"This area seems to be untainted by magic. Wild raspberries are growing in the bushes. You haven't had anything to eat since you were captured. Try eating some of this."
Then, Karina realized that she hadn't eaten properly the day before she was captured because she had been so nervous. After she was captured, she didn't even realize she was hungry.
"Oh, thank you, Your Highness."
Karina put down the lit stick and tried to pick up one of the raspberries David offered.
"Ouch!"
But then her palm started to sting as if she had been pricked by a thorn on the bark of the wooden stick.
'I guess I held the stick too hard earlier.'
The part where she had held the wooden stick had turned red. There were also long, thin thorns stuck in the bark here and there.
'It felt a bit painful when I held it...'
As Karina looked at her palm in pain, David put the leaf containing the raspberries down next to her. Then he carefully took Karina's hand and pulled it.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, not really."
David cut off Karina's words as she tried to reply that it was nothing.
"It's not nothing. If a thorn is stuck, you have to take it out right away. If you leave it there and it goes deep inside, you might end up having to tear the flesh to take it out."
"Yes...?!"
'You have to tear and tear out healthy flesh?'
Just imagining cutting with a knife made her palms hurt. Karina, frightened, quickly showed David her open palms. He took hold of the palms Karina held out and examined them carefully.
"Fortunately, there aren't that many thorns stuck in. They don't seem to be deep either."
As David said that, he began to carefully pull out the thorns stuck in Karina's palm one by one.
'Ugh...! It hurts! It stings...!'
Of course, Karina felt the sharp, stinging pain of the place where she was stabbed being torn apart every time the thorn was pulled out. She was holding back the groan that was about to escape automatically.
David glanced at Karina, who was frowning and asked.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
"...!"
Karina felt slightly embarrassed, wondering if she had shown too much pain.
"Ah... No. I can tolerate this much."
As she said that, Karina tried to act calm and returned her furrowed eyebrows to their original position.
"You don't have to pretend not to be sick."
David spoke as if he knew everything.
"No, that's not it..."
Karina cleared her throat and spoke loudly.
"I am grateful that His Highness the Crown Prince is taking such good care of me. When the thorn is removed, it stings and hurts, but I cannot do anything about it..."
As she explained, Karina's lips were slightly protruding. David laughed inwardly at the sight but pretended not to notice and maintained a calm expression. After holding Karina's hand for a while and removing all the thorns that had been stuck in her, David raised his head.
"Okay, I've removed all the visible thorns. But I need to check to see if there are any thorns left..."
David said, still holding Karina's hand.
"If you feel any prickling sensation when I run my hand over it, please let me know."
Karina nodded, saying she understood. David began to gently run his thumb over Karina's palm. His hands were slow and gentle as if he was exploring every corner. Karina felt a tickling sensation instead of a tingling sensation as David touched her hand.
'I think he needs to press a little harder to check.'
If you swipe gently like that, even if there was a thorn stuck in there, it would be hard to tell. That worry was short-lived. Karina's palms were small. It didn't take long to examine both hands. However, even though it seemed like he had examined them all, David didn't let go of Karina's hand. Instead, he stared intently at her hand as if he was lost in thought and didn't move.
"Your Highness? Over there... I think you've seen it all..."
After a while, Karina, who couldn't stand to watch anymore, opened her mouth.
"Ah"
David then seemed to have come to his senses and met Karina's eyes.
"Does anything hurt now?"
"Yes. I don't feel any thorns or any stinging sensation."
Karina opened and closed her hands a few times and then replied that there was nothing wrong with it.
"Okay..."
David let go of Karina's hand with a slightly regretful expression. But Karina didn't see his expression because she was looking at her own palm where the thorn had been removed.
"Thank you. Thanks to Your Highness's careful attention, the thorns have all fallen off."
"Don't mention it. This is normal."
David smiled gently and held out the raspberries he had put down earlier in front of Karina.
"Yes. Now you can eat it."
"Oh, I see."
Karina felt a great sense of gratitude for David's meticulous care for each and every one of her. She also felt a sense of wonder.
'As the Crown Prince, there must have always been someone by your side to take care of you, so are you good at taking care of other people?'
Considering his position as Crown Prince, it wasn't awkward for him to take care of others.
'Or maybe he's just good-natured.'
With that thought in mind, Karina picked up a delicious raspberry. She put the plump fruit in her mouth and rolled it around. As she mashed it, fresh and sweet juice burst out of her mouth.
"Wow, this is delicious...!"
Karina muttered in admiration. As the sweetness passed and the sour aftertaste lingered on her tongue, she suddenly felt hungry. Karina began to eagerly eat the raspberries in front of her. David, who was staring at her eating the raspberries, let out a snicker.
'Hmm?'
David's laughter brought Karina back to her senses.
'Oh, did I eat it all by myself in such a hurry?'
David had given her some to eat, but he, like her, had not eaten anything since being captured in the Cursed Forest. Karina's face turned red with embarrassment. She quickly offered some to David as well.
"I'm sorry. I ate too much for myself. Your Highness the Crown Prince, please try some too."
Karina sheepishly pushed the leaf containing the raspberries towards David.
"No, I'm fine. That's why I didn't laugh."
When David shook his head and refused the raspberries, Karina looked puzzled and asked,
"Then why are you laughing all of a sudden?"
David replied with a smile still on his face.
"It's because the Archduchess looks cute when you eat."
"Yes?"
"Because the way you eat berries reminds me of a squirrel stuffing its cheek pouches with acorns until they are bulging."
David tapped my cheek with his finger and then chuckled again.
"Ah..."
Karina was momentarily confused as to whether his words were an insult or a compliment.
'I don't think it's a curse...'
It didn't seem like a compliment, so she didn't know how to react. Karina just blinked her eyes a few times in an ambiguous situation. Meanwhile, David, who had suppressed his laughter, spoke in a soft but lower voice.
"I have a question for the Grand Duchess."
"Please inquire, Your Highness."
"What if the Archduke of Colesberg came all the way here to rescue the Archduchess? Would your thoughts on divorce still remain the same?"
Karina was a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic. But the answer came quickly.
"Even if he comes, it will be to save His Highness the Crown Prince, not me."
"Why do you think so?"
"That is the truth."
Karina shrugged and continued speaking calmly.
"That's why I think I have to protect my own body. Of course, I shouldn't be saying that right now, when I'm barely surviving with the help of His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Hahahahaha!"
David laughed loudly and refreshingly, unlike before.
"The Grand Duchess seems like a lot of fun. You always seem to exceed my expectations."
Karina couldn't understand David's attitude as he smiled at her as if he was seeing something new.
'Was my answer that funny?'
She thought it was hard to follow his thoughts, so she slowly started eating the raspberries again. David's lips curved as he laughed a lot and the laughter subsided somewhat.
"Oh, what should I do? I really like it..."
David muttered to himself, rubbing his mouth with his hand.
"Archduchess. If I..."
David opened his mouth to say something to Karina, but then there was another noise from the bushes.
A rustle!
"...!"
David jumped up and looked around the forest. Karina also got up and looked toward the sound, her nerves tense.
'What is it this time! Is it a real monster?'
In the dense forest, the branches of the trees swayed as if a large figure was pushing through the bushes. David's expression suddenly changed to a serious one and he pulled out the sword at his waist and said.
"It must be very large, judging by the way the bushes are shaking all the way to the top. It's dangerous, so stay behind me."
"Yes!"
Karina answered, her gaze fixed forward.
Rustle, rustle.
The rustling sound grew closer as the black figure moved. The tension between them dropped again. In the silence where no one spoke, the black figure that had been hidden in the shadows of the forest finally revealed itself before them.
"Uh?"
Karina's eyes opened wide as she confirmed the identity of the black shadow.
"Huh? Your Highness?"
Karina met a truly unexpected person.
"Hasten? Why are you..."
Before Karina could finish speaking, another figure appeared behind Hasten.
"Is this voice Karina?"
Karina couldn't help but be surprised once again.
"Selena? You too...?"
Karina looked dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Selena and Hasten also looked quite surprised as if they had not expected to meet Karina here.
'Am I seeing things right now?'
It was such an unexpected situation that Karina thought she was dreaming. At that time.
"Who are you?"
David blocked the approaching two people.
"Don't come any closer, stand back."
David threatened Hasten and Selena with a fierce attitude, pointing his sword.
"Your Highness, just a moment! These are people I know."
Karina quickly stepped in between them and tried to mediate.
"These are the people the Archduchess knows?"
Still, David's expression did not soften easily.
"Let's say that's true. Then how can they be here now?"
David's suspicions were justified. Karina had been curious about that part, too. To be honest, she even thought that she had accepted this situation too easily. But what can she do if it's true?
Karina said, after checking Hasten and Selena's faces once more.
"These are the people I know. They are people I can trust."
David's spirits softened slightly at Karina's confident words.
"Then let me tell you how we got here."
Fortunately, it seemed like they could resolve the situation through a conversation with David.
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