Without a moment's thought, Edric lunged into the carriage and scooped the woman up in his arms.
Her body was alarmingly light—and slick with warm sweat.
Frantically brushing the golden hair from her pale face, he patted her cheek.
At that moment, the long lashes that had cast shadows on her skin fluttered upward, revealing deep blue eyes that gleamed like a sunlit sea.
Edric froze. Those eyes seemed to pull his very soul in like a whirlpool.
As he stared, dazed, a sudden burning sensation exploded across his cheek.
He blinked in shock, clutching his face. The princess had already slipped out of his arms and was glaring at him as if he were some kind of lecher.
"How dare you lay your filthy hands on me?"
Mouth agape, Edric blurted out, his voice rising in protest,
"I thought Your Highness had lost consciousness!"
"Oh? And what were you planning to do while I was unconscious, then?"
"Your Highness! How could you even suggest such a thing—!"
Edric shot up in outrage—only to crack the top of his head against the ceiling of the carriage and collapse back down with a groan.
Tears sprang to his eyes, half from pain, half from fury at her outrageous accusation.
Clutching his skull, he groaned for a long moment. The princess, watching him as if he were a particularly pitiful sight, rubbed her temple and jerked her chin.
"That's enough. Stop bothering me and get out."
"At least step outside for some air," he said through gritted teeth. "We've still got half a day of travel ahead. Do you plan to stay in this oven the whole time?"
He rubbed the sore spot on his head, scowling. The words came out sharper than he intended—but he didn't take them back.
The princess shot him a look of disbelief, as though amazed that he never ran out of nerve or nagging.
Edric bit back the urge to snap, Do you think I'm doing this because I enjoy it?
He hadn't chosen this duty willingly, but the unruly princess was still his responsibility. If she collapsed during the journey, the blame would fall squarely on him.
He met her venomous stare head-on, silently daring her to resist.
The princess frowned deeply, clearly exasperated—and finally stood up.
Edric's eyes lit up. He quickly jumped out of the carriage first and turned to offer his hand to escort her down—only for the door to slam in his face.
He stood there for a moment, stunned, staring at the closed door. Then, with a resigned sigh, he turned away.
I'll never understand what it is she hates so much.
Trudging toward the lakeside, he washed his sweat-streaked face in the icy water and sat down in the shade of a tree.
Even then, the obstinate princess didn't so much as show her face.
Was she afraid someone might try to harm her?
The way she bristled at everyone and everything reminded him of a trapped animal, lashing out at anything that came close.
He glanced toward the carriage again, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, then shook his head. There was no point wasting time trying to understand a woman like her.
He just needed to endure this miserable assignment until the journey was over.
The Second Princess went through personal guards like fresh linens; it wouldn't be long before she replaced him too. He only had to last until then.
Encouraging himself, Edric sat with the other knights under the trees, eating bread and wine for a simple meal. After a brief rest, they mounted up again.
By noon, the air had grown cooler.
Revived, the pilgrims marched vigorously along the Gaisa Mountain Range that divided the western and northeastern regions. Thanks to their steady pace, they reached the Sinai Plains—former territory of the old Balto Kingdom—by sunset.
"We'll make camp here for the night," Varkas said in his low, steady voice as he surveyed the terrain.
Edric looked at his superior with weary admiration. Despite a full day of riding, Varkas looked exactly the same as he had that morning—calm, composed, untiring.
He dismounted with measured grace and continued scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
"Set up barricades around the perimeter and post sentries," he ordered.
The knights obeyed without hesitation.
Edric joined in the work of erecting the fence around the camp. It felt excessive for a resting site, but the Sinai Plains were known to harbor all kinds of monsters.
A large armed force rarely faced attacks—but caution was never a mistake.
He hauled out spiked iron planks from a supply wagon, fixed them into the ground, and wound thin wire strung with small bells around the edges.
After hours of steady labor, the makeshift defense ring was complete.
Dusting off his hands, Edric headed toward the campfire where the princess's attendants were finishing dinner preparations.
The smell of roasting meat made his empty stomach ache. He walked up, snagged a small cube of bacon from a pan, and asked one of the maids,
"Is Her Highness's meal ready?"
The young maid, stirring a large pot with a ladle, looked flustered.
"She said… she didn't have any appetite, sir…"
Edric frowned, wiping his greasy hands on a cloth.
So she had skipped lunch and intended to skip dinner, too.
His irritation flared again at her childish obstinacy.
He tossed the towel aside and grabbed an empty basket.
"Pack it with something she might eat."
The maid quickly filled it with a hearty portion—thick meat pies, a stew with bacon, a bottle of wine, and fruit preserves.
Within moments, the basket was heavy with food. Edric tucked it under his arm and headed for the princess's small "fortress."
He knew perfectly well there was no point in forcing food on someone who refused to eat—but he couldn't shake the image of how frail she had felt in his arms.
Cursing his own meddlesome nature, he knocked on the carriage door.
"Your Highness, I've brought dinner."
"I told you, I'm not eating."
"You've hardly eaten all day. How do you plan to endure such a harsh journey without proper meals? Even a few bites would—"
"I said, leave me alone!"
Edric grimaced. Even a hedgehog wasn't this prickly.
He drew a deep breath, forcing his tone to remain calm.
"Then I'll just leave it here. If you change your mind—"
He bent down to set the basket by the door—then jerked backward as the door suddenly flew open.
A pale face, drawn tight with fury, filled his vision.
For a moment, the world seemed to still. Even in the fading light of dusk, her blue eyes shone like burning ice.
Edric swallowed hard.
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