Upon discovering Belladonna, Escalion tossed aside the longsword he was holding and quickly knelt down.

He embraced her limp body with trembling hands.

Her body, which he thought would be as cold as snow, retained more warmth than expected.

He could feel a very faint breath.

She was alive.

Escalion, taking a sharp intake of breath, pulled Belladonna even more tightly into his arms.

A feeling, whether relief or something else, rang strongly in his mind.

“Escalion!!”

Graham, who had hurriedly followed, appeared.

He stopped speaking when he saw Escalion deeply bowed, holding Belladonna in his arms.

“Did… did you find her?”

Hazel, who appeared following Graham, also hardened his expression upon seeing them.

Soon, as he grasped the situation, the tip of his nose turned bright red.

“C-Commander…”

Hazel stuttered as he walked towards Escalion.

“H-How could this… Commander, please don’t be too heartbroken… *sniff* The lady has g-gone to a better place… *sob*…”

Escalion, still holding Belladonna in his arms, turned slightly and reached out to Hazel who had come close.

He roughly tore off Hazel’s cloak and began wrapping it tightly around Belladonna.

“Aah, my cloak! *sniff*… What are you doing?”

“In case she’s cold.”

“In c-case she’s cold… Ugh… *sob*…”

Hazel immediately burst into tears.

Even though the lady’s body must have already grown cold, seeing the commander care so much made his heart ache.

Graham, who had turned his head with similarly complex emotions, spoke in a dejected voice.

“…We’ll withdraw now.”

The knights immediately formed a solemn atmosphere and organized their ranks.

They created a gloomy atmosphere by taking off their hats or bowing their heads.

Escalion, who had tightly bound Belladonna, stood up completely and approached them, opening his mouth.

“Don’t make a fuss, we’ll descend carefully.”

“Pardon?”

“We need to go down quickly. Before my wife’s body temperature drops further.”

“What? B-Body temperature?”

“What are you saying? Is she alive?”

Graham and Hazel opened their eyes wide and approached him.

Escalion passed by them and slid down the snow-covered mountain at a rapid pace.

Her whole body ached.

Belladonna, faintly regaining consciousness, frowned with all her might.

Where am I? Surely in a dark cave, with a giant bear…

“…!!”

Bear! A bear was trying to eat me!

Startled, Belladonna opened her eyes wide and flailed her arms and legs, looking around.

Come at me! I’ll hold out until I die!

“…?”

Belladonna, surveying her surroundings, stopped moving her limbs randomly.

This is…? Familiar structure and familiar furniture arrangement. It was her room inside Escalion’s castle.

What’s going on? When did I come here? Could it have been a dream?

Come to think of it, it seems like I had some impressive dream while I was unconscious…

It felt like something was about to be remembered, but there was nothing left in her mind.

“…”

Wait, why is this happening?

Belladonna, who had unconsciously opened her mouth to sigh, put her hand on her throat.

Ah, ah…? Ah…!

No voice was coming out at all.

What is this? What’s going on? Belladonna pushed her voice out, straining her throat.

But as if something was blocking her throat, truly no sound came out.

She clutched the pillow beside her and took rough breaths in bewilderment.

C-Calm down… Again…!

“…!”

Belladonna tried to make a sound by opening her mouth.

But still, she only opened and closed her mouth meaninglessly, with no sound echoing in the room.

What is this situation? Did the bear take my voice? No, more importantly, how did I return here…!

Knock knock.

At that moment, the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard.

Belladonna quickly turned her head to look at the opening door.

She hoped that whoever it was would come and explain this whole situation to her.

“My lady…?”

Cindy, who opened the door and entered, opened her eyes wide.

She dropped the new pillowcase she was holding on the floor and rushed to her in one breath.

“My lady!!”

Cindy…!

Belladonna stretched out both arms and hugged Cindy tightly as she threw herself into her arms.

Cindy cried as she busily stroked her shoulders and back.

“Waaah…! My lady, are you alright? I’m so glad you’ve regained consciousness. Waaah, my lady… Do you know how worried we were…!”

Belladonna nodded and stroked the back of her head.

She thought that not only herself, who had narrowly escaped a life-threatening crisis after being suddenly kidnapped by thugs, but also the servants who had waited for her must have been extremely anxious.

Eventually, Cindy slightly detached her tear-stained face and opened her mouth.

“My lady, are you feeling unwell anywhere? Did those wretched people harm you? Besides your face!”

Face…?

Belladonna quietly raised her hand and stroked her face.

Without realizing it, large bandages were attached to her right eye area and left cheek.

In her mind, a man’s face filled with madness and cruel lines appeared.

It wasn’t a dream after all… Belatedly, a chilling feeling crept through her body.

Belladonna shook her head at Cindy who was waiting for her answer. At least there were no more wounds left by them.

Then the bear…? Belladonna frowned.

I clearly remember the bear attacking me last… How am I still alive?

“Just in case, if there’s anywhere you’re uncomfortable, you need to tell me right away, okay?”

Belladonna nodded.

She looked around with dizzying eyes. She couldn’t understand what had happened.

Cindy, noticing that Belladonna was confused, opened her mouth.

“Amy and her boyfriend kidnapped you, my lady. It seems they tried to steal a few jewels when the lord was away from the castle… That’s when they must have encountered you. Is that right?”

Belladonna recalled the maid who had been constantly fidgeting beside the man in the cave.

Is that woman’s name Amy?

As Belladonna nodded faintly, Cindy spoke again with a tearful face.

“How could Amy repay kindness with betrayal…! How dare she lay hands on you, my lady! They abandoned you in a deep cave in the forest behind the castle. A full day passed before the lord finally found you.”

Escalion?

Belladonna looked at Cindy with a slightly surprised face.

Wasn’t Escalion supposed to be away from the castle…? Did he come back?

“If the lord hadn’t returned, I really don’t know what would have happened… I don’t even want to imagine it. The knights couldn’t move freely without the lord’s permission! It wasn’t enough for just those of us left in the castle to search this area thoroughly, so it was such a relief that he returned not too late.”

“…”

“We thought something terrible had happened to you, my lady! To be abandoned in the forest on such a cold day, wearing only thin nightclothes… That wicked girl Amy! Even if she was desperate for money, when the lord appeared carrying you, we really…! Waaah!”

Cindy burst into tears again.

Belladonna hugged her tightly and became lost in thought.

Escalion found me? Then what happened to that bear? Surely Escalion didn’t defeat it?

“*Sniff*! The lord didn’t rest at all and led the elite knights to search for Amy and her accomplice. He seems to think they couldn’t have gone far from Griblata due to the snow that’s been falling for days.”

Belladonna nodded her head as she listened to Cindy’s explanation, letting out a small breath.

Although she still couldn’t understand what exactly had happened, she felt like she could take a breather for now. At least she had returned alive…

“Are you cold, my lady?”

Shake shake.

“Then I’ll bring you a meal. You haven’t eaten anything until now, unable to wake up.”

Belladonna grabbed Cindy as she turned to leave.

She stretched out her arm, counting one by one as if counting numbers, with a curious expression. How long was I unable to wake up?

Cindy, understanding what her action meant, drooped her shoulders.

“My lady, you were unconscious for as long as three days. I’ll bring you thin porridge so it won’t be too much of a strain on your stomach.”

Ah, ah…

“…”

Ah! Ah!! Aah!!

“…”

Belladonna stomped her feet irritably.

It’s not coming out, it’s not coming out!

No matter how much effort she made or what method she tried, her voice wouldn’t come out.

Making a sound was such a natural thing that she never thought a special method would be needed…

How on earth am I supposed to do this??

Belladonna picked up the teacup Cindy had brought and gulped it down.

No matter how much hot water she poured in, calmed her mind and body, and strained her stomach and throat, the sound that resonated inside her body seemed to vanish as soon as it passed her throat, not coming out.

‘What on earth is going on!’

Belladonna, drained of energy, leaned against the bed headboard and looked up at the high ceiling.

‘First I became Saint Belladonna overnight, and now I’ve even lost my voice like a real saint?’

No way! I can’t live like this, it’s too frustrating!

Belladonna cleared her throat and straightened her posture again.

Alright, focus… Aaaaah!!

“…”

Hah… This is really driving me crazy.

Belladonna let out a despairing sigh and flopped down.

‘No! Maybe if I sleep deeply and wake up, it’ll return to normal!’

Just as she was holding onto the hope that if she forgot everything and slept deeply, her voice might come back as if nothing had happened when she woke up, the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard.

Knock knock.

Belladonna quickly turned her head. Is it Escalion?

She thought that if he had heard from Cindy that she had woken up, he might come here to check.

And at the same time, a small sense of relief bloomed.

Although the last time she saw him, he was storming out of the office in great anger towards her, he was the one who had searched the entire forest to save her when she was reported missing.

Perhaps his anger had subsided, or even if not, she thought he might not hate her too much.

‘I want to see him soon…’

Belladonna unknowingly put strength into her lips that kept drooping downwards.

She wished that the person entering now was Escalion, and she wanted to be embraced in his thick arms.

Then she could explain everything while in his embrace…