I Stole the Prince's First

Herald, who set off later than the two others, gritted his teeth and followed the tracks left on the dirt road. He prayed fervently as he observed the clear hoofprints, hoping they wouldn’t abruptly disappear.

Confirming the direction leading to the lake in the forest, he stopped searching for tracks. He realized why Haint had chosen this path and increased his speed.

The road to the lake felt unusually long. Herald pushed his horse relentlessly, his anxiety growing colder with each passing moment.

“If Retina is injured, then I…”

Herald shook off his anxious thoughts, refocusing his narrowed vision due to excitement, and urged his horse forward. He wouldn’t know until he saw it with his own eyes.

As the seemingly endless forest path ended, Herald reached the lakeside and dismounted his horse. As expected, Haint emerged from the lake, holding Retina.

“Retina!”

“She drank too much water.”

Haint laid Retina down on the grass and wiped the water from her face with his trembling hands. Exhausted from running through the forest and swimming, he collapsed to the ground.

Herald approached the tired Haint and checked on Retina. His hand, instinctively comforting the pale Retina, trembled without his awareness.

Upon seeing Retina, who wasn’t breathing, Herald experienced a momentary sensation as if the world had stopped. After momentarily freezing in shock, he quickly unbuttoned Retina’s jacket, pushed it aside, and used both hands to perform chest compressions while giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

With each breath exchanged with Retina, he could taste the brackish water of the lake. Has he ever kissed so desperately before? Wrapped in the fear of losing Retina, he repeated the cycle of chest compressions and breaths until Retina began to regain her breath.

“Cough, cough!”

It felt like an eternity passed as Retina convulsed and expelled the cold water from her lungs.

Herald held the gradually recovering Retina tightly in his arms. His strong arms around her trembled. Though his clothes soaked with water, he refused to let go of Retina.

“Phew, huff, hoo. My lady.”

Retina, after expanding her chest dramatically and then relaxing it, confirmed the person holding her. Sensing his trembling, Retina, feeling as heavy as if she had swallowed water, lifted her heavy arms and patted his back.

“Thought I lost you.”

“Yeah, I-I was told I could ride well. Didn’t expect to fall into the lake though.”

“Well, I’m glad you can ride well.”

Herald, holding Retina’s nape, closed his eyes tightly in relief. Retina’s quick decision-making while on the frantic horse was wise. Without her excellent riding skills, he might have been holding a bleeding Retina by now, praying to the sky.

“Why are you freaking out when I saved Retina from drowning?”

Watching Herald tenderly holding Retina as they both sat on the ground, Haint, having confirmed Retina was fine, lay down with a sigh of relief.

The tension that had been building in his body throughout following Retina had dissipated, leaving his arms that had been holding him up feeling weak.

Stretching out on his back, he watched the clouds slowly move across the sky. Haint, with a relieved expression, placed his hand on his forehead.

Never thought he’d see the day when Herald and Retina would embrace like this. He wanted to break them apart immediately, but he didn’t have the energy for it.

“Darn it. If I find out who did this, I’ll kill them.”

Haint said through gritted teeth, the flames of anger burning inside him directed towards those responsible for causing this situation.

* * *

As Haint was followed by the Crown Prince in chasing after Retina, the horseback riding session was momentarily halted. While some were concerned about Retina struggling on horseback, others took the opportunity to discuss the situation.

“Why did the horse suddenly bolt? It was obediently following the stable hand until the princess mounted it.”

“They say animals have better intuition than humans. Maybe it sensed something ominous?”

“Ominous? Like what?”

“For example… a curse.”

Helen waved her fan with red feathers as she mentioned the curse. Upon hearing about the curse, sighs of distress emanated from the nobles gathered around.

Though curses that once plagued the empire had largely faded into fear over time, those associated with the cursed, like the Silver-haired, were still subjects of avoidance and suspicion among the people.

“But wasn’t it said that curses only appear to those with Silver hair? Princess Retina has ordinary brown hair.”

“I heard a story by chance. I hope it’s not true, but… I’m careful because it might harm others.”

“A story? What story?”

Helen lowered her eyebrows, adopting an innocent expression. She skillfully steered the conversation to her desired topic.

“There was a rumor long ago that a cursed person entered the Duchy. Before the news could spread widely, it vanished. What could be the reason?”

“Duchy is known for its immense power even in distant lands… If such rumors spread, it could harm the Duke’s reputation, right?”

“Exactly! A fortunate slave who escaped from there said the woman brought by the Duke was the cursed one.”

Whispering to the gathered nobles, Helen continued in a low voice. The vicinity was crowded with those eager to catch any tidbits of her conversation.

“Moreover, that slave was missing a hand. I tried to find out who spread such rumors, but the slave disappeared without a trace, so I couldn’t verify the truth. However, if that story is true, doesn’t it make sense why the horse suddenly bolted?”

Helen, with her arms wrapped around her elbow, shivered, creating an atmosphere of fear. Those listening to her story were all fond of rumors, so they quickly sympathized with Helen and agreed with her.

“If that story is true, isn’t it a big problem? Even if it’s not a curse, there’s something ominous about Silver hair.”

“I heard that there was a massacre caused by them just 40 years ago. The reason they’ve been quiet all this time is because their numbers have decreased. I think the curse might be real.”

“But even Prince Norden has Silver hair. Couldn’t the curse be just a lie fabricated during the war?”

Expressing their own thoughts, they continued discussing Retina. Helen, who had set the stage, stepped back as the situation unfolded in the direction she desired, simply listening to their conversations.

“That’s not the point. The important thing is that Princess Retina and the Duchy of Devenue have been deceiving us all this time.”

“Even if the perception is not favorable, it’s audacious to think about covering up with a wig.”

“If the Empress had thought Princess Cecilia was cursed, she wouldn’t have become the Crystal Queen.”

“Wasn’t that their aim?”

Helen smiled satisfactorily at how the rumors were spreading effortlessly, causing the voices of interest to increase.

As the buzz around Retina’s story spread to even neighboring tents, the formed opinion wasn’t easily dispelled.

“Shouldn’t we inform Her Majesty the Empress right now?” A lady stood up and strongly voiced her opinion.

“Lady Judy, isn’t it too hasty to think that Retina might be injured? We should first confirm her safe return and then investigate the truth, don’t you think?” another lady countered.

“Yes, it’s just a rumor. We can confirm the truth after Retina returns safely. I hope she’s not too badly hurt,” another interjected.

“Since Lord Haint accompanied her, she should be fine,” reassured another.

Everyone awaited Retina’s safe return, hoping for her return unharmed, even if it was to ascertain the truth of the rumors.

“Prince Herald and the other knights will return soon, won’t they?” someone speculated.

“Why did Prince Herald leave anyway?”

“We haven’t seen them together recently, but they were partners at the royal ball, so they must have been on good terms. We can’t know the affairs of high-ranking individuals.”

“Sigh. Some people are fortunate enough to build friendships with Prince Herald, while others struggle to even catch a glimpse of him.”

“Even so, isn’t Retina someone who hasn’t made a mark on the family? While Devenue may hold its ground, there might be issues with her inclusion in the mix.”

Each of them expressed their thoughts candidly. The interest of the noblewomen was no longer focused on the equestrian event; instead, it shifted to how Retina Cecilia would handle the situation.

“His Royal Highness, the Prince, has returned!”

As individuals started emerging from the forest path, knights flanking them, the attention turned to Prince Herald, who rode at a leisurely pace, with a lady draped in his uniform by his side.

When Retina appeared, her head adorned with a fur hat, nestled against the prince, a commotion erupted once again, extending even to the grandstand. Helen’s jaw dropped as she watched them.