“Lady Gong! Where are you!”

“Maiana, wait!”

Maiana ran into the forest, pushing through bushes and branches. As she sprinted through the unmarked path, scratches and thorns marred her way. Maiana, abruptly stopping in a clearing with a wide-open view, seemed perplexed. However, the moment she saw three trembling children, her mind suddenly cleared.

“Lord Umbrose! Miss Crony!”

“Maiana!”

Crony, whose face had turned pale from crying, ran towards Maiana, shedding tears and embracing her. Holding the basket, Lujian and Umbrose, who had been trembling while holding back tears, also began to sob with relief.

Cedeloi spoke.

“What about Ariante and Sylas? They’re nowhere to be found. Where did the three of them go?”

Lujian, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, answered.

“W-well, we were playing hide-and-seek, and I didn’t know where Sylas and Sisi hid. So, Ariante was the seeker, and I went to find them… but no one came back!”

Though the words were disorganized and rambling, they were not too difficult to understand. Cedeloi immediately grasped the situation and instructed the hired hands to take the children with them.

“And the rest of the team, spread out from here again and look for other children. We have to find them before it starts raining. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

Watching the scattered hired hands, Cedeloi noticed Maiana walking alone into the forest. When he caught her arm, she twisted her shoulders as if trying to shake him off, breathing heavily in anger. Tears welled up, and her lips quivered.

Cedeloi said, “Ariante will be fine, Maiana.”

His warm hand lightly grasped Maiana’s shoulder. The trembling didn’t stop immediately, but the rapid breathing, filled with anger, gradually calmed down. Nonetheless, Maiana didn’t stop walking, continuing to bite her lips.

“If anything happened to Lady Gong, I’ll never forgive myself.”

It wasn’t just about leaving the children behind. If that were the case, she should have called someone else—Beinteden, Bridget, or Evenyd. Or even the stable keeper! The gardener! If she had done that, this wouldn’t have happened. Maiana blamed herself multiple times in her heart.

Cedeloi walked ahead, clearing branches and strong vines. He, too, seemed troubled by worrying about Ariante, and although his insides seemed to be burning with anxiety, he had to maintain composure to reassure Maiana.

“Ariante will be okay, Maiana.”

“How do you know that, Lord Cedeloi!”

Maiana’s shoulders trembled as she shouted, stopping abruptly. A rumble echoed from somewhere in the sky, covered by thick, dark clouds. Though still distant, it would soon draw near.
“No, Maiana whispered despairingly. She couldn’t control the boiling anger within her. Though she despised herself for diverting her eyes from Ariante, the uncontrollable rage had nowhere to go, and it erupted in all directions. She opened her eyes wide as if acknowledging her mistake, then quickly lowered her head, burying her face behind her hands.

“Something might have happened. Besides, you once sprained your ankle before. What if you tripped over something like a tree root and fell hard? What if you rolled down a cliff?!”

Cedeloi spoke calmly.

“First, there are no big cliffs in this forest. There are ponds and lakes scattered around, but there’s no dangerous swamp-like area. So, don’t worry about that. And Ariante will be just fine. Because you took care of her and taught her. That child is clever. She knows what to do when she’s lost, so don’t worry, take a deep breath. The bigger problem is if you lose your composure.”

Maiana looked up at Cedeloi with trembling eyes. He continued.

“Breathe in… That’s right. Breathe out deeply and breathe in again. It’s about calming down. You’ll start when you’re completely calm.”

While taking deep breaths, Maiana’s pale cheeks slowly regained color. Cedeloi held her hand until she found complete calmness, then cautiously checked her complexion.

“Feeling better?”

Maiana nodded, holding back tears that seemed about to burst.

Around that time, dark clouds cast shadows over the heads of the three children lost in the forest.

Exhausted Sisi fell asleep leaning against a tree, and Ariante and Sylas, ears twitching alternately, tried to climb back up the hill to listen for other people’s voices, but it wasn’t easy. Every attempt to climb a little higher ended up in slipping back down the slope, leaving them drained.

While consoling Sisi, who cried about her hurting ankle throughout, Ariante tore her own skirt and used it to bandage Sisi’s ankle and calf. The seven- and ten-year-old hands were quite clumsy, and the makeshift bandage looked sloppy, but it seemed to comfort Sisi.

“Aren’t you cold, Ariante?”

As the wind began to blow, Sylas asked with concern. Due to the wind tearing through the torn skirt while wrapping Sisi’s legs, Ariante’s thin underskirt was almost fully exposed.

“I’m fine. Isn’t Sylas the one feeling cold?”

“I’m okay at this level. But if it starts raining, it’ll be a big problem.”