The Grand Duchess of the North Is Obsessed With Me

17 – Grand Duchess and Flower Viewing (4)

“… The rain has stopped.”

I’m glad.

Exhaling a small breath, I leaned Ilencia’s body against the wall and stood up.

In the end, Berman couldn’t find us.

At this level, it looks like it’s about to be broken… That’s not something I can do about it.

It was clear and sunny outside as if it had been raining.

Only the drops of water falling from the leaves showed that the heavy rain was real.

“Ugh….”

Ddududuk!

Thanks to Illensia, who fell asleep in my arms, her body, which had been frozen for a while, screamed.

As I twisted her body around, I was blown away by the cool breeze.

“It’s good though.”

It may not be possible, but if the sudden rain started for a long time, there were not one or two difficulties.

What I was particularly worried about was that Elencia’s physical condition was deteriorating… Seeing that he was asleep, he seemed to have lived a little.

No matter how much it was, I couldn’t leave it like that forever.

“… Whew.”

Should I train my real body? Why is there so much hard work?

I felt like the world wouldn’t let me go, as I wanted to lead an idle life as the second son of an ordinary baron.

#

“… Not on this side either!”

“Go to the next one.”

Berman exhaled heavily and spoke to the reporting knight.

“I think you should get some rest.”

“Sounds useless, I have to find the lady.”

Seeing Berman’s condition, the knight asked in a worried voice, but he shook his head resolutely and looked around.

“If you find the mark I left behind, you will be able to find the young lady and the young master. Focusing on the trees around you, move to the next point.”

“Chung!”

Berman’s condition was so bad that it couldn’t be said in a good way.

His broken left arm was roughly fixed with wood and cloth, and most of his body was scratched and chafed.

Blood was still oozing from the long cut that ran across his chest, but Berman had no time to care.

“Miss Illencia….”

Leaving Cain and Illencia behind, Berman came out of the cave and headed down the mountain leaving behind a sign unexpectedly diligently.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that a person who reached the level of Berman’s sword and body became one with each other, so it was an easy task.

Cain tends to ignore Berman a little because of the previous incident, but Berman was also a veteran who had gone through all sorts of battles.

Since he was a knight with superior skill and experience than others, he was even able to serve as the captain of the Grand Duchess’ escort.

Apart from that, the mountains were unfamiliar to him.

Moreover, the grizzly bear that suddenly jumped out was also unexpected.

‘Even if I hadn’t fallen down the hill at that time….’

The sound was drowned out by the heavy rain, and the vision was narrowed.

That alone was enough to take me by surprise.

Not only did the grizzly bear’s nails protruding from the side cut his chest long, but Berman, who rolled down the slope, lost his position for a moment.

Thanks to that, even now, after meeting the search party, it has become a situation where you have to search the mountain like a mouse.

However, there was something else that bothered Berman more than the wound on his chest and the broken left arm from the fall.

‘… Grizzly bears may have headed for the cave.’

Illencia and Cain didn’t notice, but a faint stench was coming from inside the cave.

It was the smell of something rotting.

And it wasn’t hard for Berman to figure out what it was.

That cave was a predator’s habitat.

That predator was probably the grizzly bear Berman met.

“…… Please be safe.”

Berman murmured as if sighing as he looked at the clear sky to the point of resentment.

I hope the rain has erased the smell and traces at least a little bit.

#

Illencia thought in her hazy mind.

——It’s warm.

Is this her father’s back or her mother’s arms that others have been talking about… I thought of it without realizing it.

Of course, Illencia didn’t remember experiencing it even once, so maybe she was just like that, she did and she only vaguely guessed.

Her head was hot, and her body was weak.

She caught a cold yesterday and was lying at home all day. Thanks to that, she couldn’t visit Illencia, Cain’s mansion, which she didn’t miss if there was anything else she had to do.

I wasn’t feeling very well today, but I was better than yesterday, and today was an important day.

She couldn’t miss meeting Cain.

‘… Although I had a greater desire to meet Cain.’

On Cain’s birthday, it was an opportunity for her to meet Cain.

She was Illencia who took care of all the birthdays of five years since she met Cain, but she always wanted to take care of her first.

Illensia didn’t want to let go of her valuable once-a-year opportunity just because her body was sick.

For that reason, Illensia was able to persuade her own mother, Mrs. Anna, to come and see her Cain.

Besides that, she was allowed to go out with Cain one more time.

With that alone, Illencia was so excited that she even forgot about her pain.

She is actually on her way to Cain’s mansion… She didn’t feel sick until she arrived and she started climbing the mountain with Cain.

She was an Illensia who was incredibly energetic and in a good mood.

However, when heavy rain began to fall and the surrounding temperature instantly cooled down, the virus that had been dormant in the body resumed its activity.

My fever rose, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

‘… And what happened.’

Illencia searched for her memories in her hazy mind.

Inside the cave, by the warm fire, someone gave her a warm hug.

…… Cain.

Even when she was in so much pain that she couldn’t even open her eyes properly, it wasn’t to the extent that she didn’t notice the familiar scent stinging her nose.

No, I don’t know about other things, but Illencia could never recognize the refreshing scent of mint that flowed from Cain’s body.

As she recalled the scent of his hugging her warmly, for some reason she could still smell his scent.

However, the deep-seated consciousness had no choice but to bury even the thought of him.

It was cozy and warm.

So even in the midst of so much pain that her consciousness was blurry, she was happy and her mood seemed to be blown away.

I thought that this time would never end.

It really felt like time had stopped.

Cain always put her good on her Illencia, and tried to take care of her beyond her good.

Illencia, who always looked at him by his side, could feel it without difficulty.

Cain cares for Illencia more than anyone else in the world and tries to treat her as precious. Perhaps even more so than Illencia’s parents.

Illencia liked it so much, but at the same time, she didn’t like it.

Strangely, Cain’s feelings for Illencia were love, but it felt like it wasn’t love.

It felt more like family love than love between lovers.

Love and care more than anyone else, but never cross the line… That kind of feeling.

Those things returned to Illencia with a bit of anxiety.

Anxiety that if this happens, even if it takes a lifetime, Cain and her lover may never be able to be.

Still, the love of someone I felt for the first time in my life was so precious and happy that I didn’t want to lose it.

The more I received, the happier I was, and the more I lacked, the more I was able to discover myself.

What if Cain gets tired of it?

What if Cain bothers me?

Cain… What if you abandon me

Even though I knew it couldn’t be, those thoughts came to my mind, and I couldn’t stop craving his affection.

Because Cain always accepted me, hugged me, and soothed me.

“… Cain.”

As I carefully called his name, I felt my mind slowly float to the surface.

“Oh, are you awake?”

Illencia was able to open her eyes at the sound of Cain’s voice, still in her daze.

When she opened her eyes, what she saw was Cain’s back.

And the moment she realized it, she felt the scent of peppermint rushing in and his warmth again.

“…… Here is?”

Illencia, who muttered blankly, soon realized that she was being carried by Cain.

She blushed in shame, but Illensia couldn’t say that she would get off and walk because she still had no strength in her body.

Unexpectedly, the fact that Cain’s back was stable and comfortable added to that.

“I came out of the cave.”

“… Are you going back to the mansion?”

Illencia’s voice was weak, but at the same time, her regret was dripping.

She wanted to go see the flowers with Cain, but Cain smiled at Ilensia’s words full of regret.

“Finally, I just arrived.”

At his incomprehensible words, Ilensia could only blink her eyes.

No matter how much I looked around, this place was not a mansion, but a forest.

However, when he turned slightly and showed the scene in front of him, Illencia understood what he was saying.

“… Did you want to see this?”

It was a meadow where colorful flowers bloomed beautifully.