I Was Told to Drink Poison, So I Drank It - 19 - The Forest of Confusion, the Forbidden Forest, the Forest of Twilight.

Even with all those names…

We still only knew that something was in the Forest of Utis.

It was strange that the forest was filled with magic power, even though no magical beasts lived there.

But we couldn’t investigate any further at that place.

After leaving the library and returning to the inn, I sat down on the bed and sighed.

(Prince Lawrence said he would be waiting near the edge of the Forest of Utis tomorrow…)

When I asked why he came to Victoire at this time, he said, “It’s better to deal with it early.”

That meant if we left things as they were, the situation would only get worse.

(And… Prince Lawrence said we met fourteen years ago…)

I don’t remember at all. Was he lying?

If so, why would he lie?

His mysterious words, like riddles, also bothered me.

How many times have I wished he would just give a clear answer?

And yet, I still had to meet him again tomorrow.

To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

But even if I felt that way, I had no choice but to go.

Even though I am no longer the queen, I was the queen of this country.

When the king is not present, the queen has a duty to protect the country. I had lived each day with that sense of responsibility, so I could take action when needed.

Still… I never expected things to turn out like this…

I collapsed onto the bed with a thud.

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

Trying to organize my thoughts and remember what happened today, I slowly let out a breath.

“…Alright!”

There was no point in worrying now.

I was going to the Forest of Utis tomorrow anyway, and I would meet Prince Lawrence.

That was already decided, so rather than overthinking it now…

“…I need to sleep!”

Purifying the magic power, of course, was important—but walking through the forest also used a lot of energy. If I couldn’t move because of lack of sleep… that would be terrible.

Thinking that, I pressed my face into the pillow and pulled the blanket up to my chest—then closed my eyes.

(May tomorrow’s Victoire be better than today’s…)

Just like when I was little, I wished for that.

☆

The next day.

After reporting everything to General McGregor, Louis and I headed for the Forest of Utis as promised.

Prince Lawrence was already waiting for us there.

As expected, there were no guards with him.

When he saw us, he smiled a little.

“I knew you’d come.”

“You said something like that. Of course I would come.”

I remembered his words from yesterday:

“If you truly love this country, Victoire—even though you are no longer the queen—I believe you will come to the forest tomorrow.”

He said it like… if I didn’t go, I had no love for my country.

I didn’t come just because I was provoked, but that way of speaking still annoyed me.

I looked at Prince Lawrence in protest. He blinked a few times.

“Oh, right. If I say it like that, then of course you have to come.”

“I didn’t come because I was annoyed. It’s true that your words made me think, but… what you said yesterday—if the Forest of Utis really has a power that confuses people, then we must deal with it quickly. I feel the same way. That’s why I’m here.”

“You’ve learned a lot in just one night. You did your research.”

Prince Lawrence looked surprised.

I didn’t answer. I looked at the trees towering behind him—the forest.

“That’s the Forest of Utis… right? On the map, it looked very big.”

“Yeah, it’s so big that it crosses the border between Arcana and Victoire. We’re heading to the deep part of the forest. From your clothes, it looks like walking in the forest won’t be a problem…”

Prince Lawrence looked down at my outfit.

If you’re walking through a forest, you need laced boots.

I also chose a simple dress that was easy to move in. I actually wanted to wear pants, but it would draw too much attention for a woman to wear those.

Even though almost no one here knows me—just in case.

I decided a dress was better to avoid standing out.

After checking my clothes, Prince Lawrence looked up and spoke to me.

“If you feel tired, tell me. I’ll try to give us breaks, but we’ll still be walking quite a distance.”

“Thank you for your concern. But… if the Forest of Utis confuses people, isn’t it bad to stay there too long?”

When I asked, Prince Lawrence looked at the forest and answered:

“It doesn’t affect me. Probably not you either. …But him? I’m not so sure. He doesn’t have holy power, right?”

By ‘him,’ Prince Lawrence meant Louis.

Louis looked at me, then at Prince Lawrence.

“…You mean I should stay here? Is that what you’re saying?”

He spoke stiffly.

It was hard for him to accept.

I was also uneasy about my knight being separated from me.

I looked at Prince Lawrence. He hesitated for a moment, then answered.

“…There’s a high chance he’ll be affected.”

“You mean… I could harm Lady Charlize?”

“That’s the scary part of this forest. Yesterday, you learned why small conflicts between the two countries never stopped here.”

“…………”

Louis fell silent.

Being affected by the forest and hurting me… That must be his greatest fear.

“…You said I won’t be affected. Is that because I’m a saint?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what if I go while using holy power on him?”

“If you use your power like that, you might run out when you really need it. I’m against it. But… I understand you don’t want your guard to leave. I’m still not someone you trust, am I?”

“…………”

I didn’t answer—because he was right.

To me, the country of Arcana was not exactly an enemy, but still a country I was wary of.

He was the prince of that country.

Honestly, I couldn’t fully trust his words yet. I still had doubts.

That’s why I was afraid of being without my loyal knight.

Prince Lawrence nodded and said:

“Then, you protect him. …It’s strange for a master to protect the knight, but still.”

Before Louis could respond, I spoke.

What he said was true, but I thought it might hurt Louis’s pride as a knight.

“Louis always protects me. That won’t change, even inside the forest.”

“…Sorry. That was rude.”

Whether he really meant it or not, Prince Lawrence said that and stepped into the forest.

Louis and I followed him.