"Gruu…"
A small girl from a distance stared intently at Emma, her gaze piercing like a sharp beam.
Despite the discomfort of peering around the stone wall, which must have caused pain in her legs and back, she remained resolute.
The girl, who lived near the village chief's house where Emma and her party were staying, had concluded that Emma was a princess. Lately, she had been coming every morning, looking for an opportunity to confirm her belief.
Unable to withstand the intense gaze any longer, Emma paused her chores and approached the girl cautiously, as if handling a small, wary animal.
"Why don't you come inside and sit down for a bit…? No one will harm you."
Suddenly, the girl grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her. Emma's face momentarily turned red from the effort. Though Emma stumbled a bit, she gently but firmly stopped the girl's actions.
"I've told you many times, I'm not a princess. And the person I serve is not an evil sorcerer."
"Ugh…! We need to go, Princess! You're being deceived right now."
"… I'm really not. Edel, please, why don't you come inside and let's talk? I even have some delicious cake."
"Cake…?"
The ears of the girl named Edel perked up at the mention of cake.
Her grip loosened as her eyes and mouth opened in surprise. She stared at Emma with a vacant look.
"Yes, cake. It's a delicious treat made of soft bread with sweet cream on top!"
"That's something you eat all the time in the castle! I know it!"
Whether or not they ate cake every day in the castle, the girl finally seemed willing to listen. Though Emma's master had suggested ignoring the little girl as she wasn't worth the trouble, Emma found it difficult to ignore someone who came by every day.
It would be easier to clear up the misunderstanding and make her realize that there was no need to rescue her, and then she might stop coming.
'Hmm…?'
Thinking along these lines, Emma felt a strange sense of dissonance.
'Come to think of it, it's odd. Normally, he would have just made sure she couldn't come near or imposed strict measures, rather than telling me to ignore her….'
"No!"
The girl's sudden cry interrupted Emma's thoughts. Edel's unexpected action left Emma unable to continue her line of thought.
"No, no. Edel, get a grip! You need to save the Princess. The bad sorcerers will come soon."
Edel slapped her cheeks with her small hands, trying to snap herself out of it. Emma admired the girl's determination not to succumb to temptation, though she wished Edel would relent for now.
Edel grabbed Emma's hand again. Emma felt the girl's high body temperature and slight sweatiness.
'What should I do?'
While Emma was contemplating this, a woman came running from the direction of Edel's house. She seemed to have been working in the fields, as her clothes were dotted with dirt. Realizing her daughter's mischief, she hurried over.
"Edel! You're doing this again. Stop it, don't make trouble!"
She lifted Edel in her arms to prevent her from looking at Emma. Edel protested vehemently.
"Let me go, Mom! I need to save the Princess!!"
"I told you not to make a scene here. Why won't you listen?"
"But the Princess…."
"The Princess is busy right now. She can't do her work because of you!"
"Because of me…?"
Edel's struggling ceased, and she went limp like a fish out of water. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Emma. The determination in her eyes had vanished.
"Princess, are you being scolded by the bad sorcerers because of me…? Am I causing you trouble by coming here?"
The girl looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
"Oh dear, why is she like this?"
Sensing the awkward situation, Edel's mother tried to soothe her daughter and prevent her from crying, fearing they might cause more trouble. She knew that the people staying in their village were of very high status. Until then, she had thought their presence wouldn't affect her life, only that she needed to be more careful outside.
But to her astonishment, her eldest daughter came home one day claiming to have had a shocking encounter.
When Edel proudly announced that she had been bothering those high-status guests every morning, her mother had nearly fainted from shock.
"I'm very sorry. I'm so sorry. My child is so thoughtless. I'm truly sorry."
"No…! It's okay, really."
Emma waved her hands, trying to reassure the woman who kept bowing and apologizing.
Edel, still looking gloomy, had not yet returned to her usual lively self. Emma noticed that Edel's gaze was no longer fixed on her. The girl hung limply in her mother's arms.
Ah, she saw it now.
It wasn't just about rescuing someone.
Emma reached out to the small girl.
She gently stroked Edel's hair, which was a beautiful color, like ripe grain. She smoothed it from top to bottom, as if combing.
Edel looked up, her eyes filled with tears but not yet spilling over.
"I'm not a princess, and I'm not being held captive by an evil sorcerer. But it's true that I have a lot of work to do."
Edel blinked her eyes.
Each time Emma's hand approached, Edel closed her eyes.
"When I finish my work, I'll come to your house to visit. Will you wait for me until then?"
Emma stopped stroking her hair and extended her pinky finger. Edel knew what this gesture meant.
"Mm…"
And so, Emma made another promise.