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Chapter 08
Back in her room, Amel was warmly greeted by Nina.
“Welcome back, my lady.”
“Oh right! I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Without even taking a proper breath after returning, Amel handed Nina a brooch engraved with the Winterpool family crest.
“Go to the castle kitchen and bring back any pot you can find. A small one if possible. If you say I ordered it, they’ll give it to you.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Holding the brooch carefully in both hands as if it were precious enough to drop and lose forever, Nina left to fetch the pot.
Now in a light dress after changing out of her uniform, Amel untied the pouch at her waist and placed it on the table.
From the witch’s pouch that ignored physical laws like weight and volume for anything placed inside, items began to appear one by one.
Among them were a few healing potions, but it was nowhere near enough for the entire expedition force.
“Not all thirty people will participate in the dungeon raid… some will stay to guard the castle. Still, I should make enough for them too.”
As she calculated how many she needed, she checked her materials again. Something clearly dissatisfied her, and her brows furrowed.
“Hmm…”
She had plenty of honeycomb, the main ingredient for healing potions, but one thing was lacking.
“I’m a bit short on Pearl Herb fruit…”
Pearl Herb fruit was a base ingredient used in almost all potions. It grew easily in any season or climate, so it could be found throughout the Verdelio Empire.
Because of that, Amel usually only carried a small amount, since she could gather more whenever needed during travel.
But she hadn’t expected to suddenly need to make over thirty potions at once.
“Let’s see…”
She stood and looked out the window. Beyond the high castle walls, she could see a gray forest in the distance. That looked like a place where Pearl Herb might grow abundantly.
“I’ll just slip out quickly and come back.”
And so, Amel decided to secretly leave the ducal castle.
Escaping wasn’t particularly difficult. Using an invisibility potion, she slipped past the guards and climbed over the wall.
If it had been invisibility magic instead of a potion, the mana detection barrier on the wall would have exposed her—but there were barely any systems designed specifically to detect witches.
“Witches aren’t really considered a threat in the Empire yet.”
If, someday, technology to detect witch abilities was developed, life would become more inconvenient—but strangely, she thought she might even feel a bit proud.
Holding up her skirt with one hand, Amel jumped down past the wall. Her shoes tapped lightly against the ground without making a sound.
“Phew…”
Having successfully avoided the guards, she landed outside the castle. The invisibility effect ended soon after.
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 some? Oh, and over there is time herb?”
Like she was out shopping, she happily gathered plants and stuffed them into her pouch. The Pearl Herb she originally came for was right under her feet, but she had already stopped caring.
And so, she wandered deeper and deeper into the forest.
Knock knock…
Cristan lifted his head. Someone was knocking on his office door.
“Come in.”
It was the head butler, Adolf. He entered with a troubled expression and spoke immediately.
“Apologies for interrupting, Your Highness. The maid who was with Lady Winterpool just reported… that the lady has suddenly disappeared.”
“…What?”
Cristan asked in a low voice.
The butler, sweating nervously, handed him a note.
“The maid said she returned after being sent on an errand, and found only this note left behind.”
Cristan read it silently. The note was short—it simply said she had gone to the gray forest to gather something and would return soon, asking them not to worry.
He read it once, then again.
“Is this true? Could she have been kidnapped?”
“The handwriting matches Lady Winterpool’s exactly.”
“So she left the castle on her own?”
“That cannot be confirmed yet.”
“…Sigh.”
Cristan exhaled and glanced toward the window. Even from his office, the gray forest was clearly visible.
The forest was dense, and once the sun set it became extremely dark and easy to get lost in. However, there were no major beasts or immediate dangers, so it wasn’t considered highly dangerous.
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 sword from a guard as he passed.
“I’m going to find a guest.”
“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 probably be fine. But still, he felt he needed to find her immediately.
Why?
As he walked quickly, he recalled what Jerar had said earlier.
“Someone barely half your size is being given such a heavy task…”
He had said he trusted her, but perhaps unconsciously…
He was feeling guilt and concern.
“I should find her quickly.”
His steps became more urgent as he left the estate.
“Wait… when did it get so dark?”
Amel, still focused on collecting herbs, looked up. Through the dense gray canopy, she could see a sky tinted with reddish sunset light.
“Oh no… time passed so quickly. Everyone must be worried.”
She quickly stuffed the gathered 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.
Although it wasn’t night yet, the gray forest made everything feel dim and shadowed.
She drank a night-vision potion. Instantly, her vision brightened.
Now reassured, she decided to head toward the forest edge and find her way back.
Some time later…
“…?”
She sensed a presence.
A tall man—around 185 cm—was moving quickly through the forest toward her.
The aura felt familiar.
And then—
“Lady Winterpool.”
“….”
It was Cristan.
He pushed aside branches and walked toward her, his cold eyes locking onto hers.
“So. Why are you here, you?”
Amel thought to herself:
This is bad.
