He Was Kind If I Stopped

Hazel was rigid and unable to move when she made eye contact with him even if it was just a brief moment.

She must’ve just mistaken, it must have been a coincidence, and it was just useless thinking about it. Even though the distance between them was quite far, it was difficult to ignore his gaze.

It felt like she had become an animal who was hiding really well in the forest but ended up being caught. It was difficult to hide the fear that surged up from the depth of her lungs.

Hazel hurriedly pulled down the veil of her hat to cover up her face.

Nevertheless, he was still looking at her as if he could see her through the veil.

The threat she felt just by making eye contact with each other was already intense, even without him pointing a gun at her.

“I think he is looking at this way.”

Mary spoke in an excited voice beside her, but Hazel’s expression was stiff.

“There are so many pretty ladies around him …yet I think he is only looking at Your Highness?”

Mary talked endlessly just like a lark.

“Oh my, there are many married women over there. It looks like everyone is trying to exchange words with the Crown Prince.”

“What do you know about him?”

Hazel spoke sharply without realizing it.

“Why don’t you go there and see him as well?”

“What am I going to do there?”

“What do you mean? Having fun talking to each other about the weather and hunting…”

“No need.”

Hazel turned her head away from him, lowering the veil on her hat even further down to cover her face. She just wanted to walk away quickly and get out of his sight as soon as possible.

“Why? You two grew so close with each other because of Tity… It’s good to grow closer.”

“What do you mean that is a good thing?”

Hazel thought to pinch on Mary’s mouth while quickening her steps forward.

“Oh my, Princess, let’s walk together. Your ankle hasn’t fully healed yet.”

Hazel moved forward stubbornly despite Mary’s cry. Hazel felt a stinging pain in her ankle, but she was losing her mind that she endured the pain.

Come on, let her get out of here. It was the only thought that filled her mind at that moment.

The gaze on her back was like a terrifying arrow that was about to pierce her. Moreover, he took a deep breath and exhaled repeatedly to calm down her heart which started to beat quickly.

“It’d be nice if you two could talk together…”

Mary followed her with quick but short steps and continued to speak frustratedly.

“If you like him that much, go there alone and greet him… AH!”

Hazel’s body fell down with a short scream.

“……”

She could see her feet buried in the mud just below her calves when she looked down.

The rain was falling down on the day before and her feet were stuck on the muddy ground.

“Oh my god! Hold on a second. I’ll take your feet out for you.”

Mary came closer and tried to lift up Hazel’s feet as she held it.

It was difficult to pull her feet out again because the ground she had stepped on was muddy. Her pride sank down even more as the breeze swept past her. The pain in her ankle felt even worse when her maid suddenly tried to lift it with all her might.

“Ouch…”

Hazel frowned and let out a groan.

“Does it hurt a lot? Hold on a second.”

Mary dug out the mud near her feet before grabbing Hazel’s feet and tried to lift it up again.

She tried to raise it, but it wasn’t easy to get out of the muddy pit that had turned into a swamp.

“I have to ask someone for help. It’s probably the only thing I could do for you, Princess…”

When the two women groaned and tried to pull their feet out of the muddy ground, their bodies suddenly lifted up.

“Ack!”

Hazel suddenly let out a short scream in bewilderment at the unexpected lift of her body. However, the thick arms wrapped around her waist which lifted her up was even more bewildering.

“Wh-who is this…”

The mud splattered all over the place when she struggled with her legs up in the air.

“Let go of me!”

Hazel was very ashamed as she felt like a fish which was caught on the shore. Who in the world dared to lift the Royal Princess’ body up like this? She was grateful to the one who had saved her, but she wasn’t going to let this one slide.

“I will let you go if you stay still.”

Hazel stopped struggling at the voice above her.

“You ended up making yourself covered in mud even before the hunting began.”

Her heart started to pound at his shuddering voice since she wasn’t used to it. Her arms and legs which were kicking into the air had already calmed down at this point.

A short breath passed through her ears, and she could step and stood slowly on the ground a few moments later. She was freaked out by what she had gone through at that brief moment.

“…….”

The sight of Achilleon’s figure gently fragmented appeared through the veil in front of her.

Hazel sighed slightly while feeling grateful of the veil that had covered her face in the least.

“…Thank you.”

Hazel said the most appropriate words for this sort of situation.

“…….”

The other party said nothing even after hearing her gratitude. However, a veil covering her face was lifted right after that moment.

“What is…”

Achilleon smiled after lifting up Hazel’s veil with one hand. His face was so close against Hazel that she forgot how to breathe.

“I was wondering who it was, but then it turned out to be the Royal Princess.”

Heisel was dumbfounded and speechless. Did he pretend to not know who she was now? His insidious expression was nasty and she couldn’t stand it.

“Why are you checking behind the veil…”

“I’m curious.”

“What…”

“Wouldn’t it be okay for me to at least know the face of the person I helped?”

Hazel was speechless and bursted into an absurd laughter at Achilleon’s brashness.

“Are you hoping for something in return?”

“I’m not the kind of person who hopes for such a thing after helping others.”

There was no end to his brashness. Hazel gave up on keeping this conversation going even further.

“Oh, I see. I’ve forgotten that the Crown Prince of the Demophos Empire is a generous man who helps others without hoping for something in return.”

Achilleon smiled again when he heard the remark from Hazel.

“Then I should get going now. I need to treat this. Move aside …please?”

Achilleon stepped aside when Hazel said so and said.

“I can hold and carry you as well.”

“…….”

“Just like I did before.”

Hazel’s breath became rough at the sound that was secretly reaching and distracting his ears.

“Isn’t your ankle still sore?”

“That is nothing to worry about, Your Highness.”

Hazel raised the corners of her mouth as high as she could and said.

“Then I will get going.”

Mary quickly grabbed Hazel’s extended hand. Mary’s curious gaze busily going back and forth between Achilleon and Hazel.

“Stop looking at him.”

“Yes, yes.”

Mary’s eyes gleamed even more as she walked and supported Hazel at the same time.

“You’re still looking that way.”

She was acting like a fool. Of all times, it happened right at that moment. Hazel didn’t even stop walking even though she was limping.

“I’ll bring you new shoes.”

When she reached the exclusive place for royals with the shading curtain pulled down, Mary roughly wiped off the hem of Hazel’s dress with a wet towel and left to pick her shoes up.

Hazel sighed after sitting herself down, she looked around before finding Lorette.

Under the awning curtain where the royal family gathered, Loret sat helplessly. Her sagging shoulders and downward gaze were very different from usual.

“Lorette, you don’t look so good.”

When Hazel approached and said so, Lorette was surprised when Hazel approached her and said so, then she put her hand on top of her chest.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Just from a moment ago. I guess you didn’t notice me.”

“I was just in a daze…”

Lorette’s face turned white, she also looked really sick.

“Why does your complexion look worse? Has your body not recovered yet?”

“No, I’m fine. The sunshine was just so strong, I had been avoiding it for a while.”

It was not unusual that high-class women who only stayed indoors collapsed due to sudden outdoor activities.

“Perhaps because when you collapsed back then at the tea party and still….”

“No, it’s not that. That’s because I’m weak. That’s why I ended up like that the other day. I’m sorry for troubling you that day.”

Lorette hurriedly uttered her words as if she was being chased by something.

“Yeah, because your body was weak.”

Hazel nodded and accepted her excuse.

“But don’t you think it’s better for you to take a break? You don’t have to come to the hunting competition if it’s too much…”

“I’ll take care of it by myself.”

Lorette said so and lowered her head again. Hazel felt somewhat suspicious as she withdrew after seeing her setting up a strange wall against them.

“What’s wrong with your feet?”

Only then did Lorette open her eyes wide when she gazed at Hazel’s dirty shoes.

“I fell and got stuck in the mud on my way here. I had a hard time getting my feet out of it.”

“Are you okay? Your sprained leg is still hurt after all.”

“It’s almost better. I still felt a little bit of pain, though.”

Hazel smiled as if it was nothing and looked at Lorette.

Lorette was known to be weak because she was born earlier than the scheduled time. Sometimes she had a high fever and often collapsed.

But was it just because of her weak body?

There was a doubt that Lorette showed symptoms of fever at a favorable time. She thought the girl was seriously ill because she had a fever so often, but turned out that wasn’t the case.

Even if Lady Pais had played such a trick, it would be most unlikely that she would risk her daughter’s life.

If so, it was obvious that she had a herb which caused fever but was harmless to her body.

The ancestor of the Concez family was a wealthy herbalist. Hazel was well aware of the herbs that hadn’t been acknowledged by others, and the secret ways of using those herbs were passed down well.

Hazel’s mother, Martina, also did the same.

Among the legacy passed down to her daughter after Martina’s death were a book and a box full of herbs.

The book, which I read beforehand just in case, contained herbs that had such effects. Without accurate usage and dose, it was just grass that had a bitter taste.

If someone has used it over the regular dose and in a certain dose.

This was clearly a betrayal toward the Concez family.

‘But there’s no evidence yet.’

She was going to get evidence that uncle Briden had made some sort of deal with Lady Pais.

Things may become a little easier if she managed to get the evidence.

“We are coming to see you, Princess.”

A group of young ladies approached and greeted Hazel while she was lost in thought.

“It’s been a while.”

The women bowed down at Hazel’s answer and stood up at once.

“I heard you had fallen ill, but we are finally able to see you in this state of yours.”

Among them was Miella, a young lady from the Concez family.