Cahill stepped onto the ice, which had frozen over the area Badin had marked on the ground. Only then did he reach out his hand to Holly, who took it and stepped forward.

It was just as her foot slid between his when—

Bang!

—A loud crash echoed as the ground beneath them shook. Losing her balance, Holly clung to him.

“What was that? What happened?”

Once the shaking stopped, she looked up. Cahill was grinding his teeth, glaring at something. Following his gaze, she saw Badin standing with a calm expression.

Seemingly feeling threatened, Shiver appeared at Badin’s feet, barking aggressively.

“It’s because His Highness couldn’t do it, so I helped.”

Cahill had unknowingly used his powers to freeze a wider area as he watched Holly step onto the ice. Badin responded by throwing an ice block that shattered the ground, leaving only the width Cahill had initially intended.

“That was too close.”

Cahill said through gritted teeth, his glare fierce enough to tear his subordinate apart. However, Badin responded nonchalantly.

“I told you, if it’s not done properly, Holly could be in danger.”

Holly swallowed hard.

“Isn’t this too much? What if Holly falls in the water again…”

Adam, who had been watching anxiously from the side, scolded Badin.

“If His Highness performs well, that won’t happen.”

Cahill’s gaze hardened. In any case, he was clearly motivated. Holly, calming her nerves, clutched his robe tightly and looked up at him.

“You’ll protect me, right, Cahill?”

At the question, he looked down at Holly with a worried expression. His arms around her waist trembled slightly.

Feeling the tremor from him, her eyes widened.

‘Cahill is shaking.’

His face was unusually pale. His usually relaxed eyes were now rigid.

‘He’s worried…’

Feeling Cahill’s concern, Holly’s heart raced.

At the same time, she felt sorry for him struggling with unfamiliar emotions. As she raised her hand to cup his cheek and met his eyes, his pupils were faintly trembling while her gaze remained resolute.

“You said you’d become stronger to protect me.”

She spoke as if to remind him, causing his expression to darken further. She continued, trying not to let her own resolve weaken.

“And you said this too.”

Holly paused and looked at Cahill, who tilted his head in confusion. Before more time passed, she resumed.

“You learn everything quickly.”

She smiled with the usual confidence Cahill displayed, and she took his hand.

“There’s no rush. Even if I slip, you’ll catch me.”

She said this nonchalantly, causing the tension in his face to gradually ease into a faint smile.

“Of course.”

Cahill replied with his usual confident tone. Holly’s face brightened further. Then, the wind swirled around her. Although invisible, Holly felt the presence beside her.

“Yes, you too.”

Holly smiled, thinking of Shiver, who seemed to meld into the air. The sensation of having someone reliable, though unfamiliar, wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

* * *

Back in practice, Cahill was still tense but not as fearful as before. His toes touched the calm river water, and from his feet, a thin sheet of ice spread out. Holly took his offered hand and stepped forward.

As she set her foot on the ice, a cracking sound followed by the ice splitting alarmed them.

Cahill’s face hardened.

He hadn’t frozen the ice solidly enough. Any attempt to freeze beyond the designated size would provoke Badin’s attacks aimed at shattering the ground, and he had been too concerned about endangering her to ensure the ice was solid.

His arms tightened around her waist painfully.

Grimacing from the discomfort, she gently tapped his arm.

“It’s okay. Let’s try again.”

Her soothing voice softened Cahill’s stiff expression. He took a deep breath, slowly loosened his grip around her waist, and took another step forward.

Holly reached out her hand without hesitation.

The final step.

With a fluttering heart, she grabbed his hand and leaped forward with a push from her toes. Cahill caught her body with a surprised expression as she soared high.

“Holly…!”

Despite his worried tone, Holly paid no attention and hugged him tightly, bursting into joyful laughter.

“Well done. It’s a success!”

Holly praised Cahill and patted his head. As his displeased expression gradually softened, the corners of his mouth stretched into a wide smile.

“Truly perfect, Your Highness! I, Adam, am moved to tears…”

Adam, who had crossed earlier and watched with a nervous heart, greeted them. Overcome with emotion, he lunged at Cahill. However, as Cahill dodged with an indifferent expression, Adam ended up splashing into the cold river.

Holly, pretending not to see Adam floundering in the water, laughed awkwardly.

* * *

After climbing the cliff with Cahill’s help, Holly couldn’t find the words even after her feet touched the ground.

“What is this?”

Moments later, she blurted out in dismay. They had merely crossed a wide river, but the landscape on the other side was entirely different. Unlike the lush greenery of Geonin, the forest in Diamant was scorched black.

“It looks like there was a wildfire.”

The heat that enveloped the group was so intense it was hard to believe they were near water. Holly thought she should be more careful in covering any campfires thoroughly with sand in the future.

“There might still be some fires burning, so we should move cautiously.”

At Adam’s caution, she nodded and carefully stepped forward. However, Cahill blocked her path.

“Something is approaching.”

“…Something?”

Holly tilted her head at the vague description. Soon, the charred leaves rustled, revealing the identity of what Cahill had sensed. It was covered in fur, and its bright red face resembled that of a human.

“Is that a… monkey?”

She had seen monkeys a few times in the circus troupes that visited Centuria, though she had never seen one up close.

As she asked with uncertainty, Adam nodded.

“It seems they live in groups in this forest.”

He observed the surroundings as he spoke. Monkeys had gathered as if they had come to watch humans, each perched on a branch. Their eyes, shiny like beads, stared intently at the group.

Holly felt a chill and moved closer to Cahill.

Unlike her, Adam, with his cheeks flushed red, gestured to the monkeys.

One of the monkeys, cautious at first, descended from the tree after spotting a piece of bread he was waving. With delight, Adam offered the bread to the monkey. The monkey hesitated before taking the bread and climbed onto his shoulder, rubbing its cheek against his while holding the bread in one hand.

“What a cute monkey.”

Adam murmured regretfully as the monkey moved away. However, perhaps recognizing a friendly presence, more monkeys soon began to flock around him. One even reached into his bag.

He was charmed by the adorable monkeys as they dispersed like the tide.

“They’re cute, but there are so many, and it’s overwhelming.”

Adam spoke with a dazed expression, straightening his disheveled clothes.

“Ack!”

He exclaimed as he was fastening his bag strap.

“What happened?”

__