They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 308: Almost Broke My Ribs

Chapter 308: Almost Broke My Ribs

Karen twisted her body and jumped, pushing off a wall to the side and launching herself sideways through a half open metal gate beside the alley. She landed hard, rolled twice, then got back on her feet with a grunt.

“Almost broke my ribs,” she hissed, but did not stop.

Now inside what looked like a local bakery’s backyard, she spotted a delivery cart, a wooden pushcart, loaded with bread and covered with a massive white cloth. The delivery boy was struggling to push it out the back gate.

Karen rushed to him. “Please,” she whispered urgently, “hide me under that cloth, now. They’re chasing me, and I’m not a thief or anything, I swear.”

The boy blinked, startled, then looked past her and saw the group of men coming down the alley. Something in Karen’s desperate eyes convinced him.

Without a word, he yanked the edge of the cloth and helped her slide under the bread pile, then casually continued pushing the cart through the front gate and onto the street.

Moments later, the guards stormed into the yard.

“Where did she go?” one barked.

The delivery boy stopped pushing and blinked at them innocently. “Who?”

“A girl, short hair, yellow dress, ran through here!”

He scratched his head. “Really? Okay. Would you like to buy some bread?”

“What do you mean, would i like to– Are you dumb?!” One of the guards barked

The rest searched the area quickly, suspicious, but there was nothing to find. Just a sweaty bread boy and a heavy cart.

Frustrated, one of the guards slapped the side of a barrel. “We lost her.”

Back in the cart, Karen held her breath, sweat dripping down her face as she listened to their voices fade away. Her heart thudded wildly against her ribs, every second feeling like an hour.

After a few minutes, the delivery boy wheeled the cart into a side street and stopped.

“You can come out now,” he whispered.

Karen peeked out and sat up, gasping for air. “Thank you. I owe you, seriously.”

The boy grinned. “No problem. You must be important for those men to be chasing you like that.”

Karen just laughed shakily. “You have no idea.”

To the North, John ran steadily, his feet pounding against the uneven pavement, each step deliberate. He kept his breathing under control, something he had mastered during morning drills at his parent house.

Every few strides, he cast a glance over his shoulder to check, yes, they were still on him. The dark uniforms of the palace guards weren’t hard to spot, even in the shifting crowd.

He was a Baron, noble by blood, privileged by rank. And yet here he was… running like a fugitive.

Will I ever be welcomed back? The thought hit him harder than the wind on his face. Helping a royal run away, disobeying a king’s unspoken command… even if he returned, even if they succeeded in saving Abuchi’s fiancée, would he ever reclaim his title? Or would he be stripped of everything?

Maybe my father has already disowned me, he thought, biting down the panic rising in his chest. Maybe I’m no longer Baron John. Maybe I’m just… John.

But even as the fear of disgrace loomed in his mind, something steadier burned beneath it, loyalty. I chose this path. My friends matter more.

He quickened his pace, weaving between startled pedestrians, ignoring their confused gasps. This was no longer just about loyalty. It was about conviction, about choosing what was right, even if it came with a price.

The road ahead narrowed, leading into a tight alley between two shops. Without hesitating, John darted into it. He had no idea where it led, but he had no time to second guess.

Uncertainty is better than capture.

His chest ached and sweat coated his brow, but he didn’t stop. Keep going. Just a little further.

John’s legs were beginning to burn. His breaths came in short, controlled bursts, but the pressure was building. The guards were still behind him, disciplined, relentless, gaining ground with every corner he turned.

The alley ahead split into two, left, towards a densely packed market, and right, toward what looked like a quiet storage zone. Instinct told him to vanish in the crowd, but logic whispered another idea.

If I run into the market, I’ll be visible. They’ll track me easily.

He swerved right.

The smell of spices and old wood filled his nose as he entered a narrow lane filled with crates, delivery carts, and a few confused workers. One man nearly dropped a box when John zipped past. “Hey!” he shouted, but John didn’t stop.

He spotted an open cart covered in a large canvas and packed with sacks of flour or rice. Without thinking, John changed his pace, suddenly slowing to a walk, then slipping between the crates, ducking low.

In one swift move, he lifted the canvas and slid in among the sacks, covering himself with it. The dust made him want to sneeze, but he clenched his jaw and held his breath.

Seconds later, the guards rushed past.

“Where did he go?!”

“He came this way!”

“Search everything!”

Footsteps echoed around the storage yard. One of them even kicked a crate nearby, making John’s heart leap. He stayed absolutely still, hidden in plain sight.

After a few tense minutes, the voices faded. The guards had moved deeper into the lane.

John waited. Counted to sixty. Twice.

Then, slowly, he peeked out. The coast was clear.

A nearby worker, an older man with a scar on his chin, was watching him. Their eyes met.

John was about to speak, but the man just gave a small, amused nod and turned away, saying nothing to the guards still within earshot.

Bless you, John thought silently.

He emerged from the cart, brushed flour off his clothes, and moved in the opposite direction from the guards, this time walking calmly, disappearing into the maze of streets.

He had escaped.

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