Adel’s gaze was directed outside the moving carriage.

Her eyes captured the scenery of the expansive fields, but her mind was filled only with scenes of the last conversation she had with Count Fleure.

Before departing, when she asked about the detailed contents of the manuscript she discovered in the Grand Duchy, Count Fleure’s expression trembled as if shocked.

[Dash] The manuscript is also in the Grand Duchy…! Could it be that His Excellency the Duke is also aware of it?

[Dash] No… judging by its state in the Grand Duchy’s library, it seemed like no one had read it for a very long time. I asked His Excellency, but he seemed not to know much.

[Dash] Have you read the entire content of the manuscript?

[Dash] I couldn’t read the damaged part at the end. I don’t know exactly what prophecy or curse it contained. So, I’m asking Father about it.

Upon Adel’s response, Count Fleure breathed a sigh of relief, clutching his chest as if comforted. He advised her with a serious look.

[Dash] If you go to the Grand Duchy again, be sure to hide that manuscript well.

[Dash] Huh? Hide the manuscript?

[Dash] Yes. As you saw, that manuscript records the history that made the royal family cautious about our family. It’s a very old story, but… it’s not something that should be known to the public, especially as long as you are the Duke’s partner…

[Dash] Why were we regarded with caution by the royal family based on that content?

To Adel’s question, Count Fleure fell into silence for a moment.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her everything that would make her uneasy, especially when she wanted to stay by the Duke’s side. It was better for her not to know.

[Dash] Well… after your contract with His Excellency the Duke ends and you return to the family, I will tell you everything about it.

Adel had to eventually learn about the position of herself and the family in relation to the Duke and the royal family.

[Dash] Remember that. Make sure to inquire about that manuscript. Especially, be extra careful in front of His Excellency the Duke, as he is a person from the royal family.

[Dash] …I understand.

Though Adel nodded her head as if understanding the pleading words of Count Fleure, the sight of him hiding something left an uneasy feeling, and the frustration of not fully knowing the contents of the manuscript lingered.

“Sigh…”

As a small sigh escaped her lips, on the opposite side, Kairon’s body flinched, reacting simultaneously.

Adel, who was lost in thought, might not have known, but Kairon’s gaze had been focused on her for a long time. All his attention seemed to be centered around her.

Even her small actions, like brushing her long eyelashes downward in the shallow depth, tickled him annoyingly.

Although he tried not to focus on her, whenever he regained his composure, his gaze was once again directed toward her.

“…Adel.”

Eventually, Kairon opened his mouth, calling out to her.

“Yes?”

In response to Kairon’s abrupt call, Adel looked at him, slightly surprised.

“Do you have any worries?”

“Oh, well…”

Unable to speak readily about the reason for her concerns, Adel trailed off at the end of her sentence.

“Now that we’re getting closer to the Lysandro Empire, I’m feeling nervous about my first foreign visit.”

After hesitating for a moment, she provided a different reason. Although it wasn’t a complete lie, it had a stinging feeling in her heart.

“How about you? Is your health okay?”

Adel shifted the topic to another subject. The air in the fairy forest was refreshing, but as the sun set, it gradually became cooler. She worried that he might have caught a cold while searching for her yesterday.
The air in the fairy forest was refreshing, but as the sun set, it became progressively cooler. Adel, who had gone through hardships searching for herself yesterday, worried if he might have caught a cold.

As her delicate gaze, as if meticulously examining him, reached him, he clenched his fist at the intensifying heartbeat and spoke.

“My body… is fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Everything else was fine. Excluding the uncontrollable reactions of his body…

“Yesterday, I suddenly had to perform the coming-of-age ceremony in the fairy forest, causing concerns.”

Adel brought up something she hadn’t mentioned due to her lack of opportunity.

“Still… Kairon, I was happy that you came to find me yourself.”

With a slight smile, she gently closed her eyes, saying ‘Thank you.’ Her figure, seen through fluttering petals, resembled a fairy, making him feel distant again.

However, soon after, Adel’s casually thrown words brought him back to full attention.

“But, how did you come to the center of the forest? I heard that unless you’re of the Fleure lineage, you get lost in the maze in the fairy forest…”

“…”

Somewhat flustered, he recalled the moment he stepped into the fairy forest.

As he walked further into the forest, the paths branched out, and an endless maze unfolded. Despite the warning from the Count, the forest was more complicated than expected, and he found himself lost and bewildered.