Chapter 3.3

“You’re hungry. Eat.”

“I’m not hungry. I’m fine.”

Livie shook her head firmly.

“You eat it all.”

“Don’t be like that. Eat. We still have a long way to go.”

Boris once again offered her the food.

“I said I’m fine.”

Livie slapped his hand away. The food he was holding scattered onto the ground as a result.

“……”

Livie glanced at the jerky that had fallen to the ground, momentarily showing a hint of guilt. When her eyes met Boris’s, which had widened in surprise, she quickly turned her head away again.

She could sense Boris picking up the scattered food from the ground, but she stubbornly refused to look back.

“Livie.”

He persistently called out to her again.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m not hungry…!”

Grrrrrr.

At the same time, her stomach began to growl loudly. As much as she wished it would stop, the sound from her stomach continued relentlessly, deep and drawn-out. She tried clutching her stomach, but it was no use.

Boris gestured toward the food as if to say “See?” Livie felt so embarrassed she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

“……”

Regardless of the urgency and precariousness of the situation, her stomach was fiercely demanding food. 

She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything since morning, having been too busy preparing for the ceremony.

“You’re hungry.”

At his continued urging, Livie reluctantly accepted what he handed her and began nibbling on it. 

The salty taste of the jerky and the sweet aroma of the dried fruit seemed to calm her tense nerves, even if just a little. Annoyingly, it did.

“Is it good?”

Boris finally smiled brightly when he saw Livie eating.

Cough cough.

The moment Livie met Boris’s eyes, her throat became clogged, and she started coughing uncontrollably. Boris, as if he had anticipated this, quickly pulled out a water bottle and handed it to her.

“Here, water.”

After taking the water bottle he offered and swallowing some water, her coughing gradually subsided.

“Are we staying here because of me?”

Livie asked as she chewed on the fatty meat. No matter how much she looked around, everyone seemed perfectly fine. The only one who was tired and worn out was herself.

The other knights appeared as though they could pass through the forest without any issues.

Whether it was a mythical monster or a crow as large as a person, it felt as though nothing would be scary with these dark-armored knights around.

“We have some luggage. It slows us down a bit. Taking a break isn’t a bad idea since the sun has already set.”

“Where are you taking me…?”

Livie began to ask but then closed her mouth. It didn’t seem like he would give her a proper answer anyway, so what was the point of asking?

Instead, she decided to focus on filling her stomach and diligently gnawed on the meat.

Seeing her eat with small bites seemed to please Boris, as the corners of his eyes softened.

The moist look in his eyes, which hadn’t been visible when he was dealing with the knights earlier, now appeared.

And Livie finally understood what that gaze meant.

…I’ve done something he finds adorable again.

“You’ve got something on you.”

Boris reached out and wiped the food off the corner of Livie’s mouth with his thumb.

Then he brought it to his own mouth.

“Don’t eat things like that.”

At Livie’s words, Boris looked at her with a questioning gaze and sucked on his finger. Quite thoroughly.

“……”

Livie alternated between looking at Boris’s fingers and his face, then back at his fingers again.

His tongue flicking out wasn’t comical—it resembled a predator that had just finished feasting, radiating the satisfaction of having devoured not only the flesh but the bones as well.

Feeling an inexplicable chill down her spine, Livie silently watched him.

“Eat more. Is it not good?”

“No.”

Livie quickly shook her head.

“I’m… full now.”

Boris stared at Livie quietly, as if questioning how she could be full after eating so little.

“Really. I just don’t have an appetite right now.”

“Is something wrong?”

“What do you mean, ‘wrong’…?”

Livie glared at him in disbelief. Thinking that pressing further would only yield the same response, Livie decided to keep her mouth shut.

“Are you cold?”

Boris wrapped Livie’s body tightly in a blanket.

She was already covered with his cloak and wasn’t particularly cold, but she obediently let him do as he pleased.

“Because of someone.”

“Once we get through this forest, it won’t take long. We’ll probably arrive by dawn. I’m sorry for putting you through this.”

“Putting me through this?”

Livie let out a bitter laugh.

“Boris, what you should be apologizing for isn’t this. You’ve done something far more serious.”

Though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference, Livie didn’t want to give up. She wanted to remind him, step by step, just how dangerous his actions were.

Boris listened attentively to everything she said, his face radiating a look of adoration. The problem was that her words didn’t seem to truly sink in.

“Go on, Livie.”

Boris rested his chin on his hand and looked at her. His violet eyes, slightly hidden by his bangs, glistened softly.

“You kidnapped the bride from a marriage arranged by the King’s orders, detained the Duke’s knights…”

Livie listed his offenses one by one, folding her fingers as she spoke, before her gaze shifted to a corner of the campsite.

Far from the campfire, a carriage holding the Duke Resette’s knights was parked.

Inside the carriage, the knights were bound hand and foot, sitting cramped together as they dozed off.

Their proud appearances as knights were nowhere to be seen; they looked utterly pitiful. Just glancing at them, it was clear they were uncomfortable, but there was no way Boris would release them.

“They’re all knights of the Duke’s household. If word gets out about this humiliation…”

“It’s fine.”

Boris reassured her, offering her a roasted animal leg he had taken from the campfire.

Though the meat, dripping with oil, looked appetizing, Livie had truly lost her appetite this time. Earlier, she had been overcome by instinct, but now that her stomach was somewhat full, her worries had stolen her appetite.

Livie turned her gaze around the area again. The horses were scattered, grazing on grass. They still had their saddles and reins attached.

“Is it okay to leave them like that?”

Livie asked cautiously.

“They’ll come back on their own once they’ve eaten enough.”

Boris answered nonchalantly.

The number of knights outside had noticeably decreased compared to earlier.

“Aren’t you tired? Let’s sleep now.”

“Huh? What? Uh?”

Seeing him suddenly stand up, Livie instinctively shrank back into her seat.

“Let’s sleep.”

When he repeated the words, Livie shrank back even further. Wrapped tightly in the blanket and cloak, her body tipped backward and fell over.

“Livie?”

“Ah…!”  

Livie let out a strange sound as she desperately avoided Boris’s outstretched hand.  

“Kyaa…!”  

But Boris suddenly scooped Livie into his arms and lifted her up.  

“I said, let’s sleep.”  

“Sleep?”  

For a moment, Livie wondered if her thoughts were impure, and she glanced at Boris’s expression. However, he simply looked at her with a clear and innocent face.  

‘Phew, it’s not that.’  

Relieved, Livie let out a sigh. But she quickly realized this wasn’t the time to relax.  

“But, what if beasts come…?”  

Before she could finish speaking, a distant howl echoed from somewhere.  

“Eek!”  

Livie instinctively curled up, inadvertently pressing herself tightly into his embrace.  

“See?”  

A low chuckle resonated in her ear. Strangely, Livie felt a sense of relief.  

Relief? Relief, in the arms of the man who shamelessly kidnapped me on my wedding day? 

Surely, the shock had messed with her head.  

Long, firm arms wrapped around her shoulders. Boris’s large frame enveloped her entirely, exuding a distinctly masculine scent. Livie unconsciously inhaled deeply. The familiar yet unfamiliar scent filled her nose.  

“What’s wrong?”  

“Do I… smell?”  

Boris raised his arm and sniffed it seriously, his face becoming grave.  

“No, it’s not that.”  

Swoosh.  

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the campfire to crackle and spark. As Boris shielded her from the flames, Livie saw it.  

Flap.  

On the other side of the forest, amidst the swaying branches, something unusual caught her eye.  

Between the dense trees, a dark figure was moving. What she had thought was simply empty darkness began to slither and shift, and Livie gasped sharply.  

“Boris.”  

“Hm?”  

“What… what is that?”  

Livie pointed at the trees with trembling hands.  

“Oh.”  

Boris turned his head and replied nonchalantly.  

“They’re crows.”  

“C-crows?”  

She recalled the flock of crows she had seen earlier in the morning. But the crows seen in the bright daylight and those seen in the pitch-black forest were entirely different beings.  

“This is the Forest of Crows.”  

His voice sounded eerie, making Livie shrink further into herself.  

“Why… are they doing that?”  

In the darkness, glowing yellow eyes seemed to be staring intently at her. 

Was it just my imagination?  

“Who knows.”  

Boris stared at the crows indifferently before turning back to Livie.  

“Don’t be scared. They can’t harm us.”  

His voice carried an unusual certainty—not a mere assumption, but a firm conviction.  

“Really?”  

“Yes.”  

Boris smiled faintly and patted Livie’s head.  

“They don’t eat the flesh of living humans.”