Sigmund laughed. "Take you instead? As if your value equals hers. This insignificant daughter of an earl has caused more trouble than you ever could. Do you honestly believe I would listen to you?"
I hadn't moved a muscle since he first grabbed . I had been so stupid! How could I have let my guard down like that?
Now I was probably going to die here for the second ti and Al would be forced to watch. Tears ran down my face and plopped onto the blade of the knife pressed against my neck.
Had I really gotten a second chance at life here simply to fall in love and then die again imdiately after? There were so many things I didn't get to do. I never even got to consummate my marriage!
My heart threatened to beat out of my chest but it was breaking at the sa ti because of the look on Al's face. I wanted to tell him it would be okay sohow even though I didn't believe it was true.
How could it possibly be okay for him to watch get killed right in front of him? I was his lifeline; it would destroy him. Then everything we had worked for over the past year would be for nothing. His people wouldn't get their ho back if he was lost inside his own head like before he t .
"Sigmund, please," Al begged. "Whatever it is you think she did, it was all my fault! Let her go and kill instead!"
My tears flowed even more forcefully. No, he couldn't do that! His life was so much more important than mine. There were people who needed him. He was the only one who needed in this world. Ultimately, I was every bit as insignificant here as I had been back ho even if I did accidentally throw this world into chaos.
"Your fault?" Sigmund scoffed. "Everything changed after she got here! Catherine du Pont, a complete nobody helped my brother steal my throne. And you say that it's your fault?"
"Listen to ! Whatever you want, I'll give it to you if you let her go!"
He pressed the knife harder into my neck and I felt a trickle of blood run down it. Al's face, if possible, grew even whiter. They faced each other in a terrifying standoff and I could see my life flash before my eyes.
My happy childhood mories with my parents and Abby. My painful lonely years during college and after. Coming to this crazy world and dealing with all of the nobility. Precious tis spent with Al.
"It's okay," I croaked. "You're more valuable than I am. The Kanta need you."
I stiffened as Sigmund jostled , causing another stream of blood to run down. I was actually going to die here. First a car accident then murder. What kind of rotten luck did I have?
"I'm sorry we couldn't do everything we talked about," I whispered. "I love you."
Al was frantic, not knowing whether to take a step forward and try and wrestle the knife from his foster brother or if there was another way to save . "Don't talk like that!" he said wildly. "Sigmund, please, please let her go. I never should have sided with Franz but don't take it out on her!"
He smiled viciously. "You sided with Franz because of her. The best way to make you suffer is to take her away since I cannot kill you."
Can't kill Al? What nonsense was he talking about? Had he completely lost his mind?
"Yes you can! Go ahead and kill if it will make you happy, as long as you let go of her!" Al shouted with tears in his eyes.
Sigmund let out an unhinged laugh. "No, I literally cannot kill you. You have the protection of the mountain spirits until a successor is born. So many people have tried to end your life but sohow you always survive, like the monster you are. Since I cannot kill you, will make you suffer for the rest of your miserable immoral existence! Have fun withering away into nothing alone, you traitor."
"The only traitor I see here is you," a horribly familiar monotone voice sounded from behind .
I heard a slash and in an instant, Sigmund dropped to his knees and the knife fell away from my neck. I was bleeding pretty badly but I wasn't choking on it like in the movies. He hadn't cut anything vital.
I pitched forward, nearly passing out from the shock and trauma of what just happened and Al leaped out to catch . He quickly ripped the hem of his shirt and tied the strip around my neck to act as a bandage with shaking hands.
I wanted to comfort him but couldn't speak. All I could do was blink up at the scene before : the insane man bleeding out on the ground and my savior, Duke Orla, holding a bloody sword and looking completely nonplussed.
He killed a man and his expression hadn't changed at all. What was he even doing here? He had gone back to his estate days ago!
"You might want to get her to a doctor before she bleeds out," the duke advised dryly, wiping the blood off his sword with a handkerchief.
Al imdiately snapped to attention and rang a bell on the wall frantically, unwilling to let go of with his other arm. Servants appeared and whisked away on a makeshift stretcher made from a bedsheet. It was a good thing too because I was about to pass out.
"YouI need to talk to you later!" he hollered over his shoulder as he followed after .
My eyes grew heavy and I couldn't keep them open anymore. I had been so dizzy ever since I fell over. The last thing I was aware of was Al's voice begging to keep my eyes open and stay with him.
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