"Rion, I..."
"If you want to talk about those terms, I'm not interested." Rion quickly cut off Odette's words, then turned to leave.
Seeing Rion's reaction that seemed to really dislike discussing the conditions given by Aathreya, Odette couldn't help but remain silent. She understood that, and she didn't want to force it, because it would be like she was trying to pick Rion's wound so she could go home.
Maybe Odette should start accepting that she was now in the Middle Ages and moved on to her new world.
"Where are you going?" she asked, stopping Rion in his tracks.
"Finding a way home."
"What? Now?"
Ron turned around. "Why? Are you comfortable living in this forest?"
"It is not like that." Odette had a slightly annoyed expression. She then looked at the bonfire. She asked Rion about the bird they saved last night, and Rion said that he didn't know, and that it might have left after it felt better.
"I hope so."
Odette took her bag and ran after Rion, who was already walking again. It was still very early in the morning. Thick fog shrouded the forest, and the surroundings were really humid.
"Rion, shouldn't we wait until this fog goes away, I mean, thinning? It's too thick. It's hard to see what's around us. What if a monster is watching us?" Odette was walking while talking at length, but she stopped when Rion suddenly stopped.
"W-what's wrong?" she asked as she looked up at Rion in confusion.
Rion turned his head, looking at Odette over his shoulder.
"You're so noisy," he emphasized his words and then continued to walk.
Odette could only let out a rough breath and keep walking. It wasn't that she didn't want to get out of this forest quickly, it was just that she thought they could wait for the thick fog to subside.
Over time, things started to dry up, but Odette was already wet from the fog and she felt cold.
"Now what?" She asked in a weak voice as Rion stopped again. But before Rion answered she saw the shadows of several people walking through the fog.
"That … that's a person!" She spoke enthusiastically. She was like a withered flower suddenly rose and bloomed.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" Trish shouted while waving, and then ran quickly to the king, followed by all the villagers who followed him.
"Trish, what are you doing here? What about Anwen?" Rion asked as soon as Trish stood before him.
Trish explained that he and several residents of Verde Village were looking for His Majesty out of concern. As to Princess Anwen, she was still weak, but her life was no longer in danger.
"Right now, the Princess is waiting for us in Verde Village. She is very worried about His Majesty and Miss Odette," added Trish.
The villagers bowed respectfully as Rion turned to look at them.
"Is Your Majesty all right?" said one of them shortly after bowing respectfully.
"Um, thanks for your concern, I really appreciate it," said Rion with a faint smile.
The villagers, who were willing to enter the forbidden forest just to look for Rion, became one proof that Rion was a king who was quite loved by his people.
"What about Miss Odette?" Trish turned to look at Odette.
She answered with a small nod and then said "I'm fine."
"Then let's get out of this forest," Trish said, showing the rope tied in his hand. Rion and Odette were confused for a while, but then they immediately understood.
The end of the rope was at the entrance to the forest. So, to leave the forest, they just had to follow the rope. A villager explained that, apart from the monsters, they should be wary of the plants in the Randle Forest, because some of them were no less terrifying. Most of the plants in that place were poisonous.
"Look at that tree." The villager, who explained that, pointed to a tree not far from them. The tree had red flowers with black spots, the shape was like an upside-down mushroom. It was very unique.
"That tree is called the tree of confusion."
Odette's mouth opened slightly when she heard the name of the tree which she thought was very odd.
"Tree of confusion?" Odette was confused.
The villager explained that the tree's flowers release compounds which, if inhaled, would damage the memory in the brain. Although the damage inflicted was not severe and temporary, it was enough to make a person or creature who inhaled it got lost due to confusion in finding their way out of the forest.
Odette suddenly remembered when she was being chased by a chimera. She wondered whether that time she had passed a tree of confusion.
Now she understood why she and Rion couldn't find their way back even though they felt they were going in the right direction, it must be because they had inhaled the compound that the flower gave off.
"Miss Ody." Anwen hugged Odette with welled up emotion. She was very grateful that Odette came back safely. If anything happened to that woman, she would blame herself because she was the one who told Odette about Aathreya, who could send Odette back home.
Odette hugged Anwen back and said that she was fine. She then asked Anwen to stop worrying. After that, she asked Anwen about her condition. Just like Anwen, Odette would also blame herself if something bad happened to Anwen for accompanying her to find her way home.
"Oh, right. Where is my brother and Trishy?" Anwen asked, because the only one who came into the room to visit her was Odette, who was accompanied by the healer.
"They're both outside with the villagers," explained the healer. Not long after the healer gave her explanation, Trish came.
"How are you, Princess?" Trish asked, and Anwen said that she was much better now.
"Then we shall return to Green Castle now."
"Huh?" Odette was a little surprised. She had just arrived and was feeling very tired. "Now?"
Odette looked at Trish questioningly, and Trish immediately nodded and said, "His Majesty the King wants you all to come back home now."
'Wow, that guy is really inconsiderate,' Odette thought.
Anwen's face was gloomy when she heard the word 'come back home'. She still hadn't forgotten that her grandmother's envoys were still looking for her to deal with her about the marriage. She was rather regretful that she told Trish that she was much better now.
She should have said that she was still very, very sick. Maybe she should have pretended to be dying.
"Anwen, are you okay?" asked Odette when she noticed Anwen's gloomy face.
"Y-yeah." Anwen forced a smile and nodded, but Odette could clearly see that the young girl was not doing well.
"Okay then, let's go." Trish walked first, followed by the healer, Anwen, and Odette.