IRTP 11

Chapter 11

What Happened in the Forest (1)**

For a moment, Kalinz was lost in thought. Should he reveal himself before her like this, or should he simply turn around and quietly leave?

It didn’t particularly matter to him which he chose. After all, he was currently hiding his identity far more thoroughly than Blair was.

A perfectly ordinary linen tunic and even a brown wig. Even if he showed himself before her like this, there was little chance his true identity would be exposed.

But his deliberation didn’t last long.

“…Strange. Did I hear wrong?”

Blair muttered to herself as if puzzled, and seemed to sit back down in her spot.

*She’s more dim-witted than she looks.*

Thinking he could afford to watch a little longer, Kalinz carefully held his breath behind the tree. But even after quite some time passed, no sound came from her direction.

No matter how much he strained his ears, the chirping voice that had been chattering like a bird was no longer audible. Wondering if he might have lost her, Kalinz cautiously poked his head out from behind the tree.

“There really was something after all.”

From the other side of the tree, a head of red hair suddenly popped out.

“Who are you? What are you doing hiding and spying on me?”

Blair was aiming a branch—she must have picked it up from somewhere—with her eyes burning with intensity.

Realizing that her earlier remark about “hearing wrong” had been deliberately spoken loud enough for him to hear, meant to draw out whoever was hiding, Kalinz let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha, clever girl.”

He hadn’t shown it, but Kalinz—who had nearly felt his heart drop from the surprise—murmured low.

But Blair was not to be outdone. She shook the branch that looked like it would snap at the slightest touch and shouted.

“What? Who’s the one who got caught hiding and sneakily spying like a rat? Huh?”

Blair Merbis was not more dim-witted than she looked—she was more valiant than she looked.

“And what exactly do you plan to do to me with that branch?”

Perhaps that remark felt fairly threatening to her, because she flinched and took a step back. The sight was so like a frightened squirrel that a snicker escaped him.

“W-what are you laughing at! I asked why you were hiding and spying on me!”

Despite her brave words, the tip of the branch she gripped so tightly that her knuckles went white was trembling.

At that sight, Kalinz relaxed the force in his voice and answered.

“I didn’t mean to startle you—my apologies. I merely followed because it’s a deserted path and I wanted to check whether you were someone suspicious.”

“…Are you some kind of security captain or something.”

Even though she herself had snuck out of the castle, Blair kept her lips pursed to the end. Kalinz narrowed his eyes, dumbfounded.

“Well, even if one isn’t necessarily a security captain, anyone ought to pay attention when they notice suspicious movement near the royal castle.”

At the word “royal castle,” Blair flinched.

Having caught that, Kalinz realized that she at least did not want it known that she had secretly slipped out of the castle.

“Was this near the royal castle? Ahem, I didn’t know that.”

At her clumsy attempt to play dumb, he suddenly felt a mischievous urge.

“Whether you knew or not—that’s something we could clarify before the Royal Guard Captain.”

At the mention of the Royal Guard Captain in a rather serious tone, Blair’s face went pale.

“No, what are you saying!”

“The way you’re getting so excited really does seem suspicious.”

“It’s because you’re saying nonsense!”

“Suddenly formal speech? Getting more suspicious by the minute.”

At her behavior of subtly switching from informal to formal speech once she found herself at a disadvantage, Kalinz laughed inwardly but held it in.

“O-okay! I won’t say anything more, so just go on your way!”

Blair huffed. Kalinz stared intently at her face.

Just then, a breeze blew in and the hood that had been half off since earlier flipped completely back.

Then her cascading red hair spilled out, scattering in the wind. Perhaps startled by the sudden gust, her deep green eyes widened slightly.

In those round, wide-open eyes, the sunset that had just begun to descend was reflected. Perhaps because of the reddish glow, her already flushed cheeks grew even redder, and her pouty, pursed lips stood out all the more.

*Was that what her face looked like.*

A woman completely different from the Blair Merbis in his memory stood before his eyes.

“What, what? I said go on your way?”

At Blair’s words, full of wariness, Kalinz realized he had been staring at her face far too long, and slowly turned his gaze away.

“…If you won’t go, then I will.”

Perhaps feeling uneasy at Kalinz’s complete lack of response or movement, Blair hurried to leave. She started back the way she had come, then paused briefly and glanced back at him.

Then she quickly turned in the opposite direction and disappeared. She seemed to be deliberately taking a different path so he wouldn’t find out she had come from the castle.

She was quite a thorough person. Of course, it was entirely useless against him, who already knew her identity.

*I’m becoming curious about the reason.*

She clearly had complaints about life in the castle, yet she was desperately anxious about anyone finding out she had secretly slipped out.

*That means she doesn’t want to be expelled from the castle… but that doesn’t mean she’s after the position of crown princess either.*

Even searching his memory, Blair had always been listless, like someone pushed along against her will. Yet she had spent nearly half a year in the castle as a Flonce.

“She has a separate purpose.”

Blair Merbis clearly had something she wanted. Kalinz was intensely curious about what it was.

As he mulled it over, he suddenly looked toward the tree where Blair had been muttering to herself. Something small was glinting red in the sunset light.

Kalinz headed toward it without hesitation.

On the cut tree stump lay a small brooch. It was a brooch bearing the marks of time, but the amethyst had not lost its shine—she must have treasured it greatly.

*Allen, was it. A secret lover, perhaps.*

He carefully picked up the brooch, examined it briefly, then tucked it carefully into his breast and quietly left the lake.

After that day, Kalinz began looking into Blair through Ernst. But there was nothing particularly unusual about the Merbis baronial family.

Except for one thing: her elder sister, Lania Merbis, had taken her own life less than a year after marrying Count Hurston three years ago.

In the end, Kalinz resolved that he would have to speak with Blair directly.

As it happened, his father was holding a luncheon with the Flonces, and he impulsively attended.

But Blair left shortly after, using an upset stomach as an excuse, and continued to avoid him afterward.

Staring at the dinner invitation that had been returned three times, Kalinz agonized over how to arrange a meeting with her—until one day he happened to see her with Fitz.

And that was how the current horseback riding competition came to be. This time, she had no good reason to refuse.

Kalinz intended to find out today, without fail, what it was she wanted.

*I have a vague guess, though…*

If what she wanted was that—then just maybe—it might be useful to his own plans.

Kalinz wore a faint smile and glanced back.

“…!”

At the unexpected situation, he pulled slightly on the reins to slow Knox’s pace.

“…Where did she go.”

To say he had shaken her off—he hadn’t been riding at full speed, and considering her riding skill, the distance couldn’t have grown that much already.

Having come to a complete stop, he gazed out over the wide-open plains. As the wind swept across the empty meadow, waves of green rippled.

Just then, a flock of birds rose from the forest where the hunting grounds were.

Kalinz narrowed his eyes.

*Surely not. However fearless she may be…*

Even as he thought there was no way, he hurriedly turned his horse around. Reaching the path branching into the hunting grounds in no time, Kalinz stopped before the sign.

The words “No Entry” had faded so much they were barely visible. And along the path leading to the hunting grounds, a long trail of freshly pressed hoofprints stretched out.

“Damn it.”

A low, heavy voice escaped him, matching his coldly sunken eyes.

With a hardened expression, Kalinz adjusted his grip on the reins and swiftly urged Knox toward the forest hunting grounds.