“Just a moment, Duke.”
At that moment, Zion, who had been silently walking behind Collen, stopped. Leticia also halted her steps.
“It’s just that the butler mentioned something about the Southern Gathering…”
“Ah, it came up like that? Is it a rebellion?”
Collen and Zion whispered in lowered voices. Leticia had a feeling that she shouldn’t approach and stood still.
At that moment, laughter could be heard from somewhere.
‘There’s a building like that in the garden.’
A half-opened structure. It resembled a pavilion and a very small cabin at the same time.
The building was surrounded by winter plants. An older woman, only her upper body visible through the window, was sitting inside.
‘Was that the laughter of children?’
Above the woman’s lap—though not clearly visible, Leticia could tell from the movement of their upper bodies—sat laughing children.
When their eyes met, the children rushed down and came out of the door.
‘Is that the Elena that Zion mentioned?’
Somehow, it seemed possible. Just as Leticia thought that, Collen, who had finished the conversation, turned his back.
“Leticia, let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
Leticia nodded her head.
* * *
When I entered the room assigned to me, Marianne’s luggage from the temple had arrived.
‘Hmm, room has an old-fashioned feel.’
It was a stylish but somewhat worn-out room.
Knock knock. The sound of knocking came.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a maid with a smiling face entered. She had freckles.
“Hello. I’m Marie, and I’ll be at your service during your stay here. Let me help you unpack your luggage first.”
The maid opened the trunk.
I checked my treasure No. 2.
It was the teddy bear that Collen had given me as a gift!
By the way, No. 1 is always with me—it’s my magic bullet gun. A teddy bear is essential for a good night’s sleep.
“I’ll place the teddy bear on the bed.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I gently laid the teddy bear down and covered it with a blanket up to its neck. As Marie organized the luggage, she kept stealing glances at me.
“Why?”
“Oh, no, it’s just that everyone is curious about what kind of person the princess is…”
Oh, is it because of the temple, just like before?
‘Or maybe it’s just the Duke’s effect.’
I thought to myself.
“But you’re much cuter than I imagined.”
Should I say thank you? I pulled back the curtains and raised my head to look out the window.
“Is this castle called Forest Fell because of that forest?”
Beyond the large, brick-framed window, a dark forest stretched out. It was similar to the forest surrounding the Duke’s mansion in the capital. The forest was right next to it.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a small forest with unique creatures and many trees.”
Marie replied.
“But you shouldn’t enter the forest recklessly.”
“Why not?”
The image of the coachman hesitating to enter the forest earlier came to mind.
“That forest… things come out of it. They appear and then disappear.”
Marie whispered softly.
“Ghosts?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
She blinked her eyes in surprise.
It’s obvious. There’s no way there are monsters or ghosts here. No, in this world, there might be monsters too.
“Many people have died in that forest.”
Marie murmured.
“That’s why if you enter the forest, you’ll be cursed. There was a lumberjack from the village below who secretly went into the forest to cut down trees, and his whole body swelled up and he went out like a swollen corpse, or something like that.”
There were no ghost stories.
“What kind of ghost appears? Maiden ghosts or bachelor ghosts?”
“Oh, they say a sorcerer’s spirit appears.”
As I listened, it became more interesting.
“And then?”
“On nights when there’s no one around, the footless sorcerer’s spirit wanders through the corridors and hides under the beds. And it’s said that it grabs the ankles of misbehaving children hiding under the bed and drags them away.”
By this point, it became funny to me.
I nodded my head.
Marie whispered as if sharing a tremendous secret in the only two of us in the room.
“What I just told you is a secret.”
“Yes, I know.”
I smiled mischievously.
“Just a moment, Duke.”
At that moment, Zion, who had been silently walking behind Collen, stopped. Leticia also halted her steps.
“It’s just that the butler mentioned something about the Southern Gathering…”
“Ah, it came up like that? Is it a rebellion?”
Collen and Zion whispered in lowered voices. Leticia had a feeling that she shouldn’t approach and stood still.
At that moment, laughter could be heard from somewhere.
‘There’s a building like that in the garden.’
A half-opened structure. It resembled a pavilion and a very small cabin at the same time.
The building was surrounded by winter plants. An older woman, only her upper body visible through the window, was sitting inside.
‘Was that the laughter of children?’
Above the woman’s lap—though not clearly visible, Leticia could tell from the movement of their upper bodies—sat laughing children.
When their eyes met, the children rushed down and came out of the door.
‘Is that the Elena that Zion mentioned?’
Somehow, it seemed possible. Just as Leticia thought that, Collen, who had finished the conversation, turned his back.
“Leticia, let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
Leticia nodded her head.
* * *
When I entered the room assigned to me, Marianne’s luggage from the temple had arrived.
‘Hmm, room has an old-fashioned feel.’
It was a stylish but somewhat worn-out room.
Knock knock. The sound of knocking came.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a maid with a smiling face entered. She had freckles.
“Hello. I’m Marie, and I’ll be at your service during your stay here. Let me help you unpack your luggage first.”
The maid opened the trunk.
I checked my treasure No. 2.
It was the teddy bear that Collen had given me as a gift!
By the way, No. 1 is always with me—it’s my magic bullet gun. A teddy bear is essential for a good night’s sleep.
“I’ll place the teddy bear on the bed.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I gently laid the teddy bear down and covered it with a blanket up to its neck. As Marie organized the luggage, she kept stealing glances at me.
“Why?”
“Oh, no, it’s just that everyone is curious about what kind of person the princess is…”
Oh, is it because of the temple, just like before?
‘Or maybe it’s just the Duke’s effect.’
I thought to myself.
“But you’re much cuter than I imagined.”
Should I say thank you? I pulled back the curtains and raised my head to look out the window.
“Is this castle called Forest Fell because of that forest?”
Beyond the large, brick-framed window, a dark forest stretched out. It was similar to the forest surrounding the Duke’s mansion in the capital. The forest was right next to it.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a small forest with unique creatures and many trees.”
Marie replied.
“But you shouldn’t enter the forest recklessly.”
“Why not?”
The image of the coachman hesitating to enter the forest earlier came to mind.
“That forest… things come out of it. They appear and then disappear.”
Marie whispered softly.
“Ghosts?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
She blinked her eyes in surprise.
It’s obvious. There’s no way there are monsters or ghosts here. No, in this world, there might be monsters too.
“Many people have died in that forest.”
Marie murmured.
“That’s why if you enter the forest, you’ll be cursed. There was a lumberjack from the village below who secretly went into the forest to cut down trees, and his whole body swelled up and he went out like a swollen corpse, or something like that.”
There were no ghost stories.
“What kind of ghost appears? Maiden ghosts or bachelor ghosts?”
“Oh, they say a sorcerer’s spirit appears.”
As I listened, it became more interesting.
“And then?”
“On nights when there’s no one around, the footless sorcerer’s spirit wanders through the corridors and hides under the beds. And it’s said that it grabs the ankles of misbehaving children hiding under the bed and drags them away.”
By this point, it became funny to me.
I nodded my head.
Marie whispered as if sharing a tremendous secret in the only two of us in the room.
“What I just told you is a secret.”
“Yes, I know.”
I smiled mischievously.
