After having the conversation with Miella, she could guess that Uncle Wilves and her father were trying to marry her somewhere. At least, it meant that both of them had only one intention. But Hazel never intended to move like they wanted her to.

Having touched Wilves’ daughter would bring some retaliation back to Hazel. Whatever it was, Hazel was thinking to endure it whatever it would be.

Because this was an arranged scenario.

Hazel’s father, King Ileos, was a man with high pride.

The same reason could be used to remove Lady Pais’ authority managing the royal palace, who tried to frame Hazel for Lorette’s collapse last time.

He absolutely couldn’t stand others ignoring what was his.

Just as Hazel ignored Lady Pais and Lorette in the past and gradually fell into disfavor over something so serious, he was angry at how Lady Pais dared to suspect and even insult his daughter.

It wasn’t anger for the sake of his beloved daughter. Hazel was also not a daughter who got blinded by the affection of her father.

She rather learned how to be loved because she didn’t crave for her father’s love. She needed the power of the king, her father in the royal palace after all. She could’ve done any sort of deeds to gain that power.

“Is she looking this way?”

Lorette whispered in Hazel’s ear.

“Well, maybe.”

“Is she doing that… on purpose?”

As she followed Lorette’s gaze, she could see Miella secretly bumping her leg against Achilleon. She seemed to ask him a lot of things from how to hold the reins until how to hold the gun.

“She probably wouldn’t even know how to use a gun.”

“But I don’t think she would use it well.”

It has already been a famous story that Miella often hit the tree trunk or dug the ground with bullets because of her shooting mistakes. Therefore when she grabbed the gun, the vicinage would become empty.

“Indeed, sister’s shooting skill is better than her. She’s still going to join the hunt even though she doesn’t know how to use a gun well. I’m worried that someone might get hurt because of that later.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. It’s a relief that I can’t join the hunt.”

She could be a target, but Lorette bursted out laughing when she spoke again only with her mouth moving.

Hazel turned her head and caught sight of the tent where the king was resting currently. Ileos was going to come out soon to announce the start of the hunting competition. As much as he hated hunting, he had no choice but to participate in this hunting competition because this occasion was also a diplomatic event.

“I brought it, Your Highness.”

Mary put down the new boots she had brought after returning from somewhere and took off the boots which were currently worn by Hazel on her feet.

“I was glad I had brought you extra clothes and shoes. If I had not done it, you would’ve been covered with mud.”

Mary stepped back after she had done changing Hazel’s shoes.

“I should go see Father.”

Lorette looked at Hazel as she got up. There were still young ladies around them who were close to Miella.

“I’ll be right back.”

Lorette nodded at Hazel’s words and asked again.

“Are your legs okay? For you to walk to the tent…”

“It’s okay.”

It wasn’t long after Hazel left.

“It’s Prince Sisef.”

“But I heard hunting is not his hobby.”

The girls’ attention was drawn to Sisef as he appeared sitting on a white horse.

“He looks quite dashing when riding a horse. I thought he was just reading every day.”

Some of them bursted into laughter as if agreeing with the remark.

Although Achilleon had a strong appearance, Sisef was also quite handsome. At least, his popularity was at its peak in the palace of Land until Achilleon appeared.

“But he can’t just miss it. His half-brother is also participating, and it would be weird if the prince is missing.”

Lorette’s gaze naturally turned to Sisef. She seemed desperate to be recognized and approached by him.

However, Sisef didn’t turn his head toward Lorette. Instead, he found Hazel’s back walking toward the king’s tent and followed her immediately.

“…….”

Lorette sat still and looked at his figure the whole time. Sisef’s horse quickly narrowed the distance between them and Hazel raised her head as soon as she felt his presence.

Hazel suddenly stopped at the sound of horseshoes beside her. As she raised her head, Sisef was seen looking down at her while sitting on the horse. He even had a gun on his back. He had a strange and unusual appearance.

“Your Highness the Prince.”

“Are you going to look away from me again today?”

He asked with a gentle voice.

“I’ve never done that.”

Hazel said as she turned away from his eyes again.

“Where are you going?”

“Seeing my father…”

“I’ll take you there.”

“I can walk there on my own.”

“It must be hard to walk with those legs of yours. It’s quite far even if it seems close at first glance. The road is rough because it was raining.”

Sisef reached out his hand toward Hazel as he jumped off the horse before she realized it.

“His Highness the Prince is right. Take a ride to go there, Your Highness.”

Hazel glared at her faithful maid as if Mary had been waiting for that moment and stepped aside. Meanwhile, Sisef lifted Hazel in his arms and sat her on the horse’s saddle.

“I’ll be right back.”

Sisef sat himself behind Hazel as he held her waist firmly while pulling on the horse’s reins.

“Oh my, where are you two going?”

The young ladies looked intensely at Sisef and Hazel as the two entered the forest after putting Hazel on his horse.

“Do you know something, Princess Lorette? You’re close to Prince Sisef, though.”

“I… I don’t know either.”

Lorette said while clutching on her handkerchief.

“I guess they both have something to say to each other.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Prince Hazel alone with Prince Sisef.”

Lorette was highly conscious of the girls’ remark. Lorette grabbed the dress quietly.

***

“Where are we going? Stop now and put me down.”

Sisef just held the reins silently despite hearing Hazel’s request. The hand holding her waist as if wrapping her body from behind didn’t even budge. It’s been a while since she had seen him using his physical strength in this sort of situation, so Hazel was a little bewildered by this.

“Please put me down.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What?”

Hazel was taken aback by his response, so she looked up and gazed at him.

“Then you will avoid me again.”

Sisef said so as he made eye contact with her.

“Are you planning to keep going like this?”

They had gone quite far from where the hunting tents were located. No one dared to stop them because the one who took her was none other than the Prince of Demophos.

“It doesn’t sound bad either.”

“What?”

Hazel was surprised, wondering if what she had just heard was right.

“Until you won’t ignore me. Until we make eye contact, laugh, and play with each other again like before. I think it would be okay to keep running like this.”

“You’re speaking like a horse. Are you losing my mind?”

Hazel cried out in surprise. Now she was sitting on a horse led by Sisef, trapped in his arms. If he did what he really said just now, there was no way out for her.

“Let me go. You are being insolent…”

Hazel noticed a twinkling light in his hand when she hit his arm.

A bracelet made of red and pink thread.

“What is this?”

It was difficult for her not to know that the bracelet was made by weaving the thread with her initials engraved together in it. Because she also owned a thread bracelet that looked exactly the same, the only difference was in color and initial.

The remembrance of the bracelet thrown out by Achilleon in front of her was still vivid in her memory. Her body began to tremble slightly when she recalled those moments.

To her, the bracelet was like a lingering regret that couldn’t be cut off. And he was clearly engraving the things which were triggered by that lingering regret in his body and mind.

“What’s wrong?”

Sisef asked while holding Hazel tightly after noticing her movements right away.

“…No, but why are you still wearing that?”

Hazel asked in a heavy voice. She rolled up Sisef’s left wrist to reveal his bracelet completely.

“Because you gave it to me.”

Sisef replied casually and turned his hand over to show the inside of his wrist.

“Look, it has gotten really short that I have to wear it with the loop. I have grown up a lot, right?”

Like he said, several more gold loops were connected at the end of the dyed thread. Having seen that, Hazel took a deep breath.

“What’s the point of keeping it?”

“Hazel.”

“It was a joke I made when we were young.”

“You gave it to me. You have mine as well.”

“…….”

“It’s precious to me.”

Hazel let out a deep sigh at Sisef’s words.

“I managed to keep it so it wouldn’t break.”

“What about you? Where did you keep it?”

Sisef looked down at her with a twinkle in his eyes. His eyes were like a puppy looking at their owner.

“…I don’t remember.”

Hazel said while turning away from his gaze.

“You don’t… remember?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.”

“You can’t be like that.”

“Why?”

Hazel argued in an agitated voice to Sisef who spoke virtuously.

“What’s the point of keeping it since it’s not even gold nor jewelry. It’s strange that you still had it until now. I don’t even remember where I put it. It might have been broken and thrown away soon after.”

“…are you serious?”

Sisef’s eyes opened wide as if he was genuinely surprised.

“What about the words we said to each other?”

Sisef grabbed Hazel’s shoulder with one of his hands and spoke.

“Look at me. Are you really going to say that you don’t remember it too?”

“I really am.”

It was a lie. There was no way she couldn’t remember that. The conversation they had while decorating their wrists with the bracelets made of poor craftsmanship was still vivid in her mind. It was an unforgettable day for Hazel.

“Sisef, I- when I grow up, then… Take me out of here. I don’t want to live here.”

“Sure, let’s go to the Empire together.”

Sisef promised to her. He said he’d take her to the Empire. However, he couldn’t fulfill that promise. No, she was the one who didn’t fulfill it.

“I don’t believe you.”

Never, no matter how much effort he would put into it.

Her previous life was more than enough to hurt her.

“Hazel…”

Sisef seemed shocked by her cold words.

“Let’s return now. Everyone must be waiting. It doesn’t matter even though you are the prince….”

Right at that moment, the strength of his hand holding Hazel’s shoulder was getting even stronger.

“I can’t stand you any longer, Hazel. Why are you being like this out of nowhere? I felt strange with you who doesn’t want to listen to me or even accept my apology. I wonder if you’re really the person I knew.”

Sisef’s frowning face was strange to her. She had never seen him so angry and emotional before.

“Let go! Let me go!”

Hazel shouted in panic. While quarrelling on top of the horse, the horse moved its body as if it was taken aback, then straightened its body up as and raised its front feet soon after.

“Aahh!”

It was the moment when she nearly slid down from the horse saddle. Then Hazel fell right into the arms of someone.