Chapter 56 The Corrosive Poison "See you tomorrow, Andra."...

Falling, Andra kept falling.

She watched the princess grow further and further away, unable to see the princess's expression clearly. The layers of superimposed images on her face gradually enveloped her into a distorted black hole.

Why...

The girl's thoughts were slow, but time itself seemed to slow down under the threat of death.

Why would Her Highness do this? There was no reason, absolutely no logical reason.

Gesha.

The girl's ears heard a faint sound; even though they were numb, her keen senses still picked up the sound of drawing a bow and nocking an arrow.

Whoosh! Two arrows flew toward her from the left and right.

"At this rate, you're bound to get shot," the brain said coldly.

I can't get shot, I...don't want to die!

Andra was fearless, but as death was about to catch up with her, she felt a huge void spreading from the depths of her heart.

No, how could she die here?

The nannies have said more than once that when she was born, the sun shone brightly, and a halo gathered on the mountaintop, like the sharp edge of a crown.

She was the most envied warrior, possessing strength far exceeding that of ordinary children—strength far exceeding that of all children—even before drinking the medicinal soup!

She is different... I am completely different from everyone else!!

Andra strained to adjust his body and, in a flash, grabbed a branch.

She gripped the branch growing across the cliff tightly in her hand—thud! After a crisp sound, her body continued to fall.

The change in angle caused both arrows to miss their mark.

Andra's luck seemed to have run out; her stiff limbs prevented her from grabbing onto the second outstretched branch, and she crashed heavily to the ground.

Crack! A sound of the shoulder blade breaking under the strain came from the air.

Um...

Andra frowned; her body wasn't in much pain, and her mind was still clear after the fall. Even though her shoulder made a cracking sound, she was able to sit up immediately.

She glanced to the side instinctively—oh, so I am still loved by the gods.

All around him were sharp, pointed stones; if one were to accidentally fall on them, one would instantly die from a fall.

Fortunately, to make the forgery look more natural, the stones weren't placed all over the place, but rather spaced out at intervals.

Thanks to the mastermind's cleverness, she landed perfectly in the gap between two stones.

Andra unconsciously twitched the corner of his mouth, and then the sound of wind breaking came from above.

This time the wind was even stronger, carrying enormous energy.

They're shooting arrows from this distance? With so many trees around to block the view—Andra looked up and saw rocks raining down from the mountaintop, aimed directly at her head!

Without a moment's hesitation, the boy rolled and got stuck in the nearest bush before he even realized what was happening.

Shasha Shasha.

Even the bushes were studded with thorns and pebbles. They left tiny, bloody gashes on her knees, dripping drops of bright red blood that scattered along her escape path.

......

The high cliffs give the rocks greater kinetic energy, making it more difficult for the person throwing them.

The slaves had only thrown down two waves when they realized that Andra had already run out of their range and they could no longer hit her.

Manzhu and Jingji could throw their swords farther, but they abandoned this inaccurate action from the beginning and drew their swords to chase after them.

Andra fled silently. Although her joints were slightly numb, her consciousness had been forcibly awakened by the will to survive during the series of falls.

A trickle of blood flowed from the girl's mouth, indicating internal organ damage. But she paid no attention and kept running into the forest.

She had to escape, escape quickly, whether it was to reach King Norlana or somewhere no one could see her...

Andra's mind struggled to process what she was thinking; she tried to bring her thoughts back together, but she couldn't figure out why Eleanor had done this.

Was it Mysella who forced them? No, they seem to have a very good relationship.

Andra ran aimlessly; if she were in good health, very few people would be able to catch her in the dense forest.

However, her stiff joints and disorientation completely held her back, and she soon heard rustling footsteps behind her.

Manju, thorns... and perhaps many more.

As she ran, Andra suddenly calmed down. No, she had always been calm; a thread of thought had subtly taken over all her reason and emotions.

—Kill them.

She'll be safe once she kills them all.

Yes, why not kill them? She suddenly understood; it was such a simple truth!

Andra reached for his waist; there was no longsword there.

[“Don’t bring any cumbersome weapons when you go to fly a kite!”] The little princess smiled sweetly.

Manju and Jingji, rushing towards her from within her sight, were raising their long swords high.

Andra drew the short knife hidden at his waist without expression.

She is actually very skilled with a knife, just as she is skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

When the little princess said, "You are my guardian knight," she vowed to protect the princess with her sword.

When the little princess said, "Andra, you are the strongest," she fantasized about slitting the throats of everyone who dared to harm the princess.

...She could have done it, she was capable of doing it.

But now it seems she'll have to use this dagger to slit the throats of these people first.

Andra quietly took a step forward and walked towards Manju.

Without exchanging any glances, the twins Manju and Thorn silently separated, allowing Andra to willingly step into the angle formed by their weapons and bodies.

When the combat strength of both sides is similar, two people have an absolute advantage in a one-on-one fight, because two armed people can easily block one person from all sides.

Unfortunately, this is contingent on... similar combat strength.

Andra's movements were indeed very stiff; pain and agility had not yet returned to his body.

But she had already gotten used to this stiffness in just a few minutes and could make a precise cut that just blocked Manzhu's blade.

Clang.

Just as Andra raised his hand to block, Thorn swung his longsword and thrust it straight at him from the side and behind.

This strike was both fierce and dangerous; with just a slight flick of her wrist, she could sever the enemy's right arm and waist in sequence.

Andra may not have eyes in the back of her head, but she could guess their attack trajectory.

After all, her sister played around with her like this too; there would always be a brave warrior coming from the side or behind with a hammer to deliver a powerful blow!

Andra suddenly released his force, and as Manju pressed forward, he swayed to his right and stabbed the thorns head-on.

"No need—" Thorn let out a deafening shriek, the secret signal she and her sister had agreed upon, meaning to exchange injury for injury.

So Manju didn't rush to rescue her sister. Instead, she took advantage of the moment when Andra's dagger pierced her sister's shoulder and stabbed Andra with all her might!

The longsword struck Andra's right leg, and in that instant, Manju couldn't help but marvel at how much the Mother Goddess favored this princess.

Her sharp sword cut through Andra's clothes and leather pants, but the skin and flesh beneath were much harder than she had imagined; it could only cut through but not penetrate.

Even if everyone who drinks the herbal soup receives the blessing of the Mother Goddess and experiences a third growth spurt, only one in ten thousand people can actually achieve that level of development.

Manju did not complain. After leaving a bloody gash on Andra's leg, she continued to slash at his right arm.

They must cut off her hand; only by severing her hand will they have a chance to survive!

Crack!

The heavy sword suddenly missed its mark and slammed into the bushes beside it.

not good!

Manzhu felt a sharp pain in her chest. As soon as she looked up, she saw Andra kicking Thorn in the chest, sending her flying far away.

"Pfft—" Thorn's head slammed into a sharp rock on the ground, and mouthfuls of blood gushed from its mouth, clearly on the verge of death.

"—" Manju's eyes were bloodshot, and she instinctively stabbed at Andra's neck!

Even such a dangerous sword strike didn't bother Andra to dodge. She simply moved slightly to allow the sword to pierce her left shoulder, and then—with a backhand motion, she plunged the dagger into Manju's heart and twisted it twice.

With a thud, Manzhu's body collapsed to the ground.

Whew... With the lives of two enemies lost in his hands, Andra was finally able to breathe.

She stared blankly at her fingers.

Killing enemies is a fun and enjoyable thing for her, but she doesn't feel any excitement or pleasure right now. All she feels is a huge sense of bewilderment and... resentment.

Is it because my heart is too calm? No, it's still beating wildly, but it's completely filled with some kind of doubt.

Your Highness, please answer my question.

Andra stared blankly at the cliff. If she couldn't figure out this unsolved mystery, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

So she turned and ran toward the cliff, during which some slaves seemed to rush toward her. But that didn't matter; she had already retrieved the longsword from Manju's hands.

Finally, it seems a pretty girl drew a dagger and rushed towards her. Oh, her name is Coral, right? But it doesn't matter, she's weak too.

Andra returned to where he started, covered in blood.

She climbed the hillside step by step, and her legs, which were injured in many places, finally began to sway.

Andra straightened up; the princess had not run away.

She might not be able to catch up if they just escaped into the forest, but this child... This girl with long black hair was sitting upright on the blanket, holding a silver wine cup and drinking a full cup.

"Why must it come to this, Your Highness?"

Andra asked in a very calm tone, "Would you like to come back with me?"

She spoke so earnestly, as if she were truly a loyal guardian knight.

Hahaha.

We can't go back anymore, Andra.

The little princess laughed until tears streamed down her face, then poured herself another glass of wine and slowly drank it down. "How could I abandon them?"

She spoke so gently, it was not the master's despair in the face of adversity, but rather... a kind of love and affection for relatives and friends.

The little princess's image was split into two sides of light and shadow in Andra's eyes.

On one hand, he is tender and affectionate, even harboring inappropriate love for the lowest slave.

One side twisted like a ghost, trying to reach out its venomous claws and devour her.

Andra could understand her drinking, because alcohol could deprive a person of their five senses, including the sense of pain.

But why?

If the little princess is so afraid of pain, why does she still do such a dangerous thing?

Eleanor knew she was strong, didn't she? No, regardless of her strength... did she have even the slightest reason to target her, or even kill her?!

She walked step by step toward the princess, and Andra threw aside her longsword and opened her arms as if to embrace her.

"Your Highness, please tell me." Her deep pupils widened, adding a touch of allure. "Did King Nolana order you to kill me?"

The princess shook her head: "No, it has nothing to do with my mother."

This sounds like an excuse. How could there be no connection? Without King Nolana's approval, why would a young princess dare to plot against a neighboring kingdom's princess?

But Andra believed it; the datura plant paralyzed one part of her, but made the other part more active.

She came to Eleanor's side and shielded the little princess from the sun with her body.

Andra's long golden hair brushed against Eleanor's cheek as she gazed at the little princess and softly asked, "For whom? Myrcella? Or some minister...?"

"Hehe." The little princess suddenly laughed, her smile both radiant and serene.

Eleanor reached out and stroked Andra's cheek. There was not a trace of madness in her eyes, but rather a hint of relief.

"I did this for you, Andra."

"...Your Highness, please answer my question carefully."

Andra was suddenly engulfed in a terrifying rage.

This is utter indifference!

She could sense that the princess wasn't looking at her at all, but was simply expressing her own feelings and thoughts.

Get serious!

Look at me carefully!

In a fit of rage, Andra grabbed the little princess’s slender neck; with a simple twist, he could take away her beautiful head.

However, Her Highness just smiled gently, her smile even a little sweet.

Andra was furious, especially furious at herself!

She gritted her teeth to keep her roar from escaping her throat, and only whispered in the princess's ear in a hoarse voice: "Tell me, tell me your reason for killing me."

"Andra, are you feeling unwell? Are you scared?"

The princess's neck and life were in someone else's hands, yet her eyes and brows were filled with a warm smile.

This smile no longer held any eeriness or indifference; it was simply one of genuine joy.

Andra was grateful that the medicine in the wine helped her suppress her sudden surge of rage.

She shook her head as calmly as possible. "I just don't understand... I simply don't understand why you did this."

Hahaha.

The princess suddenly laughed. The laughter sent a shiver down one's spine, yet it plunged Andra into a deeper chill—a laughter colder than any medicine.

Just as Andra's mental string was about to snap, Eleanor tilted her head and leaned in. Their lips seemed to touch, yet they also seemed to maintain an eternal distance.

“What a coincidence, me too.” The little princess raised her hand and pinched the gold pendant that was dangling between Andra’s fingers.

See you tomorrow, Andra.