The warmth that touched her head lingered, tickling her hair like a spring breeze.

Jackal lowered his eyelids slightly and said,

“I’m sorry for mocking your purpose then. Now that I think about it, I’m sorry for everything, and I don’t know how to apologize……”

Asha swiftly reached out with both arms, drawing his head to her chest.

Jackal’s eyes widened at her action.

Asha embraced his head and spoke calmly.

“……There’s nothing to be sorry for. To me, they’re all things to be thankful for. So much so, I don’t know how to repay you……”

Asha stroked his bluishgrey hair like a mane, just as she always did with Shepie.

Jackal’s eyes became tender.

He slowly lifted his head and met Asha’s eyes closely.

Asha felt that his face, illuminated by the campfire, seemed a little flushed.

The two stared into each other’s eyes for a long time.

Their eye colors were different, but the same emotion was contained in their eyes.

A tender atmosphere was gradually formed between the two.

Jackal soon looked at her with trembling eyes and confessed.

“I like you. I love you with my life.”

Asha’s eyes also trembled.

Seeing no sign of her avoiding him, Jackal carefully approached her face.

Then, giving a moment to prepare himself, he closed his eyes, leaned his head in, and approached Asha’s lips.

It was his first kiss.

Asha’s eyes widened slightly, and her breath stopped unknowingly, but soon she closed her eyes slightly and kissed him.

Suddenly, the cave was filled with warmth, and her eyelids and body trembled.

It was neither anxious nor scary, nor burdensome, but pure ecstasy itself.

Jackal more boldly placed his large hand on her waist, drawing her body even closer to him.

When his firm embrace entirely wrapped her body, Asha felt her heart might burst.

His embrace felt sturdy and snug as if it would protect her from all the dangers of the world.

They shared their warmth in the cold cave, pressing their bodies together for a long time.

Then, the arriving Licayons discovered them outside the cave and turned their heads pretending not to see.

“So much for pretending, I knew they would end up like this……. Where men and women have a secret meeting in a cave…….”

One Licayon muttered so, and the rest of the members also turned their heads with a smile on their lips.

Naji’s eyes widened, and he tried to sneak another look, but Geb quickly covered his eyes and turned Naji’s head to his side.

Sosa smiled faintly and said,

“Let’s not disturb them; we’ll come back later.”

(This is a time separator.)

“……How can no one know Vanessa’s whereabouts!”

At that time, Karaf was raging with anger in the palace.

Watching him violently throw everything from the desk to the floor, the palace servants and knights all paled and bowed their heads by the door.

Suddenly, Vanessa’s horse took her and disappeared, so the ceremony was forcibly halted.

After fuming for hours, Karaf eventually slumped onto the sofa, covering his forehead with both hands.

Though angry at the knights, he was also clueless about her whereabouts.

There was no one to blame. The one who provided the opportunity for the horse to escape was none other than himself.

He should have killed that damn horse long ago.

Knowing that it had a special attachment to its master and was wary of him, allowing her to ride it on the most crucial ceremony day was a big mistake.

He felt as foolish and pathetic as when he was betrayed by Saylen.

Karaf struggled to catch his ragged breath from his anger and said,

“……Where is Duran now?”

The chief steward, seemingly apologetic even to speak, merely murmured without lifting his head.
Sir Duran has not yet returned to the palace. During the pursuit, the rain came and the footprints were interrupted, so I know he is searching the northern region all night.

At those words, Karaf momentarily flinched his hand.

Suddenly, the conversation he had with her earlier popped into his head.

‘Did you see a death scene…? Then, did you see how you die?’

‘Yes. I die by falling off a cliff.’

His face became even paler, and he trembled mercilessly.

She could have died.

Nobody knew whether that damned thing would get carried away and rush to the cliff and fall off.

Perhaps that had already happened….

The moment he thought that, Karaf’s eyes widened as he jumped up from the sofa and shouted.

“Tell Duran to search around the cliffs right away!”

Unable to bear the unbearable anxiety, he tried to go out and search together, but his legs gave way, and he slumped down to the floor.

“Your Majesty…!”

The head servant rushed to support him, but Karaf roughly brushed off his hand and forcibly got up.

“We must find Vanessa quickly… Vanessa might… die…”

With dark shadows beneath his eyes, he looked decadently worn out, almost out of his mind.

Seeing the cold sweat on his forehead, the head servant cried out in alarm.

“I will send for medicine right away!”

The head servant urgently instructed the servants to bring water and medicine.

Karaf downed the medicine with water in one gulp.