The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 43

“Weren’t you supposed to be out hunting with His Highness?”

“Yes, but I wanted to see you before I left.”

Tericia quietly watched Rashid, who was gently toying with a strand of her hair.

As soon as the young noblewomen had left, Rashid had settled beside her without saying much. Now, he simply sat there, his fingers running through her hair. His touch, though gentle, made her feel awkward and a little tense. There was something unfamiliar about it.

“…Could you stop playing with my hair?”

“Why would I do that?”

“……”

Her cheeks began to heat up. Tericia opened her mouth as if to say something several times, only to close it again. Finally, she gave up, covering her face with both hands and muttering quietly,

“Stop touching my hair…”

A faint laugh escaped Rashid’s lips.

It only made her feel more embarrassed.

“It’s just… your hair is so soft.”

With a reverent tenderness, Rashid brought her hair to his lips and kissed it.

Tericia, still hiding her face, didn’t see it.

Part of her was relieved.

Part of her regretted it.

If I had seen it… I probably would’ve turned completely red.

She didn’t know that he sometimes came to her at night.

For Rashid, it had become something like a ritual. A way to make sure she was safe, that nothing had happened to her.

Why do I feel so uneasy otherwise?

At some point, Rashid had found himself unable to rest until he had checked on her. And every time he looked at her sleeping face, a strange fear would rise within him—that maybe this time, she wouldn’t wake up.

He used to think he was the cautious type, but the way she slept so soundly only made him worry he was missing something. That he might not be noticing a sign of danger.

Still, just holding a part of her—even a strand of hair, the faintest brush of her skin—gave him a sense of calm.

I must be going mad.

A dry breath escaped his lips, almost like a laugh.

“Tericia.”

At the sound of his low voice, her body tensed slightly.

“Don’t go near the hunting grounds. I hear there are large animals in the deeper parts.”

“Why would I go there?”

“I’d like to think you wouldn’t… but you’re unpredictable. More accident-prone than you look.”

Given her track record, she didn’t argue.

“Please… don’t make me worry.”

His voice dropped to a murmur, almost a whisper.

“If something happened to you… I…”

“……”

Tericia lowered her gaze and watched him gently twirling a strand of her hair. There was a faint bitterness in his smile.

He’s worried about me, isn’t he?

The feeling was familiar—and yet, foreign.

“Rashid.”

“Yes, Tericia?”

“…Rashid.”

“Yes?”

No matter how many times she called his name, he answered.

She liked the way those deep golden eyes looked at her—focused only on her.

Feeling a tickle in her chest, Tericia leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I won’t make you worry.”

“…Please. I mean it, Tericia.”

His voice, low and steady, wrapped around her like warmth.

Suddenly, she remembered the Rashid from her past life—the one who had stood alone in the darkness, face cold and distant, like a man completely isolated from the world.

There had been such loneliness in his eyes.

The hunting festival was nearing its end.

During that time, the Crown Prince had proudly shown off the many animals he’d hunted. Rashid, for the most part, didn’t pay them much attention—except for one: a white fox.

“Tericia would like this,” he had said, seriously considering it.

Amused, the Crown Prince offered it to him.

“If it’s for Lady Tericia, then of course.”

As soon as Rashid received the fox, he went straight to her tent, not even bothering to hide his intent.

The Crown Prince simply shook his head with a sigh, as if he had given up entirely.

Rashid arrived at Tericia’s tent and presented her with the fox gifted by the Crown Prince. She looked down at the small creature nestled in the basket, clearly caught off guard.

“It’s adorable, but… why are you giving me this? You didn’t steal it from His Highness, did you?”

“I told him I wanted to give it to my beloved sister, and he gave it to me.”

“Ah…”

“Should I return it, then?”

“…No. I’ll accept it—thank you.”

Tericia carefully took the basket into her arms.

“Is it… dead?”

“No, it’s alive.”

“It’s not moving.”

“If it wants to live, it’ll move eventually.”

Rashid looked at the white fox with a completely indifferent expression—as if he wouldn’t mind tossing it aside.

Sensing that, the tip of the fox’s ear twitched ever so slightly. It seemed to be signaling, Yes, I’m alive.

“Can I keep it?”

“It’s yours now. Do as you wish.”

Tericia passed the fox to Mandy, who marveled at the pure white animal. She gently placed the basket beside the bed inside the tent.

“Today’s the last day of the hunting festival, right?”

“Yes.”

“So we’ll finally be heading home.”

“We’ll leave after the closing celebration tomorrow.”

“…I see.”

Seeing her deflated expression, Rashid chuckled softly.

“Just wait a little longer. I’m going out to hunt today too. I’ll bring you back a proper gift.”

“Just come back safely. That’s all I want.”

“Of course, Tericia.”

After reminding her yet again not to go near the forest, Rashid left to rejoin the Crown Prince on the hunting grounds.

Once he was gone, the tent grew quiet.

“Shall I prepare some tea, my lady?”

“Yes, please.”

As Mandy began setting the tea, Tericia settled into the sofa.

Though smaller than the grand tents of the Hespelt Duke and the Young Duke, her tent was comfortably furnished with a proper bed, sofa, and everything she could need. She didn’t need to guess who had arranged it all.

She took a sip of tea. The warmth helped her settle a little.

“If you need anything, just call for me.”

“Alright. Go rest.”

Satisfied that Tericia was alright, Mandy stepped out. She could be heard briefly chatting with the knights stationed outside before her voice faded, leaving the space utterly silent again.

Too silent.

With no movement, no sound except her own quiet breathing, something about the stillness felt strange.

Then—

“……”

A soft rustling broke the silence. It came from the bed.

Tericia stood, cautiously approaching the source of the sound.

“Oh… it’s you.”

It was the white fox. It had come to its senses and was now poking its head out of the basket, glancing around with bright black eyes.

“Are you awake now?”

Her voice was gentle.

The fox looked straight at her, almost as if it understood. In its shimmering dark eyes, her own reflection stared back at her.

“Can you understand what I’m saying?”

It was silly, she knew—but even so, she reached out her hand toward it.

“……!”

In a flash, the fox swiped at her hand and leapt from the basket.

It happened so fast—before she could even react, the fox darted past her, brushing against her dress. The tent flaps suddenly billowed open as if pushed by wind—though there was none. In the blink of an eye, the fox squeezed through the gap and disappeared.

“Wait!”

Without thinking, Tericia ran after it.

The tent’s fabric rippled wide enough for her to slip through.

I have to catch it. That was Rashid’s gift…

Her only thought was to retrieve it. Without hesitation, she passed through the opening and vanished outside.

As her dress hem slipped through the last fluttering fold of the tent, it fell still once again.

Silence returned—like no one had been there at all.

Only the cooling tea sat on the table, quietly marking her absence.

“……!”

A wave of dread pierced Rashid’s chest like an arrow.

He suddenly looked up at the sky—clear, cloudless, impossibly blue.

“What’s wrong? What is it?”

Ludwig approached, watching as Rashid froze in place, eyes fixed on the heavens.

“…I need to go back.”

“What?”

Rashid’s gaze was locked in the direction of Tericia’s tent.

“Rashid!”

But Rashid didn’t respond. Without another word, he turned and began sprinting back. His heart pounded wildly with a sense of unease he couldn’t explain—an overwhelming, suffocating instinct that something was very wrong.

The fox, uninjured, dashed into the forest as though it had never been weak. Tericia followed closely behind.

Just as the thought crossed her mind that she might lose it, the fox abruptly stopped and looked back at her.

When she drew close enough to think she might actually catch it, it darted off again.

But every time the distance between them grew too wide, the fox would pause, waiting for her. Then, as she neared, it would take off again.

Like it was leading her.

Deeper and deeper into the woods.

When her breath started to burn in her lungs and her legs could barely keep up, the fox finally stopped. This time, it didn’t move. It simply sat down, still and calm, waiting for her to approach.

Tericia slowed her steps.

Was there a place like this in the hunting grounds?

Somehow, she’d wandered deep into the forest’s heart.

To her knowledge, this forest wasn’t vast. These noble hunting events weren’t real wilderness excursions—they were social affairs. The chosen areas were large but never too wild or dangerous.

But this place…

She looked around.

It was dark. Unnaturally so. No light seeped through the trees. There were no birds chirping, no rustling leaves or running water. Nothing.

Only silence.

And in the center of that silence… one impossibly out-of-place creature sat, staring directly at her.

The white fox.

Tericia stepped closer.

“You’re no ordinary fox, are you?”

At her words, the fox’s mouth curved into what almost looked like a smile.

Then—it began to change.

Its body shimmered with a soft glow. It stretched, elongated. Horns grew from its head. Its legs lengthened. Its size doubled, then tripled.

By the time it stopped growing, it had become something else entirely.

A large, luminous stag—elegant and impossibly white, its antlers curling like ancient branches. The only trace left of the fox was its eyes—dark, gleaming black.

Those eyes reflected Tericia’s image clearly, unwavering.

Then, after silently observing her for a moment, the creature finally spoke—its voice deep, calm, and familiar.

[Tericia.]

“……!”

Her eyes widened.

She knew that voice.

The voice from that stormy night, the one that had saved her life.

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