Esmeralda noticeably avoided me after that incident. There were various things I wanted to ask her about the suspicious events on that day, but approaching Esmeralda, who always seemed to disappear somewhere when I got closer, was not easy.

One day, as I continued to circle around Esmeralda, a suitable opportunity presented itself.

“Tsk.”

I spat out the grass I was chewing and hid behind a stone wall.

Esmeralda, who was taking a stroll in the garden, glanced around for a moment and then hastened her steps.

Hiding in the bushes, I followed Esmeralda diligently.

Almost catching up to her, Esmeralda suddenly began to run. As I arrived at the last place she was, a maze divided into several paths unfolded before me.

“Hehe.”

I let out a disappointed laugh, brushing off the dirt on my dress.

“Do I have to go this far? I’m not going to eat her anyway.”

Despite my grumbling, I was inspecting the dirt field, hoping to find some clues like footprints.

However, for some reason, Esmeralda’s smaller footprints were imprinted on all three paths, smaller than those of others.

“Strange, her footprints are so dainty.”

Next to the small and slender footprints, I stamped my foot once.

“Hmm, it’s quite robust.”

It was a robust footprint, suggesting proficiency in running.

“But still, to lose Esmeralda, it’s frustrating.”

I clenched my fist and examined the footprints again. Although there were footprints on all three paths, there was no apparent hint.

“Oh.”

My gaze involuntarily turned to the left path.

“The stride is different.”

I visually measured the stride. The stride on the left path was wider than the other two.

“Like that of a running person.”

I sighed deeply and started walking toward the left path.

It was difficult, but now I had to admit it.

“Indeed, a genius of the century.”

After that, there were no more footprints on the other paths, confirming that Esmeralda had outsmarted me.

“Hehe.”

With a sinister laugh, I approached my target step by step. At that moment, a distant murmuring voice reached my ears.

I couldn’t hear exactly what was being said, but it was undoubtedly Esmeralda’s voice.

I quickly hid in the bushes and tried to gauge the direction of the sound.

As I emerged from the bushes after a few careful steps, Esmeralda, who was shouting towards the fountain in the center of the maze, came into view.

There was no place to hide, so I couldn’t get any closer, but her anxious expression was clear. She seemed intensely restless, even gnawing at her fingers.

Having finished muttering, Esmeralda bowed once towards the fountain and turned her steps towards the maze exit.

I scratched my head at Esmeralda’s journey.
Alone, why is she shouting so loudly with a distressed expression and then bowing her back? No matter how much I think about it, “It can’t be explained other than wishing for rain.”

But it wasn’t an expression filled with excitement and anticipation; instead, she was shivering down to her shoulders as she made a wish on the dried-up fountain, covered entirely in moss, which was not an ideal place for making wishes.

It was incredibly suspicious.

I clenched my fist.

There was only one way to find out: ask directly. I quickly followed Esmeralda again.

While Esmeralda navigated through the winding maze paths, I opted for a straight route, cutting through the bushes.

Thanks to that, I could reach the exit a few minutes earlier than Esmeralda.

“Lady Reyna!”

Seeing me blocking the exit, Esmeralda was visibly startled. Her gaze, lowered by my dress, widened in shock.

“W-what’s going on?”

“Cough.”

When I cleared my throat, a few leaves stuck in my hair fluttered down.

Esmeralda’s gaze followed the falling leaves automatically.

Awkwardly, I chuckled to divert the topic.

“Haha, dear Esmeralda, what a coincidence.”

I held both sides of the exit in case Esmeralda tried to escape.

“But what’s happening in this maze? There’s not much to see here since it’s poorly maintained.”

Esmeralda noticeably stiffened.

“I was quietly enjoying a stroll alone because I had something to think about.”

“What kind of concern could it be…?”

I glanced at Esmeralda again, trying to awkwardly pry her for information. When Esmeralda didn’t say anything and just looked down at her hands, I circled around to ask more.

“Actually, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

I pretended to scratch my head.

“Like the day I got lost in the forest back then, and recently, it seems like I’ve been seeing illusions constantly.”

At the mention of illusions, Esmeralda flinched slightly.

“I thought it was just a misconception, so I haven’t told anyone, but on that day… I saw the path I had taken disappearing.”

Looking down again, Esmeralda steadfastly avoided my eyes.

“W-what are you talking about…?”

Boldly, I continued to press her. “I bravely went to find Esmeralda, but halfway through, I got scared and tried to go back. But suddenly, thorny bushes blocked the path where there used to be a way?”

I clenched my fist.