Plop. How much further had she walked? Raindrops began falling from the clear sky. Rosia stopped and looked up at the sky hidden by leaves. She had thought it was just dark because of the dense forest, but dark clouds had already filled the sky. Another shower. Rosia was bewildered. Should she go back? As she turned to look back, something suddenly approached in front of her. Rosia opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Do you have no fear?”

Nigel approached with an incredulous face. Rosia closed her mouth that she had opened to scream. Still, her startled heart wouldn’t easily calm down. It felt like a small bird was frantically running around on top of her heart. The breath that had filled her lungs from walking quickly was overwhelming. She waited a moment for her heartbeat to slow before slowly asking back.

“Why did Your Highness come?”

“Because you ran off as if possessed by something.”

“What?”

“I really don’t understand why you’d enter this dark forest alone.”

Nigel slowly brushed back his rain-soaked bangs. Then he continued while glancing at the dumbfounded Rosia.

“Aren’t you going back?”

Rosia still couldn’t answer in her confusion. She hadn’t expected Nigel would follow all the way here. With the weather like this, being in the forest alone with Nigel wasn’t a good situation. Then she suddenly remembered she had come to find Betty. Rosia quickly turned her head trying to find even a strand of Betty’s hair. Nigel, perhaps finding that behavior strange, asked again.

“Lady Berthe, what are you looking for so intently?”

“……My friend came into this forest. I only followed because I was worried.”

“Let’s get out first. We’ll be completely soaked at this rate.”

The raindrops were getting heavier and visibility was blurry. The sound of rain passed by, hitting trees, leaves, and branches in succession. The raindrops falling on her face carried the damp smell of leaves. Rosia pressed her lips together before barely managing to speak.

“Betty……”

Nigel’s eyebrows twisted crookedly. Rosia wiped her rain-obscured vision with the back of her hand and continued speaking.

“She came into the forest with young Marquis Palena. That’s why I followed, Your Highness.”

“……Ha.”

Nigel let out a deflating sigh. Being a member of the royal family, he must know Leo Palena well. Rosia hoped he would say something. Some common comfort like there was no need to worry, or that Leo Palena wasn’t the kind of strange person Rosia suspected him to be. However, Nigel’s response was completely different from what Rosia expected. He returned to his usual expressionless face and replied somewhat coldly.

“You came here alone for such a trivial reason?”

“It’s not trivial.”

“To me, it is.”

To Rosia, Betty was family. So Nigel’s dismissal couldn’t be welcome. Her heart felt heavy with him speaking so sharply when she was already worried sick. No, Nigel Gragford was originally this kind of person. A bit of kindness didn’t erase his true nature. Rosia had no reason to be disappointed at all. She looked up at Nigel silently before stepping back hesitantly.

“I’ll look around a bit more. She might be lost. Your Highness should return to the park.”

After a quick bow, she walked forward through the rain. The small raindrops had already formed puddles, and the muddy path kept catching at her ankles. Her white dress was already ruined by rain and mud. After taking a few difficult steps, Rosia took off her cumbersome shoes and carried them.

Nigel didn’t follow anymore, presumably having returned. It was the natural result. Rosia was the one who turned her back first telling him to return, and Nigel had no reason to stay by her side getting his clothes dirty. Yet somehow a corner of her heart stung oddly. Rosia ignored this uncomfortable feeling and called out Betty’s name.

“Betty!”

There was no answer. Rosia consoled herself that her voice must have been drowned out by the rain. With rain pouring like this, Betty must have taken shelter somewhere or perhaps returned to the park through another path. She hoped that was the case.

Rosia hadn’t liked Leo Palena from the start. Though she didn’t want to judge someone just by first impressions, there was an instinctive fear. That’s what Leo Palena was to her. Someone she didn’t want to approach.

What if that man had deliberately lured Betty into the forest? Sweet and fragile Betty…… Her anxiety swelled along with the growing sound of rain.

Rosia pressed forward with all her might. But suddenly her ankle slipped and the sloped mud path collapsed. Rosia desperately reached out but even the branch she barely grabbed broke helplessly. Before she could scream, her consciousness faded. The sound of rain gradually grew distant before disappearing completely.

＊＊＊

Crackle crackle, the sound of something burning. An unfamiliar smell seeped into her nose. Rosia blinked blankly before sitting up with a start. It was an unfamiliar place. Judging by the ceiling shape, it seemed to be an old cabin. Though she had no memory after slipping, how did she get here? Rosia looked to the side with anxious eyes.

“……Your Highness?”

Unbelievably, Nigel was there. In front of an old, damaged fireplace, wearing just a thin shirt without even an outer coat. Mud stains remained here and there on his white shirt. Only then did Rosia look down at what was covering her. It was Nigel’s outer coat again.

Nigel slowly turned his head to look at Rosia. He frowned before staring back at the fireplace that was barely maintaining its flame.

“You’re out of your mind.”

“How did you……”

“You almost died. Do you remember?”

Rosia bowed her head deeply, face reddening. She felt pathetic, unable to refute Nigel’s criticism. She could only feel embarrassed having survived thanks to Nigel’s help after stubbornly insisting on finding her friend. She barely managed to apologize in a very hoarse voice.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Never mind the apology, the rain has stopped so let’s go.”

Nigel replied curtly and stood up. Rosia also hurried to get up but almost fell, staggering.

Thump. Nigel grabbed her shoulder and steadied her. Nigel smelled of still-damp earth and rain-soaked grass. Somehow Rosia’s heart sank with a thud.

“You can look for your friend after returning. Even if young Marquis Palena is a strange person, he’s not the type to harm someone.”

Nigel said quietly. It sounded just like he was trying to reassure Rosia. Rosia nodded reflexively saying she understood. Several questions swirled in her mind about how he found this cabin and where he found her, but she didn’t bring them up since they weren’t important.

“Walking around barefoot, what a refined habit.”

Nigel muttered as if to himself as he set down her mud-covered shoes in front of Rosia. Seeing they were in better condition than she remembered, Nigel must have cleaned off the mud. Just as Rosia was about to express her thanks, Nigel flung open the half-broken cabin door. The shower had stopped and warm, clear sunlight was heating the forest. Only then did Rosia’s tense heart ease slightly.

“Your Highness!”

Just as Rosia took a step forward, a strange man’s voice rang out like a scream. Rosia couldn’t see ahead as she was blocked by Nigel’s back. Who is it? Rosia grew anxious. If someone were to arbitrarily write an article about this cabin incident again, it would truly be irreversible this time.

“It took so long to find you. You don’t know how fortunate it is that you’re here. Her Majesty the Queen was very angry. The reporters……”

The man’s rapid words suddenly cut off. It was because Nigel had stepped aside as if to deliberately reveal Rosia’s presence. Only then did Rosia recognize who the man was. It was Count Owen, Nigel’s aide. He looked at Rosia and Nigel alternately with a dumbfounded expression before barely managing to speak.

“Lady Berthe?”

“Hello.”

Rosia greeted him with an awkward smile. What to do about this awkward situation. She felt like running away pretending not to know anything if she could. But Nigel was composed.

“We just came for a walk in the forest. Then sudden rain made it impossible to return. No need to make a fuss.”

“But you suddenly disappeared, Your Highness. And while you were with Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Count Owen shot back stiffly. Rosia hunched her shoulders tightly, feeling like this was all her fault. If she hadn’t stubbornly insisted on finding Betty, Nigel wouldn’t have followed her. Actually, she could act so rudely because she didn’t expect him to follow. Why did Nigel do that? Rosia stared down at her shoes that still had some mud on them.

“That’s enough nagging. Isn’t it fine since I’m safe, Count Owen?”

“You don’t look fine at all. Did you roll around in the mud?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You’re hurt? How badly are you hurt?”

“I’m not hurt.”

Listening to their exchange, Rosia stared at the ground so intently she could count all the scattered pebbles. Then she suddenly came to her senses. If she returned with the Grand Duke like this, just the fact that they spent hours in the forest would become a topic again. Rosia barely parted her lips.