/
I wonder if she’s still sleeping?
Holding the cookies from the shop, she started walking faster and faster towards the carriage.
What started as a few drops became a steady stream of rain, and it was getting stronger.
As Rashid’s gigantic carriage came into view, a feeling of relief suddenly washed over me.
“…..”
Indeed, my princess was sleeping under the protection of that large and sturdy carriage.
That carriage, impenetrable to even the tiniest of rain drops, grew more and more reliable as I got closer.
If only the weather would be warmer from now on. That would be amazing…
And with that unlikely thought, I reached to open the door.
“Selene, are you still…”
The door was already opened.
What…
Contrast to the silent carriage, my heart began beating as loud as ever. Anxious, I stuck my head in the carriage and looked around, but that just added to my rapidly growing fear.
“My baby!”
Even without lifting the blankets, I could tell that my white princess was nowhere to be seen. Underneath the cushy sofa, behind the window curtains….nowhere.
“Ahh…..”
Nowhere. Nowhere.
In the room devoid of a child’s warm and soft scent, my legs started to buckle.
I stopped myself from losing it and managed to turn myself away from the carriage. I couldn’t even blink. Blinking was a luxury I could not afford at this moment. Not until I found Haniel…
“Then again,”
Selene is gone as well, so there’s a high chance both of them are together.
It would still be dangerous, with them being small animals and all, but still infinitely better than being stranded alone.
But not even before I made a turn, my final hopes were shattered to pieces.
“Selene!”
[“Sniff. M, madam. The princess…..I was looking around for her….just where did she wander off to…”]
“…..”
Drop.
Amidst Selene’s muffled cries, I looked up at the rainy sky.
As if asking me if I had fun while leaving behind a child, it was a sky that was grayed out and wounded.
“Madam, what do we do…It’s all my fault ! My fault!”
“This is not the time to take responsibility. We have to find Haniel right now, hurry!”
Holding Selene, I watched the raindrops getting thicker and thicker. She was so shocked that her beak was shaking.
“I, it’s all my, I fell asleep and…”
“Stop it!”
I was mad at Selene, but it’s not like I wasn’t guilty either.
If only I brought Haniel with me!
I should’ve at least closed the door firmly…
“Catherine, what are you doing? Not coming out?.”
Just the thought of the man waiting behind made me forget everything else in a rush.
The sound of the door closing, the feeling of it touching my fingertips, all of those memories were shaky.
“Ah…”
If I let my guard down, my chest and head became empty.
It’s not time for this. Let’s go back the way we came.
Even in the rain, the silhouette of his magnificent carriage was clear.
“Go back in there. Hurry.”
“I want to go too! I’ll go with you to find him! I was with her until the end…”
“And so, did you find her?”
“…sniff.”
Even when I look at Selene, who is hurt, I have no choice but to leave harshly. If I don’t, I won’t be able to endure it from now on.
“I can’t take you with me now. I can’t take responsibility. And Haniel might come back first, so you have to stay in the carriage. Got it?”
“But madam! What about…”
“I’ll look around this area. She’s small and young so she won’t have gotten that far. Fortunately…”
I wonder if I should call this situation fortunate.
There were few people on the street as the rain fell. All that was visible were people with umbrellas and the occasional passing carriage. The biggest danger to someone like us wasn’t the weather or monsters, but humans. Now might be the best time.
“Hurry and get inside! You should at least be there, in case that man…”
“What? What did you say?”
“…Never mind. Hurry up and go.”
In the middle of the road, I closed my eyes and turned away from the grandiose sign of a shop.
Just think of one thing, Catherine. Just one thing.
“Damn.”
Whether I get yelled at or scorned, no matter what happens, Haniel is always first. If I can’t find Haniel, nothing else matters.
Our princess, my daughter.