Dividing bread in Romfield was not something anyone could do.

Ines too had once received hard bread from her. If she missed a mealtime due to being severely beaten while being dragged by Germerlen, Charlotte would save a little of her own portion and reluctantly feed it to Ines later.

‘I must live,’ she had said at that time. So now, it was Ines’s turn.

“Yes, I will be your friend.”

“Thank you.”

Walking away from her, Ines suddenly looked back. Charlotte was seen speaking to her belly, head bowed. Perhaps she was boasting to her mother that she had made a friend.

She did not know when the day would come that her husband, a man of peculiar character, would die, nor in what manner. Perhaps Charlotte might have to go to Romfield again. But still, Ines wanted to help her keep her current state.

When she arrived at the rabbit hunting place, there were fewer people than before. Looking around, she saw the maid who had been with Louis, so Ines approached her.

“Did the princess convey?”

“She went inside looking for a white rabbit.”

She couldn’t see the figure, but there was no need to worry particularly. Even if the forest was thick at times, it was mostly low grass, and if it was a white rabbit, there would surely be people chasing it with Louis. Besides, the boundaries of the hunting place were clearly defined.

However, Ines followed the forest path to find Louis.

She had walked quite a bit, but there was still no sign of the child. When she tilted her head to the sky, the light shone in a crossshape, twinkling through the leaves. The sun made Ines’s eyes squint automatically, and it was then.

“Princess?”

Louis was standing upright in the middle of the road, and a man was kneeling in front of her, brushing off her dress. Recognizing who it was, Ines ran towards Louis at full speed.

At the sound, the two startled eyes turned to her, and Ines, who had grabbed Louis’s wrist, pulled the child behind her to hide her.

“Your Highness?”

“What were you doing?”

At the fairly sharp voice, Germerlen rose from his knee.

“What do you mean?”

“I asked what you were doing to the princess.”

“She seems to have fallen chasing a rabbit. I was just helping her.”

Ines only tilted her head slightly to examine Louis. Fortunately, there seemed to be no injury.

“I was only brushing off the dirt that got on her clothes when she fell.”

The man smiled innocently, a slightly aggrieved expression on his face. He was so different from the Germerlen she knew that it was bewildering. However, he was, as far as Ines knew, the most treacherous and horrible person.

When Ines stood silent, he took another step towards her. Her body, betraying reason, suddenly began to tremble.

Louis tightly grabbed Ines’s trembling hand from behind.

“Princess, follow this path straight back. I’ll follow you soon.”

She wanted to leave with Louis right away, but her body wouldn’t obey.

“Hurry.”

Urged by Ines, Louis nodded and ran down the path Ines had come from.

Facing his eyes again, she steeled herself not to be afraid, but her breath quickened.

Watching her closely, Germerlen looked around. Seeing no one else nearby, he stepped closer to Ines once again.

His long eyes narrowed.

“But Your Highness, something seems strange to me.”

Ines did not answer, focusing on calming her breath.

“I’ve felt it since earlier. Do you perhaps know me?”

“There’s no reason to.”

“I’ve heard your name is Ines.”

At the sound of her name from his lips, chills ran down her body. ‘Ines, Ines,’ his voice calling her wetly echoed in her ears.

“You are Ines Swelden, Your Highness?”

“…….”
No matter how much I thought about it, it was a name I heard for the first time. But why do I feel like the lady knows me?

“Do I have an obligation to tell you why you felt that way on your own?”

Even though she expressed her refusal with her whole body, Zemerun (male) showed no sign of stopping his approach towards Ines (female). He approached step by step, tilting his head, showing no hesitation.

In Ines’s eyes, his neck began to look as if it was creaking and moving in all directions.

One step, as he moved, Ines stumbled back.

“You might get hurt if you’re not careful…….”

“It’s none of your business.”

He licked his dry lips with his thick tongue once.

“There’s a very large rock behind you.”

“Do not come any closer. I’ll scream loudly.”

Zemerun looked Ines up and down.

“The clothes you’re wearing now are not a woman’s.”

“…….”

“Are they your lordship’s?”

A fleeting obsession he had seen in Romfield flashed in his eyes.

“But why do you… fear me?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged at her suddenly. The shock caused Ines to recoil and stumble over a large boulder, falling down.

“Ugh.”

The sharp edge of the rock cut a long wound on Ines’s right arm. Blood began to stain Carson’s (male) white shirt a bright red.

“Damn it!”

Though he knew that Ines had fallen and been seriously injured, he only pretended to be surprised, his eyes unshaken and indifferent.