Chapter 639  Running

"Nolan, keep running forward. There's a hallway and a good hiding spot on the right," Elsa said, panting.

Nolan gave a slight nod. Actually, he was quite familiar with every part of this palace, but he didn't say anything and chose to trust her.

Once they turned right, they found a long hallway.

Elsa pulled him toward a door, and they quickly hid inside. She tried to steady her breathing, but it came out rough and uneven.

She and Nolan had been running for over five minutes without stopping. For someone who rarely exercised and was still wearing a party dress, running like that was clearly exhausting.

"Are you okay?" Nolan asked.

Elsa forced a pale smile and replied, "I… I'm fine. Thank you."

Nolan nodded and opened the door slightly, then peeked outside.

The palace hallway was pitch-black. The room they had entered was also dark, without any lighting at all.

It was likely that Meliodas and the assassins had cut off the magical power that lit the lamps throughout the royal palace.

"Is it safe?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

Nolan pulled his gaze back and gave a slight nod. "It's safe, but not completely. Those assassins are after you… and maybe me too."

He was certain Meliodas wouldn't kill nobles randomly. There had to be a pattern, and the targets were likely the sons and daughters of high-ranking noble families.

That way, the noble families who lost their sons and daughters would harbor deep resentment toward the royal family.

And what would happen next?

Naturally, trust between the noble families and the royal family would collapse. And sooner or later, that resentment could ignite a massive rebellion.

Only in this way could Meliodas solidify his power as the new king.

He didn't just want to get rid of Aldrian but also his father, Gulvar.

It had to be acknowledged—Meliodas was incredibly smart and calculating. He used the nobles' dissatisfaction within the kingdom as a catalyst to seize control of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron.

But his methods were so cruel and brutal that even Nolan had to admire him.

"You're right. Earlier, I saw the bodies of the sons and daughters of high-ranking noble families. The perpetrator is incredibly cruel and clearly wants to pit the noble families against the royal family," Elsa muttered bitterly.

But his methods were so cruel and brutal that even Nolan had to admire him.

"You're right. Earlier, I saw the bodies of the sons and daughters of high-ranking noble families. The perpetrator is incredibly cruel and clearly wants to pit the noble families against the royal family," Elsa muttered bitterly.

Nolan looked at her with admiration. It seemed Elsa was far smarter than he had expected.

Second by second, the atmosphere grew more tense. Elsa tried to steady her breathing, but it felt almost impossible.

The fear of death was a natural human instinct. No matter how strong someone was, when faced with death, they would do anything to avoid it.

Nolan wanted to say, "As long as I'm here, you'll be safe," but he held himself back. It was better to let things play out this way, so Elsa would owe him a favor afterward.

After all, Elsa was the duke's daughter, and she was bound to become a crucial pawn in the future.

Once he felt it was safe, Nolan stepped out and checked the hallway.

"We're safe now. Let's go."

Hiding in one place for too long was reckless. It would only make it easier for the hired killers to find them.

Elsa followed him out and gripped Nolan's hand tightly.

Just as they were about to leave, a shadow suddenly darted out from behind Nolan.

Elsa gasped and shouted, "Watch out!"

Srck!

The sound of a stab, followed by the splash of blood, rang out clearly.

Elsa froze as she watched Nolan dodge the sudden attack, then block the knife with his palm.

The blade pierced straight through his hand, stopping only a few centimeters from Elsa's face.

Blood gushed from the deep wound, and Elsa's heart raced.

She wanted to speak, but not a single word came out.

Suddenly, Nolan spun around, raised his elbow, and slammed it into the man's head.

The man collapsed, but Nolan didn't let him off that easily.

He yanked the knife out of his palm and drove it into the man's neck.

Instantly, the man convulsed, then his body went stiff.

"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Nolan asked, scanning her from head to toe.

Elsa snapped out of her shock and quickly shook her head.

"I'm fine. On the contrary, what about you? Your hand…"

She stared at the wound on Nolan's palm with worry. It was so deep it tore through the flesh, and blood continued to flow.

Even though she couldn't feel the pain herself, Elsa knew it must be unbearable.

"It's okay. It's just a small cut. Now, let's go. The commotion must have drawn their attention."

Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed Elsa's hand and pulled her away.

Not long after they left, two men clad in mysterious cloaks appeared.

"He died by his own knife. It seems whoever killed him is highly skilled," one of them remarked.

His companion examined the corpse, then stood up and said coldly, "Let's find the culprit. They can't be far."

With that, the two of them turned into shadows and vanished from sight.

…

"Hah… Hah… Hah… We finally escaped their pursuit."

Aldrian panted as he clutched his aching stomach.

His stamina was worse than the average man's, so even a short run was enough to leave him exhausted.

Beside him, Seira was slightly winded as well, but her condition was far better than his. Running like that barely affected her.

"What a weak man," Seira muttered, shaking her head.

Her impression of Aldrian had dropped to zero. He was completely unreliable—not only useless but also painfully weak.

Seira couldn't understand why the Lyren family had chosen him as the heir when Karakh, Meliodas, and the other princes were far more deserving.

Was it simply because Aldrian was the first son?

That seemed illogical. Although she and Gulvar weren't particularly close, she knew how cunning and calculating that man was.

There was no way he would have chosen Aldrian without a reason.

"Seira, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Aldrian's worried voice came from beside her.

Seira shook her head. "I'm fine. By the way, what about your parents? Are they safe?"

Aldrian's face paled at her question. Earlier, while they were running, three assassins had attacked them.

As a result, Alex had stepped in, and Aldrian ended up separated from his mother and father.

"I'm not sure. But they should be fine," Aldrian replied hesitantly.

Seira nodded without saying anything. She glanced around at the darkness, then asked, "So, what are we going to do now?"

Aldrian was about to answer when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from ahead.

"The enemy is coming!"