elena a knowing look.
The girl understood his gaze and took out a wooden box. She then walked towards Hershey and carefully handed it to her.
“This is…” Hershey was surprised by the unexpected gift. She didn’t expect that Alaric had actually prepared something for her.
“You may open it.” Alaric smiled at her while gesturing for her to open the box.
“Let me help you with that, my lady.” Her maidservant, Maris, took the initiative to open the box for her.
The content of the box was revealed. It was a winter dress made from the fur of the Spiked Grizzly Bear.
“We managed to hunt an adult Spiked Grizzly Bear recently and the dress was made from its fur,” Alaric explained.
Hershey’s eyes were glued to the dress. She fell in love with it after one look. The craftsmanship was beautiful and the dress was also perfect for winter. Even Vivian cast her an envious look.
“I love it. Thank you for the gift, my lord.” Hershey hugged the dress while looking at Alaric’s face.
While the two were exchanging their goodbyes, one person was staring daggers at them.
Dammit! Just go home already! Does he really need to flirt with Hershey in front of the whole family?!
Liam gritted his teeth as he watched the scene. He was jealous and their growing relationship was gnawing at him.
“See you again soon, my lady.” Alaric lowered his head. He then turned around and left while waving his hand.
Hershey quietly watched him enter his carriage.
Soon, Alaric’s entourage left, their figures slowly disappearing from their view.
Hershey stood there unmoving like a statue as she clutched the winter dress she received as a gift.
I hope to see you again soon, Alaric.
Liam stared at his sister’s lonely figure with narrowed eyes.
You will never see him again because I have prepared the most perfect gift for that bastard!
As he thought of this, a cruel smile hung on his lips.
***
“My lord, someone is tailing us,” Warrick reported with a stern voice.
Hearing this, Alaric frowned.
“How many men do they have?” He asked while guessing who had sent the pursuers.
The veteran Elite Knight scrunched his eyebrows as he responded. “They have hidden themselves well, but I can sense more than twenty men. Five of them are the level of Knights while the rest are Knight Apprentices.”
Alaric’s face darkened.
The lineup was more powerful than he had anticipated. In a city like Ryvaad, this was already a sizable force!
“Tell the whole party to prepare for a possible attack once we leave the city, but make sure the enemies won’t notice that we have already discovered them,” Alaric instructed.
He wasn’t afraid of battle, but he was a bit worried about Elena’s safety.
Just which bastard is targeting me?
For some reason, Liam’s face flashed in his mind.
Is it you, Liam?
“My lord, what did Sir Warrick say?” Elena’s voice resonated in his ears.
Alaric’s gaze softened as he turned his gaze to her. “Elena, there are people following us. We still don’t know their intentions, but we need to be careful.”
Elena’s eyes shook with fear when she heard this. She clung to his arm and muttered with a quivering voice. “I’m scared, my lord!”
Seeing her terrified face, Alaric embraced her and gently rubbed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Elena. No matter what happens, I will keep you safe. I promise!” He muttered solemnly.
Elena timidly nodded. His words comforted her, but she couldn’t stop her body from shaking.
“We will be safe while we are still inside Ryvaad. Those guys won’t attack us in broad daylight since this place is the territory of House Paxley, but things will be different once we leave the city.” Alaric’s voice suddenly turned serious.
“The carriage walls are made of durable materials so you just need to hide here when the fighting starts. Never open the door for anyone and wait for my return. Can you do that for me, Elena?” Alaric reminded her with a grave look.
Elena was afraid, but she knew that she must not make her lord worried about her in this situation.
She exhaled a deep breath and nodded her head. “Y-Yes, my lord!”