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Chapter 07
Amel returned to her room, where Nina greeted her warmly.
“Welcome back, my lady.”
“Yeah. Oh right! I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
As soon as she stepped into the room, Amel handed Nina the brooch engraved with the Winterpool family crest.
“Go to the castle kitchen and bring back any pot you can find. The smaller the better. If you say I sent you, they’ll probably give it to you.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Carefully holding the brooch with both hands, Nina left to fetch a pot, as if afraid she might drop it.
Now alone, Amel changed out of her uniform into a light dress and untied the pouch at her waist, placing it on the table.
From the magically enhanced pouch—one that ignored physical laws like weight and volume for anything a witch stored inside—items began to appear one by one.
Among them were several healing potions, but there was nowhere near enough for the entire expedition force.
“Not all thirty people will go into the dungeon… some will stay behind to guard the castle. Still, I should make enough for them too.”
As she calculated the required amount, Amel checked her materials again. Something about it didn’t satisfy her, and her brows furrowed.
“Hmm…”
She had plenty of honeycomb—the key ingredient for healing potions—but one thing was lacking.
“Pearl Herb fruits are a bit short…”
Pearl Herb fruit was a basic ingredient used in almost all types of potions. It grew easily regardless of season or climate, so it could be found throughout the Verdelio Empire.
Because of that, Amel usually only carried a small amount when traveling, since it was easy to gather on the go.
But she hadn’t expected to need to make over thirty potions at once.
“Let’s see…”
Amel stood and looked out the window. Beyond the high walls, she could see a gray-toned forest in the distance. That place seemed like it would have plenty of Pearl Herb fruit.
“I’ll just slip out quickly since I’ll be back soon.”
And so, Amel decided to sneak out of the ducal castle.
It wasn’t difficult. Thanks to an invisibility potion, she slipped past the guards and climbed over the wall.
If she had used invisibility magic instead of a potion, the mana-detection spells on the wall would have exposed her, but there were almost no systems designed to detect witches.
“Witches aren’t really a threat in the Empire yet.”
If, someday in the distant future, technology to detect witch abilities was developed, things might become more inconvenient—but oddly enough, she thought she might even feel a bit proud.
Holding up her skirt with one hand, Amel jumped down past the wall. Her shoe heels clicked lightly against the ground, but made no sound.
“Phew…”
Successfully avoiding the guards, Amel reappeared as the potion’s effect ended.
She walked lightly into the gray forest.
The forest was filled with wild herbs rarely seen in Winterpool territory. Amel’s eyes widened.
“Wow! That’s thornweed! It’s rare—why is it all here? Should I take a little? Oh, and over there is time herb?”
Like she was shopping, she happily picked herbs and stuffed them into her pouch. The Pearl Herb she originally came for was right at her feet, but she no longer cared.
And so, she continued deeper into the gray forest.
Meanwhile…
Knock knock.
Cristan looked up. Someone was knocking on his office door.
“Come in.”
The visitor was the butler Adolf. With a troubled expression, he entered and immediately spoke.
“Apologies during your work, Your Highness. The maid who was with Lady Winterpool just informed us… the lady has suddenly disappeared.”
“…What?”
Cristan asked quietly. The butler, sweating nervously, handed him something.
“According to the maid, she returned to the room after running an errand and found only a note left behind.”
Cristan read the note silently. There wasn’t much written—only that she had gone to the gray forest and would return soon, so they shouldn’t worry.
After reading it once, then again, he asked:
“Is this true? There’s no chance she was kidnapped?”
“The handwriting matches Lady Winterpool’s exactly.”
“So she left the castle on her own?”
“That cannot yet be confirmed.”
“…Sigh.”
Cristan exhaled and glanced toward the window. Even from his office, the gray forest was visible.
The forest was dense, and once the sun set it became dangerously dark, making it easy to get lost. However, there were no real beasts or major dangers—so it wasn’t considered particularly hazardous.
However.
“Move aside.”
He stood up abruptly and left the office.
The servants and butler hurried after him in shock.
“Your Highness!”
“Where are you going?!”
Cristan took a guard’s sword on his way out.
“I’m going to find my guest.”
“W-what?”
“Lady Winterpool is my guest. I am responsible for bringing her back.”
Without hesitation, he crossed the estate grounds.
In truth, he believed Amel would be fine. But still, he felt he needed to bring her back immediately.
Why?
As he walked faster, he suddenly remembered what Jerar had said.
“Someone barely half your size is being given such a heavy task…”
He had said he trusted her, but perhaps deep down…
He was actually feeling guilty and worried.
“I need to find her quickly.”
His steps grew more urgent as he left the estate.
Amel tilted her head.
“Wait… when did it get so dark?”
She looked up from her herb gathering. Through the dense canopy, the sky was already tinted a deep reddish hue.
“Oh no… time flew. Everyone must be worried.”
She quickly packed the herbs into her pouch and stood up.
“I probably came from this direction?”
She wasn’t entirely sure, but faint footprints and broken grass suggested she was right.
She walked quickly.
It wasn’t fully night yet, but the gray forest made everything dim.
She took out a night-vision potion and drank it. Instantly, the world brightened.
Now relieved, she decided to head toward the forest edge and find her way back.
After some time…
“…?”
She sensed movement.
A tall man, about 185 cm, was running through the forest toward her.
The presence felt familiar.
And then—
“Lady Winterpool.”
“….”
It was Cristan.
He pushed aside branches and approached her, his cold eyes locking onto hers.
“So. Why are you out here, you?”
Amel thought to herself:
This is bad.
