Vol 3 Chapter 2.5

Despite her lingering affection for Lucius, Freya could not bring herself to accept the reality of their situation. She was not like any other woman who would willingly become the prince’s fiancée and live in the lavish palace.

“I don’t want to live as someone else. I want to be rich as myself.”

Freya’s heart raced as she thought of Lucius. She could not help but be captivated by his broad shoulders, calloused hands, piercing blue eyes, and occasional cool demeanor.

Lost in her thoughts, she smiled bitterly with a confused expression on her face. Suddenly, something startled her, and she heard a loud noise.

“As? As? What’s going on?”

The horse she was riding started to rear, and she tumbled off without even realizing what was happening. As she fell, the ground beneath her gave way, and she plummeted into the darkness.

“What is this, a trap?”

As she fell, she felt a cold wind rush past her ears. Her body hit the floor with a thud, and she was knocked unconscious.

When she came to, she found herself in a cave with a clear blue sky overhead. Her head was pounding, but she seemed to be uninjured. The equestrian pants and thick cloth shirt and jacket she was wearing had cushioned her fall.

After the initial shock wore off, she remembered a time when she had fallen into a dry well as punishment. Sophia had accidentally burned her favorite dress while ironing it, and Freya had been punished by being dropped into the well.

“That was the only time I got trapped like this.”

As she recalled this memory, Freya tried to come to terms with her current situation and figure out a way to escape the cave.

Sophia was surprised when she learned that Archer went to great lengths just to retrieve her ruined dress. She couldn’t believe that Archer was capable of such a deed, and it made her wonder what else he was capable of. Regardless, she was thankful for his help, and it was one less thing to worry about.

Freya, on the other hand, was relieved that she didn’t break any bones after falling into the pit. The expensive hunting clothes she was wearing were ruined, but it was a small price to pay for her safety. She decided to take off her boots, jacket, and vest to lighten her load so she could climb out of the pit.

As Freya struggled to climb out, she couldn’t help but wonder why the pit was there in the first place. The area was supposed to be a forest for the prince’s engagement hunting, so it didn’t make sense for there to be an unmarked pit. She also couldn’t see any soldiers around, which was odd.

Despite the challenges of climbing out, Freya persevered and managed to put on her clothes before sunset. She was exhausted and had scraped her nails in the process.

She was also reminded of a time in the past when she had been punished by being dropped into a well. But she knew that she had to focus on the present and figure out how to get out of the pit.

Rules and order governed the place, though it was far from a happy one.

Freya was sitting with her back against one side of the pit and had a sweet-smelling mouth, but felt clueless. Suddenly, a strange sound interrupted the peaceful moment.

“……what is it?”

At the sound of iron being dragged, Freya sprang up. She looked up and saw Lucius.

“Freya, why are you there like a fool?”

Even though the situation was dire, Lucius seemed to take his time. Freya frowned, and he tossed down a rope.

“I’ll tie the end to the tree and pull it. You grab it and come up.”

Besides the tantrums, Freya needed the rope the most at the moment. She pulled hard, and as soon as the line tightened, she began to climb slowly. Her injured hand hurt her, but she refused to argue about it.

“Freya, cheer up a little more.”

As he approached the entrance, Lucius’ voice sounded louder. Finally, Freya reached out with all her might and touched the grass. She managed to crawl out of the pit, lay on her back, and breathe heavily, while the sky was tinged with yellow.

“Can you get up?”

Lucius extended his hand as he approached her. Freya saw something strange while trying to grab his hand.

“What’s that?”

“I had bad luck today.”

Lucius was drenched in blood with a citation stuck in his ankle. It was difficult to discern the severity of the wound due to the blood.

“You should have called a medic instead of coming to save me!”

While shouting at Lucius, Freya abruptly halted. She remembered what had been bothering her a while ago.

“…again?”

“To try to hurt someone on the day his son gets engaged.”

The truth seemed too absurd to be true.

“Yes, that’s ridiculous.”

Lucius shrugged his shoulders and wiped off his sweat.

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