She decided. D-day would be in two days. When they reached the village, she would escape during the confusion. Since it was a village, there would be trading groups coming and going, so it would be better than escaping in the middle of nowhere. Before that, she would declare the engagement broken. Then they would forget about an extra villainess. It was quite useful information.

“Patrick. Thank you.”

Patrick looked bewildered, then bowed his head and concentrated on lighting the fire again. She stared at him blankly and then squatted down next to him.

She was too exhausted and had two days of time, so now she planned to rest her mind.

Crackle crackle. Watching the burning firewood and spacing out by the fire, her mind calmed down peacefully. She remembered the leftover chicken she had left at home, and also recalled that she hadn’t thrown out the trash for several days. The whole room must be reeking. When she returned, she’d have to ventilate first, she thought, then remembered she had forgotten the most important thing. Ah! Right, the laundry. She had put it in the washing machine and started it but hadn’t hung it up. It was uncomfortable. She had set a timer for after work hours. It must already be developing all sorts of smells. She thought she’d have to run it again, then suddenly realized she didn’t know if she could even return.

‘I probably can’t go back after all.’

As she was feeling dejected, Patrick brought a small wooden chest and thick blanket, tapping them to tell her to sit.

“Princess. Would you like to sit here?”

“How kind of you.”

He looked smart and was even kind. Since this guy who seemed like a younger brother was being kind, she smiled affectionately. Patrick seemed embarrassed and threw a dry piece of firewood into the fire pit. Then he kept poking at the flames with a long branch. She noticed a colorful thread bracelet on Patrick’s wrist.

“Who made that bracelet for you?”

Patrick held up the bracelet so she could see it clearly and grinned.

“My younger sister. The cute little thing gave it to me saying it was a lucky bracelet since her brother was going far away.”

A wistful smile hung around his eyes and his mouth shyly curved into an arc.

“What a cute sister.”

“Yes. She’s so adorable. Hehe.”

Patrick looked at the flames, thinking of the family he had left behind in his hometown.

He looks happy.

Thinking of family made her nose tingle slightly. Feeling unnecessarily disturbed, she let out a sigh. To shake off her thoughts, she turned her head. Then her gaze met eyes that were staring intently at her.

‘Theodore!’

She didn’t know how long he had been there, but he was standing with one hand stuck in his pants pocket, leaning his back against a large wooden pillar.

“Princess. Would you like some?”

At Patrick’s voice, she turned her head. Patrick held out dried meat wrapped in white cloth. At that moment, Theodore thrusting his sword into the monster’s body came to mind. The silver-haired man covered in light pink blood.

Unconsciously, she turned her head to look at the tree where Theodore had been. He had already disappeared.

She turned her head back. The dried meat wrapped in white cloth was skewered on a wooden stick and soon thrown into the blazing flames. The sizzling smell of rich oil stimulated her nose.

“Princess, please try it.”

Patrick shook off the soot and offered her a piece. At that moment, seeing the red meat, the jerky she had enjoyed eating suddenly overlapped with the monster’s severed arm.

“Ugh.”

Her stomach churned and acid rose up. Had she always been this weak-stomached?

She, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, would have been fine, but since Arnica had been raised preciously in the royal palace, it was understandable that her stomach would be upset.

“I’m fine, so you should eat it.”

“No. Princess, you should eat first. My mother gave this to me when I left home. She told me to eat it when I urgently needed it. I think now is that time. It’s an honor to offer it to the princess.”

Patrick’s heart was admirable, but she absolutely couldn’t eat it. The more she tried to hold back the acid that had risen once, the more it made her stomach uncomfortable. Only after clutching her churning stomach could she manage a faint smile. She gently pushed away Patrick’s hand as he held out the jerky with bright eyes.

“No, I’m really fine. You eat it.”

“No. Princess, please eat it.”

“I said it’s fine. How can I eat something your mother gave you? Hurry up and eat it yourself.”

Just as she could no longer bear the disgust and barely managed to wave her hands and stand up, fortunately someone suddenly intruded between them.

“Princess!”

At the voice she heard, she turned her head. Grand Duke Greg, who had approached at some point, was standing there blankly. At that moment, she almost rushed to embrace Greg as if he were a savior.

“Ah, Your Grace!”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for you.”

“His Highness is?”

After openly ignoring me and chasing after Biella, why?

Yet why was the news that he was looking for her so welcome? She headed toward him almost bouncing.

“Oh my, really?”

Her voice must have sounded excited, as Greg was startled.

“I was having a leisurely time with Patrick, who’s like a younger brother, but an unwelcome guest came looking for me.”

Pretending to be disappointed, she went next to Greg and whispered in a voice only he could hear.

“Nice timing.”

Greg flinched and shrank his neck as if tickled. Greg’s expression, not knowing what was going on, was mysterious.

“Patrick. I enjoyed our conversation. Eat well.”

She felt sorry for the kind-hearted Patrick, but she couldn’t look at the jerky anymore. Not forgetting to flash a gentle smile, she quickly headed toward the crown prince’s barracks. She didn’t know how fortunate it was to have an excuse to get away from the jerky.

“Phew.”

The murky dark red monster blood that still looked pitch black came to mind, making her whole body shiver with goosebumps.

As she was breathing the cool night air to calm her stomach, Greg, who had been walking a few steps away, suddenly approached her side and said quietly.

“The princess seems a bit unfamiliar today.”

Startled by Greg’s words, she couldn’t give any answer and stammered with her words blocked. In the original work, she was a villainess who caused trouble, so what she had said to Patrick or saving the grand duke were words and actions she wouldn’t have done. Should she make excuses?

“Ahaha. A bit, yes. After seeing those monsters earlier, I came to my senses. In that brief moment, I thought I was going to die. So I guess I matured a bit. I thought, let’s be good to the neighbors around me! I’m going to do that from today.”

Quite satisfied with her quick thinking, she smiled contentedly and walked ahead energetically. She could hear Greg laughing heartily.

Then she noticed the crown prince standing in front of the barracks. Only then did the problem she had completely forgotten come to mind.

‘Ah! n*ked! I don’t want to see that human right now……’

In trying to avoid Patrick’s jerky, she had failed to think of the bigger predicament. Since she had readily followed Greg, she couldn’t find an excuse now and was troubled.

“But what does His Highness want? Looking for me and all.”

“That’s what I’m wondering too.”

While being politely respectful, Greg’s face wore a mischievous smile.

“Who knows? Maybe he’ll say he missed you.”

“What?”

When she glared at him asking what nonsense he was talking about, Greg giggled as if his wordplay was amusing. She thought he had a delicate personality, but this was completely cheeky?

She thought he was a puppy-like sword master who could cut down monsters in one stroke, but he was a complete smooth talker. She had been busily collecting sub-male lead stocks……

Well, so what if he’s a smooth talker. He’s better than the crown prince who holds a knife to my throat. Anyway, after breaking off the engagement and leaving the empire, he’s someone I’ll never see again.

As she was about to turn her gaze away from Greg, his expression suddenly changed and hardened. Wondering why, she turned her head following Greg’s gaze. At some point, Biella was standing next to Theodore. Biella with her flowing blonde hair was very beautiful. The two of them matched so well like lovers of the century. Between them flowed an overflowing aura of affection built up so solidly that no one could intrude.

Greg walked ahead looking forward and whispered, slightly tilting his head toward her.

“He’s with Lady Biella.”

“So he is.”

Since she had no particular feelings, she spoke indifferently.

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Hah. As if.”

Though she denied it completely, Greg giggled as if amused.

“Grand Duke, stop laughing!”

When she nudged Greg’s side with her elbow, he staggered as if falling with exaggerated movements.

“Oh! There are no monsters now, Princess.”

“Grand Duke!”

Annoyed by his giggling like an adolescent boy, she rolled her eyes and walked ahead, ignoring him. Being jealous of Theodore and Biella? Ridiculous. She was one of the readers who had hoped for their happy ending! Greg really has no sense. That’s why he loses Biella.