“Don’t stray too far from this place.”
The expedition leader, who was walking ahead, tapped his round belly with a rhythmic pat as he spoke.
The place where he had stopped the expedition members was a relatively open clearing.
Letier thought that this spot wouldn’t be a bad place to set up a tent, so she took off the backpack she had been carrying.
“I’ll set up your tent for you, Lady.”
“Oh, no! I’ll do it myself.”
“No, please allow me. It would only be a hassle for you.”
Efron spoke firmly as he took the tent from her bag and spread it out on the ground.
Kneeling down, he began assembling the frame and support poles without hesitation.
Under his practiced hands, the flimsy fabric gradually took the shape of a proper tent.
Letier, watching her tent being set up in a daze, suddenly turned her head to check on Dante.
Not far from her, he was silently pitching his own tent.
‘So even His Highness knows how to set up a tent…’
Well, considering he had undergone formal knight training since childhood and frequently went on expeditions, it probably wasn’t difficult for him.
“Lady, would you like me to bring you dinner?”
Efron, who had already finished setting up her tent, pointed toward the communal area as he asked.
The imperial knights were gathered there, preparing a simple evening meal.
“Oh, no. I think I’ll just sleep tonight. I’m too exhausted…”
“You should still eat something. If you don’t, Lucy will scold me for not taking proper care of you.”
“No, I’ll replenish my strength with sleep instead of food.”
With that, Letier quickly slipped inside her tent.
Efron didn’t press her further and simply turned away.
She was relieved that he wasn’t as persistent as Lucy.
If it had been Lucy, she would have brought the food anyway, scooped up a spoonful, and shoved it straight into her mouth…
“Sigh…”
Letier lay down on the blankets Efron had spread out for her inside the tent.
Following Lucy’s advice, she layered several thin blankets together. It wasn’t as soft as a real bed, but at least she couldn’t feel the hard ground directly.
‘Lucy was right after all.’
in just a single day.
As she shifted on the blankets, trying to find a comfortable position, she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
****
Letier slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the pitch-black darkness.
Since she had fallen asleep so early in the evening, it seemed she had unintentionally woken up in the middle of the night.
She gradually sat up, rubbing her eyes in a drowsy state.
“Mmng…”
She stared blankly into space, blinking slowly with half-open eyes, before finally getting to her feet.
Her throat was too dry to fall back asleep.
Ziiip—
As she unzipped her tent and stepped outside, she saw a large bonfire burning in the center of the encampment, surrounded by several tents.
A knight, who had been keeping watch by the fire, turned his head toward her.
“Oh! Scientist, you’re awake. Do you need anything?”
“Ah, um… Could I get some water? My throat is really dry…”
“Of course! Please wait a moment!”
The knight immediately got up and disappeared into the largest tent.
A short while later, he reappeared, carrying a water bottle filled to the brim.
“Will this be enough?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Letier took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and immediately brought it to her lips.
The cool, refreshing water flowed past the bottle’s rim and down her throat.
She gulped it down without stopping for breath.
“Ahh!”
She wiped the water from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
The knight, watching her, chuckled awkwardly.
“You must have been really thirsty.”
“I finished this entire bottle… Let me refill it. Is there a stream nearby?”
“There is a clean stream not too far from here, but I can go instead. It’s so dark out…”
The knight hesitated.
But Letier shook her head firmly.
“If it’s not too far, I’ll go myself. There’s nothing dangerous in this area anyway, right?”
“Still…”
“I’ll be back in no time! If anything happens, I’ll shout!”
Before the knight could stop her, Letier spun around and dashed off.
The knight scratched the back of his head, sighing as he returned to his seat.
Since he was on guard duty, he couldn’t leave his post.
Letier marched confidently in the direction he had indicated.
After a few minutes, she could faintly hear the sound of flowing water in the distance.
‘That must be it.’
She perked up her ears and walked toward the sound.
Brushing aside a few branches that blocked her view, she soon heard the water more clearly.
Even if she couldn’t take a full bath, she hoped she could at least wipe off the sweat clinging to her skin.
“Hmm?”
When she finally reached the clear, gently flowing stream, she unknowingly came to a halt.
Someone had arrived before her.
A figure was sitting on a large rock, their feet submerged in the water.
It wasn’t difficult to recognize who it was.
Beside the seated figure, placed neatly on the rock, was a familiar mask.
‘It’s the prince… and he’s taken off his mask?’
Letier froze, debating whether to announce her presence or quietly retreat.
She had come here with a purpose, so there was no need to hide.
But at the same time, disturbing him while he was enjoying a rare moment of freedom didn’t seem right.
This might be one of the few times he could breathe without worrying about others’ gazes.
Yeah.
She made up her mind and silently turned around.
…Only to stop again.
But…
What if she accidentally caught a glimpse of his unmasked face?
What if she managed to see, even from a distance, the scars on his skin?
Wouldn’t that help her with his treatment?
A little devil inside her whispered temptingly.
Just stay hidden and watch.
If she happened to see his face, it wouldn’t be her fault.
And if he never realized she was there, he wouldn’t even know he had been seen.
Letier swallowed hard.
Just for a moment…
Moving swiftly and quietly, she concealed herself behind the trunk of a large tree.
Peeking out just a little, she focused on Dante’s broad back.
If he just turned his head slightly… just a little…
As if sensing her silent wish, Dante—who had been sitting still—suddenly moved.
He stood up and stepped toward the stream.
Just a little more…
Letier craned her neck, practically leaning forward.
She was so focused she nearly followed him into the water.
Dante, searching for a better spot, stopped right at the edge of the stream.
Then, he crossed his arms over his chest—and, without hesitation, pulled off his shirt.
“Huh?!”
Caught completely off guard, Letier’s jaw dropped.
His toned back muscles were illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering through the trees.
A thin protective enchantment shimmered faintly across his skin, making his body gleam.
It somehow made him look even more… breathtaking.
Unaware of her presence, Dante rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, loosening up his body.
With each motion, the muscles in his back and arms shifted fluidly, displaying his well-built physique.
Who would’ve thought that the prince—who always hid himself completely—had a body like this underneath?
Letier found herself staring in a daze.
Then, just as Dante finished stretching, he reached for his waistband—and pulled down his pants.
“Eek!”
Letier yelped, clapping her hands over her eyes as she spun around.
Her back hit the tree trunk, and she slid down to the ground, her legs giving out beneath her.
No… No way…!
This was not what she had intended to see.
It wasn’t her fault—she hadn’t planned this—but now she felt like the biggest pervert in the world.
I… I need to get out of here.
Slapping her cheeks lightly to snap herself out of it, she hunched over and began crawling away as quietly as possible.
The last thing she wanted was to get caught in this ridiculous situation.
She kept her head down, moving quickly.
But…
Did I… see something wrong?
Letier suddenly stopped.
Just moments ago, she had seen Dante’s back.
And it had been perfectly smooth.
No scars. No wounds. Nothing.
His arms had been the same—flawless.
And as for that brief glimpse of his lower ba—
“Ack! No, no!”
She shook her head frantically, forcing the thought away.
Anyway!
The point was, there had been no visible scars.
Wasn’t he supposed to have horrible skin conditions that forced him to hide beneath layers of clothing?
Something wasn’t adding up.
As she sat there, deep in thought, a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.
Rustle.
“Huh?”
She quickly lifted her head.
The bushes were still.
As if nothing had moved at all.
“…Did I imagine it? Was it just the wind?”
There shouldn’t have been anything alive in this forest besides their group.
Especially in this area, which had already been thoroughly investigated by mages.
But a strange uneasiness crept up her spine.
Slowly, Letier straightened her knees and stood up.
She hadn’t managed to refill her water bottle, but suddenly, getting back to the safety of her tent seemed far more important.
