Episode 155
The day after visiting the royal library, I wanted to go back to check *The Secrets of the Black Forest* again, but I held myself back. The Crown Prince’s watchful eyes lingered in my mind, making me uneasy.
Another day passed, and early in the morning, the sound of a large horn echoed throughout the capital. It signaled the departure of the monster subjugation force heading toward the Black Forest.
“Lloydin…”
The first thought that crossed my mind when I heard the horn was the slim chance that I might see Lloydin. I knew he rarely appeared at either the departure or return ceremonies, but I couldn’t help but hope.
Then it struck me—I still hadn’t received the signed divorce papers. If Lloydin left for the subjugation without signing them, it could delay the divorce and, consequently, my marriage to the Crown Prince.
I remembered the Crown Prince mentioning that he would pressure Lloydin to hurry, but for some reason, I had yet to receive the signed documents.
‘What should I do?’
I briefly debated my options, but it didn’t take long to make up my mind. I quickly got out of bed and prepared to go out.
He might have already left, and it might all be for nothing, but I needed to try. The excuse of retrieving the divorce papers was valid enough, but the truth was, I just wanted to see him.
Even if I couldn’t tell him to wait for me, I wanted to see his face and wish him a safe return.
With that thought, I hurriedly got into a carriage and headed for the Blighton estate.
When I arrived and stepped out of the carriage, the butler was there to greet me.
“My lady!”
“Where is the Duke?” I asked immediately, not even bothering with pleasantries. I desperately hoped he hadn’t left yet.
“The Duke is not at the estate, my lady.”
“He’s already left?”
“Yes, he departed a short while ago.”
“Did he mention attending the departure ceremony?”
“No, my lady. He said he would leave on his own.”
“When did he leave?”
“About thirty minutes ago.”
“Thirty minutes?”
The butler’s words left me feeling deflated. I had been so close to seeing him.
“He’s already gone…”
I muttered to myself, feeling a pang of sadness as I looked around the estate. It hadn’t been long since I’d left, but seeing it again filled me with a bittersweet longing.
My eyes were drawn to the window of Lloydin’s study. The curtains were drawn, hiding the interior, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he might still be in there, even though I knew it wasn’t possible.
“My lady…”
The butler’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I wasn’t the lady of the Blighton estate anymore. I had no right to linger here.
I turned to the butler and said, “Please don’t tell the Duke that I came by.”
“…Understood.”
Swallowing my disappointment, I turned to leave and climbed back into the carriage.
‘Wait a moment.’
If it had only been thirty minutes, maybe I could still catch up to him. I knew it was a long shot, especially since I had only recently started learning to ride, but I had to try.
“If I could get a horse—”
“A horse, my lady?”
“Yes, bring the fastest one you have, and hurry.”
“Right away.”
The butler quickly fetched a horse, and I mounted it as fast as I could, ordering the coachman to return to the Anaïs estate.
“My lady…”
The butler looked up at me with worried eyes.
“Which direction did the Duke take?”
“He always takes the same path, through the forest trail behind the estate.”
“Thank you. I’ll return the horse when I’m done.”
“Please be careful, my lady.”
I nodded and set off, following the path the butler had described. Thanks to Lloydin’s lessons, I managed to keep my balance as I rode, but the pace wasn’t fast enough.
If I wanted to catch up to him, this wouldn’t do. My anxiety grew with each passing moment, and I urged the horse to go faster.
Suddenly, the horse became agitated and broke into a wild gallop.
‘Hold on.’
Panic and fear gripped me, but I clenched the reins as tightly as I could, determined not to fall. Even though it felt like I could be thrown off at any moment, I steeled myself and refused to slow down.
Despite the horse’s relentless speed, Lloydin was nowhere in sight. A sinking despair started to seep into my heart, the thought that I might not see him growing more certain with every passing second.
But I didn’t want to give up. As long as I hadn’t yet left the capital, I had to keep going.
I pushed these thoughts aside and focused on enduring the horse’s frantic pace. Then, amidst the pounding of my horse’s hooves, I began to hear another set of hooves behind me.
‘What is that?’
There was no one ahead of me, so whoever it was had to be approaching from behind. I was curious, but I didn’t dare turn around to look. I knew I needed to slow down to see who it was.
I pulled on the reins to slow the horse down.
‘Huh?’
But the horse ignored my command and kept running. Panic surged through me.
The realization that I couldn’t control the horse filled me with terror. At this speed, falling off would mean serious injury—or worse. The possibility of death loomed large in my mind.
As these thoughts crowded my head, my hands began to tremble on the reins.
‘Calm down.’
I tried to steady myself, reminding myself to stay calm and do what I had been taught. The sound of hooves behind me faded from my awareness as I focused entirely on stopping the horse. I tried pulling the reins in different directions, but it was no use. The horse kept charging forward, ignoring my every effort.
How foolish I had been to think I could catch up to Lloydin on horseback. My reckless decision had led me into a dangerous situation.
‘Lloydin.’
Even in this life-threatening situation, all I could think about was how much I wanted to see him.
Tears threatened to spill, but I held them back, fearing they would blur my vision. I continued to race forward, unable to slow down, when suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.
“My lady!”
It was Lloydin’s voice, calling out to me from behind.
“…Duke?”
Could it really be him?
“My lady! Stay where you are!”
His voice grew clearer, closer.
“Duke!”
I couldn’t believe it. I kept calling out his name, overwhelmed by the relief of finally hearing him.
In my excitement, I forgot his warning to stay still and turned my head to look at him.
“No, my lady, don’t!”
As soon as I turned, my body shifted with my head, and I lost my balance on the horse.
“Ah, Duke…!”
My body swayed uncontrollably, and the strength drained from my hands, causing me to lose my grip on the reins.
“My lady!”
“Ah, Duke!”
Unable to withstand the speed any longer, I fell, tumbling onto the grassy ground. I rolled several times before coming to a stop.
‘Ah…’
What just happened?
Did I really fall off the horse?
My head was spinning, and everything felt disoriented. But strangely, I didn’t feel any pain. At that speed, falling should have resulted in serious injury, but I felt nothing.
Could I be dead?
Did I die just before seeing Lloydin?
I didn’t want to believe it, but the possibility was high. It didn’t make sense not to feel pain after such a fall.
My vision was dark, as if I had fallen into a world of shadows.
No, this couldn’t be happening.
My life couldn’t end like this. I had never imagined it would.
“…My lady, are you alright?”
Just then, a voice broke through the darkness, pulling me back from the brink of despair. It was a voice filled with hope.
I opened my eyes, and there he was—the face I had longed to see.
Lloydin.
He was right in front of me.
