“…….”
“…….”
You… you said that too loudly…
Letier froze in place, startled by how loud his own voice had echoed.
Worried that Dante might have heard, he quickly glanced at him, but there was no noticeable reaction.
All he could see was Dante’s broad back as he silently continued walking.
“Letier, that was too much.”
Wendy, just as flustered, whispered softly before distancing herself from him.
W-where are you going…?
Panicking, Letier hurried after her.
****
There was no particular danger on the way to the western outpost.
Perhaps because Wendy and Walter had scorched the area while rescuing Letier, even encountering an intact demonic plant along the way proved difficult.
After climbing a final high cliff and arriving at the western outpost, a tear-streaked Efron came rushing out to greet Letier.
“Lady Letier!!”
“Efron.”
“Please, kill me!! What use is my life…?”
“Again?”
Letier caught Efron with both hands as he collapsed in front of her and asked.
Sniffling, he nodded.
“I couldn’t help it. I fell behind in the middle—it was my fault.”
“No! This all happened because I insisted on leading the way. I was so blinded by the thought of escaping that wretched forest… But my priority should have been you, my lady.”
“I’m back safe and sound, aren’t I? Now, get up.”
Letier barely managed to pull up the still-crying Efron.
“You’ve lost so much weight…”
“I was gone for just a day, what are you talking about…?”
“Sniff. I was searching the other side of the forest when I heard that Wendy the Mage’s rescue team had found you. I returned immediately.”
“Good job.”
She patted Efron on the shoulder.
As he crouched on the ground, wiping his tears away with his large hands, Dante walked past him without stopping.
His face turned pale as he was met with the approaching chief investigator and general overseer.
“Y-Your Highness! Thank the heavens you’re safe!”
“I apologize for acting alone.”
“N-no, it’s fine! My goodness… you’re covered in wounds…! Someone, bring the carriage at once!”
The flustered investigator, flailing his hands in the air, urgently called out to the men behind him.
They rushed forward, guiding the prince toward the imperial carriage.
“T-this way, please…”
As he settled into the large carriage, Dante found himself facing Reuters, who was glaring at him as if he wanted to kill him.
Without hesitation, Dante took a seat on the opposite side and spoke.
“Reuters.”
“What is that ridiculous mask? You look utterly absurd.”
At Reuters’ sharp remark, Dante reached up, removed the crude leaves covering his face, crumpled them, and tossed them out the window.
He had forgotten he was still wearing them.
“…I need a new mask.”
“When I heard that Your Highness had gone missing in the Forest of Memories with Lady Letier, I nearly collapsed on the spot!”
“But you look fine now.”
“Your Highness! This was a life-threatening situation! That forest is crawling with man-eating demonic plants!”
Reuters groaned in frustration, repeatedly knocking his head against the carriage wall.
Dante, however, remained infuriatingly nonchalant despite having barely survived.
“Yes, I’m sorry. But I’m back safely, aren’t I?”
“S-Sor… What did you just say…?”
Midway through his tantrum, Reuters suddenly froze.
For the first time since working under the prince, he had just heard something completely unexpected.
Lifting his head in disbelief, he asked again with wide eyes.
“Did… did Your Highness just apologize to me?”
Without answering, Dante began peeling off his tattered robe and outerwear.
Beneath them, his body was exposed—covered in bruises, scars, and fresh wounds.
“Wait, these injuries…! Your Highness, I’ll call for a healer immediately! Didn’t you have protection magic cast on you?”
“Even with that, this was the result. Forget the healer. It’s not like I’m desperate to show off flawless skin.”
“…….”
He had a point.
Biting his lower lip, Reuters was once again reminded of the prince’s unique position—he couldn’t receive treatment from just anyone.
Frowning, Reuters turned to the coachman outside the window and shouted,
“Move! We’re heading straight to the palace!”
“Understood!”
With that, the carriage carrying the prince swiftly departed from the western outpost, racing toward the imperial palace.
****
A Few Days Later, in Front of the Empress’s Drawing Room
As always, Dante was dressed in a high-collared uniform that reached up to his neck, white gloves, tall military boots, and his mask. He knocked on the white door.
“Come in.”
A delicate voice floated out, and the attendants standing by the door opened it for him.
Dante stepped into the drawing room and bowed his head.
“I greet the mistress of the Empire.”
“Sit down, Prince.”
Rosenthal gestured to the chair opposite her.
Her sharp eyes swiftly scanned Dante from head to toe, and a smirk played on her lips.
Even before he could take his seat, she spoke.
“There’s been quite an incident these past few days.”
“I apologize for causing you concern.”
Dante’s voice was calm and composed.
Rosenthal rolled her blue eyes before gazing up at the domed ceiling.
“I thought you had outgrown your reckless tendencies long ago.”
Inside his mask, Dante frowned openly.
Suppressing his irritation, he responded,
“I apologize. It seems I still have much to learn.”
“Hmm… Are your injuries healing well?”
“Thanks to your concern, nothing pains me greatly.”
Rosenthal glanced at Dante’s composed expression before lowering her gaze to fiddle with her long, sleek nails.
“The investigation of the Forest of Memories… I had high hopes for that endeavor. It’s a shame it ended with little to show.”
“I feel the same.”
“Did you happen to find anything of significance while you were there?”
“Was there a particular plant you were hoping to find?”
Her fingers stopped mid-motion at his unexpected counter-question.
In that brief pause, Dante detected the faintest flicker of unease.
But Rosenthal quickly regained her composure and answered indifferently,
“Nothing like that. How could I expect anything when I don’t even know what’s in there?”
“Well, who knows? The forest might have been hiding all sorts of legendary, mystical plants.”
“The investigation team’s results were far too lacking to support such expectations.”
She scowled at the thought of the incompetent chief investigator.
Despite all her warnings before the expedition… in the end…
Rosenthal had been searching for a plant described in an ancient, secret text—one that could neutralize any poison and even create an elixir of eternal youth.
She had scoured the world for it, and the Forest of Memories had been her last hope. Yet, all she received was a failure.
Annoyed by the fruitless expedition, she turned her gaze to Dante’s black mask. Then, as if an amusing thought had suddenly crossed her mind, she smiled.
“Oh! I heard Lady Letier also fell from a cliff and was barely rescued. I wonder if she’s doing well.”
“…….”
“Have you met with her since returning from the forest?”
“No.”
Dante answered immediately.
He had no interest in discussing Letier with the Empress.
Seeing his stiff response, a mysterious smile appeared on Rosenthal’s face.
“Hmm… How insolent of her.”
The unexpected choice of words made Dante shift his gaze toward her.
“I had her summoned to the palace to treat Your Highness’s skin, yet she has not been fulfilling her duties, has she?”
Rosenthal’s voice was light and cheerful, as if she were sharing a pleasant conversation with her son.
It was clear that this young noblewoman held some special significance to the prince.
When Rosenthal first heard that Dante had independently joined the expedition, and later that he had returned with Letier…
She had struggled to suppress her laughter.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Prince, have you seen any progress in your skin treatment?”
“…….”
“According to Lady Letier, there has been little improvement. I permitted her participation in the investigation team because she seemed to struggle with the treatment. And yet, instead of proving useful, she became a burden by getting lost. I must say, it is all very disappointing.”
Rosenthal lightly blew on her nails as she raised a delicate eyebrow.
“Lady Letier Lenever must take responsibility.”
“What responsibility are you referring to?”
“I intend to punish her severely for making a mockery of the Imperial Palace.”
At the absurdity of her words, Dante clenched his fists tightly, ensuring his reaction wasn’t obvious.
This cunning woman had subtly shifted her target, redirecting her venomous arrows from him to Letier.
“My skin condition isn’t something that can be easily cured.”
“I know. Every healer who has attempted it has failed.”
“Lady Letier simply faced the same difficulty.”
“She is different.”
Rosenthal’s voice was firm.
“Unlike the previous healers, she has spent considerable time with you. The others had no more than a week or so, but she had much longer.”
She continued,
“And the speed at which she consumes expensive ingredients under the pretense of developing new treatments—! Not to mention the dedicated laboratory the palace generously provided, and the special permission granted for her to join the expedition… It was as if she were our last hope. And yet, what was the outcome?”
Rosenthal exaggeratedly shuddered as if speaking of a criminal who had truly disgraced the empire.
Watching her, Dante felt a profound sense of disgust.
“She was so confident when she asked me to trust her. And now? Hah! Prince, as your mother, I cannot overlook such insolence.”
“Then what do you intend to do with her?”
“As I said, I will administer severe punishment. The Lenever Duchy will be stripped of its title, and all permits for their current businesses will be revoked.”
She met Dante’s gaze directly as she declared her decision.
