Chapter 13
“Oh. You’re so strong.”
Crap, I blurted out something stupid again without realizing it. That kind of glib admiration definitely wasn’t like Margaret.
“Milady, you’d do well to keep that mouth shut.”
Enoch scolded me, as expected.
Only after I closed my mouth did he kneel down in front of me on one knee.
He was very carefully taking off my flats. I stared at him, feeling a little strange.
Think about it. The Imperial Crown Prince, who despises me, is kneeling in front of me, taking off my shoes. Isn't that bizarre?
No, this is… incredibly sensual.
Enoch’s hand touched my bare ankle. My slender ankle was loosely held in his large hand.
‘It tickles.’
I curled my toes. Soon, however, I frowned at the stinging pain that spread from the soles of my feet.
“Ah.”
“Endure it.”
Unlike his cold voice, Enoch examined my feet with the care of handling a glass doll. As expected, there were blisters on the soles and heels of my feet.
“This is a problem. It’ll be troublesome if the blisters burst.”
At my muttering, Enoch looked up at me with a face that seemed to be asking for an explanation. I shrugged and said,
“If the blisters burst and the wound festers, there’s a risk of infection.”
Enoch’s expression as he looked at me was exactly that. How do you know something like that?
“This kind of thing is common sense.”
“Isn’t Milady different from ordinary people?”
“Hey, I don’t like that. Are you saying my past self was ignorant?”
“Seems like you have a guilty conscience.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t understand if you said it so elegantly? You’re ruder than you look.”
“Not as rude as Milady has been to me.”
I shut my mouth at Enoch’s words. There was no room to argue. It would only be disadvantageous to me if I kept at it. I had no choice but to change the subject.
“Anyway, in this kind of situation, you should avoid touching the blisters as much as possible so that the skin can form its own protective barrier. Then, it would be good to clean it and apply an ice pack…”
My voice trailed off, and I sighed in frustration.
“There’s nothing I can do right now.”
Going back to the cave was the best option, but to do that, I had to put my shoes back on and move.
Enoch stared silently at my feet with a troubled expression. Why is he staring at someone else’s bare feet like that? It’s embarrassing.
Only after a long time did he hand me the flats he had taken off. Why is he doing this?
I looked at Enoch, puzzled, but he suddenly picked me up. Like a princess carry.
I was so surprised that I put my arms around his neck, still holding the flats in my hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Didn’t Milady say that touching the blisters isn’t good? Hold on tighter if you don’t want to fall.”
At Enoch’s words, I hesitated for a moment, then had no choice but to place the flats on my lower abdomen and hug him more tightly.
Our bodies were pressed together without any gaps. I could even feel the beating of his heart, resonating from deep within him.
I felt strange and a little embarrassed, so I made an effort to look away.
The exploration around the cave ended with only blisters on my feet.
‘I’ll just explore again tomorrow.’
We have plenty of time, don’t we?
I quietly looked up at the sky in Enoch’s arms. The sun was setting.
Enoch carried me silently. He was really reliable. So, I suddenly hoped that he wouldn’t change even after meeting the female lead.
If he didn’t, it wouldn’t be so bad to be with him.
“I’ve really become a different person. Just think of me as having been reborn.”
So, I brought up such unnecessary words for no reason.
Enoch was silent for a moment. Was he just ignoring me because I said this as a habit?
Just as I was wondering, Enoch opened his mouth.
“Yes. At least, it’s certain that talking to you isn’t as unpleasant as it used to be.”
Enoch muttered.
I recalled Margaret’s past memories. Certainly, the past Enoch and Margaret were not people who communicated well.
“But I will never have feelings for Milady.”
I looked up again at Enoch’s words, which fell like a thunderbolt. And I met his eyes, which were as calm as the eve of a storm.
“I’m just being considerate of Milady as a gentleman. So, I hope you don’t have any vain expectations. Because then it will be troublesome for both of us.”
Enoch suddenly drew a firm line.
I understand why he would say that.
Putting aside the fact that we didn’t communicate well, Margaret had said some pretty harsh things to Enoch, considering she liked him.
“Honestly, I don’t know why Your Highness insists on not marrying or even getting engaged to me. I have something that Your Highness doesn’t have. Pure noble bloodline.”
Margaret was the kind of person who could say such things without a second thought, even though she liked Enoch.
Yeah. Considering the sins of the original Margaret, it seems that even if Enoch has some goodwill towards me, he will never like me.
‘I guess running away to the Bunker alone is the answer.’
I was thinking that when I turned my head and noticed something strange.
“Wait a minute, Your Highness. Doesn’t that rock… look like it moved?”
Enoch turned his head in the direction I was pointing.
There was a low hill there, and a round, huge rock was perched quietly on the edge of the steep cliff of the hill.
I don’t know why such a solid and large rock is placed on a cliff that looks like it’s about to collapse at any moment.
“Well, a rock moved… Could you be seeing things?”
Is this what a mirage is? I frowned at Enoch’s answer.
“No, if I’m going to see things, I should at least see hot rice with kimchi stew. Why would I see a rock moving?”
That’s strange. It definitely looked like it was moving…
But as Enoch said, even when I stared at it, the rock didn’t move at all. Eventually, I turned my head casually, following Enoch.
“Anyway, it’s a relief that talking to a troublesome woman isn’t unpleasant anymore.”
“There are many things that are a relief.”
Doesn’t he know sarcasm? Or is he deliberately being sarcastic?
I was dumbfounded and looked at Enoch’s profile, but he didn’t show any change in expression. I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.
We were exchanging a few more of those pointless words.
Thump-.
Suddenly, a dull noise echoed from somewhere, and the ground vibrated slightly.
An ominous feeling swept through my whole body.
Thump. Thump.
Pat-pat.
Something heavy landed on the dirt floor in succession. Then, the sound of animal footsteps followed.
I instinctively turned back to the rock on the cliff.
But tragically, the rock that I had been wondering about a moment ago was no longer on the cliff.
When I looked at the sky, the sun was setting, and the dense forest was somewhat dark.
Still, it’s not as dark as last time…?
“W-what is it?”
I grabbed Enoch’s collar tightly.
Holding me, Enoch slowly took a step back. I felt like my blood was running cold. My hands were trembling.
Thump-. Pat-pat-pat.
This time, the sound came from the opposite side. I quickly turned my head, but there was nothing in sight.
Pat-pat-pat-pat!
Pat-pat-pat-pat!
That sound just now came from behind. And it was rapidly closing the distance.
The sound of footsteps wasn’t coming from just one or two places. That meant that several beasts had gathered.
“Your Highness! Run a……!”
At the same time as I called out to Enoch, several wolves leaped into the air from the bushes. The scene unfolded slowly, like slow motion.
At this rate, we’re both in danger. As soon as I made up my mind, I pushed Enoch away with all my might. And with that recoil, I tumbled roughly on the ground.
“Milady!”
Three wolves landed on the spot where we had been standing. Enoch, who was standing on the opposite side of the wolves, looked at me with a bewildered expression.
Then, a wolf opened its huge mouth towards me, who had fallen to the ground.
