Chapter 54
Agnès stood there blankly, feeling the breeze brush against her face, before letting out a deep sigh. She could still hear the faint whispering sounds — but it had been days since she last heard anything clearly.
Since that day, Agnès had been wandering all over the palace, trying to hear the voices again. If she happened to hear something like that once more, she planned to speak to it immediately, to ask questions and get answers.
It seemed quicker to do that than to find someone who might know about this strange phenomenon.
By now, she’d realized how important it was to distinguish between allies and non-allies — and between what should be said and what mustn’t be said.
As she climbed higher in position, she found herself with more and more problems that she had to solve alone.
So far, her method of searching wasn’t bad. It wasn’t particularly hard, only time-consuming.
The only regret was that her time with Theowin was now limited to the nights.
Just when she’d finally begun to share her heart and body with him in earnest…
But if she wanted to preserve that happiness for a long time — if she wanted both of them to remain happy — then she had to act now.
That day, she had climbed to the very top floor of the Crown Prince’s palace. Once she was done here, she planned to go beyond the building — into the forest.
If possible, she wanted to visit the same forest outside the imperial grounds that she and Tarin had gone to last time.
Even here, she could only hear faint, whisper-like sounds.
They seemed to come from far away — different from the muffled, nearby murmurs she’d heard before.
If only she could understand what those distant voices were saying.
Wouldn’t that make things so much easier?
She allowed herself a bit of fantasy thinking.
If this was really supposed to be a “special ability,” shouldn’t it at least be that useful?
Ah, seriously!
She didn’t want to return to her original world in the slightest, but she did want to grab the writer of that story by the collar and shake them hard.
What on earth had they been trying to write?!
She’d been sitting there since morning, but aside from faint noises in the distance, she heard nothing.
Maybe she should go somewhere else in the afternoon… perhaps there was a forest within the palace grounds. Or, if not, a hill would do…
Her mind was filled with one thought — how can I hear those voices again?
Stretching her legs and straightening her back after crouching for so long, Agnès slowly stood up and turned toward the stairs — only to freeze in surprise.
“Your Highness… the Crown Prince?”
There he was, sitting on the floor in front of the stairs, in almost the exact same position she’d been in moments ago.
Despite his large frame, he’d somehow managed to sit there quietly, and now he rose slowly to his feet.
His movements were surprisingly graceful — and his eyes, so warm, looked at her with such gentleness that it startled her.
But… how did he even know I was here?
The only people who knew she’d come up here today were the head maid and Tarin.
If it was one of those two… it was probably the head maid.
She wasn’t exactly Agnès’s person, but she wouldn’t have tattled out of malice.
If anything… maybe the opposite.
Was her behavior really strange enough to draw attention?
If the head maid had acted, it must have been because she was concerned.
Had she worried him?
As Agnès slowly raised her head to meet Theowin’s eyes, he was still half-bent — the attic wasn’t tall enough for him to stand upright.
He ended up facing her, his head just under the ceiling.
“Pfft—”
Agnès couldn’t help but laugh.
Her laughter softened Theowin’s serious expression, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“This place won’t do, will it? Let’s go downstairs.”
Agnès chuckled lightly, hoping she hadn’t looked too grim just moments before.
The room below the attic — on the fourth floor — was spacious, furnished with a sofa, table, desk, and bed. She wasn’t sure who it had been built for, but it was a bright, airy space.
Once they came down, Theowin straightened his back fully, then turned and offered her his hand as she followed.
Agnès almost scolded him — “What kind of escort is this, just for one step?” — but instead, she silently took his hand.
“So… what brings you here, Your Highness? Aren’t you busy today?”
As she tilted her head, Theowin glanced around, inspecting the state of the fourth floor before gently leading her to the sofa.
He didn’t sit beside her, but across from her — a sign he wanted to talk.
“I was just taking a walk. I like the wind up here.”
She could tell what he wanted to ask, so Agnès spoke first.
I know what you’re going to ask. But I’ll only answer this much.
If he was as perceptive as she thought, he’d understand her meaning right away.
He was always better at reading her reactions than she was herself.
He simply looked at her in silence.
He wasn’t one to talk needlessly, though he could hold a light conversation when he wished.
And Agnès knew well that he wasn’t angry with her.
Still, the quiet intensity of his gaze made her heart tremble for a moment — but instead of flinching, she smiled.
“Well then, I suppose you’ve finished what you came here for?”
Theowin smoothly let the topic slide.
Grateful for his tact, Agnès smiled brightly.
“Well… yes. It was nice. The wind feels a bit different here, maybe because it’s coming from farther away.”
Her cheerful response made a faint shadow of disappointment pass through Theowin’s eyes.
Even without animal-like senses, she could feel his emotion.
Biting the inside of her lip, Agnès forced herself to keep smiling.
She hadn’t expected him to let it go so easily.
Honestly, she hadn’t expected him to come looking for her at all.
When she’d found him sitting there silently, in the same posture she’d been in, she’d nearly jumped in shock.
Anyone seeing a prince sitting alone in such a way would find it odd — especially since she might have been muttering to herself earlier, trying to coax the voices into answering.
She just prayed he hadn’t been there to hear her grumbling,
“Ugh, these damn things never speak when I want them to…”
She’d only meant to make some small talk to move past the moment, but Theowin seemed to take her words seriously — almost as if he were thinking deeply about them.
“I know a place where the wind is even better. Would you like to come with me?”
The unexpected offer caught her off guard.
So he had noticed her habit of chasing breezes.
Well, that made sense — she always opened the windows wherever she went, and never stayed long in rooms with poor airflow.
Still, she hadn’t imagined he’d offer to go with her.
“Ah… that’s all right, really. You should focus on your duties, Your Highness. You’re always busy — I couldn’t possibly ask you to guide me through the palace grounds.”
She laughed awkwardly, trying to decline politely.
But Theowin didn’t seem inclined to accept her refusal.
He said nothing — just looked at her quietly, his dark eyes deep and still as a lake.
That gaze of his could silence a room — no wonder people found him charismatic, even intimidating.
Even she felt a strange awe toward him, a pull of respect.
And how could she not be moved, when the Crown Prince himself was making time for her?
“I have nothing to do today,” he said plainly.
“…Huh?”
“I said, I have no work today. I’m not busy.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the words — it was just… what was she supposed to say to that?
Seeing her bewildered face, Theowin’s lips quirked slightly.
That unguarded, fleeting smile — more than a full laugh — was even more captivating.
No, no, now’s not the time to get distracted by his face!
He didn’t seem to mean just “I’ll tell you where it is.”
He meant we’ll go there together.
If she agreed too hastily, he’d surely take her hand and lead her along right away.
It wasn’t that she minded going with him — but it would be very different from freely wandering around on her own.
“It won’t be a bother,” he added quietly.
“B–bother? No, of course not. Not at all. Ha… ha…”
Apparently her reluctance showed more than she thought.
She laughed awkwardly, racking her brain for a way to dissuade him.
“Don’t overthink it,” he said calmly. “It’s a waste of effort. Just take my hand and stand up.
We’ll be there for only thirty minutes to an hour — staying longer might cause problems, don’t you think?”
…He’d even looked into how long she stayed out there?
Good grief. He really made it impossible to ignore him.
“Well… I’ll just go by myself, Your Highness. If you could just tell me where it is, I’ll go quietly and won’t bother anyone…”
But as soon as she said it, Theowin’s eyebrows lowered.
His face — now clearly filled with disappointment — made Agnès feel as if she’d done something terribly wrong.
Her shoulders slumped without meaning to.
