When Ines turned to look for the jacket she had worn, he picked up the clothes from the floor first. However, it was the same for him. The jacket was also soaked in water and rolled around on the dirt floor, so it wasn't enough to put it back on.
"Come on."
Ines looked back and forth between her own clothes and the shirt he had handed her and had no choice but to take the clothes from him.
"I'll turn around..."
But his last words evaporated into thin air. It was because Ines was unbuttoning her own clothes.
"Lady Swenden?"
He called out a little louder, so Ines looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Ines was startled for a moment and bit her lower lip in embarrassment. She turned around hurriedly.
In her ten years at Romfield, she had changed her clothes in front of everyone without care. No matter how many times she had been embarrassed, how could she make such a mistake?
Even though her shell had changed, Romfield’s 4568 habits didn’t completely disappear.
However, she kept forgetting them when she was around this man.
The huge conspiracy that was squeezing her neck every moment, the horrible hallucinations that seemed to be right next to her, and the terrible nightmares that repeated every night, all felt like distant pasts when she was with him.
“I’ll turn around, so change comfortably.”
She quickly moved her hands without answering. She must have been a little nervous because her hands kept slipping out of place. She barely managed to get her arms through, but his clothes were too big. The sleeves in particular covered her hands. It was embarrassing, but there was no time to delay any longer.
“I’m all changed.”
Carson turned around at her words, closed his eyes tightly again, and wiped the corners of his mouth. He strode over to her and grabbed her sleeve.
"Come on."
Ines looked back and forth between her own clothes and the shirt he had handed her and had no choice but to take the clothes from him.
"I'll turn around..."
But his last words evaporated into thin air. It was because Ines was unbuttoning her own clothes.
"Lady Swenden?"
He called out a little louder, so Ines looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Ines was startled for a moment and bit her lower lip in embarrassment. She turned around hurriedly.
In her ten years at Romfield, she had changed her clothes in front of everyone without care. No matter how many times she had been embarrassed, how could she make such a mistake?
Even though her shell had changed, Romfield’s 4568 habits didn’t completely disappear.
However, she kept forgetting them when she was around this man.
The huge conspiracy that was squeezing her neck every moment, the horrible hallucinations that seemed to be right next to her, and the terrible nightmares that repeated every night, all felt like distant pasts when she was with him.
“I’ll turn around, so change comfortably.”
She quickly moved her hands without answering. She must have been a little nervous because her hands kept slipping out of place. She barely managed to get her arms through, but his clothes were too big. The sleeves in particular covered her hands. It was embarrassing, but there was no time to delay any longer.
“I’m all changed.”
Carson turned around at her words, closed his eyes tightly again, and wiped the corners of his mouth. He strode over to her and grabbed her sleeve.
“Do you really have to hunt today?”
Ines’ white hands appeared through the ends of her sleeves that she was folding up.
“I’m sure you’re going to be in a lot of trouble because of me, right?”
“That’s true... but not for the reason you think.”
Carson smiled at Ines. Her heart pounded at the smile, unable to comprehend the situation.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve never felt this way before...”
“...”
“Listen to me.”
When Ines nodded vigorously, he furrowed his brow and smiled strangely.
“I’ll go out and find your maid and tell her to bring you the clothes.”
“...”
“I’ll go out and a little later, a trumpet will sound. After that, count to one hundred, no, two hundred in your head, and come out.”
“Oh, so you’re telling me to come out after all the men have gone into the forest.”
Ines understood what he meant. She couldn’t stay here any longer, so she had to get out quickly.
“That’s right. That’s very accurate.”
That was the best option if she wanted to reduce the number of people who would see her leaving the tent wearing his clothes.
“I understand.”
Carson took Ines’ arm and led her to a dry chair.
“So, wait here for a moment.”
Carson said softly and hurried out of the tent. As soon as he left, silence came. And just as he had said, a trumpet sounded. Only then did Ines remember that Zemern was outside. It was time to face her fear. She quietly raised her arm and took a deep breath of Carson’s scent that was soaking into her shirt. It seemed that she dared to face Zemern again.
***
The hunting festival went on peacefully after that. She left the tent and looked around, but Zemern was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, there weren’t many people. The men had already gone into the thick forest to find a better game.
At that moment, Louis approached Ines. They didn’t say anything for a while, but Ines quickly realized what Louis was asking.
“I’m fine, Princess. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“A rabbit.”
“Shall we go catch a rabbit?”
“Yes.”
Ines joined the rabbit-hunting women, holding Louis' hand. The child had black hair that sparkled and shone like Carson's. And her eyes were also golden like his. Then she should have looked infinitely strong, but Louis was not. Every time their eyes met, Ines felt the irreverent need to hold the Princess herself. At the sight of the cute rabbits running around, an innocent smile appeared on Louis's face, which had always acted like an adult.
The weather was clearer than ever, and the beautifully dressed women blended in with the forest, creating a peaceful atmosphere. There were women like Ines in trousers, but there were also many women in light dresses who simply wanted to enjoy the excitement of the hunting festival.
As Ines looked around at the woman, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw someone familiar.
'Charlotte?'
Ines shared a room with three women in Romfield. One of them was Lena, and the other two were Charlotte and Casey. Charlotte and Casey were the only friends Ines had in that terrible place. Without each other, they would not have been able to endure that terrible place.
Charlotte was a woman who had entered prison around the same time as Ines. At first, she was a woman who would not have been able to carelessly pick even a single flower in the field.
However, the long years in prison had changed her. Charlotte's fierce expression as she slapped Lena in the face was still vivid. However, there was not a single trace of that in her now.
The reason she came to Romfield instead of other prisons was because the place where she committed her crime was Landhill.
When Ines left Romfield, she thought she would never see her again alive.
Ines approached her as if she was possessed.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yes.”
Charlotte, who had been bending down to look at the rabbit, raised her head at the sound of the voice. Her face was flushed red from chasing the rabbit. Up close, she looked like a watercolor painting with a lot of water mixed in.
“I am Ines Swenden, daughter of the Swenden family.”
“I apologize. I am not from this estate, so I did not recognize your face. I am Charlotte. Charlotte Dropinnois.”
Ines looked at her for a moment. Charlotte, misunderstanding her gaze, added.
“Oh, my last name is a bit unusual, isn’t it? My husband is from a foreign country.”
The woman’s bright smile made her throat choke up for a moment. The realization that ‘Oh, I am not the only one who came back’ came to her anew.
Charlotte’s crime was the same as Ines’. Murder, and killing her husband at that.
How could a woman who didn’t seem to be able to properly drive a rabbit end up killing her husband?
Ines remembers talking to her occasionally, but her memories weren’t perfect. It was a difficult time for her to eat or drink properly, and to maintain her sanity. Everyone came to Romfield with a great story. So Charlotte’s story back then wasn’t all that special.
“How did you come to this territory?”
Charlotte didn’t lose her smile even at the somewhat direct question for a first meeting.
“My husband started working in Lesonia. He was originally a central manager of the palace, but he was suddenly transferred.”
“But why are you staying at Landhill?”
Charlotte frowned slightly and tilted her head.
“Did I tell you that I live at Landhill?”
“Oh, I just thought the hunting festival was a festival at Landhill.”
She said “Oh,” and looked around. She seemed to be looking for a place to rest as if she was feeling a little tired.
“Shall I sit over there?”
She found a bench not far away and asked Ines to join her. Ines looked toward where Louis was.
There was also a maid chasing after the child, so she sat down on the shaded bench with Charlotte.
“I’m pregnant.”
Charlotte blushed shyly and put her hand on her belly. It was hard to imagine that there was life growing inside her still-flat belly.
Ines closed her eyes for a moment and searched her memories. However, there was no evidence that Charlotte had a child in any of her fragmented memories.
“It was fine until the morning, but it’s a little difficult in the afternoon.”
“...”
“Have you ever ridden a train, Ines?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
Ines had never ridden a train. She had only laid the tracks that would be laid underneath.
“My husband is the general manager of the railway business, so to speak. The Lord of Lesonia wants a railway to be built through Landhill.”
Ines knew that fact well.
“I don’t know much about what my husband does, but he said he’s currently traveling around Landhill to inspect where to lay the railroad. That’s why he’s staying at the official residence in Landhill right now.”
Ines nodded. Landhill was not a good place to lay the railroad because it had a lot of mountains. The cost of laying the railroad depended on its length, so sometimes it was better to build a tunnel than to go around a mountain. So deciding on a route wouldn’t be easy.
“Did you know that? If the railroad is built, you can get from the palace to Landhill in three days? It’s truly an amazing world. I really want to ride it when it’s completed. Right now, the only place you can go by train is Sanskria, which is a day away from the palace. Sanskria, you know that there’s nothing to see in Sanskria but temples, right?”
“Why do you want to ride the train, Charlotte?”
“It’s... romantic, isn’t it?”
Ines, who laughed softly at her words, slowly got up from her seat. Then she looked back and forth between Charlotte and her stomach.
“I’m with the Princess, so I can’t leave for too long. I think I should go.”
“Oh, I see.”
Charlotte tried to get up, but Ines stopped her.
“Rest a little longer. Your complexion is a little pale.”
“Is that so? It’s not like I’m going to catch a rabbit to eat.”
Ines laughed a little at the cheerful words.
“You said you’re staying at the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Would you invite me over? I was born and raised in Landhill, so I can help you with this and that.”
“Really? That’s very kind of you. I was a bit bored without any friends.”
Ines flinched at the word friend. Charlotte made friends easily. It was the same in Romfield. She wasn’t soft on everyone, but she shared bread with those she considered friends.
The weather was clearer than ever, and the beautifully dressed women blended in with the forest, creating a peaceful atmosphere. There were women like Ines in trousers, but there were also many women in light dresses who simply wanted to enjoy the excitement of the hunting festival.
As Ines looked around at the woman, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw someone familiar.
'Charlotte?'
Ines shared a room with three women in Romfield. One of them was Lena, and the other two were Charlotte and Casey. Charlotte and Casey were the only friends Ines had in that terrible place. Without each other, they would not have been able to endure that terrible place.
Charlotte was a woman who had entered prison around the same time as Ines. At first, she was a woman who would not have been able to carelessly pick even a single flower in the field.
However, the long years in prison had changed her. Charlotte's fierce expression as she slapped Lena in the face was still vivid. However, there was not a single trace of that in her now.
The reason she came to Romfield instead of other prisons was because the place where she committed her crime was Landhill.
When Ines left Romfield, she thought she would never see her again alive.
Ines approached her as if she was possessed.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yes.”
Charlotte, who had been bending down to look at the rabbit, raised her head at the sound of the voice. Her face was flushed red from chasing the rabbit. Up close, she looked like a watercolor painting with a lot of water mixed in.
“I am Ines Swenden, daughter of the Swenden family.”
“I apologize. I am not from this estate, so I did not recognize your face. I am Charlotte. Charlotte Dropinnois.”
Ines looked at her for a moment. Charlotte, misunderstanding her gaze, added.
“Oh, my last name is a bit unusual, isn’t it? My husband is from a foreign country.”
The woman’s bright smile made her throat choke up for a moment. The realization that ‘Oh, I am not the only one who came back’ came to her anew.
Charlotte’s crime was the same as Ines’. Murder, and killing her husband at that.
How could a woman who didn’t seem to be able to properly drive a rabbit end up killing her husband?
Ines remembers talking to her occasionally, but her memories weren’t perfect. It was a difficult time for her to eat or drink properly, and to maintain her sanity. Everyone came to Romfield with a great story. So Charlotte’s story back then wasn’t all that special.
“How did you come to this territory?”
Charlotte didn’t lose her smile even at the somewhat direct question for a first meeting.
“My husband started working in Lesonia. He was originally a central manager of the palace, but he was suddenly transferred.”
“But why are you staying at Landhill?”
Charlotte frowned slightly and tilted her head.
“Did I tell you that I live at Landhill?”
“Oh, I just thought the hunting festival was a festival at Landhill.”
She said “Oh,” and looked around. She seemed to be looking for a place to rest as if she was feeling a little tired.
“Shall I sit over there?”
She found a bench not far away and asked Ines to join her. Ines looked toward where Louis was.
There was also a maid chasing after the child, so she sat down on the shaded bench with Charlotte.
“I’m pregnant.”
Charlotte blushed shyly and put her hand on her belly. It was hard to imagine that there was life growing inside her still-flat belly.
Ines closed her eyes for a moment and searched her memories. However, there was no evidence that Charlotte had a child in any of her fragmented memories.
“It was fine until the morning, but it’s a little difficult in the afternoon.”
“...”
“Have you ever ridden a train, Ines?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
Ines had never ridden a train. She had only laid the tracks that would be laid underneath.
“My husband is the general manager of the railway business, so to speak. The Lord of Lesonia wants a railway to be built through Landhill.”
Ines knew that fact well.
“I don’t know much about what my husband does, but he said he’s currently traveling around Landhill to inspect where to lay the railroad. That’s why he’s staying at the official residence in Landhill right now.”
Ines nodded. Landhill was not a good place to lay the railroad because it had a lot of mountains. The cost of laying the railroad depended on its length, so sometimes it was better to build a tunnel than to go around a mountain. So deciding on a route wouldn’t be easy.
“Did you know that? If the railroad is built, you can get from the palace to Landhill in three days? It’s truly an amazing world. I really want to ride it when it’s completed. Right now, the only place you can go by train is Sanskria, which is a day away from the palace. Sanskria, you know that there’s nothing to see in Sanskria but temples, right?”
“Why do you want to ride the train, Charlotte?”
“It’s... romantic, isn’t it?”
Ines, who laughed softly at her words, slowly got up from her seat. Then she looked back and forth between Charlotte and her stomach.
“I’m with the Princess, so I can’t leave for too long. I think I should go.”
“Oh, I see.”
Charlotte tried to get up, but Ines stopped her.
“Rest a little longer. Your complexion is a little pale.”
“Is that so? It’s not like I’m going to catch a rabbit to eat.”
Ines laughed a little at the cheerful words.
“You said you’re staying at the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Would you invite me over? I was born and raised in Landhill, so I can help you with this and that.”
“Really? That’s very kind of you. I was a bit bored without any friends.”
Ines flinched at the word friend. Charlotte made friends easily. It was the same in Romfield. She wasn’t soft on everyone, but she shared bread with those she considered friends.
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