The Escape

The night wind blew hard, piercing the bones instantly. Black robes matching the darkness of the night fluttered in the wind.

However, the wearer of the robe was not affected in the slightest. She calmly lowered the rope from the window of her third-floor room until it touched the ground.

Her hair was tied tightly before she climbed up the window sill with a large bag behind her back. Holding the rope with one hand covered in leather gloves, she slowly descended without the slightest hesitation.

It took her five minutes to successfully touch the ground and stand upright. Her eyes immediately glanced around, wary of the soldiers on guard.

After making sure everything was safe, Cassio moved immediately. The target was not the main gate, but the horse stables behind the palace.

There are a total of 8 horses in this palace. Usually, these horses were used by the soldiers as well as by the Duke Marquesse for transportation. However, among them, there was a special horse that was intended for the first princess of the Marquesse, Alecia, because of her demand.

Unfortunately, the horse has only been used once, at a tea banquet. And after that, Cassio usually takes care of it. Sometimes, she also rides it secretly.

It is a very charming horse. The coat is pure white and shiny, coupled with a strong and elegant body.

"Hey, Frost."

The horse named Frost slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were brilliant and filled with an intelligence that no other horse possessed. His gaze calmed as he watched Cassio walk toward him.

Cassio's hand reached out and gently stroked Frost's head. "Do you mind going out with me?"

There was no answer, but Frost moved his head closer to Cassio's hand.

"I'll take this as an agreement." After that, Cassio slowly opened Frost's cage and led him out. She didn't want to make any noise.

With ease, she jumped onto Frost's back and grabbed the reins. Her body bent slightly as she whispered, "We won't go through the main gate. But that way."

Cassio pointed to a ten-foot tall bush next to the stables. As long as they can get through it, they will reach the main road directly.

Frost snorted softly, as if in agreement. His feet scratched the ground, preparing to run.

Cassio took a deep breath before calling out, "Let's go!"

Her hand tugged on the reins, followed by a powerful clatter of legs that left no doubt. As if against gravity, Frost managed to leap over a ten-foot thicket on all four long legs. His whine rang through the darkness of the night, proclaiming his success. Cassio did not disappoint him either. She patted Frost on the head several times and added, "You did it, Frost! Now, let's run as fast as we can!"

Cassio was sure that the sound of Frost's whining would attract the attention of the soldiers on guard. However, it was no big deal, though, because she believed that no horse could match Frost's speed if anyone were chasing them.

The moonlight is the only guide. The light fell on Cassio and Frost, gently enveloping them.

Ten minutes later, after Cassio had made sure no soldiers were following them, Frost's pace slowed. Cassio let go of the reins and took the map from her bag.

The Nordiff Empire actually encompassed several fairly large areas of the kingdom. Among them were the kingdoms of Midmere, Valcke, Oldwharf, Larrar, and Brerktus.

Cassio is now part of the Midmere Kingdom. A region famous for the beauty of its deep sea. Furthermore, the Midmere Kingdom was the only kingdom whose territory joined the Nordiff Empire.

Despite that, Midmere was ranked lowest in terms of prosperity compared to the other kingdoms. Coupled with such a high social status, this makes the people of Midmere less favored by inhabitants of other kingdoms.

Cassio tilted her head as she thought about how lucky she was to live in Midmere. Her escape would have been different if she had stayed in Valcke or Oldwharf. At least to reach the Nordiff Empire, she would have to cross the ocean first. And that would be very inconvenient for her.

The Duke Marquesse would probably block all shipping lanes for her. But he would never think of looking for Cassio in the Imperial Cavalry. Apart from the fact that his power is not enough to tear the empire apart, he would never have expected Cassio to follow the Imperial Cavalry.

After all, Duke Marquesse wouldn't know of her leaving immediately either, as the Duke was on his way to a political meeting in Valcke.

Cassio put her map back in her bag and patted Frost's neighing head. "Let's walk another twenty minutes and rest on Lake Leacre."

***

Cassio opened the hood of her robe and stared in amazement at the scene before her. Two days had passed, and she had made it to the Imperial Capital.

She jumped down from Frost's back and led him slowly through the crowd. Her eyes glanced around, sparkling with interest.

After all, this was the first time she had set foot in the Imperial Capital. In addition, the atmosphere was very different from where she came from, very lively and warm.

There were some simple things she couldn't really find in Midmere. One of them is a huge fountain in the middle of the city park. The water is sprayed high into the air, accompanied by soothing music.

Cassio paused for a moment to observe. She turns to Frost, who seems affected by the atmosphere of wonder. Frost's wistful eyes seemed to truly understand her new owner's heart's feelings.

Cassio was slightly stunned before laughing softly. "Let's find an inn first."

It is quite easy to find an inn that has a horse stable. Cassio put down her luggage first before going out to look for food.

She entered one of the simple restaurants near the inn and ordered without thinking. In the midst of enjoying her meal, she could clearly hear the conversation behind her without having to eavesdrop.

"I heard that this year's Imperial Cavalry selection is going to be stricter than in previous years," a young male voice started the conversation.

"Isn't that because the Imperial Cavalry member who passed the selection was actually a spy from an enemy Empire and tried to kill the Crown Prince? I heard that this time, the background checks for prospective cavalry members will be done in detail," the other answered.

Hearing this, Cassio almost choked on her food. She had just heard such important information. After her marriage to Duke Eluned Clothilde Scamnder in her previous life, she no longer followed the news of the Imperial Cavalry.

She had heard that the Crown Prince had been attacked by enemy spies, but there was no mention that the culprit was from the Imperial Cavalry.

Wouldn't it be dangerous if her identity was known at all? She was sure that the news of Duke Marquesse's daughter following the Imperial Cavalry would spread very quickly and be heard by the Duke himself.

If that were to happen, the same fate would await her.

Cassio frowned deeply and tried to find a way out. The only way she could safely follow the Imperial Cavalry was to disguise her identity.

Cassio blinked her eyes, stunned by her own thoughts. A glimmer of hope immediately replaced the dim light in her eyes.

Her hands clenched into fists as she made up her mind without any hesitation. A small grin slowly appeared on her face as she decided.

That's right, she would fake his identity!