At her question, he only snapped the reins harder. The carriage sped across the plain. How far did he intend to go?

Even a short way from the estate, there were plenty of places to rest—forests, lakes close by.

Reina turned her gaze to the window. Each time the wind swept through, waves rippled across the green fields.

After driving for quite some time, Zephion finally halted the carriage before a trackless forest. It didn’t seem like an ideal spot for a picnic, yet without hesitation, he stepped down from the driver’s seat and opened the door.

“Come down, Reina.”

He held out his hand.

“Pipi.”

“Come down.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she took his hand and set her feet on the ground.

She looked around, but there was nothing special in sight. If this was all, hadn’t they come too far for no reason?

Reina frowned slightly.

As she stood there, Zephion began untying the horse from the carriage.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re leaving.”

The calm reply left her momentarily speechless. Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at his back.

“…What did you say?”

“We’re leaving.”

He repeated the words in the same even tone.

“Are you hungry? Should we eat a little before we go?”

As if only just remembering, Zephion pulled a cloth from the carriage and spread it on the ground. Reina gripped her cane tightly, watching him take out the food.

“Zephion, I never said I would leave.”

“I know. Ah, I even packed the dessert you like. Eat some. We don’t know how far we’ll have to go.”

Holding out the sweet in front of her, he wiggled his fingers lightly, urging her to take it. She frowned and pushed his hand away.

“Running away isn’t as easy as you think.”

“I know.”

“Or… are you planning to go alone? If so, there’s no need to run away at all—”

“Why would I go alone? Without you, it means nothing. Just eat a little. You might get hungry.”

Breaking a piece of the crisp pastry, Zephion gently placed it into her mouth. The sweetness was so heavy it nearly tasted bitter. Reina stared blankly at him as he continued eating, his stomach filling as if nothing were amiss.

“No matter if I asked you hundreds or thousands of times, your answer would always be the same, wouldn’t it, Reina?”

He swallowed the pastry and spoke quietly as he took out more food.

“No. It’s not that simple. You’ll be hunted for the rest of your life. You’ll regret it.”

“…”

“You’re right. Just as you say, it won’t be easy. That bastard might chase us until the very end. And maybe, one day… maybe I’ll regret it.”

Zephion’s golden eyes flashed with a serious light.

“But I think it’s better than doing nothing and regretting it later.”

“I… I won’t go.”

“I thought you’d say that.”

Zephion gave a faint smile.

“So I decided I’d just kidnap you.”

“That’s ridiculous—”

“Besides, without your cane, you couldn’t run even if you wanted to.”

“Ah!”

He wrenched the cane from her with ease, snapping it cleanly in two before she could even stop him, and tossed it into the forest.

The action was so swift, so unhesitating, she had no chance to intervene.

“Zephion!”

She screamed his name.

Zephion climbed easily into the driver’s seat. Through the small window, Reina watched his back as Rose waved, her figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

“If you’re going to run, then run.”

Her fingers clenched tightly around her skirt. She willed her legs to move, but they refused to obey. Forcing herself forward, she managed only a few unsteady steps before her body gave way, collapsing onto the ground.

“At this rate, you’ll have no choice but to leave with me.”

Zephion knelt beside her and met her gaze. Propping his chin on his hand, he gave her a faint smile.

“If you don’t want to, then run harder, Reina.”

She bit down hard on her lips. Even if her legs were sound, it would have been impossible to escape. With her walking stick now broken, how could she possibly get away?

She braced her arms against the ground, but trying to get up was difficult. Panting for breath, she glared up at him.

“Are you giving up?”

“…”

“You said it didn’t matter if you didn’t love me, didn’t matter if you never married me—so long as we left together.”

Zephion gently brushed back her disheveled hair.

“I meant it. Even if you end up hating me for this, I don’t care.”

“Don’t… don’t do this.”

‘How could I ever hate you?’

Her eyelids trembled.

“I thought… there must be a reason you couldn’t answer my request so easily.”

“Zephion.”

“So… Reina, you’re being forced to come with me.”

She felt the rough palm of his hand, calloused from training, gently caress her cheek. There was a flicker of fear in the boy’s face.

“I won’t ask you to leave anymore.”

Reina clutched at the grass beneath her hand. Its sharp, green scent filled her lungs.

“I’ll kidnap you instead.”

Zephion held out his hand. She knew this was her last chance. If she refused now, she might never see him again. He hadn’t said so aloud, but she could feel it—this was the end.

It must have taken all the resolve in the world for him to make this choice. And even now, at the very last moment, he was prepared for her to turn him down.

Her trembling hand slowly reached out.

“You—”

Her voice was rough and unsteady, cracking as she spoke. Reina forced the breath that had been caught in her chest out.

“You were the one who broke my cane.”

At that, the man gave a quiet laugh. Lifting her easily into his arms, Zephion set her down on the blanket he had spread across the grass.

“Eat a little. We don’t know how far we’ll have to go.”

He pressed a sandwich into her hand, then pulled a large bundle from the corner of the carriage.

‘I should eat. I’ll need the strength.’

From now on, there would be nothing but running. No peaceful days. Not even for a moment.

Though she wasn’t hungry, she forced the food down.

Zephion draped an ordinary-looking robe over her shoulders—where had he even gotten it?—and donned one himself.

‘Had he been planning this ‘kidnapping’ ever since the day he became an adult, when I refused to leave with him?’

It was clear this wasn’t an act done on impulse.

In silence, they ate what they had brought. Neither spoke; both knew they would need their strength for however long they had to flee.

When the last of the food was gone, Zephion quietly tidied up the place.

“Wait here a moment.”

She couldn’t understand why he was bothering to clean up when they were about to leave for good. But, as she watched him put the items back in the carriage, Zephion suddenly lifted his foot and kicked the door off its hinges.

“Pipi.”

“Later, even if they find out we left together… no, that I kidnapped you, if it looks like a robbery, it’ll buy us some time.”

As he spoke, Zephion drew his sword and slashed at the carriage, leaving marks everywhere. He broke the spokes of the wheels, tore off the door, and set three of the four horses free.

As if that weren’t enough, he rolled up his sleeve and drew the blade across his own arm without hesitation.

Only after scattering drops of blood around did he finally stop.

In silence, Reina bound his arm tightly with a handkerchief.

“There’s no saddle, so it may be uncomfortable—but don’t worry. I’ll hold you firmly.”

Zephion lifted her onto the horse first, then swung up behind her. His large hand circled lightly around her stomach.

‘So we’re really leaving.’

Only then did it start to feel real. The heat pressing against her back was almost scalding.

Reina clutched his hand tightly.

“Zephion.”

“Yes.”

‘Won’t you regret this? The journey will never end…’

Words like that circled in her mouth, but she held them back. If she had steeled herself, then this boy must have as well. Otherwise, he never would have told her he would kidnap her.

She twined her fingers firmly with his and shook her head slightly.

“It’s nothing.”

“I love you, Reina.”

The soft whisper at her ear came just as he pulled the reins. The horse surged forward with both of them astride.

Reina turned her head, catching sight of the wreckage of the carriage behind them. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

‘I suppose now all the truth must be buried.’

Now that they were leaving together, the cruel past had to be laid to rest. How could she ever ask the boy who had made the worst choice for her sake to later hate her for it?