I felt like I was swimming in the deep sea. A feeling of having forgotten something, yet feeling completely fine in my memory, made me lazily flounder. The sense of time, physical pain, nothing could reach him. Nothingness. It was just emptiness.
The scenery before Ruth’s eyes changed in an instant. The space that had been the cozy fireplace-equipped reception room on the third floor of the annex was suddenly transformed into a vast flower garden bathed in bright sunlight. The only thing that remained the same in all the changed surroundings was his mother beside him.
Ruth.
His mother’s voice calling him was sweet. It had always been there, but why it felt so welcome now was a mystery. Yes, Mother. Ruth replied, pressing down the tears that inexplicably welled up. Then, the figure of his mother, who had always shown him a kind smile, began to blur suddenly.
It’s time to wake up now.
Ruth, not understanding the words tossed at him without any preamble, lifted his eyelids for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh. At the same time, the sense of reality, which he thought had disappeared forever, began to rapidly penetrate his fingertips.
Every time he saw his mother, he now seemed to understand why he felt so sad. This place was a dream. Therefore, everything here was an unattainable illusion. They were all days gone by. He was still longing for those days.
Ruth, realizing that where he was was nothing but a dream, decided to plunge into the unfathomable abyss instead of swimming in the sea. As he was sucked deeper into the dark abyss, Ruth pondered death. His heart no longer beat to think about life.
“….”
When he was completely swallowed by the darkness, he woke up from a long sleep.
Opening his eyes, he saw a strange forest. He had been diligently heading towards the Obelton estate, but he wondered how he had ended up sleeping in this forest.
Despite being deeply engrossed in contemplation, he ignored the sensation of thousands of needles piercing his head. It was because what seemed unmentionable was hauntingly sinister.
Ultimately, unable to find an answer no matter how much he pondered, Ruth gave up.
And as his attention drifted away, the pain of the unresolved mystery grew thicker, furrowing his brow. Casually lowering his gaze along with the pain, he saw his torn abdomen amidst the rags that had become his clothes.
“….Is this how I survived?”
Ruth chuckled bitterly, muttering softly. With injuries like these, he should have already ceased breathing. Although he didn’t know how he miraculously survived, he briefly wished it hadn’t happened.
“Damn it.”
He clenched his teeth against the belated onslaught of pain and struggled to remove his shirt to stop the bleeding from his wound.
There would be nothing more foolish than dying from excessive bleeding while fussing over cleanliness in a place where there is nothing. He intended to repay the value of the lives that were sacrificed for him now that he had survived. To do that, he first had to treat his injured body.
“…Maybe I should look around.”
As the bleeding from his body slowed and the pain noticeably decreased, Ruth took a more relaxed stance to scan his surroundings. He first needed to figure out how far he had come and see if there was anything useful nearby. After all, there wasn’t much he could do in his current state without anything.
It looks like he should also look for some herbs to treat his wounds.
Ruth made up his mind quickly and got up. His body, having inherited even a slight amount of the cursed imperial blood, had a superior self-healing ability compared to ordinary people.
Thus, as he moved, he figured the blood from his wounds would eventually stop.
Having come to this conclusion, Ruth started to move. He explored his surroundings during the day and climbed up a reasonably tall tree to sleep soundly at night.
Although he was not hungry, he ate some fruits and herbs to survive, and since he had lived as a prince from birth, he maintained a minimum level of cleanliness by dipping himself in a nearby spring several times.
What he learned, was that the forest he was in was wider than he thought.
Thanks to that, the forest contained not only useful herbs but also plants that could be used as deadly poison to kill an enemy instantly.
Ruth, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances, picked those plants, dried them well, ground them into a fine powder, and stored it in a container inside his trousers pocket. Kill to live. That was the truth he realized while living in the palace.
Other than that, there was nothing much to call an income. The best things there were just like in any other forest: fruits and a beautiful flower garden next to a large lake.
Spending three days like this, on the fourth day, Ruth, while wandering as usual, met a girl. She had light brown hair and bright blue eyes, her gaze so lively he wanted to provoke her at least once.
However, encountering such a girl suddenly in the middle of the forest was suspicious enough for Ruth to maintain a poker face as he assessed her condition. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to pose any threat as she had no weapons and her arms were seriously thin.
“I’ve never seen someone look at me with such eyes before. Do you not realize how you were looking at me? Like you’d jump on me the moment I let my guard down.”
“…….”
“Are you afraid of me? Why? As you can see, I’m an injured weakling, while you’re the healthy strong one.”
“What nonsense are you talking about…!”
He observed the girl, trying to intimidate and disconcert her with deliberate acts, but it was all in vain. The girl appeared to have a boldness that belied her gentle appearance. Perhaps that was why.
“…Now that I think about it, Ruth. You’re hurt.”
The girl fearlessly stepped closer to him. And the fact that he didn’t push her away.
The girl was unusual. She offered to treat his wounds and then, after the treatment, demanded thanks, and on a walk after the wound was treated, she could not ignore even a dying animal.
“Does that creature concern you so much?”
“Yes, it bothers me.”
Having encountered such situations countless times, Ruth knew that releasing the beast would only lead to its imminent death. Even if it barely survived, the scent of humans on its body would likely prevent it from returning to its pack.
It seemed better to end its suffering here and now rather than letting it live only to be killed by a hunter.
Nevertheless, despite knowing all this, Ruth couldn’t help himself.
“Thinking about it, it seems okay to make an exception just this once.”
There was only one choice left to him, unable to ignore the girl’s earnestness.
Until then, Ruth was confused. Initially, he had been treated merely out of curiosity, acting coyly and persistently.
It seemed that he had unconsciously wanted to know more about the girl with eyes so different from those of the people he had encountered. Moreover, he somehow didn’t feel wary around the girl.
However, after receiving treatment from the girl, he found himself being swayed by her. He should have been quickly looking around the forest to find people who could help him, but instead, he realized he was following the girl on an unremarkable forest path for a walk.
Additionally, he found himself doing things he normally wouldn’t do, like rescuing animals he would not have bothered with before and habitually dirtying his hands by setting traps.
This shouldn’t be happening.
Suddenly, a warning anxiety crept up on him.
Seeing how easily swayed he was by the girl after just one meeting, Ruth resolved that he must not be swayed by her anymore. After finishing setting the traps, he planned to tell the girl that although he had enjoyed his time so far, he now had things he must do and would have to leave.
But the girl was quicker.
“It’s strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re strange,” she said.
“…”
“My nanny used to say that if a child thinks too much, they grow up too fast.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
“Think less. It’s complicated enough as it is.”
“Why do you say I can’t become an adult quickly?”
“If you become an adult quickly, you’ll get wrinkles here and here. Plus, you’ll get gray hair.”
Pointing to his forehead and the corners of his eyes, a more pronounced smile formed on his lips.
“But with every gray hair, you gain knowledge. And with every wrinkle, your capacity to understand broadens.”
“See. You’re thinking too much, and that’s making you become an adult too fast.”
Everyone told him to grow up. To become an adult quickly so he could protect what was his. Being still a child, he was powerless and in a position to be taken advantage of.
But the girl said the opposite. Not to become an adult too quickly. Her words felt like telling him it’s okay to stay a child for now.
That was why.
“Serbia. I promise to come again in a week. I hope you keep that promise.”
It was impulsive of him to ask the girl to come again. Despite his plans, he wanted to waste more time meeting her. He wanted to see that field of flowers he saw in his dream just one more time.
It was just because of that.
There was no other reason.
