How to Run Away from Obsessed Men

Episode 83

Crain let out a deep sigh.

Things were not going according to his plan. Originally, he intended to kidnap the cleric Roana right here.

However, for some reason, the cleric, who was supposed to be in place, had vanished.

‘I thought I could use her since she seemed close to Kalia.’

Touching a diplomatic delegation was forbidden, but Crain had already crossed the point of no return.

His plan was to exploit every possible resource, and Roana had been part of that plan.

Yet, she had disappeared before he could act.

Crain clenched his teeth.

‘Is she just a lucky woman?!’

There was no logical explanation for how she managed to leave the area right when he launched his attack.

“It doesn’t matter if she ran away or not,” he muttered quietly.

The situation was already in motion.

Even without Roana, the outcome wouldn’t change.

‘Is Flute handling things properly?’

If Flute played his part, the tide could still turn in Crain’s favor.

Raysis had already pointed out the lack of alternatives.

If all the imperial family members, except for Flute, were eliminated, there would be no one left but Flute to take the throne.

‘All I need is for Princess Rebecca to be gone.’

He hadn’t planned to escalate the situation this far. He hadn’t wanted to rely on the power of another empire.

But the betrayal of those around him had forced his hand.

Thinking this, Crain swung his sword. He watched as a servant trying to flee collapsed with a scream.

“Kill them all! They’re traitors who dared betray me!”

His eyes gleamed viciously. He had no intention of letting anyone in the estate leave alive.

Raysis was no exception.

‘Children can be made anew.’

His plan was to keep Raysis alive for now, but once a new heir was born, Raysis would be disposed of immediately.

In the end, Crain was certain he would be the victor.

It was then that he frowned. The troops he had brought to the Kesion Marquisate were not few in number.

The Marquisate, for its part, didn’t have enough forces to properly oppose him.

Yet somehow, the number of his forces was dwindling.

He could see the transcendents from the Eastern Empire overpowering the Marquisate’s people.

“Argh!”

“You monster!”

But among the Eastern Empire’s forces, there was someone who stood out even more.

It was Mikhail, who was now fighting against those very transcendents.

‘How is that bastard here?!’

Crain felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He had already been concerned about Mikhail, even before now.

That monstrous man’s strength was enough to take on the transcendents from the Eastern Empire single-handedly.

‘There’s no way he’s fully healed, is there?!’

Crain wasn’t a fool. There was a reason he hadn’t stopped Rosalyn from attempting to heal Mikhail.

He trusted Mikhail’s capabilities, but he also feared the power he possessed.

Crain had known that Mikhail’s recovery from Rosalyn’s lackluster healing wouldn’t be perfect.

Moreover, he was aware that Mikhail had been steadily growing weaker over time.

He’d assumed that the cumulative aftereffects of Rosalyn’s inadequate healing had been slowly destroying him.

‘That should have been the case…’

“Mikhail’s condition has been strange lately.”

“I’ve heard that even when he’s healed, it doesn’t seem to fully work.”

“Sometimes, I’ve heard he forgets things, as if his memories are slipping away.”

These were all typical signs of a transcendent struggling to bear the burden of the goddess’s power.

There had also been an increasing number of instances where Mikhail returned from missions injured.

When Crain saw him not long ago, he’d thought Mikhail looked undeniably weaker.

Crain let out a bitter laugh.

Now, though, Mikhail was clearly pushing himself far beyond his limits. While it seemed like he was effortlessly dealing with the transcendents from the Eastern Empire, Crain was certain that, given time, he would eventually collapse.

Crain glared at Mikhail.

He couldn’t understand why Mikhail was going to such lengths to interfere with his plans.

“Are you trying to die, Mikhail?”

Why? For what reason?

Crain thought he knew Mikhail well. He couldn’t imagine someone as emotionless as him moving for the sake of another person.

“What should we do?” a knight from the Eastern Empire asked.

Crain raised his sword, his gaze fixed on Mikhail charging toward him.

“We can handle him. Can’t you feel it? He’s burning the last of his strength.”

Crain’s eyes shifted to the side, a flicker of realization lighting them up.

“So that’s how he’s still able to fight…”

There, he spotted Roana, the cleric, healing Mikhail amidst the chaos.

That was the reason Mikhail was able to continue using his strength, even in such a dire situation.

⋆★⋆

Lindsey watched Mikhail intently, his fierce aura as he wielded his sword was almost terrifying. Next to her, Felia spoke with a worried expression.

“He’s incredibly strong, but you feel it too, don’t you, Priestess?”

“……”

“Mikhail won’t last much longer. For some reason, his body is deteriorating faster than even your healing can keep up with.”

Lindsey nodded.

As Felia said, Mikhail’s condition was worsening rapidly.

Shaking her head, Lindsey murmured, “I don’t understand why his condition is deteriorating so quickly.”

She had encountered many espers and transcendents in her time, but none had deteriorated without reason like Mikhail.

Even just a few days ago, he hadn’t been in this bad of a state.

But now, even with her healing, it was all she could do to purify the goddess’s power in his body.

It was as though some unknown force was accelerating his decline.

Felia, glancing between Lindsey and Mikhail, turned pale. After hesitating, she spoke.

“I do have a suspicion, but…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Clang!

Lindsey’s face turned pale.

Mikhail was intercepting the enemy’s attacks that were aimed at her and Felia.

He swiftly pulled Lindsey into his arms and retreated with remarkable speed.

Lindsey, overwhelmed by impulse, blurted out, “Run away. You can escape if you try.”

No matter how much Raysis had asked for his help, Mikhail had no reason to remain here.

Especially not in his current condition, risking his life in a battle like this.

She couldn’t understand why he was staying—why he was pushing himself to fight Crain when he could simply take her and flee.

‘He could just escape with me.’

Why go to such lengths to subdue Crain, even at the cost of his own body?

At Lindsey’s plea, Mikhail turned his head to glance at her. Without a word, he held her tightly and retreated further back.

A sword embedded itself in the spot where Lindsey had just been. She immediately realized that Mikhail had once again saved her.

Her brow furrowed deeply.

Mikhail’s condition was worsening at an alarming rate.

It was almost as if saving her was directly contributing to his decline.

“This can’t go on.”

“Why? At least give me a reason. If you keep fighting like this, you’ll die!” Lindsey cried out.

“A reason…”

Mikhail’s gaze shifted forward. Lindsey followed his line of sight.

The transcendents from the Eastern Empire, who had been attacking them, suddenly froze in place.

Approaching them was Crain.

⋆★⋆

Early in the morning, Azhet was honing his sword, trying to calm his restless heart.

“Did you know?”

The sudden sound of Kenyan’s voice made Azhet turn his head.

Kenyan, too, was holding a sword.

Azhet immediately understood what Kenyan was referring to.

‘Crain actually went through with it, even though the engagement with the Eastern Empire wasn’t finalized.’

Urgent news had already been coming in from all directions. Azhet cast a sharp glance at Kenyan.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Eastern Empire. Was this the reason for that ridiculous engagement attempt?”

Azhet let out a sigh.

He ran a hand roughly through his hair.

“Kenyan, I was only preparing for the worst-case scenario. I knew Crain was planning something insane.”

“……”

“I was just considering the worst possibility—what would happen if Crain’s mad scheme succeeded. That’s why I wanted an insurance policy.”

Azhet said this as he grabbed Kenyan’s shoulder.

“You’ve heard the news that the Kesion Marquisate was attacked, haven’t you? This isn’t the end of it.”

His expression twisted as he continued.

Seeing that Kenyan hadn’t grasped the full situation, Azhet decided to explain the grim reality.

“Princess Rebecca has already left, leading troops in response to reports of suspicious movements from the Eastern Empire.”

“……”

“Right now, the defenses at the capital are at their weakest. Do you understand what that means?”