Chapter 10
The forest belonging to such a prestigious noble family was every bit as vast as Cecilia had claimed.
Warm spring sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dancing shadows across the backs of Ellie’s hands.
There was no way Ritberries could still be growing this late in the season, but she wandered aimlessly all the same.
Whenever a pleasant breeze blew, she followed it.
Whenever she heard birds singing somewhere in the distance, she drifted that way instead.
Before she knew it, a wide meadow opened before her.
Entranced by the breathtaking scenery, she kept walking until she found herself standing at the edge of a steep cliff.
It wasn’t that she was unbearably depressed or overwhelmed with despair.
The spring sunshine was simply so gentle.
The clouds were soft and inviting.
The breeze brushing against her face carried the fragrance of flowers.
Perhaps that was why…
For a fleeting moment, she thought it might be all right to take one more step.
Even if she alone vanished like a speck of dust…
…the world would remain this beautiful.
Just then—
Crack.
The sharp sound of a branch snapping echoed nearby.
Startled, she turned toward the sound.
A man was standing there, watching her.
He wore armor splattered with blood, as though he had just returned from a battlefield.
She had no idea how long he had been standing there.
She was so shocked that not even a scream escaped her lips.
The man’s gaze shifted from her to the cliff below before slowly returning to her face.
The instant their eyes met, she froze.
It felt as though she had peered into a bottomless abyss she was never meant to see.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away from those dark crimson irises.
“W-Who… are you…?”
Swallowing nervously, Eliana asked in a trembling voice.
The man didn’t answer.
A breeze tousled his dark hair before brushing softly across Ellie’s cheek.
After silently staring at her for what felt like an eternity, he let out a quiet sigh.
Then he simply turned around…
…and disappeared into the forest.
Ellie continued watching his retreating figure for quite some time before finally shaking her head.
It felt almost like she’d seen a mirage.
Still, the encounter had snapped her back to reality.
She picked up the empty basket lying at her feet.
Just imagining the criticism Cecilia would hurl at her was terrifying.
But regardless…
She had to go back.
Unsure how far she’d wandered from the estate, she decided to retrace her steps.
If I turn right at that giant Robur tree…
The enormous tree had been memorable enough that she felt certain she could find her way back.
Her pace quickened.
Then—
A faint sound from behind stopped her in her tracks.
Something heavy had fallen into water.
It sounded like it had come from the lake she had passed earlier.
For some reason, the image of the man she’d seen at the cliff flashed through her mind.
His armor had been covered in blood.
No… it couldn’t be.
He looked perfectly fine when he walked away…
Even as she thought that…
…her feet were already carrying her toward the lake.
She reached it in no time, breathing hard as she frantically searched the area.
There wasn’t even a single bird in sight.
Only the occasional breeze sent gentle ripples across the peaceful water.
Just as she was about to convince herself she’d imagined it—
Something sparkled across the lake.
Looking closer, she realized it was a suit of silver armor gleaming beneath the sunlight.
The armor was there.
The man wasn’t.
“Hello! Are you there?!”
Ellie’s desperate voice echoed across the lake.
There was no answer.
Not even a single bubble rose from the calm water.
Without another thought, she dove straight into the lake.
Amid the swirling white bubbles…
…she found him.
His jet-black hair floated gently beneath the water.
His eyes were closed, as though he were peacefully asleep.
Without the slightest hesitation, she swam toward him.
The man’s eyelids slowly lifted.
Their eyes met through the crystal-clear water.
For an instant…
Time itself seemed to stop.
Shaken by the strange sensation, Ellie nevertheless grabbed his thick forearm—more than twice the size of her own—with all her strength.
She had no idea where the strength came from.
But somehow…
She managed to pull him to the surface.
Together, they safely emerged from the lake.
“A-Are you all right?”
Coughing violently as she spat out water, Eliana asked between ragged breaths.
The man also coughed for quite some time before finally speaking in a hoarse voice.
“…Who are you?”
His cold tone caught the exhausted Ellie completely off guard.
“…What?”
“I asked who you are. Didn’t you hear me?”
“N-No, you were unconscious in the lake, so I—”
She stopped speaking.
The man’s expression was far too calm for someone who had just escaped death.
For a moment, she wondered if she had somehow misunderstood the situation.
Then she shook her head.
No one could stay underwater for that long.
Besides…
He had been covered in blood.
“If I’d left you there…
…you would’ve died.”
After calming herself slightly, she spoke firmly.
The man merely stared at her with the exact same unreadable expression.
Ellie was dumbfounded.
She hadn’t rescued him expecting anything in return.
But wasn’t “thank you” the very least a person should say?
Feeling that staying any longer would only make her more irritated, she squeezed the water from her hair and stood up.
With a small sigh, she turned toward the forest.
Then his low voice called out behind her.
“So you’re fine with dying yourself…
…but you can’t stand watching someone else die?”
Ellie spun around, glaring at him as though he’d said something utterly ridiculous.
“That cliff earlier.
You were one step away from jumping.
Though… I suppose you couldn’t go through with it.”
The moment she realized what he meant, her face burned bright red.
It felt as though a complete stranger had seen the most shameful part of her heart.
She wanted to crawl into a hole from embarrassment.
Meanwhile, the man calmly continued gathering his armor as though nothing had happened.
“That’s none of your business.”
“I never said it was.”
“What exactly is that supposed to— Ah!”
Still fuming at his attitude, Ellie was suddenly interrupted as a hooded cloak flew toward her, covering her face.
“Getting angry dressed like that isn’t going to help much.”
Only then did she realize her light cream-colored summer dress was completely soaked, clinging tightly to every curve of her body.
Flustered, she hurriedly wrapped the cloak around herself and turned away.
It hid her figure…
But not her face, which had turned crimson with embarrassment.
“And besides…
It wouldn’t have mattered if you’d left me there.”
The man’s quiet muttering made Ellie clench the cloak tightly.
She shot him one final glare before hurrying into the forest before he could say anything else.
Watching her hurriedly disappear, the man calmly resumed collecting the rest of his armor.
The sticky monster blood coating it had already been completely washed away.
His expression remained perfectly composed.
For a while.
Then—
As he reached for one of his gauntlets, his hand stopped.
His eyes settled on a tiny bloodstain.
A drop of blood landed on the silver gauntlet with a soft drip.
Blood was slowly trickling from his wrist, running down between his fingers.
His face was no longer expressionless.
Like a man who had forgotten how to move, he simply stared at the wound for a long time without wiping away the blood.
Distinct scratches—clearly left by fingernails—marked his wrist.
That woman…
The darkness in his crimson eyes deepened.
Only damp footprints remained where she had stood.
Eliana never learned that he later searched the forest, following the trail she had left behind.
To her, it had simply been a bizarre encounter with a strange man.
She returned to the estate, where Cecilia was undoubtedly waiting.
That had been a year ago.
Since she had known nothing about who he was or where he had come from, the memory had gradually faded.
To make matters worse, Cecilia had been punished with a month-long ban from leaving the estate because she had secretly taken Eliana out that day.
She vented every bit of her anger on Eliana.
After enduring an entire month of relentless torment, memories of the cliff, the lake…
…and the mysterious man were buried deep in her mind.
Yet now—
That very man had suddenly appeared before her.
Holding the marriage contract she had crumpled up and thrown away.
The one bearing the signature:
Tristan Carlisle.
“…Sigh…”
“I think you’d have to sigh a little harder if you’re trying to make the ground cave in.”
She hadn’t even noticed him arrive.
Tristan was leaning casually against the doorway.
His tall frame, broad shoulders, powerfully built torso, and long, well-proportioned limbs were perfectly balanced—not excessive in any way, yet undeniably imposing.
“Shouldn’t you knock before entering someone’s room?”
Remembering the innkeeper’s description of him as “that remarkably handsome gentleman,” Ellie forced herself to sound composed as she scolded him.
“I did.
You didn’t seem to hear.”
Embarrassed, Ellie cleared her throat awkwardly a couple of times.
Meanwhile, Tristan stepped naturally into the room and took a seat beside the fireplace.
“How are you feeling? I heard you finished every bite of your meal. You’re recovering faster than I expected. We can leave early tomorrow morning.”
“…For Carlisle?”
“Yes. Carlisle.
But before that…”
His eyes shifted toward something.
Without even following his gaze, Ellie already knew what he meant.
She swallowed nervously.
“I’d like you to finish signing the marriage contract.
Assuming you’re not planning to run away again halfway through.”
“W-Wait a minute!”
Ellie cried out in confusion.
Everything that had happened to her was already overwhelming enough.
But this…
This was the one thing she understood the least.
“So it was true?
The one who first proposed the marriage was really…”
Tristan frowned slightly, looking at her as though he couldn’t understand why she was asking such an obvious question.
His reaction only made Ellie’s thoughts even more tangled.
