Swoosh[Dash].

Along with vibrations that made the ground tremble, a sound of something collapsing resonated.

‘What’s this?’

By now, there should have been a dreadful pain. Lina, who sensed something strange, slowly opened her eyes.

“This, what in the world…?”

A gigantic bear lying with an arrow through its neck. In the unexpected situation, Lina stammered.

With shuffling sounds, a man approached Lina.

“You…”

Even in the dark surroundings, his eyes, shining red, softened gently. Until a moment ago, he hadn’t shown any sign of drawing a bow, appearing flawless.

“Do you have any injuries?”

“…Second Prince.”

The hunting competition should have ended long ago. Could it be that he got lost in the forest? Lina looked at Bleteus, who reached out to her, with suspicion in her eyes.

Reading the doubt in her eyes, he murmured quietly.

“I missed the last prey, regretted it, and was strolling through the forest a bit more. You were almost in big trouble. Are you okay?”

“…Yes, I’m okay. Thanks to you, I survived. I’m really grateful.”

As Lina was about to take her hand away, Bleteus seized her wrist.

“You have a wound here.”

The man, who had examined the wound inflicted by the fox during the day, frowned.

“Oh, this is from a fox’s bite…”

“Fox?”

In response, Bleteus scrutinized Lina’s finger. Despite some time having passed since the bite, blood was still seeping slowly from her index finger.

“Ugh…”

As Lina let out a small groan, Bleteus’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Come to think of it, the wound isn’t healing quickly.’

Such a minor injury should have already healed long ago. Not only did it not heal, but blood was still oozing. Moreover, that alone.

‘Strangely, my body continues to feel heavy…’

Standing there felt burdensome, as if she had caught a severe cold. Maybe it was because she was nervous about attending such a grand event as a noble lady.

In a hurry to return to the mansion and rest, her movements became impatient.

“It’s not a significant injury, so please don’t worry… Ugh.”

Just as she was about to express her intention to refuse the man who seemed unwilling to let go of her hand, a sudden dizziness rushed over her, causing her to stagger.

Supporting Lina, who seemed to be in deep thought, the man murmured quietly after a moment of silence.

“Seems like you’re feeling dizzy.”

“Yes, a little…”

She looked at Bleteus with a puzzled expression, unsure of what he was thinking.

‘What’s this?’

At the beginning of an inexplicable uncomfortable feeling, he whispered quietly.

“It’s a matter of time.”

“Yes?”

Her voice was too soft to catch what he was saying.

“Lina is.”

“…Not yet.”
For already two hours, they had been scouring the forest to find Lina. The forest wasn’t that vast, so why couldn’t they find her?

As the search time extended, it seemed like Bellige’s insides were turning black. In desperation, he returned to the base camp, wondering if they had crossed paths, but the situation remained unchanged.

“Darn it. Where could she be…?”

It was when he muttered a low curse due to the frustration caused by the elusive Lina.

“Duke! Over there…!”

A soldier, as if discovering something, pointed at the forest with a loud voice. Everyone there turned their eyes to where the soldier was pointing.

“…Lina?”

The Lina everyone anxiously sought was walking towards them. There was deep relief and joy.

In the complex emotions that arose as the Duke was about to approach Lina…

“Oh? Who’s coming with her?”

Only then did he notice the man walking alongside Lina.

And that man…

“Second Prince…?”

Bellige’s steps, seeing that, froze as if rooted to the spot. Wasn’t the Second Prince supposed to be at the palace?

In the unexpected scene, Bellige’s forehead wrinkled with an expression of disbelief.

“Oh my, isn’t that the Second Prince?”

“Really, why is he with the Duchess of Loinais…?”

Not only Bellige but also others found the picture of the two strange and began murmuring, as if witnessing a rare sight.

The whispers mixed with questions about whether there was something between the two. Baseless speculations about the peculiar relationship of the three were rampant in people’s minds.

“Duke!”

While Bellige was also weaving imaginative thoughts about the two, he snapped out of it when Lina called him.

Lina, who seemed to be searching for someone, looked around, then breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming Bellige.

‘What am I thinking right now?’

Brushing away the confusing thoughts in his mind, Bellige approached Lina.

“I’m sorry. Were you worried? I got lost in the forest…”

“…Where did you get hurt? And why is your dress…?”

Perhaps due to wandering in the forest for too long, Lina’s pristine dress was now a mess with dirt.

“I’m fine. I just stumbled for a moment because I was surprised to meet a bear.”

“A bear…?”

Meeting a bear was unexpected.

Finally realizing that, Bellige’s forehead crumpled mercilessly.

“Fortunately, His Highness the Second Prince, who happened to be passing by, rescued me.”