The news of the saint’s arrival had been delivered, and everything was agreed upon for me and my family to board a ship to a third country.

As a family engaged to the Duke of Rochester, we would appear as if we were simply going on a trip if caught by enemies. So naturally.

Then it would all be over. We would be safe unless the emperor had some reason to chase us with burning eyes.

Even on the day she explained the plan, the duchess did not pressure me.

As if the choice was entirely mine.

For a moment, a deathly silence fell over the tent. Suddenly, breaking that silence with a sharp clap, I felt the duchess rise from her seat. She approached me slowly and continued speaking.

“Since the emperor has gifted you a horse, it would be good to ride it for a while…”

She suddenly appeared before me. I fumbled, not having fully dressed yet.

As I looked around, trying to find my outer garment to put on first, a warm hand touched my bare shoulder.

Startled, I froze, and the duchess steadied me by my shoulders. She gently pulled at my clothes and began fastening the buttons herself.

Because of this, I straightened my hunched posture.

“I heard from Freddie. He said you’ve learned to ride a horse.”

I’ve only ridden for a week, and everything still aches and throbs all over.

Though complaints simmered in my mind, I couldn’t utter a word to the duchess who was tending to my clothes as if she had done it all her life.

“Ride alongside him on horseback. When I introduce you to people, it would look quite good if you were riding the emperor’s horse.”

She continued in a calm voice, almost whispering.

“People like such scenes, you know. They envy and fear Rochester, but they want him to be completely different from them. They want him to remain lofty and elevated throughout.”

Won’t it be difficult to remain lofty and elevated throughout because of me?

“You’re a very prepared child. In many ways.”

It wasn’t praise meant for someone who could barely manage a trot on horseback. Why on earth did I learn to ride a horse, and why now?

It was something I could no longer back out of by claiming ignorance.

She gently stroked my cheek with her warm hand. When our eyes met, she showed a somewhat sad expression.

The duchess said nothing more and left the tent only after meticulously dressing me in my outer garments.

Hoof, I exhaled deeply. As if trying to expel the fear within me.

I never imagined I would feel this way at the moment I had to reveal such a grand and audacious resolution to Ricardo.

Rather than imagining what expression he would make upon learning my true feelings, rather than that wretched fate of being branded a witch and sentenced to burn at the stake, I found myself thinking it would be fortunate just not to fall off the horse in front of everyone.

To think that the first step towards the top of the high stairs where Ricardo was waiting would be mounting a horse.

Gritting my teeth as if making a vow, I pulled back the tent flap with a grave expression.

When I returned to Ricardo’s tent, Freddie greeted me first. His anxious eyes met mine, asking silently.

‘Can you do it?’ Recalling the time I had spent on horseback over the past few days, I nodded resolutely to him. At that, Freddie visibly relaxed.

“Want a drink?”

I shook my head vigorously at Ricardo, who approached with a glass of alcohol.

“No.”

Alcohol in a situation where I needed to keep my wits about me even when sober.

Ricardo briefly furrowed his brow and then stared at me intently. As if trying to uncover something.

Fortunately, news came from outside that the emperor’s men had brought the horses, and I slipped out as if I had been waiting for it.

Freddie, who hurriedly followed me, examined the pair of horses this way and that before approaching Ricardo, who had belatedly come out of the tent.

“The horses are fine. Your horse should arrive by tonight, young master.”

It meant we had to use the emperor’s horses until then. Thankfully, the horse given to me was a smaller racing horse compared to Ricardo’s. It was similar to the one I had practiced on, which somewhat put my mind at ease. As I approached the horse, Ricardo tilted his head.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to ride the horse.”

“You know how?”

“Yes.”

My voice, resolute even to my own ears, echoed across the hunting grounds. I slowly approached the horse, gently stroking its mane while whispering. Pleading for it not to throw me to the ground.

With Ricardo’s help, I safely settled into the saddle and focused on the horse’s movements while catching my breath.

As we approached the gathering of people on horseback, the Duchess of Rochester raised her glass, drawing the attention of the nobles.

“Here are my son and his fiancée.”

As the word ‘fiancée’ officially left the duchess’s lips, people’s gazes took on various meanings. Despite the burning stares pouring down as if looking at a strange animal, I could think of nothing but struggling to maintain my balance on the horse.

The only thing that mattered to me now was not falling off this horse.

“Your Imperial Majesty, and noble ladies and gentlemen.”

As the duchess continued, people’s eyes glinted with interest.

“Today, I am raising my voice to correct unnecessary misunderstandings that have spread among the public.”

Having somewhat synchronized with the horse, my body, which had been leaning forward, straightened a bit.

Whew, a hot sigh of relief escaped involuntarily.

“People have been saying that Rochester is temporarily keeping the Pennel daughter. That he’s hiding Pennel from some unknown dark force.”

Despite the expression directly targeting the emperor, people remained silent.

“But that is not the truth.”

The duchess’s inscrutable red eyes swept widely left and right once.

“Lienne Lowy Pennel is not only the manifestation of the Rochester heir but also the very person who achieved awakening.”

As people began to stir, the horse carrying me snorted softly and shook its head slightly. I stroked its mane, trying to calm it.

‘It’s okay, it’ll be over soon. Really, there is an end. So please don’t throw me off.’ My voice was trembling finely as I spoke.

“Therefore, Rochester intends to maintain the engagement with the Pennel family even if the saint arrives in the Dermeyer Empire.”

The murmuring of the people grew too intense to ignore any longer. What was reflected in their eyes now was not just curiosity.

Some were already predicting the end of the empire at this unprecedented declaration. Though their voices weren’t loud yet, they were clearly afraid.

Even as I was extremely concerned about falling off the horse.

“One who is a saint but cannot do the work of a saint, and one who is not a saint but does the work of a saint.”

At these words that precisely pinpointed the truth, the murmuring of the people turned to silence.

I couldn’t bring myself to turn my gaze towards Ricardo.

As I became certain that the emperor’s horse would no longer throw me off, I was able to maintain a more perfect posture than ever before. As my body straightened, I could clearly see the expressions of the people standing below.

“Who indeed could be called Rochester’s companion?”

The sunlight that had been heating my head suddenly shone brightly, dazzling my vision to the point of dizziness. My eyes involuntarily squinted at the blindingly white light.

“Only God would know the answer to that.”

In that moment, Ricardo raised his large hand to block the sunlight beating down on my head. The sun that had been hotly tormenting me was completely obscured by his single palm.

I slowly turned my gaze to the owner of the hand that had created shade for me.

The black eyes that met mine held no emotion.

Eyes so terribly emotionless that they made one think terribly many thoughts, black eyes that buried all colors.

Even as the forest people sent stinging glances my way, I was bound by his black gaze, unable to do anything.

“Therefore, Lienne Lowy Pennel is no different from the saint. At least to this Rochester.”

A wind heavy with moisture shook the trees of the now quiet forest. His eyes seemed to be asking me. If I had known all of this.

My unwavering attitude during the duchess’s speech must have already given him all the answers.

That I had already decided everything. That I was truly sorry, but… it was something I couldn’t help.

Because I love you. Because this is a terrible emotion that even I can’t do anything about.

In the forest where even the beasts held their breath, my gaze trembled so loudly that even I could feel it.

At that moment, a purple light once again flickered in his pupils. This time, it wasn’t a color that disappeared in the blink of an eye.

‘What on earth is it…? The purple?’

Though it faded and intensified repeatedly, it was a definite light. So evident that even he, indifferent to everything, couldn’t conceal it.

‘Perhaps… disgustingly terrible, too loathsome. Or, well, feeling betrayed, something like that?’

A man’s voice sharply cut through the silence where even the sound of falling leaves seemed audible.