***

The ship was turned upside down due to the crown prince’s drowning accident.

As soon as she climbed onto the boat with the head priest’s help, imperial attendants and servants came rushing over.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Your Highness, are you alright?!”

A doctor who had rushed over urgently examined the crown prince. She watched anxiously while receiving support from the head priest.

“He only lost consciousness for a moment, fortunately there are no major problems.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the doctor’s words.

Especially the lady, who had turned pale, pushed her away roughly and stuck close to the crown prince’s side.

“Take His Highness to a warm place immediately!”

The servants who received her command lifted and carried the crown prince away.

She thought while watching their retreating figures disappear in an instant.

‘I’m being treated like a complete afterthought.’

Well, it’s not surprising. It’s true that the crown prince is more important than me.

In her heart, she wanted to push the lady away and take that position herself, but she had to give up because she looked terrible.

‘Sigh, I should return to my cabin too……’

Before that, she was about to express her gratitude to the head priest when nobles suddenly flocked toward her.

“Lady Sharofe, you’re truly amazing!”

“Did everyone see? The lady jumped in to save His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“I was really shocked! How could you be so brave and cool!”

She wore a bewildered expression at the praise bursting from all directions.

She had naturally thought everyone would have no interest in her, but seeing them surround her and trap her in a prison of praise, it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case.

“Haha, thank you.”

She was laughing shyly and waving her hands when.

“Miss!”

Mandy appeared, pushing through the people. She ran over with a face that looked ready to burst into tears and examined her body first.

“Miss, are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m alright, I’m fine.”

As she patted Mandy’s shoulder to reassure her, a black shadow fell behind her.

The identity was none other than Carl, whose anger was visible at a glance even with his mask on.

“Master.”

Carl, who called her in an ominous voice, reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her toward him.

She, who had been leaning against the head priest until then, moved into Carl’s embrace in confusion.

Her forehead bumped against his solid shoulder.

“Thank you for helping my master. I will take care of her from now on.”

“…… I could support her too.”

The head priest, who had lowered his hand that had been floating awkwardly in the air, smiled gently.

But Carl firmly rejected his offer.

“It’s fine, my master seems to be having difficulty walking right now.”

…… Me?

Just as she was about to refute that it wasn’t true, Carl bent down and lifted her up in his arms.

“Oh my, how powerful.”

“Lady Sharofe’s knight has a really good physique.”

“I’d really like to have a knight like that too.”

The surrounding young ladies whispered as they watched this scene. Her ears turned red as she was held in a princess carry.

“Then, we’ll be going.”

Carl, who had bowed politely to the head priest, signaled to Mandy with his eyes.

She roughly conveyed her gratitude to the head priest with a hand wave and entered the cabin with the two of them.

While Mandy immediately went to prepare a bath, Carl put her down, removed his mask, and got angry.

“Master, are you crazy? Where do you think you were for you to jump in! Do you know how many people there are who could save the crown prince instead of you!”

She shrank her shoulders at the thunderous scolding but brought her index finger to her lips.

“Shh, they’ll hear outside.”

What if someone thinks Carl is a bad bondservant causing insubordination against his master.

She was also worried about getting in trouble for addressing the crown prince carelessly.

Whether he knew her feelings or not, Carl just looked down at her with a face hardened like a stone statue.

Eventually, she put her hands together in front and made excuses like a child being scolded by a teacher.

“I’m sorry…… my body moved first without me realizing it, so I couldn’t help it.”

If the crown prince dies, how would I return to the original world.

And when she heard that someone who couldn’t swim had fallen into the water, she, who knew how to swim, instinctively reacted and couldn’t stop it.

Carl, who frowned at her words, ruffled his bangs.

“…… Did you forget what I said? I told you I’d be behind you, so call me if you need anything.”

“No, I really didn’t even think of that and moved my body first, you know? I absolutely had no intention of making you or Mandy worry.”

“Ha……”

Carl let out a deep sigh at her rambling explanation.

She watched his expression and sniffled. After going into the water in autumn weather, she felt a bit chilly.

Carl, who glanced at her, took off his outer garment and put it over her shoulders.

“Enough, take care of your body first. You’ll catch a cold if you stay wet for long.”

“Mm…… thank you.”

She answered while tightly gripping his warm clothing.

Just then, Mandy poked her head out from the bathroom and spoke to her.

“Miss, the warm water is ready.”

“Yeah, I’ll come in.”

As she was about to return Carl’s clothes and head to the bathroom…..

“Shailyn.”

“Yeah?”

When she turned around at the quiet call, she saw a face that had sunk like the deep sea.

“Next time, don’t throw yourself away for others. No matter who it is.”

His voice seemed to contain anguish, so she unconsciously nodded her head.

Carl, who had lowered his eyes, gestured with his chin as if telling her to go and turned his body.

She entered the bathroom with an inexplicably uncomfortable feeling and asked while receiving Mandy’s service.

“Did Carl worry a lot when I went into the water?”

“Miss, it wasn’t just worry. I barely stopped him from jumping in after you. I was afraid it would draw too much attention.”

Mandy continued speaking while pouring warm water over her shoulders.

“Until you came out, he stood there blankly with his fists clenched tight, and the atmosphere was so serious that I couldn’t even say anything to him.”

“I see…… Anyway, stopping Carl was really good, Mandy.”

Certainly, if Carl had also entered the water, it would have drawn too much attention as Mandy said.

It was a wise decision.

“No, actually I regretted it right after stopping him. I thought maybe I was only thinking about appearances when saving you should come first……”

“I swim well, so there was no need to come save me. That’s why I readily jumped into the water for His Highness the Crown Prince.”

She smiled at Mandy, who wore a guilty expression, telling her there was no need for that.

As she leaned back fully in the bathtub, she recalled Carl’s face that she had seen last.

‘So that’s why…… he had such a pained expression?’

Because he wanted to come save me but couldn’t?

Even though there had been a noisy incident with the two male leads, throughout her bath, thoughts of her bondservant, not the male leads, wouldn’t leave her mind.

Two hours later, news spread that the crown prince had regained consciousness.

Lady Celsior’s side sent word that instead of canceling the afternoon party, they would hold a dinner banquet in the evening.

She wore a decollete dress mixed with black and blue to match the deepened atmosphere.

The lower the hem went, the stronger the blue tint became, and the sleeves were made of opaque chiffon material, emphasizing a mysterious yet mature atmosphere.

Mandy arranged her hair in an updo and decorated it with flowers.

After finishing her preparations and going outside, Carl was waiting.

“I will escort you.”

He led her somewhat more curtly than usual, as if nothing had changed.

She wondered if he was still in a bad mood and observed him, but his expression was hidden by the mask so she couldn’t properly gauge his inner thoughts.

“I’ll be outside, so call me if you need anything.”

Carl, who had brought her to the banquet hall inside the ship where the dinner was being held, bowed and left.

This is driving me crazy with worry.

As she was staring at Carl’s retreating figure disappearing beyond the door, someone tapped her shoulder.

“……?”

Poke.

A white finger poked her cheek as she unconsciously turned her head.

When she lifted her eyes up, the head priest’s brightly smiling face appeared.

“How’s your body, Shailyn?”

“Ah, I’m fine. Raviel, you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“Well, the shoulder that was supporting you seems a bit dislocated.”

He grabbed his shoulder and shamelessly exaggerated.

A giggle escaped and she lightly hit the head priest’s arm.

“Don’t joke around.”

“Huh? Now even my arm seems broken? Can you see this?”

He lifted his arm with all strength drained, then dropped it.

Just as she was bursting into laughter at his arm fluttering like paper—

“Oh? It’s His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“His Highness has come!”

At the fussing reaction, she turned her gaze to the entrance and indeed saw the crown prince entering the banquet hall.

And Lady Celsior standing attached to his side like a partner.

‘No, I’m the one who saved him, so why are those two acting like a couple?’