586: Mercy

Mercy

"Please, not my child! She's just a child — don't kill her!"1

"Please, forgive me! I didn't — ugh… the horses just suddenly went wild and galloped! I've been a coachman for years and I knew running into the street of the capital was forbidden! Please, sir! Please don't kill me!" 

"Why is he even galloping in this street? Now, he's about to get executed and dragged the child with him."

"Didn't you hear him? Something spooked the horse. I don't think he meant it."

"Even so, it's his horse and his responsibility."

"Poor old man. Of all people, he nearly ran over. It seemed he nearly harmed a precious lady from a powerful house."

"How unlucky. He must've been living his life immorally to be stricken by such a misfortune."

Aries balled her hand into a tight fist as the crying of the child, the pleading of the coachman and the mother of the child, and the murmurings of the bystanders filled the air. Her lips curved down, gazing at the knight that was pointing a sword at the innocent child. 

"My lady —" Climaco halted when Aries sauntered off, approaching the child she saved. 

"Withdraw your sword now." Her eyes glinted as she glared at the knight. "I saved this child and put my life at risk. How dare you point your sword at this child?"

The knight kept his lips in a tight line, withdrawing his sword back. He took a step to the side, lowering his head.

"Apologies, my lady. I'm simply executing the orders."

"And what is this order?" 

"To not let anyone who attempted to harm or harmed her ladyship go — intentional or not," the knight explained. 

"Even if it's a child?"

"Even if it's a newborn or an elderly, my lady."

Aries balled her hand into a fist, looking back at Climaco. Climaco lowered his eyes immediately, making her shift her eyes to Roman. The latter also lowered his eyes and bowed. 

While looking at every knight around, she raised a question. "And if you failed to execute this order?"

"We must pay for the price, my lady," answered the knight, causing the vein under Aries' temple to protrude. 

'Abel, you…' Aries secretly ground her teeth before she huffed. '... I want to get angry at him for cornering me, but if not for him, I would've been dead.'

Aries thought that Dexter and Abel withdrew the people from following her like shadows. After all, Aries had been in the Imperial Palace and she had only taken Climaco, as he was her personal knight. She didn't know that it wasn't that those two ordered these people to stop following Aries. 

It was just that Aries had been busy she didn't notice their presence. It could also be that they were just good at hiding. Either way, the point here was that Abel wasn't giving her a chance to intervene. If he ordered these knights to execute anyone who attempted or harmed her — intentional or not — these knights wouldn't bat an eye on drawing their swords. 

Failing to execute the order meant death for these knights. 

To put it simply, Aries couldn't just blindly take sides. Choosing the knights meant they could do anything to this coachman and this child. If she took this child and this coachman and the passengers, that means these knights would most likely slit their own throats. 

A deep exhale slipped past her lips, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

'I'll coax him later,' she thought. 'I think he said he wants to flirt publicly in passing, as he felt like he's been a secret lover since the beginning.'

Aries snapped her eyes open and set them at the knight. "You did a good job, Mister Knight. However, I cannot allow you to harm this child. It was not this child's fault, but it was mine." She waved, squatting down in front of the child. 

"Apologies for scaring you," she expressed with a soft tone, planting a hand on top of the child's head. "Were you hurt anywhere?"

Aries raised her brows, observing the child while holding her hand. Her eyes softened with sympathy, seeing the graze on the child's palm. She raised her soft eyes at the pair of teary eyes of the child, taking out a handkerchief to wrap the child's hand. 

"Climaco, take this child to the nearest clinic. I don't think she inflicted major injuries, but I want to make sure she is left unharmed." Aries flashed the child a kind smile and wiped her tears with her thumb. "Do not worry, my child. Just be mindful next time."

She then assisted herself up, facing the direction of the woman, which she assumed was the child's mother. The latter was looking back at Aries wide-eyed; there were still lingering tears in the corner of her eyes and her lips were still quivering, unable to pass through because of the knights blocking her. 

"Let her pass," Aries ordered at the knights blocking the woman. The knights looked at each other for a second before stepping aside, giving way to the woman.

"My lady!" the woman rushed towards the child and immediately knelt in front of Aries. "Please forgive my child for her carelessness. Just punish me for being a bad mother. It's not her fault!"

Aries sighed faintly. "Do not worry. Keep your eye on her next time. A knight will assist you and your child to get her checked."

The woman raised her head at Aries, and tears immediately pooled in her eyes. "Thank you for your mercy and benevolence, my lady!" she yelled, bowing until her forehead was touching the ground. She repeated on thanking Aries, causing the latter to squat down to stop her. 

"It's fine." Aries held the woman's shoulder, helping her sit upright. "We are lucky that these gentlemen were here to our rescue. Be careful next time and always protect your child."

"Yes… my lady."

Aries smiled, patting the woman's dirty and rough hands gently as the latter's tears flooded her face. "Now, follow the knight to make sure there was no internal damage."

"You have my gratitude, my lady. May the heavens bless you!" 

Aries nodded as she assisted the woman to stand on her feet. The latter then immediately went to carry her child and followed the knight to the hospital. Right after Aries dealt with the child and her mother, she turned on her heel to face Roman and the coachman.

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