Chapter 16

Where should she go this time. Back then, she had been lucky enough to hitch rides on carriages and travel far. But in this forest, even determining the direction was difficult. 

At least when a mansion had been in sight, she could tell if she was heading straight. But now, with nothing in sight, all she could do was trust her instincts.

Yulia sat down on a tree root after walking for quite some time.  

‘By now, they must’ve read the letter I left behind.’  

She hoped they would understand her intentions. No matter what, she didn’t want to become a mistress. She had lost count of how many times she wished Resti were just an ordinary countryside man.  

She wouldn’t have minded if he wasn’t wealthy. If they were together, nothing else would have mattered.  

“Ugh……”  

Yulia hugged her knees and buried her face. She felt as though she might cry. She should have realized it sooner. 

His behavior wasn’t that of an ordinary man. His elegant way of speaking, as if he didn’t even know how to use harsh words, and the luxurious clothes he had been wearing when she first met him. 

Even though his hands had calluses, his long, beautiful fingers didn’t look like they had ever done rough work.  

‘How foolish of me.’  

She had only pretended not to know the truth because she knew that once she learned it, she would have to distance herself from him. She had just wanted Resti to remain her Resti, the way she knew him.  

But deep down, she knew it couldn’t last. A bitter laugh escaped her lips.  

“……Pull yourself together.”  

Yulia shook her head vigorously. Even if the ‘Resti’ she knew was gone, he had left her something behind. The child in her belly. She placed her hand on her still-flat stomach. At the very least, there was proof of their love.  

For the sake of the child, she had to stay strong. Yulia grabbed her trembling knees and stood up.  

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”  

She muttered softly. It was a message to herself as much as it was to the baby inside her.  

“Everything will be fine.”  

Whispering once more, she clenched her fists and began walking again. She wasn’t sure how long she had been walking. She had set off around midday, but darkness had already settled heavily around her.  

‘I thought I’d be out of this forest before nightfall.’  

Yulia bit her lip. Spending the night in the forest was a frightening thought. She didn’t know what kind of animals might be lurking here. If there were a bear, it would be disastrous. Even if it wasn’t a bear, there could be wolves.  

Feeling fear creeping up on her, she hunched her shoulders.  

It would be nice if she could find a cave. As she thought that, her eyes scanned the rapidly darkening surroundings. If this were a mountain, there might be a cave. But unfortunately, the forest was just flat land.  

“What should I do……”  

The moment she muttered in anxiety. The ground faintly trembled. The vibration made Yulia’s heart pound violently.  

‘What is that.’  

The rumbling of the ground grew louder. Something large was approaching. Yulia quickly picked up a branch from the ground with a frightened expression. Wouldn’t she at least be able to use it to threaten whatever it was. She desperately prayed it wasn’t a bear.  

She anxiously looked around, unsure of where it was coming from. Then, in the distance, she saw a small light.  

“……Fire?”  

Surely, an animal couldn’t be carrying fire. Yulia ran without looking back. She was certain someone had come to capture her.  

“Huff, huff……”  

Her breath grew ragged. Having eaten only a few tree fruits and moved constantly, her entire body was drained of strength, and her head was spinning. 

With the forest growing darker and darker, she couldn’t even tell if she was stepping in the right places. 

Barely avoiding the trees, she kept running until she tripped over a protruding root she hadn’t noticed.  

“Ah!”  

Falling awkwardly, her ankle throbbed, and her body, which had hit the ground hard, ached all over. 

She hadn’t felt it while running in a panic, but now she didn’t even have the strength to get up. Her scream must have echoed through the quiet forest because she could hear people shouting loudly.  

“No……”  

Tears welled up in her eyes. She was such a fool, unable to even escape properly. As she sniffled and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, she heard the sound of horse hooves approaching.  

“Yulia!”  

It was Resti’s voice. The man jumped off his horse and scooped Yulia up in his arms. He must have been moving frantically because, even though he had been riding a horse, he was breathing heavily. 

As soon as she buried her face in his familiar embrace, a whirlwind of emotions surged within her.  

Was I truly unable to escape him? Would I have to watch him marry someone else?

“Ugh, hic……”  

Tears streamed down her face.  

“What’s with that letter. No. Don’t cry. Don’t cry, Yulia.”  

Resti, who had started speaking in a reproachful tone, pressed his lips against her cheek.  

“Please, don’t cry.”  

He whispered pleadingly, brushing his tongue carefully over the corners of her tear-streaked eyes. Instead, Yulia cried even harder as she clung to his neck.  

***  

She thought she had gone quite far. But riding a horse, they reached the mansion in no time. Resti, who set her down on the bed while she was still sniffling, anxiously brushed off the dirt covering her body.  

“Don’t cry, Yulia.”  

The more he told her not to cry, the more tears fell. Why was that. Yulia sniffled and tried to swallow her tears, but the sorrow only deepened.  

“Hic, sniff……”  

“Are you hurt…… Haah.”  

Resti, who had been carefully brushing aside her messy hair and wiping her face with a damp cloth, let out a long sigh.  

“What happened to your face.”  

She was the one who was hurt. So why did he look as if he was in more pain. Even though his careful touch didn’t hurt, her scratched cheek stung.  

“Ah.”  

“You’re crying, so it hurts even more. Stop crying. Please…… I’m begging you.”  

He looked like he was about to cry himself as he brought out some ointment and gently applied it to her cheek. As he carefully examined her body, his expression turned horrified when he saw her swelling ankle.  

“What’s this!”  

“I tripped, and fell.”  

Her voice came out nasally from all the crying. Resti, looking upset, carefully removed her shoe and gently wiped her ankle and foot.  

“Yulia.”  

“Mm.”  

Without looking up, he let out a sigh as he tenderly caressed her ankle. His warm breath brushed against her skin.  

“Do you hate me that much?”  

“……”  

“What do you mean by congratulating me on my marriage?”  

Her lips pressed tightly together. Her face burned hot. It must have sounded like she was sulking when she had written that she didn’t want to become his mistress. She regretted leaving the letter behind. The moment she thought that, Resti lifted his head and locked eyes with her.  

“Do you hate the idea of marrying me that much?”  

“Yes! Of course, I hate it……”  

Yulia, assuming he was referring to becoming his mistress, answered without hesitation but then stopped speaking.  

Resti’s face darkened as he heard her say she hated it. His grip on her ankle tightened.  

“It hurts!”  

“You hate it? Do you hate me that much?”  

“It hurts, Resti!”  

“If I were to break this pretty ankle of yours. Would you stop running away from me then?”  

It truly felt like he might break her ankle. Despite the throbbing pain, Yulia replayed what he had just said in her mind.  

“W-wait. What do you mean by marrying you, Resti!”  

“Exactly what it sounds like.”  

“But…… I’m just a commoner.”  

“What does that matter?”  

“I……”  

Her lips trembled.  

“I can’t become a Duchess.”  

“That’s for me to decide. I’ve already decided that the woman by my side will be you.”  

What was he saying?

Her head spun as if the ground beneath her had tilted. She didn’t even know what to ask first.  

“But Grace…… You’re engaged to her.”  

“That’s something the adults decided on their own. And it was officially arranged when I was twelve. What could I have done back then?”  

“You were preparing for the wedding.”  

“I was preparing to marry you.”  

Resti, who spoke nonchalantly, frowned deeply.  

“This wasn’t the plan.”  

“……”  

“I was going to propose to you in the best possible setting.”  

“To me?”  

“But then my fiancée suddenly appeared, and you ran away. Twice.”