“Kyah!”

I screamed in terror.

Multiple things happened simultaneously, causing chaos. Adrian caught my back as I almost fell over in shock, and the coachman, alarmed by the commotion inside, pulled hard on the reins. The horses reared and stopped the carriage abruptly.

“Miss! Are you alright?”

“What’s going on in there?”

Andrew and Guinness shouted, their voices getting closer. The carriage door burst open.

Both had drawn their swords, and everyone’s eyes were on the box at the back of the carriage.

A rustling sound came from within, and soon, a person emerged, pushing aside the bags, blankets, and fabrics.

It was someone I knew all too well.

Someone who shouldn’t be here at all.

“Ouch…”

Unlike our shocked faces, he grimaced and rotated his neck and shoulders to loosen up. Then he looked our way.

His eyes met mine and slowly crinkled into a smile. The hand that had startled me waved nonchalantly.

“Hello?”

<b>* * *</b>

We pulled over to the side of the road for an emergency meeting.

Surrounded by us standing in a circle, Claude sat in the middle, swinging his legs nonchalantly.

I was the first to speak, folding my arms and demanding answers.

“How did you sneak in? No, more importantly, why did you follow us?!”

“How I snuck in is simple. Wealthy, high-status, handsome friends are always popular. I got some help from friends working for the Duke’s household. I snuck in early in the morning on the day of departure.”

Claude added as if he’d remembered something important and ignored my bewildered expression.

“Oh, ‘handsome’ is key. Don’t forget that.”

“Your Highness…”

My head hurt. I cradled it in my hands, feeling a throbbing headache.

“As for why I followed you, that’s even simpler.”

His tone was confident.

“I came to see you off.”

“What?”

“The people of the Duke’s household saw you off, greeted you, and waved you off, but I didn’t get the chance.”

Good grief. My voice came out in disbelief.

“So now that you’ve said your goodbyes, are you going back?”

“I’ll escort you to the forest.”

“At that point, it’s not seeing me off anymore. No one sneaks into a carriage for hours, travels to the first destination far from the starting point, and calls it a farewell…”

“It seems your definition of ‘seeing off’ differs from mine. What a pity.”

He pretended to be solemn and dignified, then flashed a bright smile.

“Chasing isn’t just your specialty. I’m good at more than one thing too, remember?”

<b>* * *</b>

“We must send him back immediately.”

Andrew, who had been knighted by a neighboring kingdom before retiring, spoke sternly, his bearded face grim.

“We cannot keep His Highness outside the capital this late in the evening. It’s too dangerous.”

“But we can’t move right now.”

Guinness had been deep in thought, now spoke up, her expression equally troubled.

“It’s too late to return to the capital now. The road is invisible at night, and bold monsters might attack in the darkness. The horses also need rest.”

“….”

“We can’t camp just anywhere or lodge in a village with the prince. We need to reach somewhere like Insandra to find at least minimal accommodations, but it’s still 30 minutes away.”

<i>“Sigh…”</i>

“We can’t return to the capital tonight. We must go to Insandra.”

I sighed deeply and looked at Claude.

“You waited until this time on purpose, didn’t you?”

“I was getting stiff.”

He placed his hands on his waist and grinned slyly before grumbling.

“But I had no chance to come out earlier. Think about it. Right after we left, there was talk about elves, and then you slept for hours. Even if I’m thick-skinned, I couldn’t just emerge and wake you.”

Father Adrian had remained silent since Claude’s appearance.

Feeling uneasy, I glanced at him. He looked back at me with a perplexed smile.

“Does no one know you’re here?”

“Correct.”

“This is unbelievable…”

Guinness sighed deeply.

Adrian’s thoughts were unclear, but the two escorts seemed baffled and troubled by the prince’s sudden appearance.

They couldn’t openly express their discomfort in front of the noble prince, but it was clear they were struggling with the situation.

Claude’s rash behavior also bewildered me.

I felt awkward and embarrassed, thinking it was somehow my fault the escorts were troubled.

“Your Highness, this is serious. This is no time for jokes.”

His expression turned slightly serious.

“Perhaps I didn’t explain enough.”

“Too little, indeed.”

“If you accept me, it’s not such a big deal. Don’t worry too much.”

“How can this not be serious? People will be alarmed if they realize you’re missing!”

“First, let me tell you something you might not know.”

His next words were said nonchalantly.

“I’m more of an outcast than you think.”

“What?”

Andrew asked in astonishment.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve left the palace. In the past, I’ve sometimes stayed away for a month or two, hiding away if I felt like it. No one came looking for me.”

“That’s…”

“They think I’m hiding in some gambling den. My dear mother, the empress, is very interested in what I do, but as long as she knows where I am and what I’m doing, she doesn’t care.”

“What if you get caught?”

“I’ve disguised myself well enough. Even if I get caught, as long as I return to the capital, it’ll be fine. I can roam around as long as I don’t waste my precious blood.”

He shrugged.

“Isn’t it comfortable to live as an outcast prince? I can just say I wanted to see the elves when I return.”

His cynical smile was rare to see.

With the prince himself saying so, Guinness and Andrew seemed slightly relieved. But they still looked worried.

“Just to the forest. I’ll make sure you get there safely and then return.”

“Your Highness…”

Claude pleaded.

“I don’t know how long it’ll be until I see you again. It could be another five years. I couldn’t let you go just like that.”

His vulnerability moved me. While I pondered, Andrew approached.

“What should we do?”

“What do you think?”

Guinness, standing beside him, answered bluntly.

“Our orders are to protect Miss Khalia. Having the prince here is unexpected, but if we have to guard one more person, it’s not impossible.”

Andrew nodded and added,

“But we can’t decide this. We’ll follow your orders, Miss.”

My mind raced. I looked at Adrian for his opinion.

“What do you think, Father?”

“I am fine with it. His Highness’ deep concern for his friend is admirable. More people means more joy, though this journey is not for fun. I will follow Miss Khalia’s decision.”

I turned back to Claude. He still looked at me with pleading eyes. I thought hard.

After some time, I spoke.

“For now… we can’t decide here. Let’s move quickly. It’s late.”

The sun was about to set. Shadows grew long.

“We’ll stay in Insandra tonight, and tomorrow…”

I looked at Claude. His expression was unreadable.

“I’ll decide then.”

“Understood.”

Andrew and Guinness replied. Adrian also nodded.

“Get in.”

Guinness opened the carriage door. Adrian, Claude, and I got in.

The escorts mounted their horses and flanked the carriage as it started moving.

Inside, it was silent. Adrian sat across from me, Claude next to me.

I avoided looking at him, staring straight ahead. He didn’t speak either.

In the silence, the carriage moved swiftly.

<b>* * *</b>

We managed to enter the gates before they closed.

Insandra was much smaller than the capital but bustling even at this late hour.

Merchants loudly hawked their goods, trying to sell the last of their wares.

We pulled our cloaks tightly around us, especially to conceal Claude’s appearance, and entered an inn, securing rooms.

With plenty of money, we rented an entire floor for ourselves. The owner welcomed us with a beaming smile.

We had a light meal in the first-floor dining area. Not very hungry, I ate just enough and then stood up.

“I’ll go to my room. I’m tired.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Have a good night.”

“You too, Father.”

I greeted Adrian and quickly left. The room was as it had been when I briefly unpacked before dinner.

A staff member brought a basin of hot water. I washed and changed into comfortable indoor clothes. I also let down my hair from its long, single braid.

Although covered with slightly coarse linens, the bed was clean. I lay down immediately. The warm wood tones of the ceiling soothed my eyes.

<i>“Sigh…”</i>

Finally, I relaxed. My muscles loosened, and my limbs went limp. A light sigh escaped me.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock at the door. I had a feeling I knew who it was before hearing the voice.

“May I come in?”

It was Claude.