Chapter 33: Unease in the Forest

The sound of splashing water echoed through the forest.

The stream was deep enough to reach Amelia’s waist.

If Evrys stood up straight, the water would barely allow her to breathe.

So, Amelia had no choice but to hold Evrys in her arms to wash her.

Thanks to the awkward depth.

It wasn’t too difficult for Amelia to lift Evrys.

Cradled like a baby.

Evrys couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

She knew that if she did, she would see Amelia’s ample bosom.

Evrys had grown somewhat accustomed to seeing her own altered body.

But seeing the naked form of a peer of the opposite s*x.

Coupled with the guilt of deceiving her.

Made her feel incredibly shy.

‘Couldn’t she just let me wash in a shallower area?’

Evrys had voiced this suggestion.

But without her sword in hand.

She was no match for Amelia’s stubbornness.

Evrys couldn’t understand why Amelia was so insistent on washing her.

Amelia’s hand began to caress Evrys’s back.

Evrys had become used to being bathed by servants.

But this felt completely different.

Her body stiffened involuntarily.

Of course, the touch of a princess would be different from that of a servant.

“Why are you so tense?”

Amelia’s voice was laced with curiosity.

Seeing Evrys trembling.

Amelia considered their current situation.

‘Perhaps she’s a little embarrassed…’

‘But this is too much tension, isn’t it?’

Observing Evrys’s drastically different demeanor compared to when they were on land.

Amelia recalled something odd about Evrys’s behavior.

Her unusual attachment to her sword.

Whenever she held it.

Her expression became unreadable, her thoughts difficult to discern.

At first, Amelia thought it was because Evrys was taking their sparring seriously.

Especially given her advanced skills.

But even after they boarded the carriage to leave the North.

Evrys continued to exhibit this behavior.

‘Is she angry with me?’

But even anger was difficult to detect.

However, now.

Held in Amelia’s arms, eyes tightly shut, body rigid.

Evrys’s emotions were palpable.

‘I don’t understand why she’s so embarrassed…’

‘But I suppose I could tease her a little more.’

This shy demeanor suited Evrys more than her usual stoicism.

“Relax. I’m not going to bite you.”

“I-I can do it myself…”

“Here I go.”

“W-wait—”

Ignoring Evrys’s silent protest.

Amelia’s hands began to move in earnest.

Recalling the motions of the maids who bathed her.

She carefully explored Evrys’s body.

Her touch was gentle.

As if handling a delicate glass figurine.

The careful, ticklish touch made Evrys tremble.

‘It would be less embarrassing if she just scrubbed me roughly…’

With her eyes closed.

Every one of Amelia’s slender fingers felt amplified.

Amelia’s free hand moved to Evrys’s nape.

After thoroughly checking her neck.

Her fingers trailed downwards.

They traced the front of Evrys’s torso.

Finding no dirt, they moved to her armpits.

Evrys squeezed her eyes shut and flinched, remaining silent.

Satisfied, Amelia moved down Evrys’s arm.

This area was relatively clean.

So, she quickly moved on.

Shifting her grip to support Evrys’s lower body.

Amelia began to caress her back with her other hand.

“Hngh—”

Starting at the base of her neck.

Amelia’s fingers slowly traced the line of Evrys’s spine.

Pressed close together.

Amelia’s ample bosom brushed against Evrys’s face with each movement.

Evrys tried to distract herself.

Focusing on recent memories rather than the now hazy past.

She naturally thought of her time in the North.

The pure white snow.

Crimson eyes.

Warm cocoa.

A warm hand.

The taste of a new sauce.

The impact of a wooden sword.

Drops of sweat falling to the ground.

Blood on the wooden sword.

The strange landscape that unfolded before her eyes.

The sweet scent of flowers.

And the face she had left behind.

The face that pained her to remember.

Seeing the constantly shifting expressions on Evrys’s face.

Amelia realized her assumption was correct.

Perhaps she had hurt Evrys more than she had intended.

‘…So what?’

Evrys’s trembling form.

Her closed eyes, the redness around them, the welling tears.

It did tug at Amelia’s heartstrings.

But only slightly.

Having repeated her life countless times.

Amelia had become somewhat numb to suffering.

She saw Evrys’s pain as inevitable.

‘I’ve experienced countless goodbyes.’

‘This is just one.’

‘So, this time…’

Amelia believed that Iris Winterhoff was the missing piece.

The key to unlocking whatever Evrys held within her.

Force wouldn’t work on someone like Evrys.

This was the better approach.

Looking at the trembling girl in her arms.

Amelia felt a flicker of pity.

And a surge of hope.

Something had shifted since she began traveling with Evrys.

She was sure of it.

With a mix of emotions in her eyes.

Amelia finished washing Evrys.

Slowly, deliberately.

Allowing her to fully experience the moment.

She gently stroked Evrys’s thighs.

Caressed her calves.

Ran her fingers between her small toes.

Amelia gazed at the girl, still trembling with her eyes tightly shut.

Evrys never saw the look in Amelia’s eyes.

Her mind was already a chaotic mess.

All she could do was tremble.

Clutching herself in Amelia’s embrace.

“Shall we move on then?”

“…Yes.”

Evrys responded softly to Amelia’s voice.

She sat up, feeling the weight of her sword on her back.

She was already out of the water.

Her memories were hazy.

When she opened her eyes, she was fully dressed.

Only a vague sense of distress lingered.

“Is there anything else we need to do here?”

Amelia’s voice urged her onward.

“…I’m coming.”

Evrys scattered dirt over the fire to extinguish it.

Then followed Amelia.

A question arose as she walked behind the princess.

‘She said she couldn’t undress herself…’

‘But how did she get dressed?’

And it was the same outfit she had been wearing before.

‘Did she lie?’

‘Why would she?’

‘…I’ll just ask her.’

“Your Highness.”

Amelia narrowed her eyes at Evrys.

Her expression seemed displeased.

“If you call me that, I won’t answer. Evrys.”

‘Is she upset that I didn’t use her name?’

‘She’s really picky.’

“…Amelia.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Amelia’s face broke into a bright smile.

Evrys didn’t understand her obsession with names.

But what she wanted to know about was the clothes, not the name.

“Did you dress yourself?”

“Ah. Come closer.”

“…?”

“Come on.”

Evrys approached, carrying her pack.

Amelia turned her back.

…As expected, the clasps that should have been fastened were undone.

‘Is she just wearing it open?’

“I forgot to ask you to fasten them.”

“How could you forget something like that?”

“You were spaced out for so long, I forgot.”

“You forgot that…”

“Anyway, I’m glad I remembered. It would have been a disaster if they came undone while we were walking.”

“That’s true.”

“Will you fasten them?”

“Fine.”

Evrys reached out and began to dress Amelia.

Unlike undressing her.

Dressing her was difficult because Amelia was so much taller.

“Bend down a little.”

Amelia lowered her body.

Perhaps a bit too much.

Evrys caught a glimpse of her cleavage.

Seeing that flash of white skin.

The feeling from earlier resurfaced.

She was grateful for the reassuring weight of her sword.

Recalling how she had undressed Amelia.

Evrys adjusted her clothes.

Once Amelia was fully dressed.

Evrys tightened the belt around her scabbard.

“All done.”

“Thank you, Evrys.”

“…Let’s go.”

Amelia turned around and smiled brightly at Evrys.

For some reason, her smile felt unsettling.

Evrys nodded and quickened her pace.

As they walked, Amelia began to chatter cheerfully about what had happened to her.

It was the same smiling face as before.

But something felt off.

‘Is it my imagination?’

With a lingering sense of unease.

Evrys continued to walk through the forest with Amelia.

After a while, the unsettling feeling faded.

‘It was just my imagination…’ Evrys thought.

Then she noticed something other than green among the trees.