The woman's eyes flashed with anger, and she chewed each word and spat it out.
"Do you hear me the same way?"
The woman's fierce momentum made him take a step back.
The Princess, who was trembling with her slender body, raised her voice.
"How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone? Are my words so funny?"
"I just brought food because I was worried that Your Highness would collapse."
Edrick, who was stunned by the outpouring of words, protested with a frustrated expression.
The Princess snorted openly in his face.
"Why are you worried about me?"
"I am a knight of Your Highness's guard. I have to assist you...!"
The woman suddenly burst out laughing.
He blushed. It was the first time in his life that he had been ridiculed in front of his face like this, so he didn't know how to react.
The woman who looked at him sneeringly continued.
"You seem to think I'm a fool... Don't you think I don't know that the Roem Knights are nothing more than the Crown Prince's loyal dogs?"
His face hardened.
She looked down at the basket in his hand with contempt and added coldly.
"You know what's in it and ask me to eat it? What kind of filthy thing should you do? You're a knight!"
Edrick, who couldn't stand it, raised his voice. The Insult he received for the first time in his life made his ears heat.
"Your Highness's words are an insult not only to me, but to the entire Order of the Imperial Knights! We have sworn before God to protect the imperial family! I... don't anything that harms Your Highness!"
"Do you think I'll believe that?"
He stared at the Princess's ice-soaked face, speechless.
She wiped away the smile on her lips and scolded him.
"If you want to flirt with me, go to my half-sister, because I don't need them."
Then she ended the conversation by shutting the door so that there was a loud bang.
He tightened his grip on the basket. If he didn't, he would throw the door open right away and shout at her to stop being stubborn.
Edrick stared at the carriage door with bubbling eyes, but he quickly turned away.
He did as much as he could. He didn't have the heart to persuade a woman who openly insulted and was hostile to him.
Edrick tossed the basket down on the shelf in front of the public barracks and walked over to the food distribution area.
The knights were already sitting on the field and eating.
Edrick got between his colleagues and began to eat a lot of food on his plate. He told himself that it was none of his business whether the naughty woman was hungry or not...
***
I, who had been tossing and turning in the darkness, carefully pulled myself up.
When I pulled back the curtains from the window, I saw a few lanterns with knights on guard shining dimly in the darkness. Everything else was locked in pitch darkness.
Looking up at the moonless black sky, I cautiously stepped out of the carriage.
For a few days, I only ate a few slices of bread and a few fruits pickled in honey, so I didn't have any strength in my limbs. I thought that maybe it would have been better to eat the food that the stupid knight had brought.
He didn't seem intelligent enough to plot a scheme, but maybe I was overly wary.
I remembered the knight's gloomy face, but I quickly erased the thought from my mind.
Didn't we learn that people who approach us with harmless faces are the kind of people who should not be trusted? Maybe they are trying to catch me off guard and then commit a terrible act.
I looked warily at the knights standing guard near the fence and walked cautiously.
In my accustomed view of the darkness, I caught a glimpse of the triangular roofs of tents, long rows of wagons, and the shapes of horses.
I carefully walked from tent to tent, careful not to stumble on the beak. I could feel the wind blowing from the hills through the hem of my clothes.
The smell of burnt firewood, along with the smell of thick grass, tickled my nose. I relied on my senses and crept through the darkness.
Eventually, I was able to find the residence of my attendants. I squinted my eyes and waited for a long time to make sure I had come to the right place, then groped my way onto the nearest wagon. Then I curled up among the piles of luggage and stared at the entrance of the tent. I wanted to see if the spy that had been planted by my mother would reveal his actions tonight.
I hugged my knees and stared into the darkness without blinking.
Occasionally, I could hear soldiers snoring or gnashing their teeth. I could hear horses purring and insects. I didn't know the night was so noisy.
I tried to calm my aching nerves, counting every minute and every second in pain.
I wondered how much I was holding my breath like that, and the dark sky gradually brightened to a southern blue. Apparently, tonight will pass quietly.
I carefully moved my stiff body and stretched my joints. It was like my bones were dripping and screaming.
As I kneaded my limbs and managed to swallow my moaning, I saw a dark shadow walking out from inside the tent.
I narrowed my eyes.
I couldn't see her face because it was dark, but I could clearly tell that she was a woman with a slender build.
I managed to pull myself up from my creaking body and chased after the shadow.
After walking along the long line of carriages, Ayla's carriage appeared. She rubbed her palms, damp with cold sweat, against the hem of her robe.
How nice it would be if a woman could hide in the carriage. So if you do what I have to do for you.
With such a desperate desire, I stared at the woman's back. But the woman passed Ayla's carriage and moved to the end of the long line of the camp. I shifted my gaze to the place, and my face hardened. The Sheerkhan family's banner, embroidered with the Black Devil's crest, was fluttering in front of the tent.
I hurried to the place. However, after looking away for a while, the woman had already disappeared.
J, who was anxiously looking between the tents, looked at the entrance of the barracks.
'Perhaps... Did she go in there?'
My heart sank.
If Ayla and Barcas are connected like this, Gareth's position will be further solidified.
The Sheerkan family was a powerful family that exerted strong influence in the north as well as in the east. If Ayla became Grand Duchess of Sheerkhan, Gareth would have the League of Nobles on his back. There was every chance that my mother had decided to eliminate Barcas to prevent such a situation.
Thinking about that, I rushed into Barcas's barracks as if I were being chased by something. I couldn't think rationally.
Hurriedly examining the dark barracks, I removed the curtain in the center.
The bed was empty. Since he starts his day before dawn, he is probably looking around the camp or checking the condition of the torque.
Such a judgment flashed through my mind, but my anxiety did not subside.
I fumbled on the empty bed, checking for blood stains. Then, I heard heavy footsteps and raised my head. I saw a man with a large physique standing tall in front of the barracks.
I, who was rushing to the scene, thought that Barcas had arrived, and stopped my steps. Gareth, dressed lightly, was looking at me in amazement.
"What are you doing here?"
He raised the corners of his eyes and scanned me up and down.
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