The Grand Duchess Escape

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“… I’m sorry.”

Asellia pressed her lips to the portal again. The solid pebbles then began to crumble into powder. The swirling vortex in front of her did the same.

The large vortex, big enough for a person to pass through, shrank to the size of a single dot and then disappeared entirely within a few seconds.

“It seems that this sister will be late in following you.”

The portal would remain open for a certain period of time unless someone deliberately closed it. Even if the entry point on the destination side was sealed, the swirling vortex at the original entry point would still linger.

To completely erase the traces of magic, the person who opened the portal had to remain and close it– there was no other way to do that.

‘Help me, Mother.’

After a brief prayer, Asella took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob. Now she was on her own. She pushed the door open a crack to see what was going on outside, she saw the soldier who had been questioning people at the restaurant was now at the neighboring shop.

‘This is my only chance.’

There were hardly any people in the inn. Asella was able to make it down to the first floor without encountering anyone. The inn keeper, assuming she was just stepping out briefly like the other guests, paid her no mind as she left.

It was fortunate they had rented a lodging right in the bustling center of town. The streets in the afternoon were crowded. Asella naturally blended into the crowd of people.

‘To the Holy province of Hevium.’

To get there, first, she had to get out of the duchy. With her renewed determination, Asella’s steps quickened.

  *

The carriage carrying Asella sped down the long, straight road.

It would take three to four hours of continuous travel to reach the next city, her destination. Asella leaned back against the seat as she watched the sun set across the sky.

So much had happened in such a short period of time, leaving her both physically and mentally drained. Her tense body began to complain of fatigue. She tried to stay awake, but drowsiness kept creeping in. As the rocking and noise of the carriage faded into the background, Asella’s eyes slowly closed. That until…..

“……!”

Suddenly, a loud bang from the carriage snapped her awake, her eyes wide opened, and she quickly realized something was wrong.

‘Why are we moving so slowly?’

The carriage was barely advancing. Concerned, Asella pulled back the curtain on the window. It was hardly a window – but as soon as the curtain was drawn, the outside wind blew in.

‘What is this…’

The carriages were lined up in a long queue. At the end of the procession, she could see the city walls in the distance. Passage was usually clear unless there was a war or some exceptional circumstance.

‘It’s not even a border area, so why is the road blocked like this?’

That’s when Asella heard the sound of hooves from behind.

***

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