Valige spoke softly, as if he didn’t like that Lina still addressed him as Duke.

“My name is not Duke. It’s Valige.”

Lina couldn’t hide her confusion as she looked at Valige, who was staring at her reproachfully.

“But how can I call you Duke…….”

“When will you finally call your fiancé by his name?”

The Duke, who had approached her without her noticing, gently pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at her closely.

“It still feels a bit… awkward, so I’ll do it slowly.”

Valige, who had been quietly watching Lina’s listless reply, spoke.

“Is it tough? You’ve seemed lacking in energy lately. If there’s something worrying you…….,”

“No, I’m just tired.”

Lina answered firmly to Valige’s question.

“…….”

‘Did I speak too coldly?’

Feeling sorry for speaking so coldly to the Duke who was worried about her, Lina was about to open her mouth again.

Suddenly, the Duke hugged her tightly, and her words were choked off.

“Duke……?”

“Lina.”

He inhaled deeply, his voice a low murmur.

“I won’t ask anything about your past. But, from now on, don’t deceive me about anything.”

Thump.

Her heart felt like it was falling to the floor. The moment she heard Valige’s last whisper, her breath was caught.

“Duke, I……”

What should she say?

What could she say to not hurt this man?

Or was there any point in saying something that didn’t hurt him in the first place?

Lina, who hesitated for a moment, whispered in his ear.

“I won’t deceive you, Duke.”

A lie.

She, who had been deceiving him about everything,

In the end, even her last words were a lie.

But, the Duke seemed reassured by her answer, embracing her tightly, burying his face in her neck, and taking a deep breath.

Her hand, tightly holding the Duke’s back, trembled slightly, but the Duke did not notice. He was just relieved by Lina’s words that she wouldn’t deceive him.

‘He’ll hate me when I leave.’

He might be angry, desperate, perhaps even curse her.

‘I’m sorry.’

Lina swallowed the tears welling in her eyes, struggling to break free from him.

“Duke. People will be looking for us soon. So we have to go now…….”

“Just a little.”

Valige whispered, tightening his arms around Lina.

“Just a little longer. Let’s stay like this…….,”

Lina’s movements stopped at his slightly trembling voice. Valige’s shallow breath and his ravenblack hair tickled Lina’s neck.
Soon, she held the Duke’s arm that was wrapped around her body with one hand, and with the other hand, she stroked his hair.

“Yes, let’s stay like this for a little longer. Us.”

But the more she was with him like this, the lump that had been weighing on Lina’s chest pressed her down even more heavily.

‘Really, I’m sorry…….’

A distant cry looking for the two of them kept coming. But the two people just hugged each other tightly, as if they could not hear it at all.

‘I’ve been too selfish……. So, don’t forgive me.’

In the forest surrounding the two, only the rustling sound of trembling leaves and the sound of small birds were quietly echoing.

(This is a time separator.)

‘Two more days.’

In two more days, it was the border of Festius.

And then…….

“Miss, what is that necklace? I’ve never seen it before.”

Mei discovered the ring she had gotten back from Valige the day before the engagement ceremony, and asked.

“Ah, this…… It’s something my mother left me.”

“Your mother?”

As Mei asked with twinkling eyes, Lina quietly smiled and unclasped the necklace.

“Do you want to see it up close?”

“Yes!”

Mei received the necklace from Lina and looked it over.

“Huh? It’s originally a ring, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it was uncomfortable to wear when working, so I always wore it as a necklace.”

“Then, now that you don’t have to, you can wear it as a ring! It would suit you very well, Miss!”

As Mei was speaking eloquently, she handed the necklace to Lina at that moment.

“Kyah[Dash]!”

Suddenly the carriage, which had been running well, came to a sudden stop, and Lina and Mei, who had lost their balance, swayed violently.

“What’s going on?”

Mei, who had been glancing around for a moment, stuck her head out of the carriage.

But then.

“Kwang[Dash]!”

Suddenly, a loud noise and a sharp clanging sound began to echo throughout the forest.

“What on earth……!”

“Miss……!”

Mei looked at Lina with a tense face.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious…… Ugh!”

At the moment when Lina, who had sensed that the situation was not flowing normally, was trying to reassure Mei.

A deafening horse’s cry, and the carriage they were riding in began to run at an incomparably faster pace.

“Kyaa[Dash]!”

In the end, Lina and Mei, who had lost their balance, tumbled all over the carriage.

‘What’s happening……?’

Lina, who had barely managed to get up to grasp the situation, looked out the window, and what she saw was.

‘A cliff.’

“Ah, Miss. That, that thing we’re seeing, could it be……. ”

Mei, who seemed to have seen the same thing, asked with a trembling voice. Lina quickly recited a spell in response.

But, to their dismay, there was no change.

‘Indeed, it’s impossible.’

Lina bit her lip as if she had expected this to some extent.

Teleportation magic itself consumed a lot of magical power, so it was impossible for Lina to teleport more than one person at this point.

‘What should I do?’

She could only escape from the carriage through magic alone. Lina’s hand, clutching her skirt, was now pale.

‘I can survive if I fall, but.’

Mei would die.

And her dilemma did not last long.

“It will be fine. Mei.”

“……Yes?”

As Mei sensed something strange looking at the suddenly calm Lina.

At the same time Mei opened her mouth towards Lina, she disappeared from the carriage in an instant. Lina, who was now left alone, closed her eyes tightly.

‘Please be safe.’

She seemed to hear Valige’s voice in her ears for a moment.

Though it had become utterly useless.

And so, the carriage Lina was riding in plunged down the cliff.