Adopt 170

170

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Something warm as a spring day’s sunlight kept tickling my eyelids.

Frowning in my sleep, I tried to block out the light with the back of my hand, but for some reason, my whole body felt bound, unable to move a single inch.

Groaning weakly, I gave up on moving and burrowed my forehead deeper into the bedding.

“My lady! That’s the forest’s boundary!”

Flash.

At the sound of Penadel’s voice—the words I remembered hearing before losing consciousness—I snapped my eyes open as if doused with cold water.

The forest.

This was the place called the man-eating woods, where ravenous beasts roamed like jaws and trees lay in wait to beguile people and feed upon them.

Frightened, I rolled my eyes cautiously around to take in my surroundings.

But what greeted me was not what I expected. Instead, there was a gentle warmth, as if within a glass conservatory, the scent of fresh grass, and the arms of Sir Cherry, unconscious, holding me tightly against his chest.

For a moment, I forgot altogether that we were within the forest and simply gazed endlessly up at Sir Cherry’s face.

Sunlight filtered down through the leaves of a great tree above, flickering softly across his sleeping cheek.

The deep-set eyes, shadowed by long lashes, the perfectly sculpted nose profile outlined against the wall, the straightforward lips incapable of deceit—all were as I remembered. Only after imprinting that unchanged presence upon my memory did I finally relax.

Only then did I manage to slip from his arms and look around.

The moss blanketing the ground was plush as any carpet; the sun was so warm it was hard to believe we were in the north, and the scent of deep, rich greenery drifted pleasantly to my nose.

It was so peaceful, one might readily believe we’d come on a picnic into the woods on a sunny day, but I wasn’t fooled by the tranquility before me.

For the woods were so still, not a single birdcall, not the chirr of an insect, not even the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind could be heard.

Perhaps this silence itself was the very nature of the enchanted woods, which never lets a living soul escape.

“We’re doomed.”

Having grasped the situation, I buried my face in my hands and sighed.

At first, I thought getting out of the woods wouldn’t be that difficult.

After all, I’d only taken a single step within the boundary.

‘That means, if I just step back once more, I could leave the forest, couldn’t I?’

Worried about Sir Cherry, who remained unconscious, I nevertheless kept him in the corner of my sight and tried stepping in each direction—north, south, east, and west—one at a time.

“…”

But rather than escaping, the scenery remained unchanged; there wasn’t even a trace of snow left for me to follow.

Glancing at Sir Cesare, I gave up on the idea of venturing off on my own and instead summoned Kao under a tree’s shadow.

Though it was only midday, the shade beneath these woods was deep, and as long as we were cautious, I judged it safe enough for Kao to move around.

“Kao, please scout the area and try to find the edge of the forest.”

Scratching Kao’s neck, I made my request. Kao spread his wings and sprang into the air.

I quickly shared vision with Kao.

From high above, I could see myself and Sir Cherry lying down below.

Just as Kao was about to beat his wings and fly deeper into the distant forest, the shadows of the overhead branches darkened suddenly, and a thick, misty fog rushed in all at once.

The fog was so dense that not only front and back but earth and sky became indistinguishable.

Even sharing Kao’s vision, my sense of balance was so muddled I felt almost sick.

“Kao! Come back!”

He should have been close enough to hear my voice, yet Kao couldn’t seem to orient himself at all.

Just after Kao, panicking, began flapping in a random direction—

Thud!

Like hitting an invisible pane of glass, he crashed violently into something and fell to the ground.

Reeling from the shock, Kao staggered dazedly before finally lifting his head.

Now Kao and I could identify what he’d collided with.

It was a demon beast—withered and emaciated as a thunder-struck tree.

The truly shocking part was that neither of us had noticed the creature’s presence until that collision.

Slowly raising its head, the beast turned and spotted Kao.

The instant murderous madness gleamed in those red eyes—

Crunch.

I immediately broke off the shared vision and gasped for breath.

“…”

The fact that I couldn’t hear even the faintest scream from Kao chilled me to the bone.

Staring at the woods, masquerading as peaceful, I slowly sat beside Sir Cherry and buried my face in my hands once more.

“Truly doomed now.”

Thanks to Kao’s sacrifice, I realized one thing clearly.

I’d only survived even after entering the enchanted woods thanks to Sir Cherry.

It was because I was with him that I was safe from the forest’s bewitchment.

Only those of royal or Valuaishten blood were free among these trees.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, then struggled to drag Sir Cherry to the base of a massive tree and propped him up against the trunk.

Arming myself with a flimsy branch, I sat at his side, keeping careful watch in all directions.

It was good news, at least, that the forest was protecting Sir Cherry.

It meant the woods did not consider him a demon beast—and thus, that he was purifying the curse with his supernatural ability.

I fought the urge to take Sir Cherry’s hand and ‘command’ him to wake.

“Rest deeply until the curse is purified, Sir Cherry.”

When I’d finally succeeded in taming, I commanded him to sleep until the demon’s curse was gone.

I couldn’t wake him merely because I was nervous.

All I could do was wait for him to overcome the curse and open his eyes.

But maintaining my vigilance in constant tension was a nerve-racking ordeal.

Though I should not have felt at ease, a wave of fatigue swept over me, and I found myself nodding off against my will.

Thunk.

I realized the branch slipped from my grasp, but lacked even the strength to retrieve it.

My eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

Then, someone’s hand gently tilted my head and guided it to rest against a firm surface.

Immediately, the sunlight that had been troubling my eyes was blocked.

Ah, now… Now I could finally rest easy.

In a sleepy haze, I mumbled,

“Mm, Sir Cherry…?”

“Yes, I’m here, Lady Blanche.”

Hearing his reply, I sighed in relief and nuzzled my forehead against his shoulder.

‘Wait… just now…’

All at once, my awareness snapped back as if doused with cold water.

“Sir Cherry!”

When I opened my eyes, sunset had already settled over the farthest edge of the woods.

Without even time to survey my surroundings, I reached out to feel beside me.

The moment my hand seized a familiar fold of fabric, an equally familiar voice reached my ears.

“Yes, did you call?”

Sir Cherry—eyes tinged red—shielded my face from the sunset with his palm, looking down at me.

Speechless, I simply stared into his eyes for a long while.

The red in Sir Cherry’s gaze was not merely the reflection of sunset; there, like the residue of the curse, his eyes were more vividly crimson than ever.

As I gazed up at him, unable to shake my doubt, I asked,

“Are you really Sir Cherry?”

“Yes.”

“Then prove you’re the Sir Cherry I know.”

At this, a slightly troubled expression passed over his face. He pondered the request quite seriously, but even after a long wait, no answer was forthcoming.

Ah, that utterly guileless response, entirely lacking in creativity.

It was, without a doubt, the usual Sir Cherry!

Relieved, I felt the strength leaving my grip on his sleeve.

“Then… there’s something I never managed to confess to you. It’s a cowardly truth—the kind I’d never have dared utter before.”

His serious expression made it clear this was no mere trifle, and more than that, I was genuinely curious what he’d kept from me.

Perhaps it was the truth behind the incident from six years ago.

The lie he’d told me, unskilled as he was in deception, avoiding my eyes as he spoke.

That was the only thing that came to mind—his lie to me.

“In fact…”

In fact?

“When you went out with the mage from the Tower on the festival day, I claimed it was for your protection, but the truth is, I followed you out of personal motives.”

“…?”

“And when you wanted to break off our engagement, I honestly wanted to refuse.”

“W-wait a minute—”

“I only pretended to agree and kept delaying the official notice so I could keep you bound to me, even with an empty engagement…”

I couldn’t bear to hear anymore; I reached out and firmly pressed my hand over his mouth.

I felt my face grow hot.

“Sir, I really don’t think you’re in your right mind yet.”

At my words, Sir Cherry tilted his head thoughtfully, then, prying away my hand, he said carefully,

“Are my eyes still red?”

Sweat seemed to break out in the palm he was holding; I snatched it back with a rough, jerky motion and responded with nothing more than a nod.

Sir Cherry answered in a matter-of-fact tone,

“Perhaps it’s because it’s hard to suppress the impulse.”

“…”

I had the feeling that if I asked what kind of impulse, I’d get an answer I couldn’t handle, so I left it alone.

Instead, I curled the hand he’d kissed into a tight fist, avoided his gaze, and changed the subject.

“N-not that. Given all that’s happened, don’t you have anything to say about our situation?”

I’d said it only to change the topic, but fortunately, it seemed to work.

He nodded and replied without the slightest sign of embarrassment,

“My legs won’t move.”

“…?”

“They appear to be poisoned.”

“…Poisoned?”

As I echoed Cesare’s words in a daze, Penadel’s warning echoed through my mind.

“If Sir Cherry fails to purify the curse and becomes a demon beast…”

“I coated my blade with poison in case that happened.”

Suddenly I remembered: Penadel’s sword had been smeared with a toxin that petrified the limbs.

From the look of things, Cesare had managed at least a little resistance, despite appearing to be thoroughly beaten.

“But there’s no way your whole body could be paralyzed in just half a day. He said it would take ten days to take full effect.”

“In the forest’s illusion, time flows differently—slower than outside. A half day here is equivalent to four days beyond the woods. It’s no wonder you’re exhausted. Your body, if we go by the outside world, hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for four days straight.”

As Cesare explained this calmly, I glanced back and forth between his legs and the sky, which was only now darkening with twilight.

Only after a long pause did I finally explode.

“Hey, you idiot! That’s the first thing you should have told me!”