Impostor

The man looked at her with a very strong intimidating gaze. Disha trembled until her mouth could not speak. She always thought that maybe her disguise had been seen through considering that her face was that of a real woman.

"W-wait! I'm not an intruder! I just-"

"Not an intruder? So, what are you doing here? Don't joke, I don't like playing around like this!"

"I'm not kidding! I'm not an intruder, believe me!" Disha tries to explain this man. However, roughly, this man immediately grabbed her neck and lifted her body using only one hand.

Disha was suffocated, she tried to release this man's grip. However, his grip felt even stronger as if he was really serious about his threat.

"Nathan, what's going on here?" Asked a man who had just returned from the forest. The man looked confused when Nathan strangled someone with his hands.

"Look what I found? An intruder trying to escape into the forest!"

"Intruder?" The man got off his horse's back and walked over to his colleague and someone he called an 'intruder'.

The young man with dark brown hair looked at him with a warmer gaze, in contrast to his cruel and bloodthirsty friend. He looked at Disha from toe to head.

"Who are you? What do you need here?"

"Keith, I told you he was an intruder. No need to ask anymore!"

"N-no! I'm not an intruder!"

"Nonsense! You're still capable of lying apparently-"

"No! I'm serious, I'm not lying! I'm not an intruder, believe me!" Disha almost cried because she kept being pushed like this. For some reason, she felt so scared that she almost peed her pants.

"Nathan, calm down! It doesn't look like he's lying!"

"Put aside your pity, Keith! I saw with my own eyes how this bastard sneaked out of the warehouse and ran into this forest. I'm sure he has stolen goods in this bag-" Nathan grabbed the leather bag that Disha was carrying and opened it to force the contents of the bag.

"Don't...! I didn't take anything!"

"This liar can still fight, get out of the way! I'll check your bag!" Nathan roughly pushed Disha's body so he could check what was in her bag. Of course, this made Disha panic because she kept the masked man's silk blanket in her bag.

"No, please...!" Disha screams hysterically. She wasn't ready for the blanket to be confiscated.

Seeing this inappropriate scene forced Keith to snatch the bag back from Nathan's hands. He felt that they had no right to forcibly inspect someone's belongings like this.

"Keith, what are you doing? Give me back that bag! I have to check what stuff this bastard is hiding. I'm sure he stole some packs of meat or gold."

"Stop it, that's enough! We don't have the authority to examine and interrogate someone. That's the job of the palace guards. If it's proven that he's an intruder, we just need to take it to the guards and let them take care of it. This isn't part of our job!"

"What are you saying? Keeping an eye on intruders is part of our job, what if this bastard turns out to have conspired to kill the king and we let him get away with the pretext that it's not part of our job. Get out of the way, Keith! Let me take care of it !" Natham looked even more annoyed and he dragged Disha again so he could beat her up easily.

"Let me go! Please...! I'm not an intruder!" Disha shouts for help. She didn't want her life to end again with the beheading that Emperor Alexander had done to her. She still couldn't forget the fear and pain she felt at that time.

Meanwhile, seeing Nathan's attitude of always acting without thinking first made Keith really confused. He began to notice something strange, the young man Nathan accused of being an intruder was wearing a Silsila Knight badge on his chest. He was shocked, it was starting to worry him.

"Silsila's knight badge? Could it be, oh no I have to stop that idiot! Nathan, stop...!" Keith, who realized there was a mistake here, immediately followed Nathan, who almost beat Disha.

"What else is there? Don't think you can stop me, Keith!"

"I really should have stopped you, you idiot!"

"What are you saying?"

"He's a Silsila knight, look at the badge he's wearing!"

"What?" Nathan immediately looked at the silver badge attached to the right chest of the clothes Disha was wearing.

His eyes widened and he immediately let go of his grip when he realized that he had made a mistake.

"Oh damn!"

"Are you the Silsila Knight?" Keith asked. Disha was hesitant to say 'yes' but because she had already taken on the role of Sapphire, like it or not, she had to admit it.

"Yes, I'm Knight of Silsila."

"Are you Sapphire? The last knight assigned as the King's personal guard?"

This is a much more difficult question than the previous question. Not because she was afraid of being found out if she was lying, but because she was not sure whether she should really be in this palace playing her new role. She wasn't someone strong, especially since she hadn't fought before. How could she think of doing a disguise like this? It is certain that in a short time her cover will be revealed because she does not have any abilities.

This tall and muscular man named Nathan looked at him seriously, as if to show that he didn't believe that this small and slender figure was the last member to join them.

"R-right," having no choice, Disha decided to lie again and admitted that she was Sapphire.

"Is that so? Why didn't you say so earlier? I'm sorry!" Nathan said as he stretched out his hand and helped Disha stand up again.

"T-thank you."

"Hahaha...turns out you're smaller than I thought, huh? Look like a girl!"

"Ahahaha..." Disha responded to Nathan's question with an awkward laugh. She still felt afraid of this man.

"Did you bring your assignment letter?" Keith asked.

"Letter of assignment?"

"Yes, a letter of assignment that Sir Gordon wrote to His Majesty the King. Did you bring it?" Keith asked.

Disha was silent for a moment, she remembered Sapphire's scroll letter that she was carrying. That seems to be the letter they meant.

"What does this scroll mean?"

"Give it to me, let me check it!"

***