Ko-fi shop has been renewed, you can find the link at the end of the chapter.
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The scents of food being prepared in the kitchen and the laundry being carried by the maids had faded, replaced by the fragrant aroma of grass and the fresh smell of trees.
Diana clasped the man’s forearm with both hands and took a deep breath. The refreshing air that filled her lungs was completely different from the pungent smell of paint and the stench of blood that had surrounded her for months.
The forest. I’m in the forest.
She could tell just by the smell. This place was untouched nature, barely influenced by human hands. Diana was undoubtedly running through a pristine, clear forest. The wind that brushed against her hair and cheeks was as gentle as a mother’s touch.
Memories of her hometown, left behind in Dorthes, surfaced without warning. Of course, this forest didn’t carry the mysterious atmosphere of the spring in Ballestega, but…
“Master, is this a hunting ground?”
“Yes.”
“It reminds me a bit of my hometown.”
“That’s quite a compliment.”
She hadn’t expected a response when she murmured, but to her surprise, Felix asked, “What was it like growing up by the spring in Ballestega?”
“…Nothing much.”
“Nothing much?”
“There wasn’t anything I particularly needed to do. There were no tasks to accomplish or goals to achieve there.”
At the spring in Ballestega, a sanctuary for spirits, no human-made items were necessary. The damp earth beneath her feet, the breeze brushing between her arms, and the warm sunlight permeating her entire being—she grew up surrounded by such things, freely running through the forest that encircled the spring.
When she was hungry, she climbed trees to pick fruit. When she was thirsty, she licked dew off rocks or scooped water from the spring with her hands. Clothes, shoes, or any other belongings were unnecessary.
“Did you live alone?”
“The spirits were always with me.”
From the start, it wasn’t a place humans could enter at will. At the spring, Diana was the only being like herself.
“What about your parents?”
“…I don’t really know. There were only spirits around me. I don’t even know what they looked like.”
That was a lie. Diana vividly remembered the faces of the couple who had given birth to her. While she didn’t know exactly who they were, she understood they weren’t ordinary people. Diana’s parents visited her once a month at the spring to see their child. She recalled that her father visited more frequently than her mother. He was a handsome man with gentle features and the same light green eyes as her.
“When you turn ten, we’ll take you to the place where your mother and I live. It’s different from here, but it’s just as fascinating and fun.”
“Why not now?”
“Because you’re incredibly special, Diana, our little fairy.”
Her father’s kind face, peeking out from the spring as she gazed up at him, and his voice, soft like fine soil…
The countless leaves swaying gently behind him, the bright blue sky like a sculpture overhead, and the radiant sunlight filtering through the forest…
Even after more than 15 years, Diana could vividly recall that moment as if it had happened yesterday.
“When you grow a little more, you’ll understand naturally. Let’s see… There are only eight more seasons until your tenth birthday.”
“You must come to get me, Father.”
“Of course. That’s a promise.”
The young Diana reached out of the water to hook her pinky with her father’s. The spirits of the spring gathered around her, smiling brightly and gently patting her small hand.
Two years later, her father kept his promise—but in a way she could never have imagined.
When he carried his daughter from the spring and left Dorthes, her father explained to Diana what kind of place the spring she had lived in was and why she had grown up there alone. Finally, he embraced her tightly and gave her his parting words.
“The spirits will always be with you, watching over and helping you. So no matter what trials come your way, don’t be afraid. Protect yourself. Above all else, Diana, you must never lose yourself. A person cannot live if they lose who they are.”
Cold rain soaked the man’s black hair. Diana, without knowing why, wiped the blood and tears staining her father’s cheeks.
The lessons she received from her father ended that day. She only learned the meaning of the crest engraved on the armor he wore that day several years later. She also realized then that it was a secret she would have to carry to her grave.
Thus, more than ever, she could not let slip even a single word in front of the crown prince of the Karman Empire, who had invaded Dorthes.
To change the subject, Diana muttered something random.
“I think I now understand why you visit the hunting grounds every day, Master.”
“……”
“It smells of water.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, the master didn’t ask any questions.
How much time had passed? Felix pulled on the reins, slowing the horse’s pace.
Diana caught the scent of logs in the distance, accompanied by the unmistakable smell of varnish that had surely been applied to them.
They had arrived at a cabin situated in the middle of the hunting grounds. Originally used as a shelter or temporary lodging for forest rangers, it had been renovated when the crown prince began frequenting the area.
Felix dismounted first. As Diana’s hands grasped at the horse’s back for support, she heard his voice.
“You’re getting off.”
“…?”
Before she could process the abrupt remark, Felix grabbed her arm. Half-dragged into his embrace, Diana was brought down from the horse.
Her feet touched the grass. The ticklish sensation of the blades brushing her ankles sent a shiver through her.
“Go inside.”
Felix commanded indifferently as he tied the reins of the restless horse to the fence.
This was a space where no one except the servants who cleaned the interior dared to enter. Even they couldn’t step beyond the fence unless Felix opened the door for them. It was a perfect place to remain undisturbed while he worked on sketching her.
Just then, a loud bang came from the direction of the cabin, accompanied by a faint groan.
“Ouch…”
When he turned around, Diana was already some distance away, clutching her forehead. She seemed to have hit her head on the eaves, but oddly enough, it wasn’t near the door at all—it was in a completely wrong spot.
Technically speaking, there was a door in that direction, but it led to the barn.
Felix crossed his arms, watching the woman intently. She had never seemed lost back at the annex. It was as if placing her in an unfamiliar location caused her to malfunction.
Diana, still holding her forehead, stretched out her hand to feel the pillar she had collided with, her nose wrinkling.
It was no wonder the smell of old manure and hay was strong enough to suggest this wasn’t an entrance. Cautiously, she placed one hand on the wall and began turning herself in the right direction.
As she ran her hand along the wall, her steps careful and deliberate, she couldn’t find anything resembling a door. The scent of grass only grew stronger.
“Did I circle back to the rear…?”
She thought it wouldn’t hurt to walk around the building once, to get a sense of its general size. With her hand on the wall, she moved carefully. Apart from accidentally kicking a rake propped against the outer wall and leaving her ankle slightly sore, she successfully circled the structure and returned to the barn she had hit earlier.
Though large for a cabin, it was still modest compared to the annex, and the realization put her at ease. Just as she felt more relaxed, the tip of her shoe caught on something.
“Ah!”
She stumbled, her knee hitting what felt like a hard stone.
“Huh?”
Before her stood a waist-high stone wall. It smelled faintly of water.
A foreboding feeling crept over her.
From her left, Felix’s voice suddenly thundered.
“Diana!”
Startled, Diana froze and turned toward the source of the sound. Felix, his voice barely restraining his anger, gave her a curt order.
“Come here. That’s not the right way.”
“Oh… yes, Master.”
She changed direction and headed toward him. Felix took a few steps forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, guiding her. His firm presence, enveloping her like when they had ridden together, was oddly reassuring.
“This is the entrance. I’ll hang a rifle on the door to make sure there’s no confusion.”
Just as he said, a long-barreled rifle was hanging on the door. Her sensitive fingertips brushed against the muzzle, and she instinctively flinched.
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The portrait of Pride has opened a ko-fi shop with 5 advanced chapters. Ko-fi shop will be updated with each update in website. Here is the: LINK
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