Roye was so startled that she burst into pitiful tears the moment she saw Hari’s face. Hari hurriedly took Roye in her arms and examined her. Fortunately, she had been rescued before swallowing water and didn’t appear to be hurt.

“Mama, flo… flowers… wahhh!”

“You were so scared, Roye. It’s okay. Mama’s right here with you. It’s okay.”

After comforting her for a while, the child stopped crying and fell asleep limply in Hari’s arms. Oh, what if she catches a cold? Even though it’s spring, the water must have been cold. Seeing the child hanging limply made her heart ache.

She shouldn’t have let her guard down. She should have held Roye’s hand more tightly, so why couldn’t she do that?

While blaming herself for not being careful enough and wrapping Roye tightly in a blanket, she felt a strange gaze. Only then did Hari remember the benefactor she had forgotten and bowed deeply.

“Thank you so much for saving my child. I don’t know how to repay this kindness…”

But then.

‘Isn’t that the person from earlier?’

It was the man in the dark navy cloak who had been following behind Hari. Thick water drops dripped down along the large cloak. Water also dripped from the man’s half-hidden chin and sharp nose bridge.

Hari was a bit surprised. She hadn’t noticed from afar earlier, but facing him this close, he was taller than she had thought. She even felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“There’s an inn not far from here. If you wash up there, I’ll buy you new clothes. Thank you again, truly.”

When the other person remained silent, a familiar tension gripped her neck. Just like when an unknown man had suddenly approached at the restaurant. There’s no kindness without reason. 

Then did this man also approach with impure intentions? She hugged Roye tightly and was about to leave when the man raised his hand and slowly removed his hood.

At the same time, Hari’s eyes widened. She was struck speechless.

Sharp eyes like blue emeralds, a familiar scent mixed with the smell of water.

“…Achilleon?”

For three seconds, the world seemed to stop.

How could this person be here?

Unable to believe it, she blinked several times. Today was this man’s wedding day. She had been checking the morning news every day since the marriage announcement, so she knew. This person couldn’t be here.

Hari hugged Roye and stepped backward. However, reminding her that this was reality and not a dream, Achilleon didn’t disappear. Instead, he quietly watched Hari, who was trying to flee, from where he stood.

“Margharita.”

“Why are you here? Today’s your wedding…”

‘No. If I say this, it’ll seem like I’ve been keeping interest in him.’

Hari bit her lips. What should she say, how did this situation come about, for what reason was Achilleon here? She was full of curiosity but didn’t know what to question first.

“…Thank you for saving Roye. But I don’t need to buy Your Majesty clothes. Then I’ll be going now. Please take care of yourself too.”

Hari turned around hurriedly like she had been burned. Her heart was pounding rapidly in a different way than when Roye had fallen into the water.

“Her name is Roye?”

Instead of answering, she bowed her head briefly and started walking. Achilleon didn’t grab her, but she could hear footsteps following behind. With each step she took, all her nerves focused toward her back.

She looked around, but there were no guards or secretaries who should naturally follow wherever Achilleon went. They must be following from somewhere unseen. Roye woke up, perhaps because her position was uncomfortable.

Her eyes, sparkling like scattered stars, turned toward behind Hari. Achilleon also gazed quietly at Roye.

“Thank you for saving Roye!”

Did she want to express her gratitude? When she turned around holding the child, Roye smiled shyly with bright eyes and greeted him.

“Thank you.”

“…Yeah.”

Finding it fascinating that the bean-sized child clinging to her mother’s arms was greeting him so politely, Achilleon couldn’t take his eyes off Roye. As they started walking again with heavy steps, this time Roye stretched her sausage-like arm toward Achilleon.

“Roye.”

Her heart sank for a moment. She was a child who was shy around strangers, so why was she acting like this? Had she instinctively recognized something?

Just then, the sound of an approaching carriage could be heard from behind. A luxurious carriage without the royal family’s emblem stopped in front of Achilleon.

“What are you trying to do now?”

“Get in. You can’t carry a child all the way to Kahilans. I’ll take you there.”

“I was going to get a carriage at the next station. You don’t need to do this.”

She cut him off firmly, but perhaps frightened by her mother’s cold face that she was seeing for the first time, Roye whimpered and cried. That was brief too – when Achilleon extended his hand, Roye stopped crying and carefully grasped the fingers that were twice the size of hers.

‘What are those two doing?’

Roye grabbed Achilleon’s finger tightly and struggled to climb into the carriage. However, it was too much for her short legs to climb the high steps. When Achilleon helped the struggling Roye up, the child smiled broadly and firmly planted her bottom on the seat.

Of course, since the seat was high, she needed Achilleon’s help this time too.

“Roye…!”

“Mama, I like it here! It’s soft.”

Flustered by Roye’s unexpected behavior, Hari rolled her eyes. She must have had a hard time. Seeing her rolling around on the seat like that made her feel sorry for bringing her along. Until now, it hadn’t been an easy journey for a three-year-old child.

When she glanced back, Achilleon was just standing quietly in front of the carriage, waiting for Hari to follow.

“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

In the end, Hari climbed into the carriage with a sigh. It was ridiculous to be doing this in the middle of the road anyway.

“Please let me off when you see the next station.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Soft. Soft.”

The inside of the carriage was pleasantly cool. Roye rolled around happily on the soft seat that was completely different from the hard carriages she had ridden until now. Seeing the child lying comfortably, she thought it had worked out well after all.

For a while, only Roye’s chattering and the sound of her bottom rustling could be heard in the quiet interior. Only after the tired child fell asleep did Hari look directly at Achilleon.

“Now explain to me. Why did you suddenly come looking for me?”

“You wouldn’t believe anything I say anyway.”

“Tell me. For now.”

“I had to meet you and Roye.”

“If I’m not mistaken, today is Your Majesty’s wedding day.”

“Not anymore.”

Hari gripped her worn skirt hem.

What? Did he not hold the wedding ceremony?

But if that happened, there would have been chaos. The story of Hitais’s ministers rising up because the king hadn’t taken a queen for so long was famous even beyond the borders.

“I’m no longer king, and I didn’t marry, so I have nowhere I need to return to.”

“…What?”

It felt like she had been struck in the head. However, unlike Hari whose eyes widened like they might pop out, Achilleon just patted sleeping Roye’s back with a peaceful face. Roye looked so comfortable that she couldn’t bear to separate her. Tens of thousands of questions arose in her mind.

Then what happens now? Why did you come looking for me? Don’t you hate Roye? Don’t you dislike me?

Confusion and surprise, and now resentment that remained only as traces like thin dust. However, in the end, Hari couldn’t ask anything, just like that time in the gamekeeper’s cabin three years ago.

A warm silence rolled slowly around the inside of the carriage.

Achilleon, who had been patting Roye, also closed his eyes while leaning his head against the backrest. Hari opened the window slightly in case the child got hot. Through that gap, a gentle breeze flowed in softly, swaying Achilleon’s seaweed-black hair.

Soft sunlight also beaded on his straight forehead, sharp nose, and crimson lips. Hari gazed quietly at the sleeping Achilleon before turning her head toward the window. The lace skirt of the child sleeping tightly against her lap rippled gently.

* * *

‘We ended up coming all the way home.’

They had fallen asleep and missed the carriage station. She had resolved to get off at the next station, but Roye’s body suddenly began burning with fever after falling in the water. They had no choice but to continue riding the carriage.

“How’s the child?”

“Her fever went down and she’s sleeping now.”

“That’s a relief.”

Achilleon, who had been waiting on the first floor, let out a long breath and sat up.

“Do you need anything else?”

How could there be anything needed? When Roye got sick, hadn’t he brought the royal palace’s best physician and even a healing priest?

Though she had a high fever at first, thanks to Achilleon, Roye recovered her health quickly.

With her tension released, Hari crumpled down on the stair landing. How shocked she had been when the child’s body suddenly became like a fireball.

Since Roye was prone to minor illnesses, her worry had been beyond measure.

After confirming that Roye was safe, Achilleon turned around, seemingly about to leave.

“Have something to drink before you go.”

Hari found herself holding him back without realizing it. She felt uneasy about sending him away like this. She owed him so much. When the child fell in the water, and when she was sick like this…