53: Bertha Olivia

Caw! Caw!

As several sharp cries rang out, the tense-faced young woman was so frightened she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Looking up, she realized it was just a crow perched in a tree cawing, and the fear in her heart dissipated slightly.

Her name was Bertha Olivia, and she was the mistress of Baron Daniel of the Black Bear Territory.

She couldn't understand; clearly, a few months ago, Daniel had appeared so charming, gentle, and considerate before her.

But why, after she became his mistress, did everything turn into a hellish nightmare?

Over the past few months, she could no longer remember how many times she had been beaten; words like cruel, tyrannical, and sinister were fully embodied in Daniel.

She didn't know if it was because she discovered Daniel was impotent, or because of the unusual actions he deliberately hid... Today, finally unable to endure it any longer, she took advantage of Daniel going out, stole fifty gold coins from him, and quietly fled the Black Bear Territory.

To avoid drawing attention, she had specifically smeared dust on her pretty face and put on the simple clothes of a commoner, though they still failed to hide her alluring, curvaceous figure.

Lost and not knowing where to go, she had unwittingly fled to the western edge of the Mist Forest.

At this time, the setting sun gradually sank, and the terrifying cries of various wild beasts echoed through the dark forest.

Looking at the hazy forest that resembled an abyss, Bertha Olivia clutched the bag of gold coins in her arms tightly, wanting to quickly distance herself from this area.

But the gold coins were too heavy, and she was panting for breath after only a few steps.

At that moment, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes in the forest fixed upon her. After observing her with human-like scrutiny and confirming she was alone...

The owner of those bloodthirsty eyes slowly crept toward Bertha Olivia.

But in the next moment, as if sensing something, Bertha Olivia turned her head to look.

The moment their eyes met, she screamed in terror. Then, with a sudden burst of strength from nowhere, she clutched the gold coins and began to flee frantically.

“Roar!”

Along with a beastly roar, the owner of the bloodthirsty eyes—a massive Black Wolf—shot out from the forest with a "whoosh," chasing after Bertha Olivia.

One person, one wolf; one chasing, the other fleeing—a scene of a beast pursuing a beauty played out.

On the other side, Lister and Red, who were searching along the outskirts of the Mist Forest, were immediately drawn by the commotion.

Without a word, the two of them galloped their horses toward the source of the sound.

“Help!” Bertha Olivia's terrified cries for help rang out continuously from the outskirts of the forest.

Although she was running very fast, she still had no chance of escaping the Black Wolf, which was known for its speed.

Bang!

With a thud, Bertha Olivia was struck squarely on the back by the wolf's paw and sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground not far away.

The sharp wolf claws tore through the clothes on her back, instantly exposing a large expanse of snow-white skin to the air, yet there wasn't a single scratch.

This wasn't because the Black Wolf had missed, but because it had developed the predatory instinct to toy with its prey.

In its eyes, the Bertha Olivia before it was prey that it could toy at will.

At this moment, Bertha Olivia turned over, dropped the gold coins in terror, and scrambled backward.

Seeing the prey show such an expression, the excitement and bloodlust in the Black Wolf's eyes intensified. In the next moment, it paced forward with elegant steps toward Bertha Olivia.

At this moment, Bertha Olivia could do nothing but scream in terror.

Soon, the scene of a beast toying with its prey unfolded on the outskirts of the Mist Forest.

Though only a short time had passed, it felt like an eternity to Bertha Olivia.

Finally, battered and exhausted, she collapsed heavily to the ground, panting for breath and looking at the Black Wolf before her with a face full of despair.

But in the next moment, two men on horseback appeared in her peripheral vision.

One was a handsome young man exuding a noble aura, with a green orb of light floating on his shoulder; the other was a mature man with a profound aura, as terrifying as a magical beast. These were Lister and Red, who had arrived on horseback.

At that moment, the light of hope flickered in her heart again, and she shouted in a pleading tone, “Please, save me! I'll give you all my gold coins!”

The Black Wolf beside her sensed at first glance that Lister and his companion were not to be trifled with, but how could it easily give up the prey that was already in its mouth?

In the next moment, it bared its teeth with a fierce expression, hoping to scare Lister and Red away.

To this, the two men's expressions did not change in the slightest, remaining as calm as still water, which for a moment made the Black Wolf afraid to act.

Lister spoke slowly, “Those gold coins have already fallen on the ground. How can you prove they are yours?”

“I...” Bertha Olivia was suddenly speechless, not knowing how to answer.

Indeed, her name wasn't written on the gold coins; how could she prove it?

Furthermore, they could simply wait for the Black Wolf to kill her and then take the gold coins.

With her discernment, she could see that neither Lister nor the other man were ordinary people. They were most likely a young noble and his knight attendant, so there was no question of them being unable to defeat the Black Wolf.

Her desire to survive made her brain work rapidly. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something.

With a look of anticipation, she asked tentatively, “Excuse me, are you the Lord of the Ironthorn Territory, Baron Lister Howard?”

Lister raised an eyebrow at her words, thought for a moment, and did not deny it. “You know me?”

“Berta does not know you,” Bertha Olivia shook her head slightly with all her strength, then explained, “I heard of you before from Baron Daniel of the Black Bear Territory. I used to be his mistress.”

At this, she said with a look of hatred, “He is the most loathsome scum. Ever since I became his mistress, he has been beating me.”

“No wonder he's impotent. I curse him to be impotent for the rest of his life.”

Hearing Daniel's secrets, the corners of Lister's and Red's mouths twitched slightly, but their good upbringing allowed them to keep from laughing out loud.

Lister said in an indifferent tone, “What does what you're saying have to do with me?”

“I-I'm sorry.” Bertha Olivia, whose anger had gotten the better of her, realized she was talking nonsense and hurriedly made up for it. “Baron, the corruption case involving the magistrate that happened in your territory before was orchestrated by Daniel behind the scenes.”

“After that plot failed, he has been holding a grudge against you and thinking of ways to retaliate.”

“Furthermore, he is usually very mysterious. Two months ago, he even met with several strange people. Those people were very tall and heavily wrapped up, and the smell emanating from them was very unpleasant. I feel there's a high probability they were not human.”

“I also know many other things about him. As long as you are willing to save me, I will tell you everything.”

Retaliate against me?

Not human!

Lister murmured in his heart, ‘It seems my bad neighbor is a bigger problem than I thought.’

After a moment's reflection, he gave a slight wave of his hand. In the next instant, Red's longsword unsheathed in a flash.