Everyone was terrified, seeing that someone’s life was about to be taken in such a brutal way.
Anastasia tried to get up and save herself, but pain shot through her right leg. Unable to move and left with no choice, she closed her eyes, ready for whatever would come. This time, she did not think she would escape death.
At the very last moment, a man mounted the frenzied horse and managed to redirect it.
Everyone gasped, not expecting such a timely rescue. Anastasia, bracing for pain, was shocked to that she was still unharmed. She then carefully open her eyes to look.
"My lady, my lady!" Only now did Rosa manage to get close to Anastasia. She had been walking a step behind, intending only to cross the street, unaware of how chaos had suddenly erupted with the mad horse.
The road had become chaotic. Perhaps it was instinct, but Rosa had first stepped away. However, upon realizing her mistress was in danger, she had turned back to help. From a distance, she had seen Anastasia manage to escape, and just as she sighed in relief, her lady had suddenly collapsed.
Rosa pushed through the thin crowd to reach her mistress, but she had failed to get there in time. Fortunately, that man had arrived just in time to save her. No one had seen his face, but Rosa was immensely grateful to him.
"My lady, do not scare me ," Rosa pleaded. Not hearing an immediate response, she feared that Anastasia might be hurt.
Anastasia took a deep breath. "Help me up," she instructed.
Rosa breathed a sigh of relief and obeyed. "My lady, why did you suddenly fall? You’re always steady."
"Someone pushed me," Anastasia replied. Though she had not seen who it was, she had certainly felt the shove.
Hearing her answer, the small crowd near her immediately began to disperse—no one wanted to be implicated in such a serious matter.
Just then, the street guards arrived, informed that someone had pushed a lady down.
At the time of the incident, apart from Anastasia and her group, the only other people present were commoners—servants running errands for their masters and small merchants. Seeing the guards’ sharp gazes on them, the group of bystanders became even more nervous. Those who had been planning to leave hesitated, knowing that fleeing might make them look guilty.
Elizabeth suddenly felt a pang of fear. She had dared to push Anastasia only because she never expected her to survive. Even if someone had seen her, they wouldn’t dare to say anything.
Elizabeth had assumed that if Anastasia didn’t die on the spot, she would at least be severely injured. The onlookers would be too preoccupied with aiding the wounded to focus on what had actually happened. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelꜰire.net
"I don’t know," Anastasia said, turning to the spot where she had been standing. Her gaze fell on Elizabeth, and as expected, she saw the guilty expression flash across her face. However, hearing Anastasia choose not to name her, Elizabeth let out a silent sigh of relief.
"It was chaotic just now; it must have been an accident," Anastasia added, choosing to downplay the matter. She feared that the commoners would be harshly questioned or punished unjustly, so she deliberately offered a reasonable explanation.
Rosa supported Anastasia back to their carriage. Though Anastasia was reluctant to leave without purchasing the book she had wanted, she knew the earlier commotion must have unsettled everyone.
So, the group decided to head back to the Duke’s residence.
"Sister, you owe me an apology," Anastasia suddenly said as they neared the house.
Elizabeth, who was still frustrated over her failed plan, looked at her with thinly veiled malice. She had been terrified when the guards arrived. Since Anastasia’s engagement had already been confirmed, she was practically a member of the royal family. If the guards had investigated the claim that she had been pushed, Elizabeth could have been in serious trouble.
She had acted impulsively, and she couldn’t be certain that no one had seen her. If the truth had come to light, it would have been obvious that she had a motive to harm Anastasia.
Just as she had finally calmed down, Anastasia had the audacity to demand an apology.
"For what?" she asked coldly.
"You pushed me just now, and I almost lost my life. Even if it was an accident, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take responsibility," Anastasia said. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth push her, but she had immediately suspected her. Elizabeth’s guilty expression when the guards arrived had only confirmed her suspicion.
The only reason Anastasia hadn’t involved the guards was that she still needed the Duke and Duchess’s support.
Elizabeth was stunned, she hadn’t expected Anastasia to know it was her.
"Do you have eyes on your back? There were so many people just now—how can you be sure who pushed you?" Elizabeth argued, her guilt making her defensive. She knew that if their father found out, she would be severely punished.
"You were standing right next to me" Anastasia began, but Elizabeth cut her off.
"So just because I was near you, I must be guilty? Even if we don’t get along, that’s no reason for you to frame me!" Elizabeth snapped.
"How am I framing you? I only said that I was pushed; I never specified that it was from behind. So, tell me, how did you know?" Anastasia asked, her voice calm. She had not intended to escalate the matter, but she knew Elizabeth had always looked down on her. If she could make her apologize, it would at least unsettle her.
Elizabeth’s face stiffened.
"At that moment, we were all trying to clear the road. You said it yourself, it was an accident. So why are you making a fuss?" Elizabeth deflected. Realizing she could no longer deny it, she reluctantly acknowledged the accusation but refused to apologize.
"I’m making a fuss?" Anastasia raised an eyebrow. "It is basic etiquette to take responsibility for one’s actions, even if they were unintentional. I didn’t point at you earlier because I didn’t want to create a spectacle and make people think we were openly fighting within the family.
"I sincerely considered you my sister and didn’t want to ruin your reputation. I didn’t want people to accuse you of trying to kill me simply because you’re jealous of my engagement to the Crown Prince. I only asked for a private apology, yet you refuse," Anastasia continued, her tone soft yet firm.
She looked pitiful, yet her words painted her as considerate and reasonable, while Elizabeth appeared petty and ill-mannered.
"You—" Elizabeth’s face turned red with anger. She wanted to retort, but before she could, Isabel, who was the same age as Anastasia, intervened.
"That’s enough, Elizabeth. Apologize," Isabel ordered, adopting the air of a proper elder sister.
Elizabeth clenched her fists in frustration. Isabel had never asserted her authority before—why now?
"There’s no need to force her," Anastasia said before Elizabeth could react. "An insincere apology is meaningless."
Just then, the carriage came to a stop. Without another word, Anastasia stepped out first.