When Etien, slightly awakened, opened her eyes, the face that briefly passed by her vision disappeared before she could identify it. However, the familiar voice in her ear left no room for confusion about who it was.

“At that time, you didn’t avoid me.”

Instead of answering, Etien stood up. Leharht’s hand, which was on her knee, fell away. Etien distanced herself from him and brushed off the dirt on her body.
Then Leharht tapped her shoulder as if offering help. Wondering why he would assist her, especially considering it involved brushing off dirt, Etien stared at him. Without making eye contact, Leharht spoke.

“So, for whatever reason, don’t avoid me. It’s better to say something outright.”

“…”

“Even if you know the future, it doesn’t matter. Just come out and say it. If you don’t want to help me, just say so.”

Leharht summarized and organized the scattered conversation. After clearing away the unnecessary details, all that remained was the secret between the two.

Etien, having returned to the past, knew the future, and Leharht was the one who had turned back her time.

Leharht suggested that she shouldn’t avoid him but rather say what she wanted.

As Etien remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, Leharht extended his hand.

“Do you plan to hold my hand now?”

In response to the question of whether she would endure it alone as they still had to go down further, Etien silently stared at the hand of the Crown Prince. While he merely offered assistance in descending the mountain, Etien kept attaching different meanings to the situation.

If she took Leharht’s hand now, it could mean sharing her future with him and perhaps accepting Leharht’s opinions on family matters. In doing so, she might become deeply entwined in this affair, and there was a possibility that she might not be able to keep the family out of danger. However, was it permissible to take this hand?
Can I trust the Crown Prince and navigate through all situations with him?

Thoughts continued to loop and intertwine.

“Etien?”

Then Leharht’s voice interrupted those thoughts. Etien snapped back to attention and grabbed Leharht’s hand abruptly. She had just pondered for a long time, yet she found herself holding his hand at the sound of his call.

“I might lean on this leg a lot as the strength has been released.”

However, at some point, all her thoughts focused on one thing. What should I do once I take this hand? The answer hadn’t come yet, but for now, she decided to take and see.

“You can lean as much as you want. Should I carry you down altogether?”

“It’s okay without that.”

Etien politely declined. Having decided to take his hand and move forward, she wanted to make the atmosphere as smooth as possible.

“How about being carried?”

“Rather, please take me to where there’s water.”

However, such thoughts scattered at Leharht’s offer to carry her. When Etien responded with a slightly raised voice, Leharht startled for a moment but soon chuckled.

“If that’s the case, it’s not difficult. There’s water not far away. Over there.”

Leharht kindly pointed to the side.

Thanks to Leharht informing her about the stream water, Etien comfortably sat on a rock, dipping her feet.

“Your expression looks better than relying on me, huh?”

“The water is refreshing. Isn’t it the same for you, Your Highness?”

“That’s true.”
Leharht wasn’t dipping his feet like Etien, but he felt the cool breeze created by the falling water from a small waterfall.

“By the way, I’ve been curious, can I ask about it?”

“What is it?”

“Those clothes.”

Leharht pointed at Etien’s skirt with his index finger.

“You could wear travel clothes, so why wear a skirt? You didn’t seem to care much about clothes.”

“Oh…”

While Sol and Hae-na wore elaborate dresses, Etien had on an outfit that reached her ankles. Thinking it unnecessary to wear a skirt, Leharht was about to stop Etien, who was fumbling with the skirt, but she lifted it up.

“What are you doing now…”

Leharht, in his confusion, tried to stop Etien, but he hesitated when he saw the pants hidden beneath the skirt.

“I actually wore separate travel clothes. This is just…”

Etien took out a pocket she had hidden inside her skirt. She opened the pocket and turned it inside out, revealing dried fruits and meat they had shared yesterday.

“It’s convenient for hiding various items.”

“Haha.”

In response to Etien’s explanation, Leharht let out an awkward laugh. Then, covering his face with his hands, he burst into genuine laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

Etien ate the dried fruit, looking at Leharht as if he were a strange person. Since they were outside, there was no need to save emergency rations.

“Is that all you want to ask?”

“Haha… ah, sorry.”