Chapter 9

Just before I could reflexively say “Pardon?”, a flash of Esadien’s frosty expression from earlier ran through my mind.

“That was… Esa—no, I mean… uh, not that either!”

I couldn’t settle on how to refer to Esadien, so I hurriedly wrapped things up.

“Anyway, what happened earlier was my fault. I’m sorry.”

Still… was that why he brought me this little puffball?

His reaction was so different from just a few days ago. Even the night before we entered the imperial garden, he’d warned me clearly:

“I can’t return the feelings you show me.”

But lately—yesterday, and now today—Esadien’s actions kept making me… hope.

“Shall we walk a little?”

See? How could I possibly say no to such a gentle(?) offer? It was the first time Esadien had ever taken the initiative like this.

“Sure!”

Without a second thought, I linked my arm with his.

Even though both of us looked nothing like usual, his cool, distinct scent still felt familiar and comforting.

“So, what does this thing actually do?”

“It’s said… if you cuddle it in bed, it grows larger.”

…Huh?

I looked at him blankly, and whether he realized how that sounded or not, Esadien’s cheeks suddenly turned red.

“M-My explanation was lacking. It grows to resemble the owner’s size so one can lean on it comfortably.”

“Ah, so it’s a body pillow.”

How fascinating. It was soft and squishy—perfect for hugging in bed. And it didn’t seem like real cotton, so it probably wouldn’t shed lint everywhere.

“But then, why were you so flustered when you said it…?”

“I-I was not flustered.”

“Hmmm.”

Then who exactly is this Prince turning his gaze away?

But instead of teasing him further, I decided to switch gears.

“Thank you again. Every night, I’ll hug it and sleep, thinking of His High… no, of you.”

“Minuelle…”

“Isn’t that what you gave it to me for?”

“Are you… teasing me right now?”

Oho. He finally figured it out.

‘Maybe meeting him outside the palace really was the right move.’

It was so much fun seeing these new, unfamiliar sides of Esadien.

“If you keep doing that, I’ll take it back.”

“No way! You can’t just give something and then take it back!”

I stuck out my tongue with a playful “Meh!” and giggled mischievously. Then, as I took a few steps back from Esadien—

“Aaaah! Run away!!”

“Kyaaa!”

Shrill screams rang faintly from afar. Even though they weren’t loud yet, the panic in those voices was unmistakable.

“What’s going on?”

“Minuelle, quickly—”

The commotion approached at a terrifying speed. Just as Esadien yanked me toward him, the chaos that had started outside the square came rushing in—and before I could even blink, it had reached us.

“Run! The bulls went berserk!”

“B-Bulls?”

What is this, the Stampeding Bulls in Spain? Out of nowhere? Here?

While I stood frozen in shock, Esadien stayed level headed.

As the ground began to tremble and the dust thickened with their rapid approach, he immediately pulled me into a narrow alley between two buildings.

“This way, quickly.”

Just moments later—

Thundering hooves!

A stampede of bulls stormed past with perfect, terrifying timing.

“Whoa…”

If it hadn’t been for Esadien, I really could’ve died right there. For real, this time.

“Thank you. You saved me.”

“You saved me once too.”

“I didn’t realize you were the type to repay favors so thoroughly.”

I let out a shaky chuckle as I met Esadien’s eyes.

There was something calming in those steady, quiet eyes—just seeing them helped soothe the pounding of my heart.

“Well, I guess that’s enough of a walk for now. We should head ba—”

Just as I relaxed and leaned back against the wall behind me—  

the “solid” wall turned.

Literally.

I felt it rotate like a hidden door.

“—Hhup!”

They say you can’t even scream when you’re really terrified.  

I was exactly like that.

Suddenly, I was falling.  

No wings, no parachute.  

Just my body, helpless against gravity.

‘A trap.’

The thought flitted through my mind, even as I plummeted.

Why would bulls go wild all of a sudden?  

Even if they’d been stung by bees en masse, why charge into the square?

‘I was naive.’

I’d assumed whoever was behind the last attack would lay low after the incident in the imperial garden. I thought it’d be safe, since this trip had been so spontaneous.

But those were all just excuses.

The truth was, I’d made a foolish choice—one that had now put Esadien in danger.

“Minuelle!”

Without even a second of hesitation, he leapt after me and pulled me into his arms.

This person, who, without a moment’s hesitation, jumped down with me and embraced me.

 

* * *

 

“…Nuel.”

A familiar voice came close—then faded.

“Minuelle.”

Again.

“Open your eyes.”

And again.

Slowly, I blinked awake, still groggy and disoriented.

A dark reddish floor. All the surrounding furniture was covered with pale cloth.

“Where…?”

“Pull yourself together, Minuelle.”

“Esadien…?”

It was only then that I realized—

‘Pull yourself together, Minuelle!’

The day I fell into the lake at the imperial garden… it wasn’t the Emperor’s knights who saved me.  

It was Esadien.

A dull ache bloomed in my chest.

‘He’s saved me again and again… I’m the one who should be thankful.’

But then—why could I only hear his voice, not see him?

“Minuelle.”

“Esa…!”

Happily turning toward the voice, I froze.

I finally spotted Esadien—in the adjacent room, visible through an open doorway.  

He was hanging from the ceiling, his arms tied behind his back, swinging like a pendulum.

Literally swinging—back and forth like the weight of a clock, calling to me each time he passed the open door.

“Are you alright?”

“What are you even saying right now?!”

I was so shocked I nearly fainted.

“Who’s worrying about who here?!”

Esadien’s shirt had been stripped off, and he was bleeding.

I knew exactly what kind of wounds those were.

“Wh-Whipping…?”

Back when I first met Ramande, his back had been covered in similar scars.

“Who did this to you?! Who would dare?!”

Sure, I’d said I wanted to see his muscles, but not like this. Never like this.

A fury sharp enough to make me dizzy surged through me. And with it, a sickening wave of heat and the smell of blood rose up my throat.

“Ugh…”

It had been a while since I’d felt nausea like this. But I forced it down.  

Swallowed it.  

I had to stay calm.

This was not the place to pass out coughing blood. Absolutely not.

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie—hah—to me.”

I wanted to get up and run to Esadien more than anything.

But my own hands were bound behind me, making it nearly impossible to balance myself. I was like a turtle flipped on its shell.

“Ugh!”

No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t manage it.

‘Ugh, this pathetic, muscle-less excuse of a body…’

His voice drifted over, tinged with pity.

“Stay there. If I get a chance, I’ll break free and—”

“No!”

A person doesn’t need legs to move.  

There’s always the option of crawling.

Well—what I chose was more like rolling.

“Achoo!”

From the dust covering everything, it was obvious no one had been in this place for a while.

Every time I rolled forward, grime clung to my face, hair, clothes—everywhere.

“Hehh-AHCHOO!”

“I told you to stay put…”

Yeah, I probably looked like a mess.

But I had to reach him. I needed to be next to him.

Back in that alley, the moment I sensed myself falling behind—I’d pressed my emergency beacon.  

You’re wondering what beacon?

It was a magical device used to summon knights from my family.

‘It was a disguise-date, and my family didn’t even complain once. That was suspicious enough already.’

Maybe the imperial family didn’t bother, but my parents and sisters definitely would’ve assigned me hidden guards.

I had no idea when they’d arrive—but it was obvious that staying together would make rescue easier.

“Hehh—CHOO!”

With a particularly dramatic sneeze, I finally rolled to Esadien’s side.

“Just in case can I ask? That rope—you can’t break it with strength?”

In those old movies, the hero would always rip the ropes, or choke out the torturer who came near.

But when I asked, Esadien bit his lip with an oddly stiff expression.

‘Guess not, huh.’

I’d heard he was a highly skilled knight. But if he couldn’t do it, I guess that proves movies are all lies.

Then what was I supposed to do now?  

The answer was simple—no matter what, I had to get up.

“Hyaah!”

After a few tries, I finally managed to stand.  

Exhausted beyond belief, I gritted my teeth and bent my upper body toward Esadien. As I did, a necklace slipped down through my collar and dangled above his face.

“Minuelle?”

“I know it’ll hurt, but… please, bite through this necklace.”

At the end of the chain hung a sword-shaped pendant—an exact replica of the Karnian family crest.  

It wasn’t just decorative—it was a magic tool that could change size according to the will of its owner.

“Hoo.”

Esadien took a short, sharp breath, then straightened his upper body and bit down precisely on the pendant.

‘Wow…’

Watching him do that without even flinching, compared to me—who had rolled around like a fool just to get here—made me feel a little embarrassed.  

But this wasn’t the time for self-reproach. I knelt down cautiously and leaned in close to Esadien’s face.

“I’m going to put it in your hand. If you imagine it as a dagger, it’ll grow. Then use it to cut the ropes.”

Of course, doing that meant he’d inevitably cut his hand too.  

It hurt to know I was making him suffer more—but there was no other way.

A little blood was better than getting his throat slit.  

And if I tried to do it, it wouldn’t just be a cut—I might end up slicing him clean in two.

“……”  Esadien said nothing, but the way his breath trembled as I got closer was impossible to miss.

Whether he was irritated, or just amused by my dust-covered state—I couldn’t tell.  

It was just like yesterday, our breaths mingling again, but the situation couldn’t have been more different.

‘If he keeps trembling like this, he might stab the wrong place…’

So, I deliberately avoided looking into Esadien’s eyes and bit the tip of the pendant as quickly as possible before lifting my head.

From there, it was smooth as silk.

Esadien moved like someone who had rehearsed it dozens of times, slicing through the rope binding his and my wrists. Then he bent his body just enough to cut the one tied around his ankles.

‘What is he, a foldable phone or something?’

My moment of awe was brief. I quickly moved to remove my earring.  

The dangling crystal popped out with a poof! and grew from something smaller than a fingernail to a size that filled my palm.

“What’s that?”

“A healing potion.”

It was a holy solution, infused to the brim with Ramande’s divine power.