"You always have strange plans," she muttered as she walked beside Ethan, following his quick steps down the village road.
In Ethan's hand was a cloth that he had just bought from the store. The cloth was neatly folded and looked like a robe.
Claire didn't know exactly what his plan was, but one thing was clear: she felt very uncomfortable. The shabby robe she was currently wearing attracted the attention of the villagers passing by, making her feel awkward and uncomfortable being the center of attention.
They continued their journey along the village road which was now starting to get quieter. The warm morning sun hit her skin, but Claire didn't have time to enjoy the peaceful village atmosphere.
Ethan suddenly turned onto a more secluded path, leaving the hustle and bustle of the village.
"Why are we here?" Claire asked suspiciously. The road was quiet, too quiet to be just a shortcut.
Instead of answering seriously, Ethan gave a mischievous smile.
"Maybe I want to kidnap you and hide you here."
Claire snorted, half annoyed and half amused.
"If you kidnap me, I'm sure you won't be able to survive the wrath of my family."
They arrived at a place that was getting quieter, looking like the backyard of a house that had been abandoned for a long time. Wild grass grew around it, the walls of the house began to grow mossy, and in the distance, a dense forest loomed.
Ethan looked at her with a stifled smile, deeply contemplating his next words as he heard Claire showing off her familial influence which… is not great.
The forest looked eerie, reminding Claire of the forbidden forest she had once passed through, making her heart beat faster for a moment.
Claire felt the atmosphere was so alien, like a place that had been abandoned for years without human presence.
"You must be uncomfortable wearing that robe," Ethan said suddenly, his voice breaking the silence.
He noticed Claire's shabby robe. "I can also smell the dried blood from that robe."
Claire was surprised, then quickly looked at her robe. The robe was dirty and shabby. Without saying anything, Ethan took out a new, dark red robe from the groceries they had brought. He handed it to Claire, who accepted it with a surprised look.
Claire slowly accepted and took the robe.
'Even though he has no idea what I want to do, he helped me this far,' Claire thought.
She couldn't help but feel amazed, even though Ethan often confused and annoyed her.
Ethan also wore a robe, a brown one. Claire smiled slightly when she noticed the color of the robes they were wearing. Dark red for her, and brown for Ethan—colors that, somehow, matched their eyes.
"I will pay you back as soon as we arrive in the mansion," Claire said, feeling the need to at least compensate Ethan's excessive kindness to her so far.
Ethan just nodded, but said nothing. He walked first, as if he didn't care whether Claire would repay him or not.
She followed him, watching Ethan's straight back move forward with sure and steady steps.
From the beginning, Ethan had always seemed calculating, as if nothing was out of his control.
They continued walking until they arrived in front of an empty house that looked old and unkempt. The wooden door was slightly ajar, and the walls of the house were covered in moss and dust. But Ethan, without hesitation, just walked in.
"O–oi… Isn't it rude to enter a random house?" Claire exclaimed, feeling uneasy at Ethan's reckless behavior.
"Well, it is, but this is an empty house, so it doesn't matter," Ethan replied casually, without looking at her, strolling into the old house, passing the old wooden door.
Claire sighed. "How did you even know this house is empty? What if the owner came later?"
However, before Claire could finish her protest, her gaze fell on a brown horse tied near the house's pillar.
Claire paused for a moment, remembering their previous conversation on how they would travel such a long distance without a horse.
'So, he had prepared everything from the beginning, even the horse?'
"You really make me feel so stupid," Claire muttered in an irritated tone.
"Well, I don't think I need to tell everything to a simple noble woman," Ethan replied without looking at her, his voice calm and a hint of sarcasm, but his words piercing straight to the point.
Claire frowned, feeling offended. Hearing his sharp words almost made her take a random rock and throw it at him.
She let out a long sigh, holding back the urge to argue further. After all, Ethan had proven that he always had a plan, and Claire had to admit, she needed Ethan's help to survive this situation.
After making sure everything was ready, Ethan calmly prepared their horses. Claire, who was still irritated by their last conversation, only stared at him from afar.
'You should at least tell me so I don't worry too much. ' Claire sighed again softly.
"Hop on first," Ethan said, patting the brown horse's back.
Claire hesitated for a moment. She wasn't very familiar with riding horses, especially in this condition.
However, she also didn't want to appear hesitant and inexperienced in front of Ethan. Claire took a deep breath, then tried to climb onto the horse, as she tried to get on the horse she almost slipped.
"Oh? I almost forgot that you are a noble woman." Ethan commented with a mischievous smile. "Let me help you."
"No!" Claire immediately dismissed his offer. "I can do it myself," she added quickly.
After a few seconds of struggle, Claire finally managed to sit on the saddle. Ethan, who had been silently watching her, shook his head slowly but said nothing more.
He then easily jumped onto the horse, sitting behind Claire. With one swift movement, Ethan pulled the reins, and the horse began to move steadily forward.
The initially narrow path widened as they exited the village. The morning air was cool, although the wind that blew bit at the skin a little.
As they passed through the trees and open fields, Claire looked back, she could see the village was now far behind them, and only the sound of horse hooves could be heard along the road.
The atmosphere between them was quiet.
"Did you stay up all night?" Claire asked.
Ethan just nodded, his gaze straight ahead. "It's okay. I'm used to it," he answered nonchalantly.
Claire frowned. "How did you get used to it?"
Ethan smiled faintly, although Claire couldn't see his face.
"When you are wandering around places you shouldn't be in, sleep has become a luxury you can't enjoy everyday."
'Places he shouldn't be in?'
Claire was silent for a moment, not knowing how to answer. Ethan was indeed mysterious—as if there were layers upon layers of stories hidden behind his easy going demeanor.
She was curious, but at the same time she didn't want to ask too much.
"We'll reach the Duchy in a day, if we don't run into any problems on the way," Ethan added, breaking the silence again.
"A day…" Claire murmured softly.
The Duchy felt so far away, and although she wanted to get there soon, the journey was making her feel increasingly anxious.
What if they were stopped? What if the royal knights were already waiting for them?
These thoughts swirled in her head, making her chest feel tighter.
Ethan, however, seemed relaxed. As if everything had been planned out, with nothing to worry about.
Claire glanced over his shoulder out of the corner of her eye, and she wondered how Ethan could always be so calm in situations like this.
As they reached a denser forest, the atmosphere changed. Large trees began to block out the sunlight, making the path they were walking on feel colder and darker.
Claire began to feel uneasy, her memory returning to the nightmare that is the forbidden forest.
"Ethan…" Claire murmured. "Is this a safe route?"
Ethan didn't answer right away. He glanced around, checking the area around them.
"It should be," he finally said. "But we must remain vigilant. I heard there are a lot of bandits roaming around this area."
Claire swallowed, feeling a little nervous.
'Bandits? Of course… Life wouldn't let me get back that easy.'
The area they were going to pass through was indeed prone to various threats. However, she trusted Ethan—at least until now, he had shown that he always had a plan.
They continued their journey more carefully. The horse suddenly walked slower, as if sensing the tension that was starting to build in the air.
Claire gripped the saddle tightly, trying to calm herself.
'This is just a normal ride,' she thought. 'We can get through this.'
However, suddenly, from behind the bushes by the side of the road, they can hear the sound of twigs breaking and bush rustling. The horse stopped abruptly, and Ethan immediately tensed up.
"Shh," Ethan whispered softly, his hand quickly pulling on the reins to calm his horse.
Claire held her breath, her eyes darting to the bushes, trying to see what was hiding there.
A man emerged from behind the trees, his face partially covered by a wide-brimmed hat and a worn black cloak. Behind him, two other men emerged, carrying simple weapons—a wooden stick and a blunt dagger.
"Looks like we have a guest," one of them mockingly said. "Where are you going, ladies and gentlemen?"
Claire felt a sense of tension rush over her. However, before she could say anything, Ethan had already swiftly moved. He jumped off his horse and stood in front of her, shielding her from the bandits' view.
"I'm sorry, but we have nothing to give you," Ethan replied, his voice calm but firm.
The men laughed, clearly unimpressed by Ethan's response.
"Oh, I'm sure you have something. That horse for example… or that cute lady behind you."
At those words, Claire felt her blood boil.
'How dare they speak of me that way!'
But before she could react, Ethan had acted. In the blink of an eye, he threw one of the bandits to the ground with a swift and agile dash. The man fell hard, causing the other two to step back slightly, surprised by Ethan's speed.
"I'll give you one chance," Ethan said, his tone calm even as his eyes now shone sharply. "Leave now, before I change my mind."
The bandits looked at each other, hesitant. They clearly did not expect Ethan to be as fast and as strong. Finally, they quickly retreated, leaving Ethan and Claire without any further resistance.
Claire let out a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding. "How did you...?"
Ethan just smiled slightly. "Like I said before, I'm used to these harsh roads."
Without another word, Ethan returned to his horse, mounted it, and sat behind Claire again. They continued on their journey, leaving the dangerous forest behind them. Although Claire felt a little shaken, she also couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Ethan.
The man really knew how to handle dangerous situations, and Claire, although she didn't want to admit it, felt much safer with him.
-ooOoo-
It was already evening, the sky above them began to turn orange, indicating that dusk was almost over. The temperature slowly began to drop, giving a chill that crept through the trees.
They crossed a forest that was more alive than the forbidden forest they had just left the other day, but the silence of this forest still made Claire feel wary.
Fortunately, the forest was not filled with mystical threats, but it still held the danger of bandits or wild animals that could appear at any time. The path they were walking on was still filled with tree roots, but was maintained by traders who probably often passed this path.
Ethan continued to calmly control the horse, while Claire remained seated behind him. There had been no conversation since the previous encounter with the bandits, only the sound of horse hooves could be heard among the silence of nature.
Claire felt her heart beating erratically, not only because of fatigue, but also because of the strange feeling that she was being watched.
"Why do you even want to help me this far?" Claire finally asked, her voice low but full of caution.
Ethan did not answer immediately, instead falling silent.
Claire looked up, watching Ethan's figure behind her. Their faces were so close, and Claire could clearly see the outline of his face illuminated by the last rays of the afternoon sun. Ethan's brown eyes suddenly seemed to have a blue sparkle in the middle, making Claire remember the figure of the Crown Prince who once looked at her with cold blue eyes.
'Blue...,' Claire thought.
Claire felt her face slowly heats up as she continues to look at his face, the awkward feeling arise, before Ethan finally spoke up,
"Isn't that what you want?" He shortly said. "Looking at a naive lady such as you being accused of treason by the kingdom, don't you find that weird? It seems like they are just using you as the scapegoat of something bigger."
Ethan's words felt like a stab on Claire's heart, reminding her of all the injustices she had experienced. Claire lowered her head, feeling uncomfortable.
'Scapegoat.'
That's right, that's what she had felt all this time.
Claire didn't reply. Inside her, there was a turmoil that wanted to speak up for herself that this was all unfair, but she knew that no one would listen to her complaints at that time. Now, she could only succumb to such fate.
"You have a unique way of thinking,"
Claire muttered to herself rather than to Ethan.
Night began to fall. Owls began to hoot in the distance, accompanied by the sound of insects starting to come out of hiding. The chill breeze of the night began to pierce her skin, penetrating Claire's increasingly tired body. The night air was getting colder, making her shiver even though she tried to hide it.
"Are we not going to rest?" Claire asked, her eyes closing for a moment trying to calm herself.
She remembered how painful her sprained leg was. Her gaze fell on her leg which now felt better, but still hurt every time she moved.
When her body began to sway, Ethan quickly held her waist, making Claire flinch.
"Hey, be careful. Don't fall," Ethan said, his voice sounded softer than before.
"Sorry," Claire whispered, feeling embarrassed.
She could feel her hands shaking, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because of something else.
Ethan adjusted his sitting position on the horse, then returned his focus to the road ahead.
Claire lowered her head, trying to suppress the awkward feeling that ahd just creeped up on her chest.
'It must be because of the cold, not because of anything else.' Her blushing face was forced to remain unseen.
After a while, fewer and fewer large trees stood in the forest, indicating that they were getting closer to the edge of the forest. In the distance, Claire saw a ray of light slowly appearing among the shadows of the trees. The light grew brighter, she knew that this meant something, they were getting closer to civilization.
"No need to rest, we're almost at the duchy," Ethan said without turning his head.
Claire fell silent, her eyes widening when she saw how bright the light was. The lights of the houses and buildings in the duchy began to decorate the night scenery of the duchy, piercing the darkness of the night. As Claire saw the familiar scenery from atop the hill of the forest, a mixture of relief and anxiety filled her heart, making her heart beat faster.
'The duchy, I'm … back.'
'Are they looking for me?' Claire thought, suddenly feeling a strong longing for her family.
Her thoughts drifted to her father's cold face, and Vincent who always greeted her with a warm smile. However, worry also surged in her heart.
'Will they accept me back?'
Claire clutched the cloth on her chest tightly, as if trying to hold back the pain that suddenly appeared. Hope mixed with fear. The only thing that kept her going all this time was Vincent—the hope from her brother's gentle smile.
"Think of these two most likely possibilities before going back," Ethan suddenly said, breaking Claire's train of thought. His voice sounded cold, as if he knew what was on Claire's mind.
"They will definitely take me back," Claire replied in a hopeful tone, though her voice sounded doubtful.
Ethan smiled slightly, but there was a sharpness behind it.
"That's the first possibility. The second possibility is that you could be sent back to the dungeon."
Claire was shocked. Ethan's words felt so harsh and cruel.
'The dungeon?'
Her heart sank, and for a moment, she could only be silent. However, deep down, she knew that it was not something impossible.
'How rude….'
Claire lowered her head, trying to calm her increasingly chaotic thoughts.
-ooOoo-