Chapter 54
The horse ran wildly, foaming at the mouth, thrashing violently. More than half of the reins had already been torn apart by its rough movements.
The horse wavered again, swaying heavily. It was almost miraculous that it didn’t fall. The tension in the reins tore further, leaving only about a quarter intact.
Faces of those who had somehow entered my heart—Lant, the Marquis, El, Anasha, Evan—flashed through my mind one by one. I worried more about the things I hadn’t done for them than the things I had. Regret washed over me, wishing I had opened my heart more. Finally, the Crown Prince’s face also came to mind.
Even though I had tried to stay composed, it seemed I still held him in my heart. Unlike before, he said now that he loved me.
Would he mourn my death now?
Did he mourn my death back then?
A small laugh escaped me. Why did such useless thoughts come to mind in such a desperate moment?
As if I had no time to dwell on them, the reins I had been barely holding onto snapped completely. I felt my body lift into the air. The sky filled my vision, and I shut my eyes.
“Bii—!”
A sweet spearmint scent brushed past my nose, and something solid wrapped around me. Unable to resist the force that had thrown me, my body tumbled across the ground along with whatever had caught me. After rolling for a while, we finally came to a stop.
“Ha… ha…”
Heavy breathing echoed in my ears. When I opened my eyes, I saw a chest rising and falling with each breath.
Strong arms and legs held me tightly, leaving no gaps. I lifted my head to see his face. As expected, the Crown Prince rested his head on the ground, gasping heavily. Our eyes met.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a relief.”
Relief softened his golden eyes. He tightened the arms that held me, enclosing me even more firmly as if to protect me.
My body was draped over his. I rested my head against his chest, waiting for his breathing to calm. The pounding of hearts thudded in my ears.
I couldn’t tell whether the loud heartbeats were his or mine.
“I thought my heart would stop.”
His words, exhaled like a sigh, made my own heart jump. This was a reaction unlike any before.
My heart had always raced wildly whenever I saw his face, but that was just a Pavlovian reflex. I had never felt this way while being with him.
“I really thought you were in danger…”
He couldn’t continue and closed his mouth. The body holding me, trembling faintly, betrayed emotions I had never noticed before.
“I’m fine.”
I waited for him to settle. He closed his eyes and remained still, holding me for a long while.
“We should get up now.”
“Very well.”
He responded without opening his eyes. The pressure of his arms loosened slightly, but he still held me.
“A lot of time has passed.”
“Ha…”
He let out a deep sigh. I wriggled in his embrace, and his arms, which had wrapped around my waist and back like a net, reluctantly released me.
I stood and checked my body. There were minor scratches here and there, but nothing serious. Fortunately.
“Won’t you get up?”
Even as I examined myself, he just looked up at me, not intending to rise. I frowned as I looked down at him.
“You’re beautiful even looking up from below. Shall I admire you a bit more?”
“Judging by your words, it seems your body is unharmed, fortunately.”
I turned away from him. The sun had tilted westward. Nights came early in the mountains, earlier than elsewhere. I had to quickly find others, but I couldn’t even tell where I was.
“Bii… wait—ugh.”
As I tried to gauge the direction, his pained groan reached me. Turning to look, I saw him clutching his chest, curling into himself. Alarmed, I ran to him.
“Are you alright?”
Worried, I placed a hand on his shoulder. Despite my question, his furrowed face did not relax.
“I…”
As I tried to call him again, the world spun as I tilted, and my back hit the ground in an instant. He looked down at me with a mischievous smile.
“So, you’re worried about me, huh?”
“Was that a lie?”
“I feared you might leave me if I didn’t do this.”
His red lips curled into a perfect smile. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. Despite his smile, his face was pale as if dusted with flour.
“Looking up from below is nice, but I still prefer looking down from above.”
He spoke teasingly as usual, but the beads of cold sweat on his face betrayed him.
He had caught me after I fell from the frenzied horse, rolling on the ground. There was no way he could be unhurt. Clearly something was wrong, but he didn’t seem willing to show it.
I had assumed that because I was fine, he must be too. That was naive. Even knowing he was hurt, there was nothing I could do. And I didn’t want his efforts to hide it to be wasted. No matter how hurt he was, I decided to pretend I didn’t notice.
“You’re quite the prankster.”
“A prank? Don’t you know I’m always serious when it comes to you?”
His face lowered slowly. As I felt his breath, silver strands of hair tickled my cheek.
“What would happen if I kissed you like this?”
Despite the playful tone, his golden eyes darkened. His lips drew dangerously close to mine.
“If you insist on feeling my warning physically, I am willing to comply.”
I said this, and he squinted and smiled. Slowly, he lifted himself. His large shadow filled my vision.
“You remain an unforgiving fiancée.”
Standing, he bent slightly and extended his hand toward me. I gazed at it silently. He chuckled at my hesitation.
“Will you refuse even this?”
I sighed and finally took his hand. My hand fit perfectly into his large, calloused one. He tightened his grip and lifted me, bringing me gently yet firmly into his embrace.
“I’m truly relieved you’re safe.”
I heard his soft breath in my ear and closed my eyes in his arms. The two hearts that had been beating off-sync slowly matched their rhythm.
I had decided not to run away out of fear of being hurt. If I confirmed my feelings, I would risk everything once more.
I could no longer deny it. I had to admit it. I loved him.
Fear didn’t vanish entirely. There was still anxiety that she might appear and history could repeat. But he was not the same man as before. Back then, he had never treated me this gently, never risked his life for me, never held me warmly.
I placed my hands on his back and embraced him. My sudden action made him flinch slightly. I traced my fingers slowly down his spine. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me from his body.
“W-what!”
His face showed clear surprise. The flush on his face made me smile. I knew I loved him, yet I didn’t want him to know easily.
Though he was not the man from before, I felt an impulse to make him yearn for me as I had for him back then. So I decided to hide my feelings for a moment.
“We don’t have time for this, Your Highness.”
At my signal, he looked at the sky. The sun was slowly disappearing, and ominous clouds gathered from afar.
“I see.”
Peeeep—
He whistled sharply. The clear, high notes echoed through the mountains. He whistled again, twice more in succession, but nothing changed. Frustration crept into his expression.
“It seems it went too far.”
The Crown Prince’s call was directed at a trained warhorse. A trained horse responds to its master’s signals. If it didn’t come, it meant the horse was out of reach.
“First, we need to get out of the forest.”
He looked at me, worry in his eyes. Getting out meant we had to walk until the edge of the forest, and he seemed concerned.
“Will that be alright?”
“I’m fine. Even if not, we have no choice in this situation.”
“Indeed. I expected you would say that.”
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“As you said, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
He held my hand and smirked. Though better than before, his face was still pale. His fingers intertwined with mine.
“I won’t collapse and leave you, so don’t worry.”
He set the direction and began moving. I followed his lead, asking,
“Do you know the way?”
“Perhaps.”
I frowned, and he laughed loudly.
We quickened our pace, but it seemed we had ventured deep into the forest; even after a long time, we hadn’t emerged. As I feared, darkness fell, and raindrops began to fall one by one.
The drizzle grew heavier, turning into a downpour. He pulled my shoulder tightly toward him, pressing my body against his.
“We can’t walk any further.”
Indeed, walking further seemed impossible. In the darkness of the forest, it was impossible to find a path through the torrential rain without any light.
He glanced around. The visibility was almost zero. He led me to stand under a large tree.
