/
Almond answered with a puzzled expression, “Everything was burned down during the civil war, so there’s nowhere suitable to settle.”
“….Right.”
“Why do you ask?”
After a moment of silence, Rael opened his mouth.
“You’ve brought the bedrolls, right?”
“Yes? Of course…”
“The soft and warm ones?”
Almond looked at the crown prince, unsure why he was asking such a question.
Without paying much attention to Almond’s confusion, the Crown Prince firmly ordered, “Prepare the most comfortable and warm bedding possible. Make it as comfortable as sleeping in the royal palace.”
“….Like sleeping in the palace?”
“Yes.”
“…Alright.”
Almond looked at him weirdly, but the Crown Prince was serious. He frowned. ‘I hadn’t considered camping. If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought her along.’ Rael looked at Marie, who was preparing food in the distance, and thought, ‘She already seems frail as it is. What if she falls ill because of this?’
Since winter was fast approaching, the air was getting colder. What if something happened to her while camping in such a cold weather? He couldn’t bear that thought alone.
‘I must think of a way to avoid camping on the way back,’ Rael decided, making a mental note to leave a few knights behind to construct a few small cabins.
Just like that, their party ended up camping for the night.
“Tomorrow, you can rest comfortably in a room. Just endure this day.”
Hearing the Crown Prince say that in his usual cold voice, Marie couldn’t help but feel awkward.
“It’s fine. But, Your Highness, is this bed roll not yours?”
Marie looked at the bedroll given to her with a bewildered expression. It was thick, soft and velvety, as if the most luxurious bedding from the palace had been brought over. It was noticeably different from the bedrolls used by the other knights and even seemed better than the Crown Prince’s.
“It’s not mine.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, it’s not mine.”
Marie was rendered speechless. It looked so much like his though?
“But Your Highness, it’s yours…”
As a mere maid, Marie felt uneasy about using a bedroll more luxurious than the Crown Prince. However, he firmly asserted, “I hate that kind of bedding.”
“Pardon?”
“It doesn’t fit my body. So, you should use it.”
Could it be true?
The Crown Prince was quite particular about his sleeping arrangements as he suffered from chronic insomnia. But now, he’s claiming that he didn’t like a high quality bedroll?
“But Your Highness…”
However, the Crown Prince didn’t listen any further as he began to walk away.
“I need to discuss some matters with Almond, so I need to go. Rest here, and don’t stray too far from the campfire as it’s cold out here.”
“Your Highness?”
Marie called out to him urgently, but he didn’t look back. He seemed to be running away, leaving Marie bewildered.
‘Could it be… Is he actually worried for me?’
She looked at the bedroll with a curious expression. He said it wasn’t his, but she was certain it belonged to him. It seemed like he was worried for someone like her who’s unaccustomed to camping.
‘I could manage you know…’
She sighed.
Every time she felt him caring for her, an indescribable emotion stirred within her. Suddenly, she recalled all the things he had said to her.
‘You don’t need to be afraid me.’
‘I care about you, so if you ever face any difficulties, I hope you would confide in me.’
‘Serving and living by the Crown Prince’s side wouldn’t be so bad,’ Marie thought. From a servant’s perspective, he was truly an exceptional master. He recognized contributions when it’s due and genuinely cared for his people. He was also fair and forgiving when necessary. Where else could one find such a ruler? But staying by his side was not an option.
How utterly frustrating.
‘If only I weren’t born as the princess of the Cloyan Kingdom, but a citizen of this empire instead.’ Marie tightly closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the campfire and the softness of the Crown Prince’s bedroll against her body. ‘If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to leave him.’
Suddenly, Marie thought, ‘Is there any way I could stay?’
But she smiled bitterly. If only there were a way to do that.
After some time had passed, Marie succumbed to sleep, embraced by the comforting warmth of the campfire. Unbeknownst to her, a shadowy figure approached her silently.
It was Crown Prince Rael, his golden hair radiant in the flickering firelight, his face as beautiful as a painting.
“…..Are you not uncomfortable?” he whispered, gazing down at her with an indescribable expression. “What am I to do with you?” Rael murmured, his voice tinged with bitterness.
She had a profound effect on him. No matter how hard he tried to look away, he could only see her. What the hell was he supposed to do?
“Should I not have you like this…?”
Rael said, finally expressing the feelings that had been tormenting him, his voice filled with agony.
Yes, he wanted to have her. No matter how many times he denied it for days, his heart yearned for her intensely.
‘If it wasn’t for the vow I made back then…’
Rael smiled bitterly. If it hadn’t for the oath he made with his blood-stained iron mask, he might have already had her.
“Haaa.”
Rael let out a sigh, covering her with his quilt to protect her from the chilly wind.
After hesitating for a while, he reached out his trembling fingers towards her hair. Slowly, just before his hand could make contact, he abruptly pulled it back.
“Haaa.”
Rael let out another deep sigh, couldn’t believe what he was thinking. He then shook his head and stood up.
At that moment, a low voice called out to Rael.
“It’s not wise to suppress your emotions too much.”
“…!”
Startled, Rael turned his head to find his loyal servant, Almond, standing behind him.
The Crown Prince’s face grew cold. “What did you just say, Almond?”
“It is as I said. With all due respect Your Highness… if you completely ignore your feelings too much, you might regret it later,” Almond said. He continued, “Sometimes, being honest with your own feelings are more important than anything.”
“…”
The Crown Prince stared at Almond wordlessly for a moment.
Since Almond had always been by his side throughout the day, he was aware of the Crown Prince’s deep and unspoken feelings for Marie.
“Are you saying that from personal experience?”
“Yes, I am,” Almond replied, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness. “In the past, there was a time when I ignored the voice of my heart and regretted it. I hope Your Highness doesn’t make the same mistake as I did.”
“…”
The Crown Prince remained silent for a while. Then, with a sigh, he said, “You know well that I cannot afford to do that, don’t you?”
“Your Highness…”
“Do you not know the meaning of my existence? The vows I’ve made? You should understand that better than anyone else,” the Crown Prince said, biting his lips. “I only exist for this Empire. I have no room for personal feelings or desires… my personal feelings are all irrelevant.”
Almond couldn’t help but feel sad at his words. The Crown Prince sounded so forced, as if he was trying to convince himself of that.
But Almond chose not to point that out.
The Crown Prince turned and said, “I’ll be gone for a moment.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“No need. It’s a place I often visit. It’s not that far. I’ll be back soon.”
Almond nodded.
Whenever they camped in that area, the Crown Prince would often visit a certain place, always going there unaccompanied.
“Still, please be careful.”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Once the Crown Prince disappeared into the woods, Almond sighed.
‘Don’t push yourself too hard, Your Highness.’
He felt sorry for the Crown Prince, burdened by his duty, but even more sorry that he couldn’t help him.
After their conversation ended, Marie slowly stirred from her slumber, feeling a bit dazed. She must’ve wakened up due to her unfamiliarity with camping.
She tried to close her eyes again, but sleep seemed elusive, so she decided to take a short walk around the area.
“Where are you going, Hon. Hilderren?”
“Oh, I can’t sleep, so I thought of taking a short stroll around. Is it safe?”
The Guard Knight on watch replied, “If you walk through that path over there, it shouldn’t be dangerous. It’s a well-traveled route used by the locals. But don’t go too far.”
“I understand, I’ll be back soon.”
Following the path the knight had pointed out, Marie entered the forest. Although it was dark, the full moon’s brightness and the well-paved path made it feel safe enough.
‘Walking on a forest at night isn’t so bad after all.’
It had been over three years since she had been confined in the palace, so it had been such a long time since she had been on a forest like this. Feeling refreshed, Marie took a deep breath.
‘Let’s walk a little further inside’ she thought, walking deeper into the woods.
How long had she been walking? Just when she thought it was time to turn back, an unexpected figure appeared before her.
‘W-Why is His Highness here?’
She wondered if she had seen it wrong, but no, it was unmistakably him, even from a distance.
“Why is he here? Did he go out for a walk because he couldn’t sleep?”
Marie’s curiosity got the better of her, and she followed behind him without thinking.
But something was amiss. They were getting deeper and deeper into the woods, yet the Crown Prince did not stop walking.
It wasn’t just an aimless stroll; it seemed like he had a specific destination in mind, continuously moving in one direction.
“Hmm?”
Marie tilted her head in confusion.
She debated whether to turn back, but her curiosity got the better of her, deciding to go a little further. She wanted to know what business the Crown Prince had in such a remote area.
After a while, she realized where he’s going. “Ah….” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise.
At the end of the forest path, there was a village—or more precisely, the remains of what used to be a village, reduced to nothing but ruins and ashes.
Beside the ruins, stood numerous tombstones, seemingly hundreds, if not more, filling the burial ground.
Crown Prince Rael stood in silence, gazing at the ruins and tombstones, his usual enigmatic expression betraying no hint of his inner thoughts.
It suddenly dawned on her why he had come to this place.
During the civil war between the 2nd and 4th Prince, it was set ablaze.
And the 4th Prince was none other than Rael, the current Crown Prince.
To put it simply, it was a place that got dragged in the battle between the Crown Prince and the 2nd Prince.