Chapter 23
The hunt was eventually stopped.
An arrow from nowhere, a foreign Princess who disappeared on a galloping horse, and an Emperor who chased after her alone. Things had gotten too out of hand for a simple accident.
I sat back in my chair and stared at Thierry, who stood beside me, barking orders.
“Do your duty.”
The middle-aged man with brown hair, who had been summoned out of nowhere, followed Thierry’s gesture and quickly examined my ankle.
Somehow, the throbbing from earlier subsided as warmth began to flow from his hand on my ankle.
“Princess the pain in your ankle should subside soon! I’ve used magic to reduce the swelling, but I’d advise you to take it easy for at least a week.”
Oh, magic.
I glanced at my now-healed ankle in disbelief.
“As for pushing it.”
“I apologize. I mean wear comfortable shoes if possible, and avoid long walks.”
“Are you okay anywhere else but here?”
Thierry asked me. His tone was a far cry from the sarcastic tone he’d used earlier.
The wizard, who had been acting like he was going to choke if I asked him to speak one more time, soon looked at Thierry in disbelief, as if he had heard something he hadn’t.
‘I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels weird.’
I rolled my eyes nervously, avoiding Thierry, who dared to tilt his head to make eye contact with me.
“It’s… Thank you for caring. I know you’re busy, and I’m probably taking up too much of your time, so you can go!”
“Go away.”
No, not that wizard, Thierry, you go.
I glanced at the wizard’s back as he ran out of my room, and I had the urge to follow him.
‘I wonder if the information about the elves is becoming urgent.’
Something was wrong with Thierry. His eyes, which had been staring at me like an earthworm on the side of the road, had suddenly softened, as if he had realized the value of his hostage and the information he could provide.
A normal person would have thought I was doing him a favor out of genuine concern for him, but this was Thierry. He cared so much that everything about him was suspicious.
“I can’t believe you hurt your ankle. If you’d fallen, you’d be in trouble…”
He said in a low voice, like he was gritting his teeth. The next thing I knew, he was down on one knee in front of me, gently squeezing my uninjured ankle.
“We’ll have to examine the horse’s carcass.”
I stared up at him, my eyes glowing like I’d just met a martial arts master.
‘Just, whatever you do, don’t overthink it.’
So instead of giving up trying to understand, I decided to just take advantage of the situation.
I figured he’d realize that it was too bizarre to be a simple accident and would investigate it properly, so I decided to tell him what had been bothering me all along.
“Fortunately, I was able to get off the horse safely because it gradually lost its strength as it went on a rampage, and its movements slowed down significantly, like an unwrapped doll.”
“Slowed down?”
“Yes. It was actually kind of weird, because the arrow went through the horse’s leg, and instead of falling down, the horse was running at full speed.”
Actually, I had an idea.
The person who instructed Marie to lead me to the Labyrinth Forest had something in store for me, but I was surprised at how bold it was.
I suppose they were hoping for a time when the nobles would surround me, but I wouldn’t have expected Thierry to show up out of the blue.
“So I brought this with me just in case, and I was wondering if you could check it out if you don’t mind?”
I held out the small pouch I’d packed for him.
“It’s an arrowhead I pulled from a horse, and I think there’s something on it, but I want to make sure.”
“Buried?”
“Yes. Actually, at first I thought the horse had been drugged, but that’s not the case, because the horse was fine to begin with, and then the horse started acting strange as soon as it was hit by the arrow, so this is my first suspicion.”
“Good point, and smart of you to think to pack it.”
… Is he being sarcastic and I’m not picking up on it?
I frown and glance at Thierry, who pulls an arrowhead out of his pocket and studies it.
His posture is so natural. He’s going to sit down like that.
I thought he was going to leave now that I’d said all I had to say and given him all I had to give, but he showed no sign of stirring.
“You said you were asleep… for a long time and then you woke up.”
Then he opened his eyes and spoke slowly.
It was a new question, and Thierry, who already knew, had asked me if I had lost my fear after dying and coming back to life.
I nodded, uneasy.
“What about your memories? Are they complete before the accident?”
“They were confused at first, but after a while they were fine, but why do you ask…”
“Do you feel like it’s mixed in with your other memories?”
“… Sure.”
He asked as if he had an answer, and I could only come up with a vague answer.
“Has it ever occurred to you that you might not be Alicia Ashtad?”
My heart sank.
“Is this an extension of what you asked me about Lari?
I could feel my eyelids fluttering, but I answered as calmly as I could.
“Nope. Never.”
If I was going to reveal my identity, I would have told him as soon as I met him. Besides, the longer I stayed here, the less likely I was to reveal my true identity in front of a man who had already changed, so I thought better of it.
Even if I couldn’t help but notice the pained expression on his face.
“But why do I keep thinking of you as Lari?”
His self-help question sent a cold sweat down my spine.
It’s true that I feel that way because I’m Lari, but his intentions don’t look good.
He knew she had run away in the first place.
So, in my mind, he could only have two reasons for doing this. Either he’s looking for Lari with a grudge, or he’s looking for Princess Ashtad to take advantage of the way people have been trying to get to him by pretending to be Lari.
‘Whatever it is, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.’
Not only do Lari and Alicia have no connection, but the times of their deaths and awakenings don’t add up, and the strangest thing of all is that a maid who disappeared years ago is now a Princess.
‘It’s a trap! It must be, somehow!’
I blinked at him, not knowing what he was talking about.
“Is that so? I don’t know anything about her at all… Does she and I look a lot alike?”
It was tongue-in-cheek, even for me. I had the ridiculous feeling that my acting skills were getting better by the day.
“…”
A crimson glow, the same color as Thierry’s eyes, permeated the room. A heavy silence settled over the room as he pursed his lips several times before finally shutting them.
The man who had always said mean things and glared at me fiercely seemed so unfamiliar to me today.
His eyes, blackened by the shadows of his long lashes, drew my gaze. They looked like the eyes of a wounded animal.
‘Why are you looking at me like that? It makes everything you’ve said seem real.’
As nonsensical thoughts flooded my mind, I impulsively blurted out what I’d been wondering all along.
“Look, I don’t know if I should say this, but… I heard she’s gone.”
“…”
“Are you looking for her?”
His gaze slid from my eyes, up my nose, to my lips. He was looking at me, but strangely, he seemed to be looking beyond me.
“Yeah. I’ve always been looking.”
A low, cracked voice whispered to me.
“Well, may I ask what you plan to do when you find him?”
“I’m going to clean up…”
What? You’re going to clear Lari’s name?
It was like a wake-up call.
He’s going to find it and make sure it’s gone. I shouldn’t have asked. I shouldn’t have gotten involved!
“No…”
“Your Majesty!”
I interrupted him. It wasn’t out of fear of interrupting the Emperor, but out of a desire to get rid of this place as soon as possible.
“… Before, huh?”
“I’m sorry, but I need to wash up and rest.”
I frowned, wiping my forehead impatiently. I also gave him a sly look that asked him to leave.
His eyes widened slightly.
“Does your head hurt? I’ll call the doctor again.”
“No, just get some rest and I’ll be fine.”
My tone was soft but firm. His eyes returned to their normal color, and a light sigh escaped his lips.
“… Okay. See you tomorrow.”
He looked like he had a lot to say as he said see you tomorrow.
They looked wistful and regretful.
I kept thinking of words that didn’t fit him, but I was tired, so I kept seeing things that didn’t make sense.
‘You know, so much has happened in such a short time.’
He got up from his seat, thinking that he really needed to rest. There was a polite knock on the door.
“Your Majesty, the horse’s carcass has been burned and will be difficult to recover intact.”
The knight’s report came through the open door, and Thierry quickly left the room.
***
I remembered something similar happening in the original story, so I packed my arrowheads just in case, but the sound of the horse’s carcass being burned convinced me.
‘It’s obvious.’
In the original story, the horse carrying the female lead was shot by an arrow and collapsed while running frantically, just like me.
And when the female lead accidentally picked up the arrowhead, she realized that it was coated with a plant juice that contained a stimulant effect…
‘So this arrowhead is also coated with that plant juice. Why is it already here?’
