There was no time to hesitate.

Duke Bersi left the laboratory and quickly headed to the entrance. The aide waiting in front of the lab door followed closely behind.

“Are the knights ready?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going too.”

“We’ve prepared.”

The knights were waiting, led by the captain.

“You’ve set up a tail, right?”

“Yes, they say they split into three teams shortly after leaving the city gate. The number of knights is the same, and they say carriages were prepared for each team in advance.”

“They anticipated being followed. They’re prepared.”

It’s about taking Princess Ormia to the Empire with the permission of the King of Glissia.

There was no need for such tactics to bring her with an official invitation. Normally.

“They know about the princess’s power.”

‘How does the Empire know?’

Even the dukes of Glissia hadn’t noticed until now. It doesn’t make sense that they didn’t know, given that eyes were planted in both the royal palace and the Olan family.

Then there’s only one answer.

‘Princess Ormia herself must have told the envoys. She was hiding it thoroughly to go to the Empire.’

Duke Bersi recalled a man who never left Princess Ormia’s side.

Black hair, black eyes. A man with an unusual aura that naturally drew attention. Said to be a retainer of the treasonous Wilboyer family.

“Is that man really just a retainer?”

That sharp aura was not one of someone who serves under others.

Duke Bersi ordered.

“Hal Runde. Chase after the group that man is with.”

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

I didn’t know because I had never ridden in a carriage for this long before.

After leaving the city gates, the carriage traveled for two full days, except for eating and sleeping times.

Even in a comfortable carriage that doesn’t shake, it’s useless on bad roads. My bottom would lift off the seat. My body bounced around like a ball in a small box.

I was exhausted.

I tumbled out of the carriage and slumped down under a tree.

The first day was bearable, but on the second day, I was out of it.

Under the setting sun, ten knights busily lit bonfires, pitched tents, and prepared meals.

The forest darkened quickly.

“I’ll help too.”

“In your condition? Can you even stand properly?”

A gruff voice sneered.

The real Hal Runde, Liam’s aide, looked down at me pitifully.

“Just sit quietly. If it weren’t for the princess, we wouldn’t be camping like this! Ow! My leg! Sir Liam!”

Hal, who got kicked in the shin by Liam, teared up. Hal pouted his lips while looking at Liam.

“That’s too much. How can you treat your precious aide so brutally!”

When I met him in my third life, he was quietly standing behind Liam, so I didn’t know he had this kind of personality.

“I told you to treat her respectfully.”

“What did I do wrong! I’m being plenty respectful even though she’s a Beltoa!”

“Your tone.”

“I’m a member of the Wilboyer family. So the princess will understand, right? More importantly, why her? If I had gone to Glissia with you, Sir Liam, I would have clung to your legs and stopped you!”

“If you had, my identity would have been exposed.”

“Sir Liam! I wouldn’t have done that!”

“You called me Liam as soon as you met the princess, and you expect me to believe you? Have you forgotten I disqualified you because of that mouth of yours?”

“Ugh…”

With no room for excuses, Hal turned away from Liam’s cold eyes and headed towards the knights.

“I’ll be in charge of the meal.”

The knights panicked and rushed over as he snatched the soup ladle.

“Eek, no, it’s fine!”

“My skills have improved quite a bit.”

“Hey, stop him!”

“H-Hal sir! Please grill the meat. Your grilled meat is special, right?”

“Hmm, hmm. I am quite skilled.”

As Hal approached the fire, I could hear the knights in charge of cooking whispering and elbowing each other.

“Hey, what are you going to do?”

“He’s just grilling meat. It’s harder to ruin it. It’ll be average at least.”

“If it becomes inedible, you’re responsible.”

It was amusing, but fatigue weighed on my shoulders.

I wanted to lean back against the tree behind me.

The etiquette teacher’s emphasis on maintaining proper posture even when about to collapse, to set an example for the nobles, was effective in situations like this.

I looked down at my hands resting limply on my legs. My palms were red.

From gripping the handles to steady myself in the shaking carriage, I couldn’t even muster strength in my arms.

‘I’m weak.’

I’ve always been weak and a victim.

Powerless.

I succumbed to the duke and couldn’t resist the king. I knew how to use the blessing, but that was all.

Foolishly, it took three lifetimes to find what I needed to do.

If I had been more resolute, more cold-hearted, more ruthless, wouldn’t I have escaped a little sooner?

Darkness crept up from the ground where I sat, eating away at me. The abyss of darkness was always waiting for a chance to swallow me.

My body grew heavier and heavier.

I was tired.

So tired I wanted to lie down and never get up.

We had barely left the capital today, yet weak thoughts surfaced.

‘I don’t want to do anything.’

What if I just hid away like this?

The time I have left is only 2 years. No, even less than that.

It’s a limited life anyway. The predetermined death will come.

My choices in my second and third lives were failures. I left the palace and the capital, but I still haven’t escaped Glissia.

Wouldn’t it be easier to live as I please, rather than going to the Empire and being on edge in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar people?

Comfortably and at ease, instead of struggling in an uncertain Empire.

‘I really am weak.’

I’m already about to crumble just from leaving the capital.

Even though I said I would save Liam.

‘This is no different from my past lives.’

Again, eventually, dying alone in that narrow, dark, cold space.

“Here.”

With a deep voice, colorful flowers fell onto my lap.

No, not flowers.

They were candies wrapped in colorful paper. The sweet scent was delightful. Just the aroma made my dry mouth water.

“Flower candies from Masi’s confectionery!”

“You know them.”

Liam leaned against the tree, looking down at me.

“It’ll take some time until the meal is ready, so eat these. Sugar helps relieve fatigue.”

When did he buy these?

As I looked up at him, Liam tilted his head.

“I heard the flower candies from the capital’s confectionery were famous. We can’t rest in the village because the duke might chase us. I bought a whole box, so let me know if you want more.”

“…Thank you.”

These are the candies that came mixed with the gifts Duke Haiman gave in my second life.

The taste isn’t different from other high-quality candies. Rather, the candy shape is plain and round, lacking distinguishing features, but there’s another reason these flower candies are famous.

‘The superstition that if the candy color matches the wrapper, your love will come true became popular among young ladies.’

It’s just a marketing tactic.

A lady who knew the shop owner well boasted to Duke Haiman that it was a sales strategy she had advised.

Even knowing it was false, I would get excited when opening the wrapper.

‘The colors never matched though.’

My first love was Jeffrey.

Is that why it was always different for me?

“Eat one now. Your complexion is pale, like you’re about to faint.”

“Ah, yes.”

It’s not a meaningful act.

I slowly pulled the ends of the candy wrapper. I had no expectations as the paper unfolded with a small rustling sound.

It would be another losing draw this time, but I still wanted to confirm my bad luck.

The moment the twisted wrapper unfolded with a crackle, Liam’s arm blocked my view. In an instant, I was in his arms.

A sharp metallic sound rang out nearby, followed by a thud as a metal skewer stuck into the ground. The last faint glow of sunset reflected off his sword.

What happened?

I could see his strong jawline.

The veins in Liam’s thick neck bulged as his Adam’s apple moved up and down prominently before my eyes.

“Hal!”

“Eek! I’m sorry!”

The scent emanating from Liam made it impossible to think of anything else.

“No, why did the skewer for roasting birds fly all the way over here?”

“It was as fast as a throwing knife. Even I couldn’t see it!”

“Ugh. Hey, move away. We’ll get skewered next.”

I raised my head as I heard the knights muttering in bewilderment, and my eyes met Liam’s.

By then, the sky had darkened, and in that moment when my eyes were consumed by the darkness, making it seem even deeper.

Liam gazed at me intently, and my breathing sounded louder.

He was always intense.

When he invaded Glissia bringing the smell of blood, when he looked down at me coldly in prison with eyes that seemed to have burned out all life, he was always etched in my eyes.

Liam’s gaze on me shifted downward and then came closer.

His neckline was almost touching the tip of my nose. I realized I was holding my breath.

“You dropped it.”

His sudden words brought me back to reality.

“It’s red.”

“Pardon?”

“The color inside matches the wrapper.”

Liam picked up the candy that had fallen on my dress. It must have dropped while I was pulling the wrapper, but I was surprised by the candy he held.

“I’ll eat the one that fell.”

“Ah, no!”

I grabbed his arm without thinking. My voice was loud enough to make the working knights turn around briefly.

My cheeks felt hot.

Liam was also surprised by my action, but I didn’t let go of his arm.

“You can’t eat it.”

“It fell on your clothes, but it’s dirty with dust. It’s not suitable for a princess to eat.”

“You gave it to me. It’s mine.”

When was the last time I clung like this?

Probably when I desperately begged the king to let me marry Jeffrey.

Liam looked down at me and put the red candy in his mouth before I could stop him.

His cheeks bulged, and he crunched the candy. I could hear it breaking in his mouth.

“Ah!”

Annoyingly, he raised the corners of his mouth, enjoying the situation.

“Your expression has finally softened.”

“What?”

“We need to have dinner, so don’t eat too many.”

Liam threw me a couple more candies and headed towards the knights.

I looked at the wrapper in my hand. The candy paper with its contents gone.

It was dark, but the color of the paper remained in my eyes.

Red.

The candy Liam ate was the same color as the red wrapper in my hand.

The superstition that your first love will come true came to me, but Liam ate it.

Feeling a lump in my throat, I bit my lower lip.

The thoughts of blaming myself for being powerless and weak were no longer there.

The sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears.