Unable to find a way to relieve his stifling emotions, Julion sought training grounds to at least move his body.
There, before he could properly start moving, he heard the news that Rohiriel had fallen into the water.
When he regained his senses, he found himself standing in front of the Emerald Palace.
“Your Highness!”
Ares, who had been waiting by the lakeside, greeted Julion with a puzzled expression.
Without even giving Ares a glance, Julion searched for Rohiriel. The boat was still floating in the middle of the lake. And on the boat, a silhouette with white hair fluttering could be seen moving busily.
While not clearly visible from a distance, it wasn’t difficult for someone with Julion’s skill level to discern who it was.
“Ha…….”
Confirming Rohiriel’s safety, Julion sighed, wiping his face with his palm. Now that he was sure she was safe, the next thought came.
Even if she is safely rescued from the water, it is essential to promptly come ashore to assess her condition.
“Why are they still in the lake? Ares, report to me what happened.”
In Julion’s stern voice, Ares briefly explained the situation.
“It seems someone, possibly Countess Rivolain, fell first. However, her highness immediately jumped in to rescue her…”
“If it’s Rivolain, she’s certainly not incapable of swimming. Why did Rohiriel have to jump in?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t at the scene.”
Julion gave Ares a stern look as he shrugged his shoulders.
“Ares, I told you to closely guard Rohiriel, so why are you standing away from her here?”
“Well… I’m losing my mind too. Her highness told me to stay here because she’s going to be fine.”
“So Rohiriel’s orders take precedence over mine.”
“No, it’s not like that… Uh…”
Ares, with a furrowed expression, tousled his hair vigorously. His tied-up hair turned into a disheveled mess.
“There’s no place to hide on the boat! Didn’t Your Highness tell me to discreetly guard her?”
Although Ares’s complaint was filled with injustice, it was a futile excuse for Julion.
“Three months’ pay cut. I do not accept excuses.”
“What? No, Your Highness. Just a moment!”
“Make it six months.”
“Your Highness!”
“I suppose you’d prefer a year’s pay cut.”
In the end, Ares kept silent.
This was unfair, truly unfair.
He wanted to let it out, but he couldn’t do that right now, so he suppressed his anger inwardly.
Julion withdrew his attention from Ares and looked back at the boat on the lake. It was slowly making its way toward them, and he could see a little more of what was going on inside than before.
Ares continued his explanation with a sullen voice.
“Anyway, Countess Rivolain’s condition seems quite bad. That’s why she’s undergoing treatment.”
“As if she wasn’t already sick enough…”
Julion’s brow furrowed deeply.
Despite everything, a sense of relief washed over him, knowing that she was safe. His anxious and cold fingertips seemed to loosen up a bit.
‘I want to keep her close next to me.’
Julion was surprised at the thought that flashed through his mind. He wondered why he felt this way, why he was so anxious and nervous.
His thoughts didn’t last long.
“Your Highness!”
The boat stopped on the shore of the lake, and people came out.
The first to come out were the maids. The Empress’s maid was followed by Rohiriel’s maid, Zenid. Rohiriel and Hemion stepped onto the land afterward.
When Rohiriel spotted Julion standing in front, her eyes widened.
The moment he met her blue eyes, which dilated like a startled rabbit, he felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach. It was as if someone was holding him tightly and shaking him.
As he furrowed his brows in pain, Rohiriel was the first to speak.
“Julion, how did you get here?”
How did he get here?
When he heard her fall into the water, Julion’s body moved reflexively. He couldn’t think of anything.
How he fell, whether it was a situation where he could help—these thoughts didn’t cross his mind.
Ignoring all other questions, there was only one thing that occupied Julion’s mind.
‘Please don’t be late. Stay safe.’
Julion, suppressing the emotions welling up, managed to utter a single word.
“Are you… okay?”
Rohiriel smiled awkwardly at the question, which had many implications.
“Yes, I’m fine. By the way, did you come after hearing about it?”
Even the slight curve of her lips, rising with joy, delighted Julion. Once again, he glanced at Rohiriel’s face for a moment.
“Julion?”
Rohiriel tilted her head slightly, expressing confusion.
He almost lost his gaze on her snow-white hair, which flowed down with every slight movement. Julion regained his focus.
“Julion, I see you’ve heard the news.”
Had it not been for the Empress’s subsequent words, he might have continued acting like a fool.
It was only when Julion pulled himself together that he spoke.
“Yes, I heard that the princess fell into the water.” Julion finally spoke, looking at the Empress.
This was because, as he looked at Rohiriel, his mind seemed to blank out.
‘This is crazy.’
He could still hear Rohiriel’s voice as she spoke harsh words to him before.
He had distanced himself from Rohiriel, as she had asked him to stay in line. Because he felt the need to think for himself about how far the line should be drawn.
Now he thought he knew.
Or maybe he was mistaken, and his head was spinning again.
“Yes, you must have been worried, but thankfully the princess is unharmed. Count Rivolain could have gotten into a lot of trouble, though.”
With that, the Empress turned her gaze to Erka, who was slowly stepping off the boat.
The woman, who was covered in some sort of ointment, was treading carefully on the ground.
Upon locking eyes with Julion, she hesitated, lowering her head in surprise.
“I greet the Crown Prince.”
“I heard there was a big incident. Are you all right?”
“Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”
Even as Erka responded, there was something about Julion’s gaze that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because, despite expressing worry verbally, his expression suggested otherwise—almost as if scolding her.
Julion briefly observed Erka but soon turned his attention back to the Empress.
“By the way, why did the boat collapse?”
“That’s the thing…”
The Empress furrowed her brow in thought and explained. Julion, having heard the initial reports, expressed skepticism.
“Didn’t you mention it’s a newly constructed boat? How could the stern suddenly collapse?”
“I’m puzzled too. But it actually happened, and we have to determine accountability by summoning those involved in the construction.”
“Can I have a look?”
“You mean the boat?”
“Yes.”
The Empress’ granted permission to Julion, who wore a serious expression. Julion pushed past Rohiriel and climbed onto the boat.
Indeed, a corner of the stern had collapsed, and it was in a peculiar shape.
The broken end of the wood was damp and even a bit mushy. When pressed firmly, it tore open like paper, creating a hole.
“This is strange.”
It wasn’t that a specific part of the wooden board itself was broken, but it collapsed as if a hole had been drilled in the middle of one wooden board.
As Julion closely examined it, Rohiriel approached.
“Did you find anything?”
Julion’s thoughts were interrupted by her distinctive scent.
Rohiriel had temporarily draped a dress over her wet chemise, but as time passed, even the dress became wet, revealing the outline of her body.
With nowhere else to look, Julion took a deep breath, trying to hold onto the tail of his thoughts.
“……Here, touch it. It doesn’t feel like ordinary wood.”
“Where… Ah, indeed. It’s mushy.”
“Besides, there is only one plank. How could only this part be like this?”
“That’s right, I was too preoccupied with treating the countess and didn’t have the time to inspect the area that collapsed.”
Rohiriel was lost in thought as she carefully examined the collapsed area.
As she kept coming back and forth in front of him in her wet state, Julion just closed his eyes altogether.
مسكين جوليون لماذا لايعبر لها عن مشاعره 😅وانا متاكدة من ان اختها السبب في خرق القارب 😠