Chapter 16
Perea flinched in surprise when Ray suddenly leaned in close.
Her chair rattled loudly as she pushed back, nearly falling over.
She let out a short yelp — and Ray, startled as well, instinctively grabbed her arm to steady her.
“What are you doing?”
“You—why are you so close…?”
“Hm?”
Ray blinked, genuinely confused.
He had only moved nearer because, without animal ears or a tail, he needed to read her facial expressions more carefully. That was the whole reason — simple and logical to him.
But from her point of view, it felt like a large predator suddenly pouncing.
“You said you wanted to help the village and Theo. We need to discuss it properly.”
“R-right, that’s true…”
His tone was calm, but the way he loomed so silently made her heart pound.
He was tall, broad-shouldered — and in that moment, with his sharp blue eyes and silver hair glowing in the light, he really did look more like a wild beast than a man.
Perea swallowed hard and forced herself not to push his face away.
Trying to stay composed, she straightened her crooked chair and sat down again.
The air between them felt… strange — tense, yet charged with something else.
Ray could faintly smell the floral scent Theo always mentioned when talking about Perea.
And she, in turn, could smell his cool, clean scent — a mix of steel and forest air.
The silence stretched until finally, Perea spoke first.
“Um… so, what should we do? About the village?”
“Ah.”
Her voice snapped Ray out of whatever daze he’d been in.
He realized he’d been staring too long — even forgot to blink. Clearing his throat, he let out a small sound, embarrassed at himself.
Perea jumped slightly at the noise, shoulders twitching.
Had she said something wrong? Did she sound too pushy?
She couldn’t read his expression at all, and the uncertainty was agonizing.
Honestly, she’d rather be stitching up his wounds again — that had been less stressful.
“Right… that’s what we were talking about.”
Ray tilted his head slightly, still looking a bit dazed — like someone trying to shake off the fog of strong alcohol, even though he hadn’t had a drop.
He gave a small shake of his head, focusing again, then tapped the table.
“We’ll leave this village as soon as possible. I already spoke to Theo about it.”
“Ah, so that’s why he was…”
Perea’s chest tightened as she remembered the little boy’s tearful face earlier.
Theo adored this place — the people, the rabbits, the warmth of it all.
He especially loved being around her, always following her to the clinic and staying by her side.
To think of how devastated he must have felt learning he had to leave… it made her heart ache.
“So you’ll be leaving tomorrow?”
“Leaving isn’t difficult,” Ray said evenly, “but if we do that too soon, this village could be in danger. They might accuse the villagers of hiding the prince.”
Perea’s eyes widened.
Come to think of it, the broken carriage pieces were still in the forest.
Even if the tracking device was destroyed, the signal must’ve been detected before that.
The enemy would naturally search the area — and the nearest settlement was Timi Village.
Her blood ran cold.
She felt faint, wanting to run out immediately and warn everyone to flee.
But before she could stand, Ray placed a steady hand on her shoulder.
“That’s why I plan to clean things up first — to cover our tracks.”
“Clean up…?”
Ray paused to organize his thoughts before explaining.
“First, I’ll erase all traces of the accident in the forest. Then I’ll move the carriage remains far away — and burn them completely.
That way, it’ll look like both monster bombs exploded and destroyed everything.
The story will be that this village knows nothing about any royal carriage.”
Borrowing paper and pen from her desk, he began sketching the local terrain — outlining the mountains and forests in smooth, practiced lines.
His mapmaking and explanation were surprisingly good; Perea followed his plan immediately.
He circled an area deep inside the Lium Forest, far beyond the ruins of the village that had been wiped out years ago.
“If we do this, the village won’t be blamed. Even if the signal stopped here, without evidence, no one can accuse us.”
“Exactly.”
“Then we can ask Harun and the young men for help. They’re strong — they’ll handle it quickly!”
Her eyes brightened with relief.
For the first time that night, hope flickered again.
If this meant saving the village and protecting Theo, she was ready to grab Harun by the collar and drag him into helping if she had to.
“So… this plan is to trick the enemy into thinking Prince Theo was in a fatal accident?”
“Right. I’ll make them believe the prince and I are both dead — then hit those bastards back when they least expect it.”
Perea winced at his blunt tone.
She hadn’t even dared to say the word death, choosing to phrase it more gently.
But Ray had no such hesitation — his words were sharp and ruthless.
Watching him like this, she truly understood: he was a knight through and through, hardened by countless battles.
Still, she nodded. The plan made sense.
With help from the villagers, it could work.
“But… wouldn’t it be dangerous when you return to the capital later?
If they find out you faked your deaths?”
“Eh, happens all the time.”
Ray shrugged casually, as if deception and near-death missions were just part of his daily life.
A small, cold smile curved his lips.
For the first time, Perea realized that — despite his sharp tongue — Ray had never truly disliked her.
If anything, he was simply a man used to surviving in brutal circumstances.
Still, that faint, dangerous smile sent chills down her spine.
If I were on the other side of that grin, she thought, I’d be terrified.
She rubbed her arms to chase away the goosebumps.
Even so, she was relieved — at least he was planning to leave before worse things happened.
Parting with sweet, lovable Theo would be painful, but better to say goodbye before getting too attached.
That was the logical thing to do.
So why did her chest ache so much? Why did her eyes sting like she was about to cry?
She forced a bright smile and said bravely:
“It’s sad to say goodbye so soon after meeting, but… the most important thing is that the prince gets home safely!”
And hopefully, that her village stays unharmed too.
Yes — that was what mattered most.
Ray crossed his legs, leaning back slightly.
He didn’t like how easily she was already talking about goodbyes.
They hadn’t even carried out the plan yet.
“There’s one more thing — something more important.”
“What? More important than that?”
Perea lifted the paper map in confusion.
Wasn’t that already the critical plan? What could be more urgent than saving the prince and the village?
As she tilted her head curiously, her soft hair brushed against her shoulder, releasing that familiar floral scent again.
The scent tickled Ray’s nose — and something strange stirred inside him.
He clenched his fist tightly, biting his lip.
It was an unfamiliar feeling — an impulsive, wild urge that had nothing to do with logic or strategy.
“Ray?”
She called his name softly when he didn’t answer for a while.
His eyes had been fixed on her for too long, and her face grew hotter and hotter under his stare.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he looked away.
The moment his intense gaze left her, Perea let out a long breath.
So this was what it felt like to meet a predator’s eyes — paralyzing and breath-stealing.
Ray glanced at her flushed face, then finally spoke.
“Theo.”
“Yes, Prince Theo?”
“He said… if we leave the village, we have to take you with us.”
It was like a second thunderbolt striking her heart.
Perea’s jaw dropped.
For a few seconds, she just sat frozen, completely blank.
Then she shook her head furiously.
“W-what? Me? Leave the village? That’s impossible!”
Her reaction was so strong that Ray’s eyes narrowed slightly.
So… she really doesn’t want to come with us?
A quiet ripple spread through the calm surface of his thoughts — small, but sharp.
