Chapter 3

『…What’s the use? No matter how much I struggle, in the end….』

Daphne glanced around absently. The oak forest was deep. If she went deeper and just died… wouldn’t she finally be able to find quiet rest? The impulse arose within her.

『…….』

If she were alone, she would have done so long ago. If Sione hadn’t entrusted Thisbene to her, she would have… long ago.

In truth, she was surely broken a long time ago. Her sister’s death simply made her realize her limits.

Daphne suddenly realized that her surroundings had become much brighter. It wasn’t the time to be standing around foolishly. As if pushed, she started walking again.

The forest, after a long absence, hadn’t changed much. Some areas were dark as pitch, while others were filled with light.

Stars shone in the sky, and if she was lucky, she could see the Milky Way flowing overhead. The unique moss that carpeted the ground in places, emitting a pure white light, sometimes looked like a sparkling surface of water, and the round, cap-like mushrooms served as lanterns.

Also, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, but since the allied forces had set up camp outside the castle and exterminated the wild beasts, the forest was safe from ferocious animals. As if not even a single small animal existed, the only sound was the crunching of her footsteps on the grass.

As she weaved her way through the densely growing trees and moved forward, a large lake appeared. The lake, filled with moonlight and shining brightly silver, was surrounded by various medicinal herbs.

After checking her surroundings once more, Daphne lowered her body and approached the lakeshore. She diligently searched through the leaves, looking for the herbs she needed. The herbs she sought were growing in abundance.

‘With this, I won’t have to leave the castle for a while.’

She knelt down, took a small dagger from her bosom, and began to dig in the soil. She was so focused that beads of sweat formed on her forehead, when suddenly the back of her head tightened.

『…….』

Daphne’s fingertips, busily digging in the dirt, slowly stopped. She felt as if someone was watching her.

‘Could it be an Inacos soldier?’

Daphne slowly raised herself, clutching the dagger tightly. She heard no sound and saw nothing. Nevertheless, Daphne stealthily moved and hid behind a nearby tree.

How much time passed like that? As if the strange presence had all been her imagination, not even a small animal passed by.

‘Was it a mistake?’

Still unsure, she cautiously peeked her head out from beside the tree trunk.

A large hand suddenly grabbed her from behind. Rough, calloused hands covered her mouth, and strong arms wrapped around her waist. Daphne instantly dropped her dagger. It was so unexpected. Daphne, who had only been watching the front, was completely taken by surprise.

『Mmm, mmm!』

She struggled, trying to escape the hands that bound her, but it was no use. It was an incredible force. After struggling for a moment, Daphne quickly decided to play dead, relaxing her entire body. Then, the one who had grabbed her momentarily let his guard down and loosened his grip.

This was what Daphne had been aiming for.

Daphne seized the opportunity and bit the hand covering her mouth.

“Ouch!”

The arm tightly holding her waist disappeared. As if waiting for this moment, Daphne turned around and aimed for the attacker’s eyes with her fingertips.

“Ugh!”

Unfortunately, she stabbed the eyelid rather than the eyeball, but the opponent seemed to be in considerable pain.

“You crazy bitch!”

It was the Inacos common language. As expected, the stranger was an enemy.

However, the opponent’s voice was younger than she expected, and Daphne was taken aback. Now that she looked, his cheeks were still chubby. Though a bit tall, the stranger who had attacked her was clearly a boy.

‘Isn’t he an enemy soldier?’

She was momentarily confused, but although he wasn’t wearing armor, the boy had a long sword at his waist.

Armed outside the castle. He seemed quite young, but it was clear that he was part of the Inacos Federation army. Her confusion was brief; Daphne picked up the dagger she had dropped without hesitation.

‘If I miss this chance, it’s over.’

I have to kill him. Her heart pounded as if it would burst, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably against her will.

‘If I don’t kill him, I’ll die. If I don’t kill him….’

And Daphne realized something in that instant.

‘Oh, my. I want to live.’

Wanting to die in the deep forest? She didn’t want to die like this.

A precarious, hollow laugh escaped her like a moan at the desperate realization. Daphne gritted her teeth and lunged at the boy, who was covering his eyes in pain.

The boy’s eyes widened as he belatedly noticed Daphne rushing towards him. But Daphne didn’t stop. Just as she was about to stab the boy in the abdomen with her dagger, someone grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.

『Aaagh!』

At that moment, Daphne saw white. It was a pain she had never experienced before. Then, the world spun, and she felt as if her body was being tossed around. Daphne blinked in confusion.

‘What, what just happened?’

When she finally came to her senses, she was lying face down on the ground. Only then did she feel the cold dirt and damp grass against her cheek, and a large hand pressing down on the back of her neck as if to crush it. Her body ached all over as if she had been beaten, and the arm twisted behind her back felt as if it were broken.

As Daphne broke out in a cold sweat and unconsciously groaned, someone spoke above her.

“Leopold.”

The resonant baritone voice that penetrated her ears sent chills down her spine. This time, it was clearly the voice of an adult man. Daphne held her breath. The boy called Leopold, seemingly quite surprised by Daphne’s attack, reacted belatedly to the man’s call.

“…Brother?”

Then the man asked in a calm voice.

“Get a grip. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I, I think I’m fine.”

“Letting your guard down because she’s a woman. You still have a long way to go before you’re ready for the battlefield.”

Although the man’s voice remained calm, it sounded clearly angry. Leopold, sensing this, mumbled dejectedly.

“…You wouldn’t say that if you saw what that girl did….”

But the boy’s voice gradually grew louder, as if he felt more and more frustrated the more he thought about it.

“That girl is completely ridiculous, I tell you. She pretended to faint, and then suddenly bit my hand, and my eye! She stabbed my eye!”

Then the man let out a short exclamation of, “Ah.”

“I saw.”

His voice was strangely laced with amusement.

“She was quite something.”

Daphne felt the man’s gaze on her. It was chilling. The man’s strength that pinned her down, and the pressure he exuded, were on a completely different level from the boy who had attacked her. It felt impossible to escape. Daphne trembled with despair.

“…….”

The man stared at Daphne’s silver hair, which cascaded out as her hood fell off.

Shabby clothes. But brilliant silver hair that pierced the darkness.

The man’s eyes narrowed. He knew a few people with this kind of silver hair. Just in case, he checked the surroundings again for any other presence. But still, he sensed no one else. It was certain that the woman had left the castle alone, without any escort. Something was strange. The man suddenly flipped Daphne over.

“Ah….”

Daphne groaned and winced at the rough, inconsiderate movement. Ignoring her, the man straddled her, pinning her down, and grabbed her chin. Daphne reflexively opened her eyes. Vivid purple eyes were revealed.

In the dim light, their eyes met. The man let out an involuntary chuckle.

“Ha.”

Brilliant silver hair, distinct purple eyes.

The man was certain. The woman was definitely Bation’s daughter. He didn’t know how a noble incarnation of the goddess had come all the way here alone, but there was no mistaking it.

『…….』

And Daphne couldn’t take her eyes off the man looking down at her.

Jet-black hair, blue eyes.

And an overwhelmingly large physique that took her breath away.

The man was particularly vivid. It felt as if her vision had suddenly cleared. He looked completely different from her and her siblings, with their shining white hair. He was also different from any of the suitors who came to Bellares for marriage alliances. Feeling as if she had encountered a creature she had never seen before, Daphne couldn’t easily tear her gaze away from the man, as if overwhelmed by something.

“Brother. What are you going to do with this girl?”

Just then, Leopold, who had been lurking behind them, intervened.