Now, I don’t even want to hide anything. What can I do after falling? The prince is probably thinking that someone who knows the future will tell everything. This was an impossible situation.

Etienne half answered as if letting it slip and then looked around. While Etienne was asking about where this place was, how to go up, and so on, Lehart silently stared at her. When Etienne turned around in place and looked back at Lehart, only then did he speak.

“As expected, it was you.”

“As expected?”

“…Did you know?”

Etienne asked with a bewildered look, and Lehart nodded.

“I knew that I was suspicious of you.”

Lehart asked as if wondering why Etienne was surprised. Etienne felt unjust. Yes, she had said something like suspecting those who adapt well to travel. But the conversation didn’t end there.

“Then you shouldn’t have responded as if you were okay with what I said back then.”

“Really? But I never said I changed my mind about you.”

“If you didn’t, you would still be suspecting me.”

“If I did, you would have avoided me.”

“Wow…”

Etienne was amazed. The prince knew that I was someone who knew the future, but still brought me here, watching my reactions, navigating the situation just right.

“Since when were you suspicious of me?”

“From the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”
When Etienne asked Lehart when he first became suspicious, Lehart gave a bright smile. Etienne now truly disliked the prince’s laughter and found it annoying.

“From the day I asked for your help.”

Unable to recall when that was, Etienne took a shallow breath. It literally meant that he had been suspicious of her from the beginning.

“But why…”

Etienne was now afraid to ask. The prince kept saying things beyond her expectations, making it hard for her to breathe.

“Etienne.”

Warmth touched her back. When Etienne turned her head, she saw Fernando’s concerned face.

“Are you okay?”

He swept his hand down her back, ensuring she could breathe properly. Etienne closed her eyes and took a moment to catch her breath.

‘Let’s think. Think…’

Etienne opened her eyes abruptly.

“He’s a bad person.”

That was the conclusion. In response to Etienne’s brief words, Lehart blinked, then smiled with a half-closed eye.

“Thank you.”

“I haven’t said a word of thanks.”

“It’s interpreted as deepening feelings towards me.”

Etienne, still shocked, couldn’t say anything for a moment, and Fernando intervened.

“Your Highness.”

“What’s the matter, Fernando?”

“Don’t touch Etienne anymore.”

Lehart frowned at Fernando’s words.

“I did touch Etienne, but your tone is strange. I was just teasing her like a cute little sister.”
“Do you have a cute little sister in the royal family?”

“Huh? Are you telling only my bloodline to do that?”

“Yes. Don’t do that to Etienne.”

Lehart paused for a moment and showed an interesting expression. However, for some reason, Fernando didn’t like that expression, so he nudged him.

“Since you’re partly responsible for getting stuck here, think of a way to get out.”

“Don’t make useless jokes and quickly handle this situation.”

“Yes.”

“You could have done it yourself.”

“It happened because of you.”

Strictly speaking, I am also a victim.”

“For both of us, Your Highness is the perpetrator.”

“I didn’t drag you into this.”

“But you dragged Etienne in.”

As Lehart and Fernando engaged in a silent battle of wills, the unexpected Etienne intervened.

“Wait a moment. Fernando, stop it too.”

“Etienne. If you stop here, he’ll say weird things to you again.”

“Well… Anyway, I was wrong too. I should have thought about leaving here, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry, Fernando.”

“I didn’t want you to apologize, Etienne.”

Fernando took Etienne’s hand. He pulled her dirty hands and wiped them on his clothes.

“As long as you’re safe, it doesn’t matter where we are.”

“Fernando?”

Etienne looked silently at Fernando’s face.

“So, think about it first, not me.”
Just now, he told the prince to handle the situation, claiming he was the perpetrator, but now he says it doesn’t matter. Etienne couldn’t have been the only one who heard those words.

“Fernando, as I listened, it felt a bit awkward. You say you didn’t drag me into this? But then you say it doesn’t matter to me while saying it’s irrelevant to Etienne?”

“Because I leaped to catch Etienne.”

“So…”

“If Your Highness hadn’t just caught Etienne, I wouldn’t have done it either.”

Lehart, after looking around with a bewildered expression for a moment, turned to Fernando again.

“You’re very rude to the prince.”

“If Your Highness behaved appropriately for your status, I wouldn’t have done this.”

“Not behaving appropriately means…”

“You’ve been suspecting, bothering, and causing difficulties for Etienne all along.”

Fernando, standing Etienne behind him, spoke with a face that seemed to declare that he would never compromise his principles. It looked as if he were protecting Etienne from the prince.

Having just settled an argument and now facing the confrontation of the two leaders, Etienne openly sighed.

‘It’s frustrating.’