The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 44

“You call that an excuse? What the hell were you knights doing?”

Rashid’s voice, burning with fury, cut through the air like a blade.

“Not one of you noticed she was gone?”

“W-We’re sorry, my lord!”

The knights who had been guarding the tent dropped to one knee, bowing their heads and begging for forgiveness.

Mandy stood nearby, tears streaming down her face as she anxiously stomped her feet.

She had only stepped outside briefly after serving tea. She’d even told the knights to notify her if the lady needed anything.

But Tericia had vanished—completely. Without a trace.

And it hadn’t even been that long. It had all happened in a matter of moments.

There were no signs of her leaving the tent.

The main entrance was guarded at all times, and the side connections between tents were too narrow for a woman in a dress to slip through unnoticed.

Sure, she could have squeezed through. But not without trained knights noticing.

“She’s nowhere nearby,” Heinz reported as he approached.

Rashid didn’t respond. His eyes scanned the surroundings in silence.

Just like the knights said—it made no sense. Even if Tericia was wearing a simpler dress than at the banquet, there was no way she could’ve gotten past them all undetected.

And he hadn’t told her, but he’d quietly increased the number of guards around her… just in case.

The idea that she’d slipped past all of them?

Unthinkable.

No one had seen her leave.

Where are you, Tericia?

Rashid’s mind flashed to the image of her smiling at him before he left. His clenched fist throbbed with pain, but he barely registered it.

“Y-Young Duke…”

Mandy spoke hesitantly through trembling lips.

“The fox… it’s gone too.”

“What?”

“The one you gave to the lady—it’s missing.”

“……!”

Rashid immediately strode back into the tent. Just as she said, the basket by the bed was empty.

Did the fox escape… and she chased after it?

He looked around the tent, eyes sharp. Then his gaze landed on something odd.

It looked like nothing special at first glance—but something about it tugged at his attention.

He stepped closer and lifted the edge of the fabric.

A narrow opening—just enough for someone to crawl through.

Beyond it… a dark, dense forest.

“Heinz.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Ready the knights.”

“Understood.”

Heinz bowed and rushed out of the tent.

Rashid stood at the edge of the opening, staring into the shadows of the woods. Then, without hesitation, he stepped out.

The black forest seemed to grin at him.

[It’s been a while, Tericia.]

The white stag watched her, its expression almost… smiling.

There was something strange and unsettling about that lifeless grin.

Tericia cautiously stepped back, widening the distance. If anything went wrong, she was prepared to turn and run.

[No need to be so wary. I called you here to give you something good, after all.]

“There’s never been a time when an invitation like this ended well.”

She spoke firmly. The stag’s mouth curled, as if amused.

Its laughter echoed through the silent woods.

[Tericia… you’ve grown quite suspicious. Life must have been rough for you.]

The voice—no longer merely the stag, but something else—was clearly trying to provoke her.

She wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it.

“Why did you bring me here?”

[Didn’t I say? To bring you good news.]

“Good news?”

[Something I thought you’d like to know.]

“There’s nothing I want to hear from you.”

[Oh, I think you’ll want to hear this. It’s about your precious Rashid.]

Tericia froze mid-step, having just turned to leave.

Seeing her still, the stag let out a loud, eerie laugh.

[Yes, that’s more like you, Tericia. You always go weak at the mention of Rashid.]

“What are you trying to say?”

[Oh dear. So, you have developed feelings for him. I warned you to be careful, didn’t I?]

“……”

When Tericia narrowed her eyes, the laughter in the voice finally faded. But even then, it couldn’t hide the underlying amusement.

[Rashid is going to become the Duke of Hespelt soon.]

“Rashid?”

Her face brightened with surprise—only to fall again a moment later.

“Then… what about the Duke…?”

[He’s safe. For now.]

“…What does that mean?”

Her voice dropped—low and steady, tight with barely suppressed anger. A tone not often heard from her.

“If Rashid is inheriting the dukedom, doesn’t that mean there’s no more danger—”

[Is that really what you believe, Tericia?]

The white stag began to circle her slowly, keeping its gaze fixed on her the whole time, like a predator keeping its prey within reach.

[Think about it. Your mother is dead. Just like in the last life.]

“The Duke is still alive.”

[Yes, for now.]

The voice answered cheerfully, as if it were sharing delightful news.

“Mandy’s alive too.”

[But Leah is dead.]

“……!”

[Remember? Last time, Leah didn’t die.]

A memory she had long forgotten suddenly resurfaced. The voice was right.

For some reason, in her previous life, it had been Mandy who accompanied the Duke and Duchess on their estate tour.

Mandy had died… and Leah had lived.

But in this life, it was the opposite.

Mandy had survived. Leah had died—alongside her mother.

[Ah, so you remember now.]

The voice seemed to grin, as if it were feeding off the pale, stricken look spreading across her face.

[This time, Leah died in Mandy’s place. So who will die in the Duke’s place?]

“…….”

[Heinz? Adler? Or… Rashid?]

“Stop it!”

Her shout rang through the forest, the only thing breaking the unnerving silence.

Her face was pale as snow, and her violet eyes burned with fury as she glared at the stag.

“What kind of sick joke is this?”

[One life for another.]

The stag began to glow faintly, and its pitch-black eyes gleamed like obsidian.

[So who will it be, Tericia? Who will die instead of Rashid? Who will die in your place?]

Tericia couldn’t answer.

Her lips trembled, and all the color drained from her face.

The creature only seemed more amused. Its form swelled even larger, looming.

[Poor Tericia. I told you, didn’t I? The countdown has already begun.]

“Stop speaking in riddles. Say what you mean.”

The voice only laughed again.

[Even if Rashid survives… you won’t. That’s already been decided.]

The stag stepped closer—too close. Its inky black eyes reflected her pale, frightened face.

[I told you I brought you here to do you a favor, didn’t I?]

With a flick of its antlers, it gently nudged her.

It was a soft motion—yet it sent Tericia flying upward.

The ground beneath her vanished.

The dense forest was gone. In its place was a cliff—a steep, empty drop. Suspended in the air, Tericia’s breath caught in her throat.

[You’re meant to die.]

[Because you can’t grant my wish.]

Two voices overlapped as they laughed—and then:

“Tericia!”

She thought she heard Rashid’s voice just as she began to fall.

Meanwhile…

Rashid rode as fast as his horse would carry him, a suffocating dread pressing down on his chest.

Was the forest always this deep?

No matter how far he went, it felt like there was no end. The trees stretched endlessly, far deeper than what he’d remembered.

This doesn’t make sense.

Even though he hadn’t participated in the hunt from the start, Rashid had personally reviewed the layout of the grounds. He knew this forest well.

But now, it felt different.

This wasn’t the same forest.

Even Crown Prince Ludwig wouldn’t have chosen such a dangerous terrain for a noble hunting event.

Not a bird. Not a breeze. Just silence.

A silence too complete to be natural—an eerie stillness that didn’t belong to the real world.

I never should’ve given her that damn fox.

He spurred his horse faster.

And then—

“…!”

The horse reared, coming to a sudden stop.

When Rashid pulled at the reins and tried to push it forward, the horse snorted nervously and refused to move.

“What’s wrong?”

He calmed the agitated animal and looked ahead.

A black void stretched out in front of him like the open maw of something ancient—something that should not exist.

There was no time to hesitate.

Rashid jumped off the horse.

“Return to camp.”

He slapped its flank, and the terrified horse turned and bolted back the way they’d come.

Then Rashid turned toward the darkness—and stepped into it.

“……”

Rashid stared ahead.

Out of habit, he checked the longsword strapped at his waist—then, without the slightest hesitation, stepped into the darkness.

The forest remained eerily silent. At first, it seemed so dark he couldn’t see a step ahead. But then, as if something was guiding him, only one path became visible—clear, singular.

It was the unsettling feeling of being watched. Constantly.

“Tericia.”

Rashid sharpened every sense he had, focusing entirely on her presence.

As he carefully moved forward, a faint glow appeared in the distance. In this unnatural forest, the light itself felt out of place. Instinctively, he moved toward it.

The closer he got, the more clearly it took shape: a large white stag, massive in size, with enormous antlers. And in front of it—

“…!”

She was there.

A bad feeling churned in his gut.

Rashid sprang forward, all his focus now locked on Tericia.

The stag stepped toward her, an unmistakable threat in its movements. Tericia instinctively stepped back to avoid it—

But behind her was nothing. No ground. Just open sky.

“No—!”

Rashid’s hand went to the hilt of his sword. If the creature came within striking range, he would cut it down without hesitation.

But then—he couldn’t.

The massive beast began to move, slowly, deliberately, toward Tericia. It stomped its hoof once, then turned—ever so slightly—to glance behind it.

That glance was unmistakable.

It had seen him.

“……!”

Rashid surged forward.

In that same instant, the stag gave Tericia a light push.

Her body lifted into the air.

Rashid drew his sword and swung, releasing a flash of deadly energy that tore through the space between them. The sound of it cracked like thunder.

The moment it seemed his blade would strike—the beast vanished without a trace.

So did Tericia.

“Tericia!”

Without a moment’s pause, Rashid threw himself off the edge of the cliff.

The dark river below roared like a beast, but he didn’t hear it.

His eyes saw only her—falling through the sky like snow—and his hand reached, desperate to catch her before she slipped through his grasp.

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