IDTRAFTML 129 💥

~Chapter 129~

After returning to the Imperial Palace with Richard, the fire did not die down easily.

The terrifying flames only calmed after almost all of Zone Four had burned down. The only relief was that there were no human casualties.

The hunting competition was stopped immediately, and as soon as I arrived at the Prince’s Palace, exhaustion overwhelmed me and I fell asleep as if I had fainted.

When I woke up, it was already dark night. I was lying in bed after receiving treatment.

“A fire at the hunting grounds… how could something like this happen?”

Sofia checked my condition, then sighed as she looked down at the faint burn marks on my face.

Even though they were only minor burns, she looked deeply upset.

“Exactly. Still, thanks to the robe, this is all I got. How are Melona and the knights?”

“The aide inhaled a lot of smoke, so she’s resting because of dizziness. The knights are receiving treatment for burns.”

“They were hurt protecting me… I should go check on them.”

“Your Highness is also a patient right now. It won’t be too late if you go after you rest properly.”

Worried I might jump out of bed at any moment, Sofia pulled the blanket up to my chin and tucked me in.

Muscle pain and minor burns hardly made me a serious patient—but if I rushed out now, I could already imagine what Richard would say.

He was already badly shaken. I couldn’t make him worry even more.

“I’ll go see them tomorrow morning. Will Richard be late because of the investigation?”

“Probably. Ah—if you have something to tell His Highness, he said you can tell Sir Brahms outside.”

“Sir Brahms is here?”

“Yes. Since your aide is recovering, His Highness assigned Sir Brahms to guard you instead.”

Seeing that Richard had assigned Sir Brahms from the First Knight Order, it seemed he also found this fire suspicious.

“Then could you call Sir Brahms for me?”

“Yes, just a moment.”

While Sofia stepped away, I tried to sit up.

Ugh—my thighs!

Just sitting up made my waist, hips, and thighs scream in pain.

“Did you call for me, Your Highness?”

After propping myself up with pillows, Sir Brahms entered the bedroom.

“Sir Brahms, thank you for your hard work so late because of me.”

“Not at all. How is your condition? Shall I call a physician to check your recovery?”

“Other than muscle pain, I’m fine. Richard hasn’t returned yet, right?”

“Yes. He is discussing today’s fire with the Crown Prince. Do you have something to pass on?”

“No, not really… I was just curious about how the investigation is going.”

Most of the area had burned down, so there likely wasn’t much evidence left.

Still, they must have gathered testimonies from the knights—something had to come up.

“The investigation will continue. So far, it appears the fire started when sparks from a campfire landed on a pile of grass.”

“A pile of grass?”

“Yes. Hay for the horses was stacked near the barracks, and several knights saw the fire spread there.”

Because the weather was cold, campfires had been lit around the barracks. With the wind blowing, sparks reaching hay was possible.

But even so—could the fire really spread that fast?

The image of flames rising like a fence around the barracks was still vivid in my mind.

I had seen the forest gradually burning too, but it was nothing compared to the speed of the flames that suddenly blocked our path.

“Was there any sign that oil had been poured around the barracks?”

“On His Highness’s orders, the area was thoroughly checked, but no such traces were found.”

“…I see.”

As I tried to recall the exact condition of the barracks and the surrounding area, the bedroom door suddenly flew open.

“Did you plan to overdo it again the moment you woke up?”

Richard walked in and frowned slightly when he saw me sitting up in bed.

After hunting and then investigating, he looked utterly exhausted.

Seeing his disheveled, tired face made my heart ache.

“I’m just sitting. You’re the one overdoing it. Are you okay?”

“The patient should stop worrying about others and focus on themselves.”

“From what I see, you look more like the patient. Come here and rest.”

I patted the empty space beside me on the bed.

Richard let out a lazy smile and only after sending Sir Brahms and Sofia out did he sit on the bed.

“Lie down. There’s probably nowhere that doesn’t hurt.”

“It’s not that bad. If anything, I want you to lie down. Don’t sit there uncomfortably—come on.”

After I kept tugging his arm, Richard reluctantly lifted his legs onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

Satisfied that we were in the same position, I even pulled the blanket over him.

“If I had ridden just a little faster… you wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”

Richard stared at my face and reached out, gently brushing the area around my burn.

Maybe from holding a gun, or from pushing himself too hard, his hand felt rough against my skin.

“What are you, a cheetah? How could you come any faster than that? And anyway, we had to break through the flames to escape.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hey. Don’t apologize for something strange like that.”

“I’m sorry not just for being late… but because the one who put you in danger might be… my mother.”

His low voice carried complicated, painful emotions.

The near certainty that the person who tried to harm his lover might be his own family was tearing him apart.

“The Empress might not be the one behind it.”

“…There’s no way. She chose the location of your barracks. Even without evidence, if that point is raised, she won’t be able to deny it completely.”

“Richard, calm down.”

The more he spoke, the more anger I felt from him.

I held his hand and gently patted it.

Slowly, the fierce blue eyes filled with rage grew calm.

“Because of today, there will be bad rumors about the Crown Prince. First, we need evidence that the fire was intentional.”

“With the current situation, finding evidence is difficult. The knights’ testimonies only make it seem like an accident.”

“About those testimonies… there’s something I saw when the fire reached the barracks.”

If no evidence remained, we had to change the direction of testimony.

So far, the knights were only talking about how the fire started in Zone Four.

Only I could testify about the flames that instantly surrounded the barracks. It would be even better if another knight had seen the same thing.

“What did you see?”

“When the fire started near the barracks, sparks burst out and spread in all directions—like fireworks exploding. Then, before we could even move, the flames surrounded the barracks.”

“Sparks spreading in all directions…”

“Yes. Sir Brahms mentioned earlier that there were hay piles nearby. I think the moment the sparks touched them, the flames burst out violently.”

Richard quietly repeated “sparks” and “hay piles” to himself.

I hoped this would lead to something.

Since that was the only suspicious point I had noticed, I felt anxious.

“Tomorrow, I’ll tell my brother what you saw and have it investigated.”

“I only mentioned it because it felt strange… will it really help?”

“It will help. I’m sure of it. Thank you for telling me.”

Richard answered in a firm yet gentle tone, then lightly kissed my cheek.

My confidence had been sinking fast, but that brief kiss wiped all the negative thoughts from my mind.