Grand Duke Jeremiah Colesberg. Karina had seen him from afar at a banquet hall before. When she first saw Jeremiah, Karina, like the other ladies, couldn't hide her surprise at his appearance. He was so perfect that she believed he was a masterpiece created by God. They say that when beauty is too much, you can only admire it instead of greed. Karina realized for the first time that when a person is too handsome, a halo can be seen behind them. His statuesque appearance was enough to make her praise and admire him. But that was all. The two of them had little contact, so Karina didn't pay much attention to him. That's why she couldn't help but be very embarrassed to see him here now.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there were people there."
Karina was surprised and tried to leave quickly, but Jeremiah's voice stopped her.
"Wait a minute."
A pleasant low-mid range voice. She thought it suited him very well.
"Young Lady, there is no need for you to go out. I was just about to leave."
"Ah..."
Did he see her crying?
Karina lifted the hem of her dress slightly and expressed her gratitude for his thoughtful consideration.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Jeremiah also nodded slightly as he received Karina's greeting. She thought he would leave right away, but Jeremiah did not leave the terrace. Instead, he strode toward Karina.
"...?"
Karina, who felt the shadow cast over her, raised her head with eyes filled with doubt. Looking up at him with a puzzled look, Jeremiah opened his mouth with a slightly hesitant expression.
"If you don't mind, may I ask why you are crying?"
"...!"
Karina was so embarrassed and ashamed that she was caught crying.
"This is... I just got something in my eye..."
Karina quickly wiped away her tears with her hand and tried to smile as if nothing had happened. But before she could even control her expression.
"You may use it."
Jeremiah held out a handkerchief. The handkerchief he held out did not have a single piece of embroidery. Sympathy? Consideration? Perhaps it was a reflexive behavior that he had learned from seeing the nameless young lady. Without a single word of consideration, he just held out the handkerchief bluntly.
However, to her who had just been subjected to all sorts of humiliation and insults, his calm consideration seeped deep into her heart like a strong perfume.
Gently. A cool breeze blew. And then as if the lock she had barely held back had been released, she burst into tears.
"Thank you... Thank you..."
She couldn't speak properly because she was sobbing. Tears flowed down from Karina's eyes. She couldn't see properly because of the overflowing tears. She had to stop. She couldn't embarrass herself in front of a stranger. Once she started crying, she couldn't stop.
"Don't force yourself to hold it in. It's okay to cry."
Jeremiah said as if he understood Karina's feelings. He even carefully wiped away Karina's tears with his own hands. His hands were meticulous and kind as he wiped away her tears. Perhaps that was why Karina's heart was somewhat relieved. Normally, she would have just let it go, but her mouth opened without her realizing it.
"Everyone says my hair color is... ominous."
Jeremiah looked at Karina's hair and asked.
"You mean the red hair?"
Karina's body trembled at the direct mention of the word red hair. She felt his gaze examining her hair. Her heart sank. She was scared and afraid of what he would say.
"Hair..."
As expected, his brow furrowed as he checked Karina's hair color.
'Ah, that too...'
Karina's head bowed. Her blue eyes, like the recording, darkened and sank. At that moment, Jeremiah's voice continued above her head.
"It's just pretty in my eyes."
"..!"
At those words, Karina looked up at Jeremiah with a surprised expression.
"Your hair... I don't know what the problem is."
Jeremiah slowly swept Karina's side hair with one hand as if he really thought so. He smoothed out Karina's hair that was tangled in the wind.
"...!"
At that moment, Jeremiah's appearance before her eyes was clearly engraved in Karina's eyes. His hair, as black as the night sky, swayed in the wind. His snow-white skin was smooth as porcelain, and his straight forehead, thick eyebrows, high nose, and sharp jawline were in perfect harmony. It gave off a mysterious and strange atmosphere that made her naturally say, "beautiful."
However, what caught Karina's eyes the most was none other than his eyes. Karina's appearance was completely captured in his black eyes which contained an abyss of unknown depth. Karina felt as if she was falling into his eyes. She forgot her depressed feelings and even lost the ability to breathe. Jeremiah was silent for a moment at Karina's unresponsive appearance. And then suddenly.
"The wind is cold."
Jeremiah took off his outer garment and placed it over Karina's shoulders. She could feel his warmth and his faint scent through the outer garment.
"Don't stay here too long."
With those words, Jeremiah left the seat so that Karina could have some time alone. Karina blankly stared at Jeremiah's back as he left the terrace. From then on, Jeremiah was no longer just a handsome statue to Karina.
***
Karina opened her eyes.
"Come to your senses... and open your eyes..."
The voice calling her seemed vague as if it was coming from far away. She blinked her eyes several times and checked the person in front of her. Her vision was blurred, as if fog had covered her. Beyond the opaque curtain, a man was looking down at her. Jeremiah?
"Grand Duchess?"
No, it wasn't. The voice was completely different. This voice was...
"His Highness the Crown Prince...?"
"Are you in your right mind?"
David was looking down at her with a worried expression. For a moment, she mistook him for Jeremiah. Perhaps it was because of the dream. Why did she have to dream about that dream...?
"The herbs worked."
"Herbs?"
"Yes. Don't you remember? You lost consciousness..."
"Me? Ah..."
Her memories began to come back little by little. But when she came to her senses, his face was much closer than she thought.
"Hmm...?"
If he lowered his head just a little more, it seemed like the tips of their noses would touch.
"...!"
Karina was so surprised that she couldn't even get up properly and just kept turning around. David saw Karina's eyes wide open and snickered as he said.
"Don't be alarmed. I was just checking to see if your fever was rising."
David said and stepped back.
"Oh, yes."
Karina responded bewilderedly.
'I don't see what this situation has to do with checking the temperature.'
Although she was curious, she erased the question from her mind because it was not important. Then, she remembered the situation before she lost consciousness.
Karina looked around urgently.
"What about Selena and Hasten?"
Bam!
"Your Highness! You're awake!"
As soon as Karina asked, Selena and Hasten came into the hut.
"How are you feeling?"
In response to Selena's question, Karina calmly checked her physical condition. She felt much better than before she lost consciousness.
'I think it's okay.'
"What happened? Where am I?"
Karina asked Selena, who let out a sigh of relief.
"It's the wizard's hut."
"Yes?"
For her confused mind, Selena explained the circumstances of how she came to be here. Her condition had deteriorated rapidly, so she could not wait for the search party and decided to leave the Cursed Forest, but ended up coming to the herb garden to get some medicine.
"I see. So it's still the Cursed Forest."
Selena nodded.
"Still, it's fortunate that there are herbs you need in the herb garden. I made some medicine, so please try it quickly."
Selena helped Karina up and sat her up. Karina drank the dark green potion Selena gave her without hesitation. As she emptied the bitter potion, her brow furrowed Involuntarily.
"How long have I been losing my mind?"
"It will probably take about two hours."
"I see."
It meant that there was no time to delay any longer.
"Thank you. I feel better now. It's all thanks to you."
Karina, who had expressed her gratitude to Selena, continued speaking with a serious expression.
"Let's get out of here quickly. We don't know when the wizard will come back."
"I think that would be a good idea."
David nodded in agreement to Karina's words. The four of them quickly prepared to leave and left the hut with hurried steps. The sun was already setting. As the day grew darker, the Cursed Forest became more dangerous. Even if that wasn't the case, if it was night and visibility was difficult, they might miss the mark they had left with their daggers. If they took the wrong path, they might be stranded here forever. Naturally, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
After walking for about ten minutes,
"For a moment!"
David, who had been walking ahead, stopped walking. He put his finger in front of his mouth when people asked what was going on.
"Be quiet."
"Why are you like that?"
Karina asked carefully, lowering her voice. Instead of answering, David pointed into the dark forest beyond.
"Is there something over there... Ah!"
Only then did Karina discover it. Under the shade of the thick trees. Something eerie, crouching as if lost in the darkness of the forest.
"Demon...!"
"It's not just one or two."
Realizing that they had been caught, the monsters hiding under the pitch-black shadows began to saunter out. As he had said, there were more than one or two of them. The monsters with their bloodshot red eyes were emitting a terrifyingly sinister, polluted magic. They were dangerous monsters with bodies as large as bears, with bodies as glossy as black panthers, and forked tails that hung long like whips. At first glance, there were more than a dozen of them.
"Umm..."
Hasten groaned with a frown. The monsters that would strike fear into people even if only one or two appeared in a group appeared.
"I heard there are a lot of monsters in the cursed forest..."
Even Selena, who always maintains her composure, couldn't help but be shocked when she came face to face with such a large group of monsters.
"I guess I have to make up my mind."
David pulled out his sword from his waist.
Hasten also quickly drew his weapon. Karina and Selena, who were unable to fight, stepped back behind the two. As soon as they took their stance.
Kwaaaaang!
The ferocious beasts like wild dogs charged at him with a growling roar.
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