ㅤChapter 15
ㅤTwo weeks later, Theodore returned from his inspection tour. He had, as usual, exterminated as many monsters as possible in the Demon Forest along the way.
ㅤBy reducing their numbers here, he could control the influx of monsters into Langley to some extent. It was an important task performed once every two months.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Welcome back, Your Majesty.”
ㅤ
ㅤArnold bowed to Theodore, who returned triumphantly with the Knights.
ㅤTheodore strode into the castle to clear up the backlog of official duties.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arnold. Any changes in the country?”
ㅤ”The center is noisy, and the people are demanding improvements in their lives.”
ㅤ”Same as always, then.”
ㅤ
ㅤInspecting the fortresses was a regular task and nothing new, but Theodore felt more tired than usual.
ㅤThe fortress was close to the Underworld and had a high concentration of miasma. Perhaps it was taking a toll on him because he was recovering from his illness.
ㅤ
ㅤFor the past two weeks, most of his thoughts had been occupied by the dishes that Princess Ruby had made. He didn’t know why, but he craved that taste terribly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”After I finish the urgent work, I’ll go to the Detached Palace. To scout out Princess Ruby.”
ㅤ”You seem to have lost your composure quite a bit. If spring has come for Your Majesty, I couldn’t be happier as your subject, but……”
ㅤ”I told you it’s not like that. I’m interested in that food. The Princess herself is nothing but a burden to our country at the moment.”
ㅤ”Let me tell you this for Your Majesty’s sake, but if you continue with that attitude in front of her, she will absolutely not cook for you.”
ㅤ”……I know.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore and Arnold worked together to finish the urgent tasks.
ㅤAfter lunch, they departed for the Detached Palace where Ruby was staying. As the carriage swayed through the grounds, the time felt very long to Theodore.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Was the Northern Detached Palace this far?”
ㅤ”It’s the furthest from the castle. It’s quick for us because we’re in a carriage. Wouldn’t it take nearly thirty minutes to walk?”
ㅤ”Did the Princess come by carriage as well?”
ㅤ”No, she must have walked. You were the one who ordered us not to give Princess Ruby anything, Your Majesty. You said that even after her identity was confirmed, 『it should remain the same. Just leave her alone』, wasn’t it? You said it was for a smooth annulment.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore silently held his head in his hands. The more he heard, the more he realized how badly he had treated the Princess.
ㅤEven if it was for the sake of annulment, now that he needed something from the Princess, he regretted it.
ㅤ
ㅤ（She probably doesn’t even want to see my face. Maybe I should have talked to her directly from the beginning…… Ah, this is why relationships with women are so troublesome.）
ㅤ
ㅤWhile he was agonizing, the carriage arrived at the Detached Palace.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hey, Arnold. Go ahead and check things out.”
ㅤ”You really are a chicken, aren’t you? She’s your wife……”
ㅤ
ㅤArnold reluctantly headed towards the entrance of the Detached Palace.
ㅤTheodore waited in the carriage, but when Arnold returned, he was bewildered.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No one came out. It’s strange that the maid wouldn’t come out, let alone the Princess.”
ㅤ”I wonder if she shut herself in because she realized it was me.”
ㅤ”No, I don’t think so. The carriage is an ordinary one, not for royalty, and since we haven’t informed them of our visit……”
ㅤ”Let’s go see……”
ㅤ
ㅤBending down, he got out of the carriage and surveyed the dilapidated Detached Palace.
ㅤAfter walking around the not-so-large building, Theodore noticed two things that seemed out of place.
ㅤ
ㅤ（There’s no sign of anyone. Maybe there’s no one inside. Is she out? The bigger problem is this.）
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hey, Arnold! Come here!”
ㅤ
ㅤArnold rushed over to Theodore and instantly understood what he meant. His purple eyes widened in surprise.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is…… A splendid field. And vegetables and fruits are growing.”
ㅤ”Yes. It’s impossible for vegetables other than potatoes to grow this well. Especially with the castle being so close to the Demon Forest and having a high concentration of miasma.”
ㅤ
ㅤRuby’s home garden, which spread out behind the Detached Palace, was nothing short of a surprise to the two men who understood the situation of the country better than anyone else. If such fields could be cultivated throughout the country, the lives of the people would improve dramatically. They could become self-sufficient, instead of importing at a high price.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s an unbelievable sight. How could this be……?”
ㅤ
ㅤArnold squatted down and touched the soil. It looked and felt no different from the soil around it.
ㅤ
ㅤ”These greens are the same as the ones in that porridge. Princess Ruby may know something about this.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore muttered to himself.
ㅤHowever, the person herself was nowhere to be seen.
ㅤAs he walked around the area again, he discovered that the forest behind the Detached Palace had been partially trampled down, like an animal trail.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Look, Arnold. An animal trail.”
ㅤ”Here? Could it be that the Princess was abducted by a monster……!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe forest behind the Detached Palace was connected to the Demon Forest, and there was a possibility of monsters appearing.
ㅤNormally, they would be defeated by the Knights’ regular extermination before reaching this point, and even if they approached the castle, there was a system in place for the guards and lookouts to notice.
ㅤHowever, there were exceptions to everything. Looking back at history, there was a time hundreds of years ago when the Demon King, the king of the Underworld, attacked.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……There’s no damage to the Detached Palace, but it’s possible she was attacked outside the building.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore groaned with a grim expression.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arnold, you have your sword with you, right?”
ㅤ”Of course. I’m a civil official, but I always carry a sword when I go outside.”
ㅤ”Good. Then let’s follow this animal trail. The search area will be up to our country’s border for now. Until where it turns into the Demon Forest.”
ㅤ”Understood. That’s a wise decision.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore led the way, with Arnold following behind, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
ㅤThe animal trail was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it didn’t seem like it had been made recently.
ㅤ
ㅤ（This feels more like a path made by humans than a monster trail……）
ㅤ
ㅤThe experienced Theodore had that intuition, but he couldn’t let his guard down. They cautiously advanced along the animal trail and reached the border area in about an hour.
ㅤThe appearance of the forest changed drastically just a meter ahead. In this 『Demon Forest』, filled with miasma, only poisonous trees grew, and the animals and insects that lived there were all harmful to humans.
ㅤIt was common knowledge for those living in the Langley Empire that they should never enter and never put anything in their mouths.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……We didn’t encounter any monsters.”
ㅤ”No. But the animal trail continues into the Demon Forest ahead. That’s strange.”
ㅤ
ㅤIf the trail was made by humans, it was strange that it continued into the Demon Forest.
ㅤThen, was it the work of beasts or monsters after all……?
ㅤAs he was pondering whether to proceed further, he thought he heard a small female voice.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arnold, I hear a woman’s voice.”
ㅤ”Huh? ……Now that you mention it, I can hear it too. It’s coming from the Demon Forest.”
ㅤ
ㅤFrom the quality of the voice, it seemed like there were two women.
ㅤThey weren’t that far away, and they were speaking in a cheerful tone, not as if they were being attacked. He couldn’t make out what they were talking about.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let’s go. It’s probably less than a hundred meters away. We’ll retreat immediately if we sense any danger.”
ㅤ
ㅤTheodore drew his sword from his waist and held it at the ready, and Arnold followed suit.
ㅤThe moment they stepped into the Demon Forest, there was no guarantee of their lives. They could be poisoned just by touching the thorns of the trees. With utmost caution, they proceeded along the animal trail towards the source of the voices.
ㅤ
ㅤThe sight that unfolded before them was surreal.
ㅤA large spring with clear water, unlike anything you would expect to find in the Demon Forest. Only there, rays of light pierced through the miasma-covered clouds, shining down on the area, including a charming log house nestled on the side.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Wow! We did it, Emma! Take that!!”
ㅤ”Ah, it’s cold! You got me, Princess Ruby! I won’t lose either!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe sound of splashing water. Two women were frolicking in the spring, splashing each other with water.
ㅤIt was Ruby and Emma.