Chapter 12
Prina pressed her forehead to the carriage window, watching the trees speed by.
Her forehead was cold, but her chest felt hot. With such conflicting feelings—uncertain whether it was excitement or anxiety—she’d been unable to keep her restless fingers still for some time. When she looked back, the large monastery was now just a tiny dot in the distance. Prina watched until that dot faded completely.
She had entered the monastery as an infant, with no memories of before. Although a princess, she had never once seen her parents’ faces. This was her first time properly riding in a carriage. At the monastery, where it was said you only left upon death, Prina had never set foot outside its grounds.
‘What kind of place is the palace? Will I really… be able to fit in there?’
With no proper clothes, she still wore her nun’s habit and veil. She thought that as long as she kept her veil on, even if people didn’t like her, at least they wouldn’t be afraid of her. It was a small comfort.
Though she was leaving in the carriage, it felt as if her body and heart were still left behind at the monastery.
Prina quietly touched the cross necklace around her neck.
“May you always go with the will of the divine.”
She recalled the words the Mother Superior had whispered, almost as a blessing, as she put the necklace on Prina before she left. The cross felt like a talisman that would protect her from the unfamiliar things she would soon face.
Remembering this, Prina clasped the cross tightly and offered a heartfelt prayer.
“Please… let no one hate me.”
She had always been used to being hated, but it was something she could never really get used to. In a place with no forest to escape to, no animals to confide in, no friends to lean on, being hated would feel unbearably lonely.
“I’m sleepy.”
She hadn’t slept a wink the night before, and her eyelids felt heavy.
“I should at least get a little rest.”
Trying to shake off her nerves, Prina squeezed her eyes shut.
How much time had passed?
It was when the carriage jolted more violently that Prina, who had drifted into a light sleep, awoke. The air around her had completely changed. The carriage seemed to have entered a deep forest, the thick trees blocking out the light and casting everything in shadow.
Was this really the right way? There was an eerie chill in the unfamiliar forest.
Screech!
The carriage came to a sudden, sharp stop.
What’s going on?
Prina swallowed nervously, tense. She could faintly hear the horses snorting and the voices of the coachman and the knight exchanging a few words. Something seemed to be wrong.
Crash—!
The carriage door was flung open with a harsh sound.
When the knight saw Prina frozen in fear, he twisted his lips into a smile. There was something unsettling about that smile.
“Princess.”
“…Yes?”
Princess. The unfamiliar title made Prina respond a beat late.
“Please get out for now. You’ll have to walk from here.”
“……”
Caught off guard by this unexpected situation, Prina’s eyes widened.
“Come on.”
Though the knight extended his hand politely, there was a sense of urgency in his manner. Hesitating briefly, Prina took his hand, hiding her anxiety as she stepped out of the carriage.
* * *
The rough forest path continued for some time. Prina, struggling to keep up while watching only the back of the knight’s head, glanced anxiously around her.
This can’t be right. Even if she tried to convince herself it was a shortcut, something felt off.
There was no sign of the palace, nor did the path even seem like one people used.
“…Excuse me, how much further do we have to go?”
The knight didn’t answer. Was her voice too soft? Thinking he hadn’t heard, Prina cleared her throat.
When she had first gotten into the carriage, the knight had introduced himself as Arthur.
“Sir Arthur.”
At the sound of his name, the knight abruptly stopped. Prina, following at a short distance, also came to a halt.
“We’ve arrived, Princess.”
“…Pardon?”
No matter how she looked, there was no palace in sight. Only trees, densely packed and almost sinister in their gloom.
Sensing something wrong, Prina stopped. The knight turned to face her. Instinctively, Prina, frozen in fear, took several steps back.
“But this… isn’t the palace.”
“That’s right.”
The knight admitted it without hesitation. Prina’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“A princess like you has no place in the palace.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll have to forgive my rudeness from here on.”
A cold blade touched the back of her neck. He hadn’t stabbed or cut her yet, but Prina could feel the sharp intent grazing her skin.
Her blue eyes trembled, as fragile as a candle in the wind.
“It’s time for you to die. By order of the royal family.”
The icy blade traced from her nape down to her collarbone, stopping at her chest. It seemed like it could pierce her heart at any moment, leaving her unable to move. As he pressed slightly on her collar, the fabric tore with a soft rip, revealing her pale skin.
Seeing this, the knight swallowed.
“Oh, but it’d be a waste to just kill you. Shouldn’t we have a little fun first?”
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