Ah, this was clearly a test, a test to see my resolution.
"….."
"Come to think of it, when you go outside the castle gate, you can see flowers blooming sometimes in this weather, it's just… It's too dangerous for you to leave the gate alone at night."
Chloe had a cigarette in her mouth again, and then the white smoke came out of it again, and she said, "There could be wild animals roaming around, and monsters who have lost their night-time path can also walk around."
She lowered her voice as if to frighten me. "More than anything else, you have to wander alone on the dark, rough road to find the flowers."
The smoke covered Chloe's expression just like a while ago. I didn't see what kind of expression was in her face, but I knew what words would follow. I don't know why she suddenly changed her mind, but Chloe was trying to give me a chance.
"You might die trying to find a flower. Would you still bring me some flowers? Why not turn it to red cotton flowers?"
"If you don't mind the flowers that are bent, then as many as you want."
And there was no reason to reject the offer. So with my resolute answer, the swirling white mist reflected the light around the corner of her mouth. There was a very satisfying smile at the corners of her mouth.
Chloe seemed satisfied as though what I said was the right answer, but not the boy next to me.
"Mother! What are you talking about? Where are you going to send her in the middle of the night?"
The pale-faced boy's desperate attempt seemed unfamiliar to me. Perhaps because it was the first time I saw someone who didn't despise me and was really worried about me. I looked up at him unknowingly. When he noticed my eyes, it embarrassed him for a moment, and he cleared his throat and began to dissuade Chloe again.
"Please put a different condition. This kid looks terrible… If something goes wrong, she might get hurt. These days, the forest is booming …"
"It's Daphne's choice, why are you stubborn?"
Chloe's words suddenly shut the boy's mouth and, feeling it was unfair, he quickly distorted his expression and looked down at me. I nodded because it seemed like he was asking me if I would really do it. Then in dismay, he raised his voice.
"She just looks like she's barely five or six years old!"
"I'm seven years old, and I came this far because I ran so well."
At my resolute answer, he looked at Chloe, not me, with a look of being fed up. As if it didn't concern her, she looked at him and asked, "What's the problem?"
"Now that Daphne set the fire, it will be easier than you think to go out of the castle gate, and there will be no problem since she has a strong will."
Chloe stroked the boy's head once and looked at me.
"But I don't really like to wait, so you'd better hurry up and come back. Bring it before dawn."
After giving the conditions clearly, Chloe disappeared from that spot with the smoke. It was a strange sight to see for the first time, but now was not the time to watch it. Recalling that there was not much time given, I tried to head to the castle gate immediately.
When given the opportunity, you have to take action quickly!
"….."
It was good to be ready to go out eagerly, but I quickly relaxed my posture and slowly looked up at the boy.
"I do not know where the castle gate is."
"….."
"Can't you just guide me there?"
"….."
The boy had been silent for a long time and soon sighed and said, "I think you should put on your shoes first, so please wait a moment. I'll take you to the gate."
***
The green-haired boy, Lennox, was quite kind to me, unlike the people I've met before.
"You said Daphne, right? My name is Lennox Benedito."
Lennox kept me waiting, the one who was trying to run out right away and came with a small pair of shoes. Perhaps it was the smallest pair of shoes he had, but it was a little bigger for me.
Looking at it, Lennox had a pitiful expression. The light-green eyes, which harbor not contempt but concern for me, were so unfamiliar.
'…He's a strange man.'
I don't know if he was originally a sympathetic person, but this was the first time that I received the kindness given to a child and not the daughter of a wicked woman, so my fingertips were a little ticklish.
Lennox watched me put on my shoes with complicated eyes and then held out something again.
"It's cold outside. I'm sure you'll catch a cold if you go around like that." He gave me a little robe, but I guess he didn't like it.
"It's a shame that this is the only thing I have for now. Just bear with it this time."
I nodded, kindly, without saying a word at the promise of the next.
"… It takes a while to get to the castle gate, so it's better to walk holding hands, right?"
His hands were shaking like me a while ago, but I didn't want to refuse. Lennox carefully grasped my hand, and slowly accompanied me to the castle gate, matching with my pace.
"It's going to be really dangerous outside the castle gate, so if you're scared and want to give up, It's okay to quit and come back."
"Then you can't get flowers."
"But it's really dangerous out there. More than you think."
There was only one answer I could give to that remark.
"There's never been a place in my life that hasn't been dangerous to me. Since the road I walked on was this thorny one, so just because the road ahead is a little dangerous doesn't make any difference."
It was nice of him to treat me warmly.
"So you don't have to pretend to be so worried."
But, you don't know if this is an act or not. Recalling Ulinee, I stopped talking for no reason and deliberately lowered my head to turn away from Lennox. Since then, there has been no word between us.
***
Like the voice heard in the air, there was really no security guard in front of the castle gate.
'I can't believe you're doing this at one fire. What are you going to do if you get into trouble in the capital?'
"The guards aren't doing the job properly."
Lennox was astounded and clicked his tongue as if he had the same thought as me. I felt a sense of empathy, so I sluggishly moved my hand once.
"You must return carefully."
We crossed the castle gate. The forest was so dark, except for the fire of the lamp that lit the front of the gate.
If a distant nursery was eaten by fire, the forest seemed to be eaten by darkness. When I shivered in the darkness for no reason at all, I felt Lennox staring down at me with a worried expression.
"… you know, it's better to quit here…"
"… No. I don't want to." Whether it was a genuine concern or a pretense of concern, I could not give up here. I had no place to give up and back off.
Lennox's face was frowned upon, but he didn't stop me anymore.
"If you walk along the path you see… It'll be alright."
I nodded at the words that seemed to indicate a path hidden in the darkness. I slowly walked towards the forest, leaving the gaze of Lennox behind me. The darkness that I can't even see right in front of me seems to be opening my mouth like it's going to eat me, so my steps slowly started to slow down.
'It's dark…'
Maybe it was because of the cold air that I couldn't hear a single bug cry. Although I could see the moonlight dimly visible.
In the quiet silence of the forest, I could hear only the clatter of my footsteps and the sound of the bushes passing by. The stillness that seemed that I was the only one left alone in the world gave me a creep.
'A little… It might be scary.'
At times like this, you need to wake up and find the flowers quickly. Fortunately, the roads were well arranged, and the moonlight was softly shining, so there was no difficulty in finding the way.
Hoping for a bright red color to shine in the dark, I let out a white breath and moved my head around.
Far from flowers…
I'm glad the grass is growing.
As I was walking down a clean road, trying to forget the cold by wrapping myself in a robe, I soon heard a strange sound from one side.
"….."
It was a quiet forest, with only the sound of my movement. That's why I was able to hear the small sound without missing it, like I was listening directly to the place.
Rrrrrr-
T/n: Growling/ Roaring.
The sound of the crying creatures, and the thumping and sniffing sound. Swallowing my saliva, I slowly turned my head toward it. From where my gaze was directed, the sound began to get closer and closer.
The moment the face of a large animal is revealed through the dry branches of the trees, I will definitely die here.
As soon as I realized the fact, I began to run recklessly without hesitation through the bushes, not the path that was pierced. I could hear the animal weeping behind me, but I had no choice but to shiver without even thinking about looking back.
I don't know how far I can get with this leg. I ran desperately because I couldn't stop.
Did I run for a long time?
The rough breath filled my throat, and I suffocated, and my trembling legs were screaming at limits. The moment I thought that, my injured foot from last time couldn't hold out and I slipped and fell.
When I turned around after falling over to the ground with a bang, fortunately, I didn't see it chasing me. As I gathered my thoughts and looked around, I realized this was a dark and desolate place that I had no idea of where it was.
I tried to give strength to my throbbing leg to get up, but I couldn't get any strength. Even the moonlight that illuminated the road disappeared.
When I saw this place, which is the darkness itself, I really understood the situation I was in.
It was only darkness. There was no moonlight leaking into the forest covered with bushes and dense trees. I felt like I was really abandoned in the world. Above all, I hated this darkness without a light.
[I hate this dark color. It's the color that someone who hates me has.]
I hate it so much.
The darkness that hovered beside me was like it rejoicing the cold energy, and it seemed like it would torn me to shreds right now.
My head was saying, I should move my feet and get away from here quickly. However, my feet seemed to have no intention of following my head since it did not move at all, and were still sluggish.
'Move, move!'
You ran out because you wanted to live. It's too late to turn everything back.
Ah, I don't think I can take it anymore. Tears slowly gathered around my eyes, and the drops of tears that had dripped seemed to fall to the ground soon.
Only then my hopes were hidden, by the cold wind that pierce the flesh, this silence, and this situation where I lost my path.
Even this darkness, which suppressed me, touched my skin straight.
"I'm scared…"
I thought this darkness would eventually swallow me, and somehow it would complete my death and create a happy story. In the end, I was so scared that my presence would be rejected for a happy ending.
In this terrible darkness, if there was no pain in my throbbing foot, I would have thought I was already dead. My head bowed by itself, and hope dropped down.
The feeling of falling down and down, with no place to sit in this darkness.
When the word "give up" to erase hope is about to appear.
Beyond the dim view, I could see something moving.