I.... can't believe it.

I am fucked.

My heart hammered in my chest as I watched them. I'd managed to make them hesitate a little with my bluff.

It had worked for a moment there, enough to cause unease among the bastards. They'd even begun backing away from me, fearing that I might be dangerous. I could practically taste the victory of getting out of this alive, but then—of course—one of the idiots just HAD to know who I was!

"You're right!" another one shouted.

And just like that, their hesitation evaporated, replaced by burning fury. They rushed forward with renewed determination, their faces twisted with anger. This time, I knew they weren't going to let me go without leaving a knife in my chest.

"Damn it!" I cursed again, spinning around to the injured princess. Her wide eyes and pale face told me she understood just how screwed we were.

"What do we do, princess?" I asked, forcing my voice to be as submissive and respectful as possible. Desperate times, desperate measures.

"Don't think for a second I won't kill you!" Her voice rose, and I realized one glaring fact.

It was hopeless depending on this psycho.

I quickly scanned our surroundings. We were cornered in the garden behind the mansion, but then I saw it— a narrow path leading to the front. It wasn't much, but it could be our only shot.

Come to think of it, why hadn't any guards passed by yet? She's a princess, for crying out loud. They should have noticed her absence by now, right? So why isn't anyone showing up?!

Tsk. Whatever. No time to think about that.

I lunged toward her, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat, and that seemed to snap her out of her trance. With a gasp, she threw up her hands, and a barrage of ice shards materialized in front of her. The sharp, jagged projectiles shot toward me like bullets.

"Fuck!" I screamed, ducking and weaving as the icy shards zipped past my face. One wrong move and I would've been skewered like a damn porcupine.

"Don't come any closer!" she shrieked, her eyes blazing with fear and disgust.

What the hell is wrong with this bitch?! Can't she see I'm TRYING to save us both?!

Tsk. If not for one very specific reason, I would've left her to her fate. Let her deal with this mess on her own. But... I COULDN'T. Not when I was the one who caused this whole situation in the first place.

If things had gone according to how they were pre-written—she would've handled these attackers no problem. Hell, she should've been able to manifest that terrifying ability of hers by now. But that's not the case.

She isn't even trying to save herself instead she is trying to kill me first!

Sighing, I closed in on her again. Just before she could summon another batch of those icy projectiles, I did the only thing I could think of to stop her.

I punched her. Square in the face.

...What? It was either that or let her kill me!

The shock on her face was priceless. Hell, the attackers were probably just as confused as she was. Who wouldn't be?

Wasting no time, I scooped her up in a princess carry and bolted for the narrow path. I would've preferred to throw her over my shoulder, but I wasn't about to give her the chance to stab me in the back—literally. This girl had issues. And while I might be her only way out of this, she'd probably still rather kill me just to satisfy her psychotic tendencies.

"Ahh!" I yelped as I felt something tighten around my neck.

Shit!

She is practically STRANGLING me!

How can such a psycho be even called a heroine?!

"Arck! Stop... doing that, you bitch!" I wheezed, trying to shake her off. "If I fall now, we're both toast!"

"How DARE you address me with such vulgar words?!" she snapped, her voice dripping with righteous fury. "You hurt a princess, you DARE to lay hands on me, and now you still continue to touch me with your FILTHY hands?!"

With each word, her mana flared wildly, and I could feel ice creeping up my neck. If I didn't do something fast, I'd be frozen solid.

Damn it.

I am going to die if this goes on any longer.

Sigh.

Why did I even think I could save this psycho in the first place?

Desperate, I did the only thing I could think of at that moment.

I dropped her.

"What are you—!"

Thud!

She hit the ground with a loud, indignant scream. Cute.

But too bad. I wasn't going to die for anyone.

Not today.