A Guide to Raising a Villainess-Chapter 109: Salvation

"I hope so..." I murmured quietly. "I hope you’re right."

In the end, I just nodded and sighed, trying not to show how I was shaking slightly. The cold was getting stronger, and I involuntarily wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm up a little.

Hmm?

Suddenly, I felt something soft settle on my shoulders. Warm, thick fabric touched my skin, and I looked up in surprise. The prince’s cloak was now draped over my shoulders.

I blinked several times, not immediately realizing what had happened. The fabric still retained his warmth and the faint smell of blood.

Of course, I was taken aback by this and immediately reached out to take it off.

"No, you’re wounded!" I said quickly. "You should cover yourself! You mustn’t give it to me!"

Richard smiled quietly.

"It’s all right," he said calmly. "I can’t just sit here and watch you shiver from the cold, can I? Besides... I am a gentleman, after all."

I froze, not knowing what to say for a moment.

No, in fact, I really couldn’t have expected the prince of this empire and the nephew of the emperor himself to show such unexpected gallantry towards me. Not only did he save my life, risking his own, but now he is giving me his cloak, even though he himself was wounded and undoubtedly needed it much more than I did.

And how, pray tell, will I ever be able to repay all these debts?

Any words of gratitude would sound inappropriate now, given everything he has done for me.

Besides, it would never occur to me to make him freeze. Especially a prince. It would be... simply wrong. If something happened to Richard de Stone, it would surely have consequences for me far greater than I could imagine.

So, gathering all the determination I had left, I made another attempt to refuse his kind gesture:

"No, I really don’t need it!" I said hastily, already beginning to remove the cloak from my shoulders. "Please take it back, or you’ll catch a cold!"

But as soon as I reached out, Richard gently stopped me, lightly touching my wrist with his fingers. His movement was confident but without pressure.

"Lady Weinstein," he said with a slight, almost weightless smile, "do you really think I would let you sit here shivering with cold just because I am a prince?"

His words sounded so naturally warm that I was truly taken aback.

"But...!" I tried to protest again.

"Lady, just take it," he said calmly, but with a firmer tone. "This is my order as prince."

I blinked, stunned. Oh... so it was an order? What should I do now? Refuse? Or obey? But I really wasn’t going to take his cloak!

Although it would not be the wisest decision to contradict His Highness’s direct order, I still decided to at least try to insist on my own way: 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Your Highness, please, you don’t have to do this. I can’t accept this from you..." I began, but he just shook his head gently.

"You can. And you must." His gaze softened slightly, but his voice still sounded with such unwavering confidence that it seemed pointless to argue further.

"....."

"You’re stubborn," Richard added a little more quietly, as if to himself, and the corners of his lips twitched into a slight smile.

I didn’t even know how to respond to that, and just sighed resignedly, admitting defeat. The cloak remained on my shoulders, and Richard, as if nothing had happened, leaned back against the cave wall again, closing his eyes.

For a moment, I sat looking at him, not daring to say anything. In the dim light, his face looked calm, but I could see how his hand, still pressed against his shoulder, would occasionally tense up involuntarily. The wound was clearly making itself felt, but he didn’t show it.

I quietly sat down next to him, trying not to disturb the silence. The air smelled damp and faintly of smoke from a signal flare that had long since gone out. Everything around seemed frozen, as if the night itself had held its breath.

And just as I was beginning to get used to this strange silence, voices suddenly came from outside.

At first, they were barely audible, muffled, as if coming from far away. But then they grew louder and clearer.

I raised my head sharply, feeling my heart beating wildly in my chest.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, turning to Richard.

The guy was already alert, his eyes wide open and focused.

"Yes," he replied quietly, getting to his feet despite his wound. "Someone’s coming."

I also rose cautiously, trying not to make a sound, and listened to the footsteps coming from afar. My heart beat faster — now they sounded clearer and closer.

A few moments later, a dull thud of boots and a metallic clang — the clank of armor, a sound that could not be confused with anything else — could be heard on the slope.

Then a glimmer of light flashed in the cave opening. Another, and another. Finally, figures appeared in the semi-darkness — armed men in the familiar uniforms of the imperial guard.

The torches in their hands cast flickering reflections on the stone walls, illuminating everything around them with a warm orange light.

"Your Highness!" One of the guards hurried forward, immediately bowing. His face showed sincere relief. "We’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

"I’m glad you found me," the prince replied quietly, smiling slightly and finally allowing himself to exhale.

I also felt a weight lift from my chest. All the tension that had held me for all these hours began to slowly ease. My shoulders relaxed, and my breathing became more even.

Yes, fortunately, it was indeed the imperial guard. We were saved!

Several men rushed to Richard, supporting him by the shoulders, while another offered him a hand to help him up. The rest surveyed the surroundings, ready to repel any possible threat at a moment’s notice.

Still not quite believing what was happening, I stood a little behind, watching them, and only when one of the guards turned to me did I hear my own name:

"Lady Weinstein? Are you all right?"

"Yes... I think so," I replied, still a little dazed. "It’s just... it all happened so suddenly."

"You have nothing to worry about anymore, my lady," he reassured me. "You are now under the protection of His Highness and the imperial guard."

At that moment, Richard turned to me. His gaze was calm, but I could still see the fatigue in his eyes, mixed with a slight shadow of pain.

"It’s over," he said, as if confirming my own thoughts. "You are safe now."

I nodded, unable to find the words. Only now did I allow myself to truly believe that this nightmare was truly behind us.

When we stepped outside, night had finally fallen on the forest.

The dark treetops stretched upward, merging with the sky, and the moon, slowly rising above the horizon, illuminated everything around with its cold silver light.

I raised my head — after a long stay in the cave, the fresh air seemed especially clean and cool to me.

However, before I could take even a few steps, I heard one of the guards exclaim. His face expressed extreme concern.

"Your Highness, you are wounded!" he exclaimed, noticing the trail of blood on Richard’s shoulder.

"Yes," the prince replied calmly, as if it were something completely insignificant.

The commander of the guard stepped forward and bowed.

"We will take you to the palace immediately," he said decisively. "The imperial physician must examine you as soon as possible."

"All right," Richard nodded, his voice still calm, but I noticed him wince slightly in pain when one of the guards tried to help him onto his horse.

Then his gaze shifted to me. In the moonlight, the prince’s eyes seemed especially expressive — warm gold, reflecting the glow of the night.

"Lady Grace," he said softly but insistently. "You must follow me. After everything that has happened, you should also be examined by a doctor."

I was momentarily confused, still not fully aware of what was happening.

"Huh?"

"You did fall from your horse, after all," the prince remarked eloquently. "You could have a bruise or, worse, internal injuries. It’s best to make sure you’re all right."

Oh, right... I forgot. Indeed, a few hours ago, I fell off a horse. Everything happened so quickly that I simply didn’t have time to feel the pain — adrenaline, fear, confusion... Everything mixed together.

Now that the danger had passed, my body reminded me of itself with a nagging heaviness in my side. No doubt, I would find a rather impressive bruise in the morning.

Nevertheless, the thought of letting the doctor examine me right now seemed completely impossible to me. After all that had happened, something else was more important to me.

I took a deep breath, trying to make my voice sound firm.

"No, Your Highness," I said, shaking my head slightly. "I won’t be able to go with you this time."

Richard raised an eyebrow, his gaze becoming more attentive for a moment.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I..." I began, feeling my insides tighten. "I must check on my niece first. She must be frantic with worry. If I don’t return, she’ll think something terrible has happened to me."

The prince was silent for a few seconds, as if considering my words. In the moonlight, his face seemed a little stricter than usual, but there was no condemnation or irritation in his eyes, only quiet understanding.

"I understand," he finally said, nodding slightly. "Although, I must admit, I didn’t expect you to actually choose caring for others over your own rest."

I didn’t respond, only lowering my gaze.

A slight smile appeared on Richard’s lips — tired, but warm.

"Well, in that case, I won’t keep you. But, Lady Weinstein..."

He held my gaze. "Promise me that right after this, you’ll let the doctor examine you."

"Okay," I said. "I promise."

Richard nodded, as if satisfied with my answer, and only then did I allow the guard to help me into the saddle.

Taking a deep breath, I took hold of my horse’s reins. Escorted by guards carrying torches, we set off. But all the while, only one thought lingered in my mind.

After everything that had happened, I now had only one goal: to see Ruby as soon as possible.