Chapter 17
Between my fingers, I could see the tendons bulging over his exposed forehead. He looked like he was holding something back.
And the way Thierry’s chest was rising and falling, it was clear that Lari’s presence was having a bad effect on him.
‘Maybe he thinks I know something about her? Because he’s under the misconception that Lari ran away…’
The open field felt empty. I pressed my arms to my chest, which was still throbbing from earlier.
I didn’t run away, I died…
I knew I couldn’t stand before him as Lari, but I wondered if I should at least tell him this.
‘This is more complicated than I thought.’
I sighed and stared into the distance. Instead of opening my mouth, I decided to wait for his silence.
But then I heard a noise that was getting closer and closer. I whirled around to follow the sound of something running, and spotted a black wolf leaping in the distance.
‘Ah… Rudd.’
A sigh escaped my lips.”This is no time for this, Rud,d” he said, ‘Please, please…’
I glanced down at Rudd, who was giggling happily at my feet, and then backed up at him.
For some reason, Thierry had been staring at me for a while now, his usual stern face nowhere to be seen.
“The… Princess has more of a knack for manipulating people than I thought.”
He stuck his tongue out and licked his lips, his expression oddly fierce.
“Very funny.”
It wasn’t funny in the least. His demeanor sent a chill down my spine, like he was onto something.
Or was it the wind?
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them as a gust of wind blew past. Then his large hand came into view, hovering over my nose.
“I’m looking forward to the hunt.”
His heated fingertips tucked a stray strand of my disheveled hair behind my ear. His red eyes flashed briefly from beneath his half-lowered, delicate black lashes.
***
I flopped my freshly washed body roughly onto the bed and muttered.
“I wonder if I’m going to get myself killed for nothing…”
I had debated whether or not I should tell him about Lari’s death at our first riding lesson a few days ago, but now I was sincerely tempted to give up. After a few days of being with him, and getting to know his personality and whims even more intimately, I realized that telling him the truth would probably cost my life.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m tired.”
Thierry was never really good at teaching.
He’d explain it half-heartedly, with a “Why don’t you know this?” look on his face, followed by a quick, pathetic tongue-lashing when they couldn’t follow along.
“Uh…”
I grunted and crawled under the covers, hoping to get some sleep before dinner.
It’s not that riding a horse isn’t fun, but it’s hard on my stomach because I don’t have any raw muscle in my body. Plus, the mental stress of spending time with him, constantly nervous that I’d make a mistake, was enormous.
“Tomorrow is the hunting festival already, time flies.”
The only consolation is that his riding lessons are over for today… But that didn’t matter when he thought about the hunt tomorrow.
It would be nice to be alone in the woods while everyone else hunted.
I’ll be lucky if the nobles don’t make a scene. Why are you dragging me into this…
“Oh?”
Are you setting me up for the nobles, so they can torment me to their hearts’ content?
My mouth dropped open in sudden anxiety.
‘With Thierry’s character, wouldn’t he do that…?’
It was a reasonable hypothesis, and I couldn’t stubbornly deny it. I buried my face in my pillow, accepting my speculation almost as a given.
Maybe I’d be better off dead. Oh, my God! Will I be okay tomorrow?
“Stir… Princess?”
“Yes?”
I lifted my head at the sound of Marie’s voice calling me cautiously. I didn’t hear her knock, when did she get in?
“I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”
Marie mumbled in an apologetic tone and glanced toward the door.
“Why… Hmph, Your Majesty.”
“Princess, you seem to be in high spirits. You were about to die earlier, but was that all an act?”
Mockery flashed across Thierry’s face as he stared down at me, pouting.
I jumped to my feet, my face flushed with anger.
“No, it was really hard!”
“You sounded like you did.”
“… Really.”
He raised one eyebrow at me, lowering my voice to a whisper.
I slid gingerly off the bed, watching his eyes.
“Let’s have some tea.”
He gave me a quizzical look, then nodded to Marie and headed toward the terrace.
His steps were brisk, as if it were his own room.
‘What are you doing up to my room?’
I was puzzled, as he had never come to visit me like this before.
I followed him to the balcony with a look of unconcealed curiosity on my face.
A purple sunset was setting in the sky, a color added to the shorter days of the season. Against the beautiful hues, he sat in a chair and leaned back, crossing his long legs.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me until I’m sitting in the chair across from him, which shouldn’t be possible, they’re his usual impassive eyes, but strangely enough, I feel like he’s scrutinizing me.
“You’re okay.”
Was he actually worried about me?
“I’m sure you’ll be able to join the hunt tomorrow without any problems.”
My heart swelled with anticipation for a moment, then cooled salty.
He’d come to see for himself if I was going to be a jerk tomorrow. I laughed, relieved to see that he didn’t disappoint.
“Yeah, whatever. Haha…”
Quickly setting the tea on the table and stepping back, Thierry waved his hand roughly at Marie to leave.
I glanced once at the closing terrace door, once at the cup of warm tea, and one last time at him languidly sipping it.
“Princess.”
“… Yes.”
I put my cup down quickly at the sound of his voice calling out to me.
“Do you want something?”
“What?”
“Tell me what you want.”
Thierry narrowed his eyes at me.
‘To… avoid seeing you as much as possible?’
I gulped, almost blurting out the truth, but my jaw clamped shut; it was a moment that shook me to the core.
He tilted his head at an angle and glared at me, as if he didn’t want me to repeat myself, giving off a clear sign that his patience was wearing thin.
“I’d like to get in contact with my family, if that’s what you want.”
I replied quickly and smirked.
“Contact?”
He asked, raising one eyebrow, a look of surprise on his face.
What did he think I was going to ask for? Did he think I was going to beg him to let me go back?
If that was the case, I had purposely pretended to be a harmless Princess, but I hadn’t expected him to look so immature.
“Of course, I’d like to write to them, not often, but at least once or twice a month, just to let them know I’m thinking of them.”
I added slowly, smiling somewhat cautiously.
‘If that’s okay with you…’
I knew it would be hard for them to leave their youngest daughter, who had just opened her eyes after seven years, in another country. Even if I don’t have a deep enough connection with them to miss them, I remember how warmly they treated me, so I wanted to do something for them.
I also felt bad that I hadn’t thought of Ashtad until now while I was busy adjusting to life here.
“I’ll let you write to them twice a month.”
His answer was unexpected and generous.
I stared at him, wide-eyed.
“In exchange, I need you to get me something from the hunt.”
“You mean…?”
“If you want it so badly, I suppose there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“Um- So you mean, you want me to try my hand at hunting?”
“Yes.”
I see.
I was wondering why you came all the way to my room, but you’re here to argue.
‘I see.’
I nodded, smiling sweetly.
“Princess, you can do this?”
Thierry asked, surprised that I nodded right away.
Anyway, that dreaded snout! The Princess is sleeping, and if I do anything, he’s going to make me do it…
‘Huh, never mind. By the way, hunting… How am I supposed to hunt… Isn’t it? Is it going to work?’
I know I said it was an achievement, but shouldn’t I just take one in moderation? I’ve hunted animal carcasses for food before when I was a lariat, so I think I can do that…
I wasn’t asking for first place, but I thought it might be worth a shot if it wasn’t such a pain in the ass.
“Yeah. I’ll try.”
There’s only one answer anyway, so why bother.
“You’re so fearless.”
I took it in stride because I knew he wasn’t the kind of guy who’d let it slide, but Thierry’s eyes narrowed as if he wasn’t sure what was bothering him.
He stared at me, clicked his tongue briefly, then lowered his eyes and said, ‘There are no rules.’
“No rules, just bring it.”
He picked up the teacup and twirled it aimlessly, then stopped with a final note.
“I’ll give you a fun trade.”
I’ve been trading bottles and pills today…
“The Debutante Ball is in two weeks. The Princess will be there.”
No, I think he’s just giving me a bottle for cancer.
***
The employer’s lodgings were well-equipped, but Marie had never felt comfortable here.
“What about Princess?”
A maidservant from a fallen noble family was little more than a maid in charge of household chores, and the idea of her being entrusted with the exclusive service of a Princess from another country had her wondering and uneasy, and her fears were confirmed.
Marie’s shoulders slumped at the questioning voice, and she bowed her head more deeply, lest they meet, and answered timidly.
