IWBCAS 30

Chapter 30 

“Are you telling me all those women are trying to win over Karlhail right in front of me, his fiancée?”

Raina asked in shock. Patricia answered carefully.

“Well… you’re not married yet. There are lots of noble marriages that get called off even on the wedding day because of family interests…”

“…!”

“And I heard you didn’t even have an engagement ceremony. Those girls probably got their hopes up after seeing you. They might’ve thought the door was forever closed, but now you’ve shown them it might open.”

‘How could they twist it like that…?’

Raina couldn’t understand the logic, but one thing was clear—Karlhail didn’t need her concern. He was doing just fine without her.

“…I just wasted my time.”

She muttered to herself. There was no point giving a handkerchief to someone who didn’t even want it. Come to think of it, Karlhail never said he wanted one. The embroidery she made was only from her imagination.

Raina quietly put the silk pouch with the handkerchief back into her pocket. Patricia saw this and looked surprised.

“Wait… wasn’t that handkerchief for Karlhail?”

“…Didn’t you say he doesn’t want anything from me?”

Raina’s voice was cold and sharp. Patricia looked flustered and shook her head.

“What you made is different from those other handkerchiefs heading to Blair. Yours is special.”

Raina gave a bitter smile. Whether it was those girls running around or herself, none of them mattered to Karlhail.

‘This marriage is just a deal with no emotions involved.’

After what happened at the palace, Karlhail hadn’t shown up even once. If that wasn’t ignoring your fiancée, what was?

She had seen the handkerchiefs made by the other ladies—they were dazzling. It made her own look plain and clumsy.

“…I really shouldn’t give this to him.”

She put away the pouch. Patricia looked at her with a bit of disappointment.

Far away, Blair’s group gathered. He must be pulling every trick to win the hunting competition. Karlhail wasn’t even around.

‘…Might as well go home.’

Just as she gave up and waited for the hunt to start, Patricia gasped.

“What is it?”

Raina asked. Patricia looked awkward but spoke up.

“Lady Raina… can I ask you for a favor?”

“…What kind of favor?”

Patricia pointed in the opposite direction from where the hunters went.

“If you follow this path, you’ll find a big chestnut tree.”

‘Chestnuts? Is she hungry or something?’

Patricia continued.

“It’s a really big and noticeable tree. I think I dropped a necklace near it. Could you find it for me?”

‘Why’s she asking me to find her necklace? She should go get it herself.’

Raina was about to say no, but Patricia added a killer line.

“It’s a keepsake from my late husband.”

“Your… late husband…?”

Patricia gave a sad smile.

“He passed away a few years ago.”

“I… I see.”

So that’s what Amy meant when she said Patricia was hunting on behalf of her family.

“It means a lot to me… but I must’ve dropped it. Can you please find it for me?”

“Me…?”

Before Raina could say more, a loud whistle blew in the distance—calling hunters to gather. Everyone started moving.

“I have to go now. And the tree is in the opposite direction from the hunting ground.”

One of Patricia’s attendants brought a horse.

“Please, Lady Raina.”

With that, Patricia winked and climbed onto the horse.

‘What? She’s just leaving like that?’

“Hey! Marchioness Dogerson! Patricia!!”

Raina ran after her but it was too late. The horse was already galloping away.

“…Figures. She’s Karlhail’s friend, alright.”

They’re both so selfish.

“Ugh… what do I do now?”

Raina hesitated. It was an unfair request. But it was a keepsake from a dead husband. That stuck in her mind.

“Fine. I’ll just do it.”

The hunt wouldn’t end for a while, anyway. Might as well treat it like a walk.

But no matter how long she waited, Amy didn’t show up.

‘Is she off on a date or something?’

Amy had spent all day yesterday embroidering. Probably to give her handkerchief to her lover. So she might be off having a romantic time now.

‘I’ll just go alone.’

It’s not like she always had a maid with her. So Raina headed off alone, opposite the crowd.

After walking a long time, Raina’s legs started to hurt.

“Where is this chestnut tree?!”

She had walked forever, but couldn’t find any huge tree like Patricia described. Every tree looked the same.

And even though Patricia said it was a chestnut tree, Raina didn’t see any trees with chestnuts on them.

‘Should’ve dragged Amy with me!’

She regretted letting her go for love.

“That’s it. I’ve done enough.”

She had walked way too far for someone she barely knew. Just as she turned to head back, she heard a strange sound.

Groooowl.

“…Groooowl?”

It sounded like a beast growling.

‘Wait a second… was that… a bear?’

The image of a giant bear popped into her mind.

‘But this is the opposite direction from the hunting ground…’

If there were bears here, people wouldn’t have gone the other way.

‘No way… I must’ve imagined it.’

She took a few more steps—then the sound came again, closer.

Groooooowl.

This time she couldn’t ignore it.

‘That is a bear.’

She didn’t want to believe it, but it was too close to a bear’s growl.

‘What do I do? Bears… can kill people!’

Chills ran down her spine. Her heart pounded, and she felt ice down her back.

‘Is it really a bear? What should I do?’

She slowly turned her head around, scared stiff. Every second felt like an eternity.

But there was no bear behind her. Not even a shadow.

Instead—there was a person.

Karlhail. The guy who hadn’t shown his face for days.

“W-What? Just now… there was a bear… or something that sounded like…”

Raina looked around in confusion, even checking behind Karlhail’s shoulder just in case. Nothing. No monster.

Only Karlhail trying hard not to laugh. His shoulders were shaking.

He showed her what he was holding: a wooden washboard-looking thing and a metal spoon. When he scraped the spoon across it—

Grooowl.

It made the exact same sound she had heard.

“You… it was you?!”

Raina finally realized what had happened and glared at him. Karlhail burst out laughing, almost choking.

“What are you doing?!”

She yelled, but Karlhail’s loud laughter echoed through the woods.

“Is scaring people fun for you? Is it?!”

He barely caught his breath and replied.

“Haha! It sounded real, right? It’s what hunters use to lure animals. Sounds just like a bear.”

He even wiped away a tear from laughing so hard. That only made Raina angrier.

“Ugh! Are you crazy?!”

‘I really thought it was a bear! And why would you use that on me? Am I a deer?! A rabbit?!’

She had a million things to yell about—but another question came out first.

“Where have you been all this time?”

Once she started, the frustration came flooding out.

“After the palace visit, you disappeared! And now you show up just to prank me?!”

Karlhail saw her face and realized she wasn’t okay. He stepped forward awkwardly.

“Hey, it was just a joke…”

“What kind of joke is that? It wasn’t funny at all!”

Raina looked like she might cry.

Karlhail looked flustered and gently patted her shoulder.

“Sniff…”

Seeing her try to hold back tears, Karlhail said quietly,

“I had some things to take care of. I can’t explain right now, but… it’s important.”

‘That’s your excuse?’

Raina glared at him with teary eyes.