“I said I wouldn’t go into dangerous places, Your Highness.”
“So what I’m saying is, outside the castle...”
“Is the forest outside the castle really that dangerous? Wolves and bears are roaming around, and there are thorns here and there, right?”
Franz, who had been staring at Judith with wide eyes like a child, suddenly burst into laughter. He adjusted his grip on the reins and lightly kicked the horse’s flank, causing it to go a little faster.
“That’s not true. The nearby forest overlaps with the palace’s hunting grounds, and there’s a separate forest guard.”
“Then it’s not a dangerous place.”
“It’s not a dangerous place.”
The naive stableman was completely unaware that the horse carrying the two people was slowly drifting off to a side road. Judith and Franz went out through the gate of the western outer wall, where there were not many guards, and as soon as they entered the unkempt forest, they laughed cheerfully.
“We ended up fooling the poor stable keeper.”
“You have already become my accomplice. You can’t escape now.”
“Good. We should run away together. The weather is perfect for running away.”
At Franz's words, Judith looked up at the sky. It was cold and breezy as if rain was about to fall.
“Why is this weather good for running away?”
“On a day when the sun is shining brightly, even if you run away, you won’t be able to get far, right?”
The two rode together toward the forest. Listening to the clatter of hooves, Judith thought back to when she first came to Rotair.
She remember that day, too, the sunlight was not as strong as today. When she raised her head, it felt like a cold north wind was blowing, and even the air touching her skin felt damp. Perhaps Judith's gloomy mind fanned that feeling even more. She had experienced two first meetings, and it was like that both times.
Judith held the reins lightly and looked far ahead. The maple leaves that seemed to burn red in the fall had almost all fallen, and only one or two dead leaves were left on the branches that had dried up and were bare. The loneliness of the forest, which had shed everything it had been wearing to welcome the passing season, seemed to take Judith into the carriage when it first met Franz.
But something had changed, Judith thought. If she closed her eyes, she could still vividly picture Franz tearing off the roof of the carriage and pulling out the hidden sword. She could also see his back standing guard at the door to prevent thieves from approaching the carriage.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
“Do you remember... the first time you met me?”
Franz, who had been concentrating solely on keeping Judith's body steady, leaned slightly to the side. When Judith turned her head, his face was within striking distance of her lips.
“I remember.”
“The thieves attacked the carriage.”
“Yeah. Why are you suddenly asking that?”
Franz straightened up again, and this time Judith turned her head slightly.
“Why did you try to save me back then?”
There was silence for a moment. Franz, who had been riding silently, stopped the horse by pulling the reins when he reached the end of the winding road. There was a small house with a well there. When Judith turned her head with a puzzled expression, Franz explained.
“This is the hut used by the forest rangers and soldiers. Let’s give the horses some water and then sit down for a while.”
The hut was empty. It was not a place for people to live, but a place for the forest guards to take a nap or make tea while on their nightly patrol. While Judith held the reins of the horse, Franz himself threw a bucket into the well and drew water to fill the trough.
“Have you ever used a well before? You’re good at it.”
“Very rarely. When I was young, I used to watch what the soldiers did. If you stay over there, you’ll get splashed with water, so come over here and sit down.”
Judith, who had been crouching to watch the watering horse, got up. Franz brought out a small wooden bench from inside the cabin, just big enough for two people to sit on. It didn’t even have a backrest, but it felt comfortable, perhaps because she was sitting on a horse that had been rocking all along.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
Franz, who was looking up at the cloudy sky with his legs stretched out, looked at Judith's face. Then, soon, a gentle smile appeared, like a spring breeze blowing.
“I tried to sneak it over.”
“I said that because I thought you might think that way.”
“Are you suddenly curious about that?”
“It wasn’t a sudden thing. I’ve been wondering all along. I just missed several opportunities to ask.”
Something cracked and broke underfoot. He looked down and saw a thin branch a little longer than his finger. Franz, who was playfully tapping the branch with his toe, which was broken in the middle, looked at Judith.
“At that point, you were already my wife.”
If Judith had not already lived a life, she might have believed it. But Judith knew that it was not the whole truth. When she did not answer and just stared, Franz soon smiled awkwardly and rubbed the corners of his mouth.
“I thought that would be enough of an answer.”
“Was that really the only reason?”
“What’s the real reason you’re asking this?”
"Just..."
Judith, her voice trailing off, fiddled with the thin ornament hanging down next to her ear. The metal felt cold and wet.
“I had a feeling that Your Highness might not save me then. I don’t know why, but...”
Judith couldn't say that she thought that way because she had experienced something like that before. She was worried that Franz might be offended as she spoke, but fortunately, his expression was calm.
"Perhaps..."
Franz spoke slowly. His eyes were not on Judith. His face was turned sideways, and he seemed somewhat embarrassed.
“That might have been the case.”
“But why did you do that?”
"That..."
Another long silence followed. In the meantime, the horse, which had finished drinking, was lightly stamping its forelegs and making a rustling sound, urging something on. Franz glanced at the horse as if trying to muddle through, and as he turned his gaze, he met Judith’s eyes. Strangely enough, she was already well into her twenties, but she looked very young. Just like when they first met.
“I was surprised that you, who met me for the first time... tried to protect me, even though we barely exchanged a word and I couldn’t treat you affectionately. I also wondered why you did that.”
“Was that all?”
“You didn’t seem to believe me when I said there was nothing you could do for me, but I wanted to know what the hell was going on that you were trying to save me. And... you looked so weak, and I felt bad for you... I didn’t want you to die in a place like that.”
Judith looked for some reason in a vague confusion. As she had told Franz, it was true that she had been wondering why all along. But she had not guessed that he had thought of it. Along with the thought that it would have been easier to understand if it had just been a whim, a strange feeling that was hard to explain took possession of Judith.
“I knew that even if you came to Rotair and became a Princess, there would be nothing good prepared for you, but still... I couldn’t let you die in a place like that, by someone whose name I don’t even know. That’s all.”
"...Me too."
Judith's shoulders trembled as the words spilled out without her knowing. Franz waited for her with his mouth shut. Judith, who had barely managed to organize the jumbled words in her head, smiled faintly.
“I can’t stand to see you in danger any longer.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“It’s just... my promise.”
Judith, who had finished speaking, raised her head with a serious expression. The sky, which had become heavily overcast with dark clouds, seemed to be heavy and low as if it would pour down on the two of them at any moment. The moment Franz was about to say something, small, round spots spread across the tips of their feet. Thin raindrops fell on their foreheads and cheeks.
"This."
Franz quickly took off his jacket and placed it over Judith’s head. As her vision narrowed, the soft, cool scent that had been lingering on his collar sharply awakened Judith’s senses.
“What are you going to do if you catch a cold? You should wear a jacket!”
“I’m fine. Okay, come on.”
Franz, who had put Judith on horseback as if he knew her, held her tightly with both arms to prevent her from slipping from the saddle and held onto the reins. The raindrops pitter-pattered on the jacket he had covered over her head. Judith felt the warmth rising from Franz’s body, which was pressed against her, and she gently rubbed her cheek, which was turning red for no reason, against his shoulder.
"I didn't want you to die in a place like that."
She will probably never know why Franz thought that way. But even if she didn't know why, it was okay. Just the fact that he said that made her feel like a warmth that never cooled spread in a corner of her heart.
When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess returned on horseback without a single knight escorting them, and even in the rain, the soldiers on guard all fell into a state of deep thought. Perhaps the stableman who had his horse returned also pretended to faint after hearing about this situation from the soldiers.
“Oh my God, it’s raining!”
It wasn't just the guards who were shocked. The servants of the Nation Palace, including Cheraan who had returned and was now guarding the place, looked terrified at the sight of the two people soaking wet. Judith was able to avoid looking like a drowning rat thanks to Franz wrapping his jacket around her, but Franz, who was hit by the sudden heavy rain just before the gate, was in a state of indescribable pain.
“Quick, fill up the warm water! If you two catch a cold, it’ll be a disaster. Stop dawdling and get moving!”
At Cheraan's threat, the maids and servants hurried to the bathroom. While the hot water was being filled, the two people who were standing in front of the fireplace drying their chilled bodies looked at each other and laughed in vain. Cheraan, who was watching them, let out a deep sigh.
“I am glad that you two are happily married, but I don’t want to see you lying sick together. Do you understand? No, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Princess’s face is about to burst. Are you listening to me?”
“So what I’m saying is, outside the castle...”
“Is the forest outside the castle really that dangerous? Wolves and bears are roaming around, and there are thorns here and there, right?”
Franz, who had been staring at Judith with wide eyes like a child, suddenly burst into laughter. He adjusted his grip on the reins and lightly kicked the horse’s flank, causing it to go a little faster.
“That’s not true. The nearby forest overlaps with the palace’s hunting grounds, and there’s a separate forest guard.”
“Then it’s not a dangerous place.”
“It’s not a dangerous place.”
The naive stableman was completely unaware that the horse carrying the two people was slowly drifting off to a side road. Judith and Franz went out through the gate of the western outer wall, where there were not many guards, and as soon as they entered the unkempt forest, they laughed cheerfully.
“We ended up fooling the poor stable keeper.”
“You have already become my accomplice. You can’t escape now.”
“Good. We should run away together. The weather is perfect for running away.”
At Franz's words, Judith looked up at the sky. It was cold and breezy as if rain was about to fall.
“Why is this weather good for running away?”
“On a day when the sun is shining brightly, even if you run away, you won’t be able to get far, right?”
The two rode together toward the forest. Listening to the clatter of hooves, Judith thought back to when she first came to Rotair.
She remember that day, too, the sunlight was not as strong as today. When she raised her head, it felt like a cold north wind was blowing, and even the air touching her skin felt damp. Perhaps Judith's gloomy mind fanned that feeling even more. She had experienced two first meetings, and it was like that both times.
Judith held the reins lightly and looked far ahead. The maple leaves that seemed to burn red in the fall had almost all fallen, and only one or two dead leaves were left on the branches that had dried up and were bare. The loneliness of the forest, which had shed everything it had been wearing to welcome the passing season, seemed to take Judith into the carriage when it first met Franz.
But something had changed, Judith thought. If she closed her eyes, she could still vividly picture Franz tearing off the roof of the carriage and pulling out the hidden sword. She could also see his back standing guard at the door to prevent thieves from approaching the carriage.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
“Do you remember... the first time you met me?”
Franz, who had been concentrating solely on keeping Judith's body steady, leaned slightly to the side. When Judith turned her head, his face was within striking distance of her lips.
“I remember.”
“The thieves attacked the carriage.”
“Yeah. Why are you suddenly asking that?”
Franz straightened up again, and this time Judith turned her head slightly.
“Why did you try to save me back then?”
There was silence for a moment. Franz, who had been riding silently, stopped the horse by pulling the reins when he reached the end of the winding road. There was a small house with a well there. When Judith turned her head with a puzzled expression, Franz explained.
“This is the hut used by the forest rangers and soldiers. Let’s give the horses some water and then sit down for a while.”
The hut was empty. It was not a place for people to live, but a place for the forest guards to take a nap or make tea while on their nightly patrol. While Judith held the reins of the horse, Franz himself threw a bucket into the well and drew water to fill the trough.
“Have you ever used a well before? You’re good at it.”
“Very rarely. When I was young, I used to watch what the soldiers did. If you stay over there, you’ll get splashed with water, so come over here and sit down.”
Judith, who had been crouching to watch the watering horse, got up. Franz brought out a small wooden bench from inside the cabin, just big enough for two people to sit on. It didn’t even have a backrest, but it felt comfortable, perhaps because she was sitting on a horse that had been rocking all along.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
Franz, who was looking up at the cloudy sky with his legs stretched out, looked at Judith's face. Then, soon, a gentle smile appeared, like a spring breeze blowing.
“I tried to sneak it over.”
“I said that because I thought you might think that way.”
“Are you suddenly curious about that?”
“It wasn’t a sudden thing. I’ve been wondering all along. I just missed several opportunities to ask.”
Something cracked and broke underfoot. He looked down and saw a thin branch a little longer than his finger. Franz, who was playfully tapping the branch with his toe, which was broken in the middle, looked at Judith.
“At that point, you were already my wife.”
If Judith had not already lived a life, she might have believed it. But Judith knew that it was not the whole truth. When she did not answer and just stared, Franz soon smiled awkwardly and rubbed the corners of his mouth.
“I thought that would be enough of an answer.”
“Was that really the only reason?”
“What’s the real reason you’re asking this?”
"Just..."
Judith, her voice trailing off, fiddled with the thin ornament hanging down next to her ear. The metal felt cold and wet.
“I had a feeling that Your Highness might not save me then. I don’t know why, but...”
Judith couldn't say that she thought that way because she had experienced something like that before. She was worried that Franz might be offended as she spoke, but fortunately, his expression was calm.
"Perhaps..."
Franz spoke slowly. His eyes were not on Judith. His face was turned sideways, and he seemed somewhat embarrassed.
“That might have been the case.”
“But why did you do that?”
"That..."
Another long silence followed. In the meantime, the horse, which had finished drinking, was lightly stamping its forelegs and making a rustling sound, urging something on. Franz glanced at the horse as if trying to muddle through, and as he turned his gaze, he met Judith’s eyes. Strangely enough, she was already well into her twenties, but she looked very young. Just like when they first met.
“I was surprised that you, who met me for the first time... tried to protect me, even though we barely exchanged a word and I couldn’t treat you affectionately. I also wondered why you did that.”
“Was that all?”
“You didn’t seem to believe me when I said there was nothing you could do for me, but I wanted to know what the hell was going on that you were trying to save me. And... you looked so weak, and I felt bad for you... I didn’t want you to die in a place like that.”
Judith looked for some reason in a vague confusion. As she had told Franz, it was true that she had been wondering why all along. But she had not guessed that he had thought of it. Along with the thought that it would have been easier to understand if it had just been a whim, a strange feeling that was hard to explain took possession of Judith.
“I knew that even if you came to Rotair and became a Princess, there would be nothing good prepared for you, but still... I couldn’t let you die in a place like that, by someone whose name I don’t even know. That’s all.”
"...Me too."
Judith's shoulders trembled as the words spilled out without her knowing. Franz waited for her with his mouth shut. Judith, who had barely managed to organize the jumbled words in her head, smiled faintly.
“I can’t stand to see you in danger any longer.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“It’s just... my promise.”
Judith, who had finished speaking, raised her head with a serious expression. The sky, which had become heavily overcast with dark clouds, seemed to be heavy and low as if it would pour down on the two of them at any moment. The moment Franz was about to say something, small, round spots spread across the tips of their feet. Thin raindrops fell on their foreheads and cheeks.
"This."
Franz quickly took off his jacket and placed it over Judith’s head. As her vision narrowed, the soft, cool scent that had been lingering on his collar sharply awakened Judith’s senses.
“What are you going to do if you catch a cold? You should wear a jacket!”
“I’m fine. Okay, come on.”
Franz, who had put Judith on horseback as if he knew her, held her tightly with both arms to prevent her from slipping from the saddle and held onto the reins. The raindrops pitter-pattered on the jacket he had covered over her head. Judith felt the warmth rising from Franz’s body, which was pressed against her, and she gently rubbed her cheek, which was turning red for no reason, against his shoulder.
"I didn't want you to die in a place like that."
She will probably never know why Franz thought that way. But even if she didn't know why, it was okay. Just the fact that he said that made her feel like a warmth that never cooled spread in a corner of her heart.
When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess returned on horseback without a single knight escorting them, and even in the rain, the soldiers on guard all fell into a state of deep thought. Perhaps the stableman who had his horse returned also pretended to faint after hearing about this situation from the soldiers.
“Oh my God, it’s raining!”
It wasn't just the guards who were shocked. The servants of the Nation Palace, including Cheraan who had returned and was now guarding the place, looked terrified at the sight of the two people soaking wet. Judith was able to avoid looking like a drowning rat thanks to Franz wrapping his jacket around her, but Franz, who was hit by the sudden heavy rain just before the gate, was in a state of indescribable pain.
“Quick, fill up the warm water! If you two catch a cold, it’ll be a disaster. Stop dawdling and get moving!”
At Cheraan's threat, the maids and servants hurried to the bathroom. While the hot water was being filled, the two people who were standing in front of the fireplace drying their chilled bodies looked at each other and laughed in vain. Cheraan, who was watching them, let out a deep sigh.
“I am glad that you two are happily married, but I don’t want to see you lying sick together. Do you understand? No, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Princess’s face is about to burst. Are you listening to me?”
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