No sooner had Brody’s words ended than a thick fog rushed towards them.

Alicia, startled by the unexpected situation, stiffened as Killian quickly approached her side.

Half leaning into Killian’s embrace, Alicia’s mouth gaped open in surprise at the fog that instantly erased the surrounding scenery.

“It’s called a test, but it’s not that grandiose. So don’t worry.”

“If you’re thinking of playing a trick, you’d better stop.”

“Oh my, how scary. When someone who has seen so much blood says that, I’m so scared I don’t know what to do.”

“……”

“You were fine when you were covered in blood, but now you have something to fear. You should be careful.”

At Brody’s words, the sound of Killian gritting his teeth could be heard.

Was there something Killian feared?

Alicia felt the grip on her shoulders tighten and tried to look at Killian’s face to confirm.

“The story has gotten long. Now, it’s a test. Follow the path up. You can come alone or together. It’s also fine for all four of you to come, but the path is narrow.”

The thick fog that enveloped the two was gradually thinning.

“Follow the path. Understood?”

With Brody’s final words, the fog completely concealed its traces.

Startled by the sudden change in scenery, Alicia forgot that she was in Killian’s arms and looked around at the completely transformed surroundings.

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere in the Prisca mountain range.”

“This isn’t the path we were walking on.”

“He was manipulating the fog at will, so this level of trickery wouldn’t have been difficult for him.”

Only Alicia and Killian remained on the path.

Looking around to find Reilly and Casa, Alicia finally realized her position and blushed as she carefully extricated herself from Killian’s embrace.

“Wh-where did Sir White and the Viscount go?”

“Since he said the path is narrow, they’ll be standing on a different path.”

“Ah, again…”

“What’s wrong?”

“You… you’re speaking informally again.”

“Is it a problem?”

“…Since it’s just the two of us, it’s not a problem, but… I’m uncomfortable, so please do as you normally do.”

“Haha, I understand. Is this better, Your Highness?”

“…Yes.”

His tone became even more arrogant than when he spoke informally, but it suited Killian.

Sighing and shaking her head, Alicia noticed a large arrow drawn on the path as if telling them to come this way.

“Do we really just have to walk the path?”

“Even if he has other intentions, there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

“You’re right.”

From the beginning, the two had no choice.

Alicia, unable to shake the feeling of being swept along since the moment they met, moved her steps in the direction the arrow was pointing.

Since it was called a test, she thought an answer would come if they kept walking.

“I thought you’d at least tell me to go together, but you just left.”

“The Duke has no choice either.”

“It’s not my style to meekly follow a path set by others.”

“Is that so?”

At Killian’s words, Alicia stopped walking and turned around.

He was smiling confidently, as if he had no intention of meekly solving the problem Brody had given them.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“…I think it’s better to think a little before answering, Your Highness.”

“There’s no reason not to trust the Duke.”

That was the nature of their relationship.

Alicia trusted and Killian doubted.

It was always like that.

That’s why Alicia could love Killian to the end, and he couldn’t love her to the end.

It was the same now.

Alicia trusted Killian.

But what about Killian? Did he still doubt Alicia?

‘How would I know the heart of that man.’

How foolish her past self was, clinging to a question she could never answer on her own.

To avoid repeating the foolish mistake, she gave up trying to guess Killian’s heart and looked at him.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I’m thinking of taking a different path.”

“A different path?”

“I can see a few places where the flow is disrupted.”

“I see.”

“…Do you believe what I say?”

“You’re not the type to say you see what can’t be seen.”

As if he couldn’t believe her trust, Killian let out a hollow laugh and covered his face with one hand.

After laughing like that for a while, he lowered the hand covering his face, composed himself, and extended his hand to Alicia.

“It may not be the right answer, but it won’t be the wrong one either.”

“I’ll trust you.”

Placing her hand on top of Killian’s outstretched hand, Alicia nodded.

And a moment later, Killian was walking a mountain path with no traces of people, still holding Alicia’s hand.

As they endlessly walked the path that alternated between steep and flat, Alicia’s breath caught in her throat, but instead of asking to rest, she gritted her teeth and moved her feet to follow Killian.

How far had they walked like that?

Stopping on the flat ground that appeared once more, Killian searched for the cracks that only his eyes could see.

“Are you alright?”

“Huff, hah…”

“…Let’s rest a bit before going.”

“Ah, no… huff, I’m fine. Let’s go, phew, quickly.”

“We don’t know how much further we have to walk. It’s better to walk while recovering your strength.”

“If that’s the case…”

“But don’t sit on the ground, lean against a tree to rest.”

“Alright.”

“…If you sit on the ground at times like this, it’ll be hard to get back up. That’s why it’s better to lean against a tree to rest.”

When Alicia readily nodded, Killian seemed uncomfortable instead.

It was an explanation she never wanted, but Alicia smiled, realizing it was his way of being kind.

They chose a large, sturdy tree, leaned against it side by side, and silence settled between them.

What were they doing… She was thinking of borrowing Sienna’s specialty to grab the collar of the sage who invited her and shake him when she met him.

“Huh…? Fairy?”

Not far from the tree Alicia leaned against, she spotted a single red rose climbing a withered branch with a vine.

Not expecting to see her favorite flower in a place like this, Alicia unknowingly moved towards the rose.

“Alicia?”

It was the moment Killian, feeling strange about her sudden action, tried to follow her.

Alicia, reaching out towards the rose, suddenly got caught in a crack that appeared and disappeared.

“Alicia!”

Killian, following the crack a moment too late, desperately called her name, but there was no answer.

On the other hand, Alicia, who had reached out towards the rose, confirmed with her eyes that the scenery enveloping her had changed in an instant and Killian, who was with her, had disappeared.

Only the rose in her hand told her where she had been until a moment ago.

“Where am I?”

The path she had walked with Killian earlier was rugged, but it was a place brightly lit by sunlight.

However, the place where she was standing now had the appearance of a dark wasteland with large and small rocks exposed all around.

Could it be that she had passed through the disrupted path Killian mentioned?

The red flower she held in her hand gave off a deep fragrance, but it didn’t match the current scenery at all and only added an unnecessary sense of incongruity.

【Aa…li…cia…】

Alicia, who was looking around while shrinking her body, heard someone calling her name from afar.

Unconsciously turning her eyes in that direction, she could quickly recall what that voice calling her was.

The mutant she encountered in the greenhouse of Rasa Castle clearly called Alicia like that.

The fear that had faded while watching Killian and his wolves deal with the mutant swelled up again.

She tried to move her powerless legs and step back, but the owner of that voice was faster in finding Alicia.

【Grrr…Aa…li…cia…】

The giant mutant spotted Alicia.

As if a thirsty beast had discovered a puddle of water, it seemed to see nothing else around it.

The mutant walked straight towards Alicia, destroying, pushing aside, and trampling anything that blocked its way as it moved towards her.

‘I’m scared.’

That was the only thought that came to mind.

She tried to back away, but a huge rock was blocking her escape route.

‘Where? Where should I hide?’

There was no place to hide in sight.

Even if she found such a place, could she escape from that thing?

‘It’s impossible.’

The moment she thought of that, Alicia could only sink to the ground.

‘Killian!’

She wanted to see him.

She desperately wished for him to save her again, like he did in the greenhouse of Rasa Castle.

And at the same time, she thought.

Such a miracle would never happen again.

Killian had never been by her side when she desperately needed him.

Alicia was always alone in moments when she desperately needed him.

But would he appear as Alicia wished?

‘No.’

Alicia already knew the answer to that question.

He would not appear.

What happened at Rasa Castle was just a coincidence and a miracle.

【…Al…grrr…icia…】

The monster approached right in front of Alicia.

As she trembled with fear, unable to even breathe, the red rose in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.

It was the moment the monster calling her name reached out its hand towards Alicia.

“Alicia!”

At that moment, a voice she never expected to hear at this moment was heard.

And the space between Alicia and the monster was torn apart.

A sword that pierced through the cracked space like shattered glass slashed through the air.

And appearing through that tear…

“Killian…”

Just like when he saved her in the greenhouse of Rasa Castle, Killian appeared and growled as he cut off the monster’s arm reaching out towards Alicia.

“You think I’d fall for this kind of trick?”

It didn’t matter who he was talking to.

Without even thinking to wipe away the tears that flowed down her cheeks, Alicia simply stared at Killian, who appeared for the first time at the moment she desperately wished for.