As Ashler watched them disappear, he recalled the incident he had been summoned for by the Captain of the Guards the day before.
“There haven’t been any significant changes with the prince, right?”
Ashler replied gruffly, suppressing the urge to frown.
“Isn’t there quite a lot of change? The prince’s room is no longer a devil’s lair, and there are no more incidents of animal blood on his hands. He no longer harms anyone either.”
“But you still say he does not speak? He does nothing but read books. He still lashes out at anyone who touches him if Regas is not around. I do not see much difference from before.”
“That may be true, but—”
“They probably think the same up there. Since there are no visible results.”
Although he had no intention of defending Abel, Ashler felt a flicker of anger at the Captain’s words. He wanted to explain how much it mattered that the prince had changed. The prince was starting to feel more like a real person now. Only those who saw him up close would understand. Slowly, Ashler began to hope that Abel could help the prince become even more human. But the Captain’s next words shattered that hope.
“There are only two days left of the promised month. If the new Regas does not show any further progress in that time, he will be dismissed.”
Dismissed? Ashler turned to the Captain, startled.
“Has the decision already been made? Is Abel really going to be driven out?”
“Yes. It seems they believe there will be no further development. Why? Did you become fond of him?”
The Captain added with a hint of amusement.
“It is a shame he did not achieve more, but if there is no progress, it is better to end things quickly. You do not need to waste more time either.”
Was it truly a waste of time? At some point, Ashler found himself frozen, the tip of his sword pressed into the ground. Truthfully, this assignment had never been enjoyable. Who would want to stand at the edge of the forest from morning till night doing nothing?
And yet, the Captain had not gotten what he wanted either. Perhaps it had been unrealistic from the beginning to expect Abel to unlock the prince’s heart and, as a bonus, capture his attention. But even setting all of that aside, Ashler just wanted a little more time. More precisely, he wanted to stay near Abel, who remained by the prince’s side.
There had not been any dramatic change in the prince, but it was strange how he had stopped attacking Abel—and even reached out to hold his hand once. When the prince came out of the forest clutching a beetle, and Ashler realized it was still alive, he could not help but smile.
When the prince emerged from the woods, fleeing wild boars and bears in Abel’s arms, he looked up from Abel’s shoulder with curiosity. Ashler had fought off a bear with a few soldiers, defeated it, and turned to meet the prince’s gaze.
No—he must have looked at him. His eyes were hidden by his hair, but that look felt like the wonder of a child discovering something new. It made Ashler smile again. The prince might not be obvious, but he was changing, slowly. Ashler only just realized that this discomfort he felt was actually pity. Maybe he had grown attached. If that was the case, then perhaps it would be better to part now—before it grew deeper.
****
In the morning, Nanny walked into the library with a smile, but when he saw Melmond, he had to suppress his laughter. Though Melmond typically had little to do, he was never just sitting there blankly, staring into space.
“Melmond?”
As he called out and approached, Melmond turned his vacant eyes toward him.
“...You came.”
“Why are you like this? You should be happy—tomorrow, Ashler and Abel will be free.”
Nanny enthusiastically spoke about how confident he was that his team would win the swordsmanship competition. But Melmond, who usually scolded him for being loud, remained dazed for some reason.
“So if our team wins, I’ll be a major contributor. Or Melmond, you could just contribute money to the team!”
“...”
“Melmond? Melmond!”
After calling his name several times, Melmond finally looked up and said, “Huh?”
“Are you worried? Tomorrow, Abel leaves the palace too, so there’s nothing to worry about anymore. You should be glad.”
“That’s true.”
Melmond muttered, lowering his eyes. He recalled the night before. It had been a month since he last visited Abel. He had not gone, even when Abel kept getting injured because of the prince, or when the bear and boar incident occurred.
But with only a few days left before the deadline, he had felt compelled to see Abel. Are you going to end it like this? he had asked directly. Abel only scratched his head and laughed.
That frustrating man—did he really think everything would just work out somehow? Melmond had sighed.
But then Abel had murmured quietly, “I want to stay.” His voice was so calm that Melmond could only look at him in silence. And finally, he understood why Abel’s smile had seemed sad.
“I know I worry you, Melmond. But I want to stay by the prince’s side a little longer.”
Melmond realized then that time was not what mattered most to Abel. His decision was not about a deadline—it was about whether to remain or to leave. Is there a way to show results in two days? he had asked, surprised. But Abel had only offered a vague smile.
Still, that smile was enough. It was clear he had some kind of plan—but perhaps even Abel disliked the method. After their short conversation, Melmond had kept mulling it over until now.
How could Abel suddenly change the prince? That was the question. But more than that, it now felt like Abel himself had become a question—someone Melmond had never truly understood.
“...I’ll bet money too.”
When Melmond finally spoke, Nanny eagerly nodded.
“Haha, really? If Ashler fights, our team will be invincible—we’ll multiply whatever you bet....”
“No. I’m betting on the other side. Who is the other candidate for victory?”
****
The forest was vast. Even though Abel had been traveling with the prince for a few weeks, it felt like they had not seen even half of it. It was difficult to go much farther since they always had to return before sunset, but they never ventured too far anyway, as everything they needed was close by.
That day, they walked around diligently, staying near the entrance. Then, at the edge of a field, they sat down and unpacked their lunch. The weather was perfect, and the sky was unusually blue. Thick cumulus clouds drifted slowly, decorating the sky, while a cool early-summer breeze softened the slightly hot sunlight.
Abel shared lunch with the prince, then lay on his back. He gazed up at the sky and let out an exclamation.
“Wow—Your Highness, look up. The sky is really beautiful, isn’t it?”
At Abel’s words, the prince slowly lay down beside him and looked up. Abel leaned closer and pointed to a cloud with his finger.
“Haha, that one looks like a duck’s face. See? That long part is the beak, and the round bit is the head. Looks kind of like it, right?”
The prince said nothing, but Abel continued pointing to more clouds, narrating with enthusiasm.
“That one looks like a frog, and oh—that one... Hahaha! That looks just like the mushroom my master used to love the most. Your Highness, do you like mushrooms? They’re healthy and taste delicious.”
For a moment, the conversation drifted, and Abel began telling the prince stories about his master—training on cliffs, learning to chase animals, crouching at the water’s edge at dawn to catch ducks. His voice flowed easily, like he was sharing an old tale. Among the many stories, he recalled how his master helped him build courage.
“My master used to say that a Regas must never fear anything. Because of that, I always hid the one thing I was truly afraid of... but one day, he found out. And then, my master...”
Abel paused. His cheerful tone faded, and he stared silently at the sky. The prince turned his head toward him, puzzled. Then, as if to brush it off, Abel propped himself up on his elbow and grinned.
“He locked me in a wooden box—with the very thing I feared most! Hahaha— I was terrified. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I just opened my mouth and fainted. I wonder if Your Highness would be scared too? Seriously. Haha, by now you must be curious, right?”
The prince’s expression didn’t change, but Abel started trembling dramatically, like the suspense was killing him.
“Ahaha— I’ll tell you what it was. Don’t be alarmed, Your Highness. And don’t worry, they don’t show up here. Back home, I used to see them often, but not in this forest. My master had to travel far just to catch a few. Now, I’ll tell you. The scariest thing in the world is... the wolf spider—”
Thud.
Just as he spoke, a wolf spider fell from the sky. It landed directly on Abel’s face—a giant spider, about the size of a grown man’s palm, clung to him completely. The prince did not flinch at the sight, but soon reacted.
Thud.
Abel collapsed and fainted.
The prince looked down at Abel’s motionless form for a moment, then slowly stood up. Swaying slightly, his small hand reached for Abel’s body and pushed, but the lifeless figure didn’t budge. For the first time, confusion flickered across the child’s face.
****
Though there was still one day left, Ashler felt that today was the final one. [N O V E L I G H T] Tomorrow, Abel would say goodbye to the prince and pack his belongings—there would be no time left to enter the forest. Standing guard at the entrance had grown tiresome, and this would be the last day.
Ashler did not expect wild animals or a sudden swarm of bees at the end, but he still kept a sharp eye on the fog, just in case. He had stopped his usual sword practice, and behind him, the other soldiers stood stiff and silent like statues, positioned farther back than usual.
The fear of another swarm still lingered, keeping them behind the fence set up to guard against wild beasts. And as always, as the wait dragged on, they began chatting quietly, their guard loosening. No one noticed the forest’s silent entrance—until Abel’s scream rang out.
Only Ashler remained vigilant at the front, and he heard something. Not a scream, but the sound of small footsteps. They were light, fast—different from Abel’s usual heavy pace. Ashler stepped forward, gripping his sword, curiosity flaring.
Thud, thud, thud.
Someone was running—small, light-footed...
“!”
Ashler froze as the figure appeared through the mist. A small body, panting heavily.
Why was the prince alone?
Ashler opened his mouth in shock to call out, but before he could speak, the prince grabbed his hand tightly—and began pulling him back the way he had come, without saying a word. Surprised, Ashler stumbled forward, trying to speak.
“Your Highness, what is happening?”
But instead of a reply, the small hand tugged harder. Though the child had no strength to force him, Ashler could not resist being pulled along.
“Your Highness... where is Abel? Why are you alone...?”
The question caught in his throat as he looked up.
Before him stretched a forest, dense and vast. Towering trees reached toward the sky, and Ashler held his breath. A world cloaked in green.
He realized—this was the forest hidden behind the mist. He looked down at the small hand holding his.
Ah, yes. They said that only those guided by the one who carried the dragon’s blood could enter this place.
Ashler swallowed hard. It felt like stepping into a sacred realm brimming with ancient magic—a place he should not tread lightly. And he looked at the prince with new eyes.
The child was now running again, mouth open, gasping for breath.