CICN 15

Chapter 15

“Are you the children Clois mentioned?”

Lillian had been a curious person from the very first meeting.

The daughter of a provincial lord—of a very small domain, said to be just beside the forest.

“You’re even more handsome and adorable than Clois described. Want to come pick apples with me?”

Lillian called Prince Clois by name, casually, and treated high-born children like Arcel and Ruska as if they were village kids.

Arcel could never quite get used to Lillian’s attitude.

The foolish Ruska, however, happily followed along the moment he heard they could play.

Even though they were only five years old, Arcel was already calm and mature for his age.

That’s why he understood that Lillian’s attitude was drastically different from others—and something completely unacceptable in the capital.

‘Everyone would call it rude.’

So he kept his distance from Lillian.

In the meantime, Ruska grew quite close with her, even accompanying her to the forest like a little knight.

Watching the two become closer, Arcel deliberately ignored Lillian.

“Lord Clois insists on making her his wife.”

“I know. His Majesty the Emperor was furious. At this rate, Lord Clois may never set foot in the Imperial Palace again, let alone become the Crown Prince. You know what that means.”

“Of course. It means we who supported him are in danger. But as you’ve seen, Lord Clois is unyielding. If it’s not Lady Lillian, he won’t even look at anyone else, let alone marry.”

“Well, who would’ve thought someone so cold would end up like this…”

Duke Kaelan, Arcel’s father, and Marquis Ragselv, Ruska’s father, spoke in hushed concern.

Overhearing the conversation, Arcel became even more wary of Lillian.

Clois had once been the chosen heir to the throne.

But by falling in love with Lillian, he had become just another prince among many.

Because of that, those who had once supported him urgently turned to find another successor.

And those who remained? Not all of them liked Lillian.

“They say she goes into the forest all the time. She’s definitely a witch. She must’ve used sorcery to ensnare Lord Clois.”

A witch. Sorcery.

Those words made Arcel even more cautious of Lillian.

Then, in preparation for Clois’s upcoming wedding, Arcel traveled to Lillian’s domain.

The morning after they arrived, Arcel clicked his tongue watching Ruska go off into the woods with Lillian.

‘Did she use sorcery on Ruska, too?’

That had to be it—why else would he leave Arcel behind and always go off to the forest with her?

‘I need to find out.’

So Arcel followed them.

If she really was a witch, like the others said, he wouldn’t let her off easy.

Of course, he was still only five. It wasn’t easy keeping up with them with such a small body.

‘How are they so fast?’

Even though he was trying his best, Lillian and Ruska were quickly pulling ahead.

‘She’s definitely using some weird power.’

If she used that wicked power on him, how could he defend himself?

Even while worrying, Arcel continued to follow.

Then suddenly, the two of them vanished from sight.

‘What happened?’

Looking around, he finally spotted them in the distance.

Determined not to lose them, Arcel hurried forward—but then…

“Ah!”

The ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way, and his body dropped down.

There had been a deep pit hidden in the overgrown grass.

Pain shot through him with a loud thud.

“Arcel!”

Struggling to lift his head, he saw Ruska’s startled face peering down at him.

And next to him—Lillian, also looking down with shock.

‘I’ve been found out!’

The pain didn’t matter as much as the fact that he’d been caught.

What if Lillian used her sorcery to kill him here?

Suddenly, Lillian jumped into the pit.

“…!”

Was she coming to kill him? Or was she going to cast some spell and turn him strange like Ruska?

Arcel’s body froze in fear as she reached out to touch him.

“Don’t touch me, you witch! What are you trying to do?!”

Arcel used all his strength to swat her hand away. But Lillian didn’t back off.

Instead, she held onto his arm more firmly.

“Ugh!”

The scratches from the fall stung.

‘She really is a witch!’

Why else would she hurt him like this? Arcel thought it was the end and shut his eyes.

Flash!

Suddenly, warm light filled the pit. The light wrapped around Arcel and slowly faded.

‘She is a witch!’

To use such a strange power—Arcel realized the rumors weren’t lies and trembled in fear, eyes shut tight.

Then Lillian said,

“See? All healed.”

Arcel opened his eyes at her words.

He saw Lillian smiling brightly—and his own arm, completely healed.

He stared blankly at the unblemished skin.

‘But… wasn’t it supposed to be witchcraft?’

They had said witches only harmed people. Cursed them, killed them, drove them mad.

But no matter how he looked at it, Lillian’s power didn’t seem like that at all.

“…Why?”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?”

At that, Lillian raised her fist and bonked him lightly on the head.

“If someone helps you, you’re supposed to say ‘thank you’ first.”

“…?”

Even his father had never done that. Arcel was speechless at Lillian’s scolding, like he was just some local troublemaker.

From above the pit, Ruska smirked and said,

“I said thank you properly.”

“Exactly! Ruska is a good boy.”

When Lillian praised Ruska, Arcel hesitated, then muttered shyly,

“Thank… you.”

Lillian smiled and ruffled his hair.

“There you go.”

After that, Arcel quickly grew close to Lillian too.

The forest, once a dark and scary place, didn’t feel frightening when he entered it with her.

Strangely, it felt like the trees themselves were protecting her.

The vines moved aside from her path, and when it rained, the broad-leafed trees gathered their branches to cover her.

“Is this magic too?”

“Well, sort of… but it’s more like ancient power. Anyway, Arcel, did you finish picking blueberries? We can’t make jam if we don’t have enough!”

Lillian seemed more interested in forest fruits than in her own powers.

As the three of them returned with baskets full of fruit, Arcel asked her,

“Why are you so nice to us?”

“Oh my, you noticed.”

There was no way he couldn’t notice.

Lillian wasn’t friendly to everyone.

Even people who had known Clois for a long time—some she refused to meet entirely.

Of course, those people also called her a witch and kept their distance.

“Besides, I was just like those people… so why…?”

“No, you’re different.”

Lillian said it firmly.

“And just so you know, I’m not being kind to you with no reason at all.”

At that, Ruska, holding a basket of apples, flinched and shouted,

“What? Then what are you after? Just saying—there’s no way I’m giving up the sword my dad gave me!”

Lillian burst into laughter at his panicked voice.

Her cheerful laughter rang through the forest.

She set down her basket and pulled Arcel and Ruska into a hug.

“I can feel it. One day, the two of you will mean so much to my child. You’ll spend so much time together. Because of you, my child will laugh, cry… be sad, be happy…”

Her voice echoed gently in the quiet woods.

“So please, become good friends to that child. That’s all I ask.”

As Lillian spoke, both Arcel and Ruska fell silent.

Her voice was different—filled with certainty, as if everything she said would absolutely come true.

It stayed in their minds like a divine prophecy.

But it didn’t come true.

Arcel bit his lip, lost in an old memory.

He’d never said it aloud, but he had waited so long, just to be a good friend to Lillian’s child, just like she asked.

Just like she had cared for them, they had wanted to protect her child.

But Lillian and her child died.

The day they heard the news, Ruska cried all day.

Arcel didn’t say a word—he just swallowed back tears.

Afterward, he tried to forget. And he truly had, for a time.

Until—

His gaze fell on the small child standing among the crowd.

Evi Elden.

Strangely, the moment he saw that orphaned child, Lillian’s old smile came vividly to mind.

“Nice to meet you!”