She felt as if she were being consumed by the heat emanating from his solid and massive body. The presence was so vivid that Elliope recoiled with her fingertips.

“…?”

Though he must have felt it, Kallian showed no reaction. He simply held her hand until Elliope was able to steady herself and get off the carriage properly. Elliope thanked him silently with her eyes. As she dismounted quickly, she finally understood why Kallian had insisted that she dismount herself.

“This is annoying.”

The coachman let out a sound of frustration as he looked around. It was understandable. When she had been lost in thought in the carriage, she hadn’t noticed, but now that she was outside and looking around, it became clear that the road they had been travelling on was a narrow mountain path.

No wonder the journey had been a little uncomfortable. She’d thought it was because they were hurrying, but she’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t really been paying attention, except for the occasional jolt when the carriage hit a bump.

Now it seemed that the hurried pace, combined with the narrow and rough straight road, was probably the reason for the bumpy ride. No matter how hard she looked around, she couldn’t see any other way.

At best, there were a few narrow paths, just wide enough for an adult to squeeze through the rough thicket. A massive pile of snow appeared ahead.

“This path was fine until yesterday…”

“Could there have been a landslide nearby?

“Of all the times…”

The coachmen stared at the pile of snow in bewilderment. The carriage she had been travelling in, along with the luggage cart carrying her maids, had lost its way and stopped behind her carriage.

“Looks like you’ll have to ride from here.”

The coachman said with an embarrassed look on his face. The maids looked at Elliope with stiff expressions. Elliope flinched under their gaze, but accepted it without protest.

“But Your Highness, the Princess, can’t ride a horse.”

One of the maids, who had always disliked her, muttered irritably, still looking at Elliope with contempt.

“Besides, the horses are only connected to the carriage and the royal knights. We have more people than that.”

“Still, there’s just no solution…”

“Are you telling us to walk all the way to the Duke’s mansion?”

Finally, one of the maids couldn’t hold back any longer and gave Elliope a frustrated look. From beside her, Emma looked at Elliope with a puzzled expression and tried to reassure the maid.

“That doesn’t mean we can make the princess walk.”

“Why not? After all, we know how to ride a horse.”

At this point the conversation had crossed a line. Just as Emma was about to stop her, Elliope spoke.

“You’re right.”

“…?”

“How about you ride and I’ll walk?”

Elliope looked at the maids with a strange smile on her face. She had said it honestly in her own way.

‘It would be better if my husband mistook the maid for me.’

In the present situation, where the maid was dressed more splendidly than herself, if she were to ride ahead and announce the princess’s arrival at the duke’s mansion… the people of the Duchy of Ilmos would undoubtedly consider her, not Elliope, to be the fake princess.

‘That might even be good for her.’

It would be far better for the maid to become the fake princess, and even the duke’s wife, and experience her own position first hand, than to live as the fake princess’s maid. Perhaps it would soften her temperament a little.

As Elliope looked at the maid, still caught up in her slightly cynical and mischievous thoughts, a serious voice sounded next to her.

“There’s no need for that.”

Elliope instinctively looked up at Kallian, who had spoken. He did not look away and continued to speak.

“Then I will accompany you.”

“Y-You?”

As Kallian spoke, the maid immediately protested.

“Who do you think you are to take care of the princess?”

“…”

“Instead of some unknown northern knight, it would be better if a royal knight did it.”

An “unknown northern knight” – he was the commander-in-chief of the Duke’s army. Elliope was about to argue back, but then she realised that the only northern knight here at that moment was Kallian himself.

It was a bit strange.

‘I usually have a retinue of servants with me.’

In any case, Kallian was in charge of the northern army. It was extremely rare for him to travel alone like this.

‘And it seems he didn’t even introduce himself to anyone.’

Dressed in light armour and a simple black tunic, Kallian looked nothing more than one of the passing northern knights. To others, it seemed as if a mere knight had casually interrupted their conversation.

“Shouldn’t the princess be entrusted to the royal knights? Why not let me escort you instead?”

“…”

“The honour of escorting a royal maid is not for everyone.”

The maid who had expressed her displeasure added a touch of haughtiness at the end of her sentence, as if she were doing a favour.

Instead of answering, Kallian walked to the back, apparently to tend to the horse he had ridden in on.

Meanwhile, Elliope stared at the maid with a look of disbelief. The maid’s eyes twinkled as she looked at Kallian. In that brief moment, she seemed to have developed an interest in the cold, icy man. Meanwhile, Elliope, who was already being treated as if she didn’t matter, couldn’t help but feel that the maid was speaking as if the true honour was to look after herself, not the princess.

Without realising it, Elliope’s sarcastic words slipped out. The things she had held back, even when pricked by a needle, came out instinctively when the maid spoke so condescendingly about her – and even about Kallian

“Why don’t you just ride the royal knight’s horse?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Why are you asking to be carried by a knight you don’t even trust?” 

Elliope looked quietly at the maid and whispered.

“Please don’t tell me it’s you…”

It was a cold voice, unlike her usual self.

“Are you trying to use cheap seduction, something only ordinary people would do?”

“…!”

The maid’s face turned as white as a sheet of paper. The other maids around her were just as shocked.

It’s not surprising. She was just returning the insults that had been hurled at her for being born a concubine’s child. In fact, considering how often she had been pricked with things like needles or combs, this reaction seemed almost gentle.

“How dare you say such a thing…”

“Dare?”

The words of the maid, who came from a baronial family, were highly disrespectful when addressed to a princess, and Elliope couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The other maids, watching the situation, quickly averted their eyes.

“That’s an interesting story.”

“…”

The maid’s face began to turn as red as if it might explode. Seeing this, Elliope just shook her head.

‘She’s not even worth dealing with anymore.’

Suddenly the thought crossed her mind. This was all senseless psychological warfare. But the maid seemed to have a different perspective.

“…I seem to have neglected the Princess’s education!”

The maid, veins bulging in her neck, advanced towards Elliope and raised her hand.

Whoosh.

“…!”

The maid, about to strike Elliope, suddenly fell to the ground.

As the maid was about to strike with all her might, Elliope’s body was suddenly lifted upwards and, losing her balance from the momentum, she was sent reeling into the air.

“Ah!”

The maid who had fallen under Elliope’s gaze screamed. Some of the other maids rushed over in surprise.

Elliope didn’t have the time or energy to worry about the situation.

“…”

Kallian had somehow grabbed her waist with one hand, lifted her effortlessly and placed her on the horse he was riding.

She could feel the broad, warm expanse of his chest against her back. The feel of the leather harness he wore, stretching across his chest, pressed against her thin cloak as it brushed her shoulder blades.

As much as she wanted to dismiss the moment as unimportant, she couldn’t deny it. The last time she had been this close to him, during their first and only intimate encounter, he had stood directly behind her, just as he was now.

…and with such a hot, beastly body, he thrust into her. Her body, overwhelmed with pleasure and unable to resist, opened wide as a sizzling sensation pierced her again and again. She had the feeling that his hands might rise again to grab her br*ast roughly. It was an absurd thought, but her body tensed again and again.

“Take it.”

But instead of taking her in front of the others, he took the reins and placed them in her hand. In an instant, his hand covered Elliope’s tightly as she grasped the reins. Her hand, much smaller than Kallian’s, was immediately enveloped beneath his.”

Emma, who witnessed the scene, expressed her discomfort in a trembling tone. 

“Your Highness…?” 

The Imperial Knights flinched as well. They seemed to suddenly realise that they hadn’t even confirmed the identity of the person in question. 

“Wait. You there. State your affiliation clearly.”

“If you’re a knight of the Grand Duchy of Ilmos…” 

“Hyah!” 

Instead of adding an explanation, Kallian urged his horse forward. The maids shouted loudly. 

“Your Highness, the Princess!” 

“Her Highness! Her Highness is being abducted!” 

The Imperial Knights, belatedly realising the situation, frantically spurred their horses to follow. But navigating the rugged northern mountain trails was something Kallian was far more skilled and faster at. 

Soon no one could be seen behind them. As Elliope kept turning her head back, a whisper brushed against her ear. It was a low murmur, pressed close to the curve of her ear, almost boring into it. 

“Lower yourself.” 

The sensation of Kallian’s lips and breath brushing against her ear was vivid. Against her will, the memory of the night they had shared, just before she nearly died, flashed through her mind. But the thought couldn’t linger for long.

“It’s a bit dangerous from here.”

Kallian said as the path became treacherous. The canyon walls flanking them seemed to be closing in, pressing down ominously. 

And that wasn’t all. 

Whoosh!

There was a sharp sound of something cutting through the air. 

Moments later, Kallian was pressing down on her body, covering her protectively. His heavy, solid frame radiated heat, enveloping Elliope’s entire back. At the same moment, Kallian quickly raised a shield over her. 

Thunk! 

Something embedded itself in the massive wooden shield, and only then did Elliope realise it was an arrow.