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Chapter : 18
I Became a Rain-Soaked Puppy
A black bear kicked off the ground and roared.
“Uwooo!”
Dust billowed up, and a massive black bear revealed itself. It looked like a jet-black demon. Its red eyes flashed, and one eye was torn, making it even more terrifying. Alarm bells rang through the gathering area, and the knights rushed in.
“W-What is all this commotion?!”
The black bear opened its jaws wide, drool dripping down. Someone shouted,
“That bastard eats people!”
“Aim for the neck! Unless you want to be torn apart by those fangs…!”
Charlophe blinked blankly.
The rain grew heavier. Her ears rang, and it felt as if she were trapped alone in a silent world. Everything was swallowed by the sound of rain.
Below her was utter chaos.
The black bear gaped and slammed its head down. A man pinned beneath it stabbed a blade into its mouth and screamed.
“There haven’t been any deaths here yet…”
Charlophe loaded a bolt into her crossbow.
Whoosh — the gunshot was drowned out by the rain.
The bolt pierced straight through the center of the bear’s head.
“What a mess. All of you.”
Charlophe poured her pent-up emotions into each shot.
One carried mourning,
two carried sorrow,
three carried regret.
They were mourning, sorrow, and regret for the ‘me,’ Charlophe, who had died in a past life.
Three shots rang out in succession. Then came a breath-stopping silence.
No—this was a silence allowed only for Charlophe. Her ears rang.
The rain poured down savagely. Her hair, soaked with rain, streamed down past her waist.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
Katarina stood holding an umbrella.
“Please use this. The rain is making it hard to see.”
“……”
“It’s raining, after all.”
“You’re strange.”
“In what way?”
“I thought you’d scold me for being reckless.”
“That’s beyond my authority.”
Katarina sensed the sorrowful resentment in her young lady. It felt as though her bottled-up emotions were about to burst.
What is this? What is happening?
Her lady was weak, yet strong. She looked fragile, yet stood straight and firm.
Katarina realized instinctively.
Anything would do right now. What mattered was keeping her lady conscious.
“The black bear’s movements have slowed.”
“……Have they?”
“You’re very good with the crossbow.”
“Yeah. I used up all the spare bolts too.”
“The royal guards will take care of the rest.”
“……”
“Please don’t overdo it. You’re cold.”
Charlophe groaned softly. She stared into the depths of the forest.
“……He’s here.”
“Who do you mean?”
Charlophe let her arm holding the crossbow fall. The strength drained from her body.
“Benjamin.”
Rain soaked her hair. The world grew quieter.
Benjamin climbed onto the bear’s back and slashed its neck. Its hide was thick and tough. Narrowing his eyes, he twisted the blade. The bear rolled to the side, and Benjamin leapt off its back.
Mud splashed everywhere in the rain. Benjamin squinted and asked,
“Has it eaten anyone yet?”
“No, Your Highness!”
“Then that’s a relief.”
Aside from a few squires who had been struck by the bear, there wasn’t much damage.
“Move the wounded out.”
Cesar dragged out the injured who were sprawled on the ground.
“Why was a black bear here?”
“Beast packs coming down once in a while isn’t unusual.”
Benjamin grabbed an injured man by the collar and tossed him to Cesar.
“Your Highness. Please handle the wounded more carefully.”
“Where’s our kid? Where is she?”
Aster arrived late, scanning the area frantically.
“Charlophe! Where are you?!”
The rabid beast took its final steps.
“Uwooooo!”
The dying bear lowered its body.
“It’s over.”
Benjamin drove his blade into the back of its neck. Twisting his wrist, he let the tip turn inside, then pressed down on the spine of the blade with his fingers. The bear breathed its last.
“The wounded have all been moved.”
Benjamin slowly looked around.
“What about the dead?”
Cesar sheathed his sword and replied,
“None. Everyone made it out with just injuries.”
“Brother! I can’t see our kid!”
“She’s probably by the tents…”
“What if she got caught up in this?!”
“Aster, don’t interrupt. There was no damage near the tents—”
“Charlophe! Charle! Where are you?!”
“Calm down. It’s raining—do you really think the kid was outside?”
Benjamin glanced at Aster and snorted.
“I’ll send someone toward the tents—”
He trailed off, narrowing his eyes. The bear’s corpse looked strange. A gunshot wound on its head. A bullet hole.
“So you overdid it again.”
Benjamin swept his gaze around, as if he knew exactly where to look. He found Charlophe at once.
“There you are.”
He set down his sword and brushed back his hair, staring openly.
“Charle.”
Charlophe smiled faintly in the rain.
“Why are you standing somewhere dangerous like this?”
“I just took a short walk.”
“I told you to hunt small game, and I almost ended up greeting a Charle that a bear had nicely digested.”
Benjamin strode up to her, stopping right in front of her. He looked a bit upset.
“You’ve turned into a rain-soaked puppy.”
He frowned at her, drenched from head to toe.
“Who made you stand here?”
The rain whooshed down.
Her two uncles shouted in dismay at the sight of her soaked figure.
“Charle! Why do you look like that?!”
“Everyone, get out of the rain!”
The hunting competition was wrapped up quickly. Even then, the rain only grew heavier, trickling down over her eyebrows.
Was that the first time I’ve ever seen Uncle that angry?
Aster and Cesar had gone to the tents.
‘You useless fools! What were you doing while our child ended up like this…! What is this?! Her face is half gone! If this fragile child catches a cold…! Mmph! Brother, wait! What are you doing?!’
‘Your Highness. We’ll clean up the hunting grounds first. Please take care of the child.’
Her rain-soaked body trembled. Charlophe felt dazed from the cold.
“Come here, Charle.”
Benjamin led her by the arm.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“Huh?”
“You’re soaked. What is this, huh?”
He wiped her wet body with a dry towel.
“What foolish thing were you doing?”
“Be gentle.”
“You really are hopeless.”
“Benjamin, gently.”
“What did you leave the umbrella for? You’re soaked through, your face is pale, and you look awful.”
He pressed the towel firmly against her head. Charlophe struggled to escape his grip, but his hands gradually softened.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
“I was startled when I heard the shots.”
“It looked like the bear was about to eat someone… Do bears eat people?”
“They’re carnivores too. That one probably ate a few already.”
Charlophe reached out and tugged the towel down.
“Charle, stay still.”
“I’ll wipe myself. Give me the towel.”
Benjamin let out a low breath.
“Your forehead’s hot.”
She flinched, and Benjamin pressed his forehead to hers, breathing out.
“How long were you standing there?”
“Just a little, Benjamin…”
“You look like you were dunked in water and pulled right back out.”
Smiling faintly, he pulled the towel down again.
“I was going to lecture you a lot.”
Then he whispered, exhaling softly,
“But I’m upset.”
A maid cleared her throat at the entrance of the tent.
“My lady, I brought a change of clothes.”
She had finally brought dry clothes. Her wet garments were growing heavier by the moment.
As Charlophe began to take off her soaked clothes,
“Aren’t you leaving?”
Benjamin stared at her.
When droplets fell from her red hair, he finally turned away.
“Oh my! My lady, how could you end up like this…!”
The maids hurried to remove her wet clothes. They were so heavy that she could hardly move on her own.
“The two lords were very worried. With that mad black bear rampaging, they feared you might have been caught up in it.”
“I’m not hurt.”
“Even so, could they ever imagine you’d be drenched like this?”
After changing into a dry dress, Charlophe stepped out—and the rain had stopped. The air smelled damp with rain.
She gently stepped into a puddle with her shoe, ripples spreading. As she walked slowly, she suddenly staggered.
Am I a bit dizzy?
Her shoulder ached from firing the crossbow several times. Her arms hurt too. In her past life and this one alike, she’d never been healthy.
The entrance to the forest was a mess from the attack.
“It seems a black bear escaped from the forest. Any other damage?”
“It was taken care of before anything serious happened.”
Benjamin swept his eyes over the now-quiet area and smiled.
“There was a small disturbance, but it ended well.”
“……”
“Looks like we can wrap up this competition as it is.”
He glanced around, then fixed his gaze on Charlophe.
“That brings today’s hunt to an end.”
A small dimple formed on her cheek.
“Is it over?”
Waving his hand as if skipping all the unnecessary steps, Benjamin said,
“Then wrap that kid in a blanket and put her in the carriage.”
Aster finally spotted Charlophe.
“Th-That foolish girl!”
Benjamin left to oversee the cleanup.
Aster saw him off, then rushed over and bundled Charlophe tightly in a blanket.
“Put her in the carriage right now! Look how pale she is—how can you leave her outside like this?!”
Aster’s face twisted like a demon’s.
“Uncle?”
He scooped her up, wrapped in the blanket.
Her vision suddenly went dark. Her view was blocked as Aster pulled her tightly into his arms.
“That damn bastard!”
Charlophe blinked.
“Uncle, wait a moment…”
As she tried to pull the blanket down, Aster clamped his big hand over her head.
“Uncle, I can’t breathe.”
“Charle. Stay still.”
“I’m really fine.”
“Please, just stay still.”
A servant awkwardly tried to calm him.
“Lord Aster, this is outside.”
“So what?!”
“Please soften your expression a bit…”
“Soften it? Soften it?! To hell with softening it! Be grateful I’m not charging at that bastard with a sword right now—applaud me for that! That’s how gentle a man I am!”
Soon, someone approached.
