Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Search

In the end I received a horse from Windsor Castle. As a bonus a thick raincoat to block the rain too.

I set out full of spirit, but entrusting my body to an unfamiliar horse I was a bit tense. Fortunately this guy also accepted me well, so I barely avoided falling off the horse.

In a raining situation if I step on a rabbit hole even it's troublesome so I'll just go at a trot.

The people who rode horses and rushed out were including me a few attendants and guards, a total of fifteen. So many people knowing how to ride horses, as expected befitting Windsor Castle.

Among them one or two said they would go to the nearest contact office and request support from mounted constables.

"Sir Durand, which direction are you planning to head?"

"For now I'm thinking of looking around my manor. There's also a stable, so I can go there and ask the stablemen for help, right?"

"Ah! Stablemen! There was such a method too! Why didn't I think of it? As I heard you're wise!"

What did you hear? It's not even 2 weeks since I received the knighthood?

Anyway if Princess Alice went to the stables worried about the injured horse I can find her right away, and even if she's not there the stablemen who know how to ride horses will help so there was nothing to lose.

Because I don't know the surrounding geography at all in fact I can't go to other places. I can't become a missing person instead of the princess.

"Then Sir Durand, please take care!"

"Yes, I wish you luck."

After finishing the discussion of the search direction the attendants and guards scattered in other directions all at once. I also recalled the remembered road and tightly held the reins.

Neigh!

"Hey, too fast! Let's lower the speed a bit! Hey hey hey!"

I completely overlooked the fact that Windsor Castle was on a hill! As soon as I left the castle gate the horse that couldn't control its excitement ran down the slope and I almost lost my soul! Moreover it's a rainy road!

But in the end somehow adapting the control became possible. As expected there's nothing like accumulating experience points as much as actual combat. If there was a level up in the horseback riding skill it seems I would have skipped a few stages just now.

As much as the manor was close from Windsor Castle it was also soon to the stables.

I discovered Mr. James moving fodder in front of the stables and asked about the princess's whereabouts.

"Princess Alice? No, she hasn't come to the stables today..."

"Th-that pet horse of the princess called Bella, right? By any chance did she secretly come by worried?"

"Ah, you mean Bella? She already confirmed a few days ago and is in a relieved state. Horses fighting among themselves in the wild is a common thing. The wound was only about the skin slightly rubbed so it wasn't a big problem."

"She already came by? Bella is okay, right?"

"As you can see the horse is very sturdy. Rather the Tom guy who got hit by the hoof was a bigger matter. Thanks to letting him rest a few days Tom has also completely recovered now. Hey, Tom! Sir Durand has come! You have to give thanks!"

What, I was worried if the princess might have unnecessarily vented anger on the stablemen, but it was a groundless fear?

While blanking for a moment a young man approached hesitantly from afar and continuously thanked me. I waved my hands and calmed him. Because now is not a situation to receive thanks.

I hurriedly conveyed to Mr. James the talk that Princess Alice disappeared on the rainy road and hasn't returned yet. He was startled and immediately said he would join the search.

"Is there a place the princess often goes by any chance? Like a place where she usually practices horseback riding."

"I don't know exactly, but if she met rain in the forest she might have taken refuge in a hunting lodge."

"Hunting lodge...? Ah, you mean the cabins in the forest."

I recalled the memory of visiting a few days ago. A small cabin well organized so one can briefly rest while hunting. They said the manor servants often stop by and maintain it.

"Then I'll go that way. Mr. James please form an additional search party. And just in case please also check the Ashwood Hall side. Because there's a possibility she went to that village to avoid the rain."

"Yes, understood! Tom! Bring a towel! Sir Durand, for now please wipe your head a bit with a towel. You're considerably wet."

"Thank you."

As far as I know the closest village from Windsor Castle is Ashwood Hall. Other than that only forest and fields, and the Thames River.

But there's no way she crossed the Thames River riding a horse, so if no figure is visible in the fields in the end what's left is the forest.

Even saying forest it's not a densely thick forest like Korea. The forests around Windsor Castle were all open artificial forests with trees planted sparsely. Just the degree good for deer to freely roam.

I ran the horse toward the forest again.

The road going to the hunting lodge wasn't difficult. I just had to follow the markers located here and there in the forest so as not to lose the way.

"This was the first cabin, right?"

Just looking there's no trace of recent visit. I pulled the reins and immediately headed to the next cabin.

The second and third were also empty.

"Hmm... From here it's too deep? Shall I just give up?"

The remaining hunting lodges ahead are two places. The problem is from here it's a completely first-time road. In fact even until now it was no different from relying almost on signposts.

But the effort put in so far was a waste. The stop-loss timing has passed, right? Since I came this far whether it works or not I have no choice but to go a bit more.

I took out the pocket watch from my bosom and checked the time. Already an hour since leaving Windsor Castle. Due to the dark clouds the surrounding light was decreasing moment by moment and approaching night.

Fortunately the raindrops had subsided a lot, but my body became chilly from the evening wind. The thick raincoat only barely blocked the upper body and part of the lower body, and couldn't even block the raindrops pushed by the wind.

Snort.

If it wasn't the body temperature of the horse I'm riding I would have caught a cold too?

"At the next hunting lodge I'll have to warm my body a bit. At this rate when night comes it might be better to just return tomorrow morning."

No matter how much I have steel stamina the accumulated fatigue from horseback riding practice all morning and the tea party in the afternoon couldn't be helped.

So since there were no watching eyes, I took out one chocolate bar from the point shop and took a bite. Because chocolate is always the best stimulant.

Without any instruction and just chewing my mouth the horse raised its head and stared at me blankly.

"You're hungry too? Here, carrot."

Carrots don't even cost 5 points each. I took out a few carrots and offered them to the horse. The guy briefly smelled and immediately took one bite. I lightly shook off the raindrops formed on the horse's hair.

Crunch, crunch.

"Good, good. Eat that and cheer up a bit more."

Honestly if even one large beast inhabited Britain I absolutely wouldn't have entered the forest.

But as far as I know, in this period Britain there were no large beasts or such. The top predator at best is about a fox. There weren't even wild dogs in Britain.

So no matter how deep the forest there was nothing to be scared of.

While patting the horse and walking like that, small puddles dented on the ground caught my eye. Very small and shallow puddles where water droplets were splashing.

"Oh, is this a horse footprint?"

Quite deep. Looking at it being muddy it seems not long since it was made. If it was a deer it would have been smaller than this.

I slowly followed that trace.

And not long after, I discovered an old cabin that looked at least over 40 years old and on the verge of collapsing. It's not even a hunting lodge. Just a cabin. Did the managers temporarily use and abandon it?

But there was a trace that absolutely couldn't be passed by there.

Under a small awning just enough to avoid the rain, I met eyes with one white horse tied and chewing hay.

At the same time my horse also softly neighed acting friendly.

Neigh!

"Is it a friend you know? By any chance is it your colleague?"

If they lived together in the Windsor Castle stables of course they're friends.

Finally found. Princess Alice's whereabouts.

When I got off the horse, a presence was felt inside the cabin and the door also slightly opened.

I met eyes with the homeowner who stuck her head out. Should I take off the hat and greet because it's insufficient? But there was no hat on my head.

So I just waved my hand.

"Hello? I'm Jean-Paul Durand."

As soon as I did, bang! The door closed again.

It was a door slam rejection!

###

"..."

"...Ahem."

Somehow I barely came inside the cabin.

As soon as she closed the door suddenly the rain streaks poured as if exploding, so the surprised she quickly let me inside.

With this level of rain returning right away was hopeless. For now I found the princess, but there's no method to contact. Now what to do?

The appearance of a mouse soaked in the rain was the same not only for me but also for the princess. When I got off the horse my body gradually started becoming chilly.

"Were you in the middle of lighting a fire? Shall I help?"

"..."

The inside of the cabin was quite cold and damp. As most houses built of wood are, if maintenance is neglected they quickly lose their function.

A place that barely avoids only the rain.

There was a stove in one corner, but the branches piled inside didn't even have a trace of lighting a fire.

I only guessed seeing the flint she was holding. Because her hands were considerably red.

"Please help."

"What? I couldn't hear well. Ah, you said help, right? Don't worry! There's the king's knight Jean-Paul Durand!"

"..."

No reaction to this level of forced tension.

She silently offered me the flint. I received it and slightly clicked my tongue.

This has completely reached its lifespan. Trying to light a fire with the steel part all worn out, no matter how hard one tries there's no way a fire will catch.

It's just an antique.

"This can't be used. By any chance is there another flint?"

I waited for an answer, but the princess didn't look at me. She was only turning her body and clumsily organizing the inside of the cabin.

"Excuse me, princess? This flint, it seems at least half a century since it was made? By any chance did you bring it from the British Museum?"

"..."

Princess Alice was a person who was much more shy than expected. She absolutely didn't look like the same person as the one who got angry at the stables a few days ago.

I heard Princess Alice is the great-niece of His Majesty Edward VII, don't royals train extroversion in high society?

By any chance because the succession right to the throne is too far it didn't matter?

No, still can't you look at a person's face a bit straight? By any chance are your ears not hearing?

But even saying there's no flint it wasn't that there was absolutely no method to light a fire.

Am I going to rub wood like a primitive? I don't know how to do such a thing either! But there was a method only I can use in this era.

Now! This moment she's turning her back is the opportunity!

I quickly took out a pistol from my bosom.

And from the muzzle of that pistol a tremendous muzzle flash�

-Sizzle

...Instead one very small flame that popped out.

Right, this was a pistol-shaped lighter. Where did I get it? Of course the random box.

It was one of the 3 modern items that came out from the recently obtained random box. I brought it to bluff as if a real pistol in case of an unknown situation but this helps like this.

I thought the fire wouldn't catch because it's firewood that absorbed moisture, but unexpectedly the fire started burning vigorously. It seemed she had fed oil in advance.

When the flame burned, the princess who felt that heat turned back and her eyes widened.

"...Amazing. Sir Durand. How did you do it?"

"Well, this level is nothing to me. Haha. I have a bit of talent."

That was the entirety of our conversation. Even if I threw a joke, she was still silent. Even not trying to properly look at me so I raised both hands and feet.

While drying each other's bodies in front of the fire like that, only awkward silence continued.

Even in the meantime the raindrops gradually got fiercer without any sign of stopping. Now the surroundings were completely dark.

Wait, do I have to spend one night trapped in this narrow cabin with the princess like this?

This... I won't receive misunderstanding later, right?

Suddenly the front of my eyes becomes pitch black!

Growl.

What sound is this again? It's not from my stomach?!

[ Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie: Surely, she heard, right? / Emotion: Embarrassment / Satisfaction: - ]

For me it's fine since I ate dessert before coming out and even ate a chocolate bar on the way, but the princess of course wouldn't be.

On top of losing the way and suffering from stress of course the stomach would also be hungry.

Moreover even while drying the body in front of the hot fire the body trembling chilly, it was an appearance that looked just good to catch a cold.

Even if I safely bring the princess if she's in a state of having caught a cold the merit fades.

Can't be helped. Here I have no choice but to add a bit of acting.

I stood up abruptly from the spot. And deliberately in an awkward, textbook-reading tone I threw the hastily made lines.

"Ah, this I'm going crazy because I'm hungry! Come to think of it there was some snack I packed on the horse saddle! I have to go get it quickly! Princess, is it okay?"

Nod.

The princess's expression that suddenly became bright with a happy color.

Seeing that and relieved I went outside and slightly hid my body behind the horse so the princess couldn't see.

Did I really bring food? How can there be. This time too the point shop is the answer. I was thinking of taking out a simple snack here.

But it's different from Emily. Unlike Emily who just ate without any thought brightly, she is in a situation where the guard toward me has already hit the max value.

The moment I hand something like snacks eaten in modern times I'll get hit by an eye bomb.

Considering the era background, the limit of not being suspected was about one loaf of ordinary bread.

But this alone is insufficient. To lower the princess's solid guard, I needed to add a really special taste to the bread.

Exactly one came to mind. An invincible weapon that captivates her taste, and even opens the bolt of the heart.

There's an unfortunate spread that already finished development a while ago, but I haven't taken out because I feel sorry to Mr. Henry or Mr. Pitton.

The emperor of sweetness that dominated the tastes of all adults in the 21st century.

A regular customer that never misses as an ingredient in pancakes, waffles, ice cream, desserts.

That food ingredient that even Italians who extremely hate pineapple pizza eat without complaint if put in the dough.

If released, the crystallization of gourmet that will cause a sensation beyond peanut butter!

Nutella!

The chocolate hazelnut spread!

For Europeans' tastes it's still Nutella.

The devil's jam dropped onto my palm.