She said that we're going out—
with her.
Wonderful… more changes that will drag me and my life straight into the pit of hell.
Jin-ho considered refusing her offer, but he couldn't. In the end, the duchess requested it, and he had permission from Rafaial himself. That wasn't something a person joked with.
Mariana said calmly:
"Go change your clothes and come to me."
How were they supposed to tell her they only brought their morning uniforms… and their work clothes?
They hurried to do as she said, the question eating at them the whole way.
After finishing dressing in what she asked for—and after a rushed attempt to clean themselves up—
they approached her with visibly nervous expressions.
Mariana, puzzled:
"What's with those faces? We're going out to have fun, aren't we?"
They mumbled agreement, following her out through the gate with two guards behind them.
Walking beside her through the streets was surprisingly easy. Everyone moved aside for her.
Unlike Jin-ho and Rora, who had been shoved around by the crowds earlier, she walked without even brushing a shoulder.
Going out with her was… unexpectedly enjoyable.
Time passed without either of them realizing.
Meanwhile, Han-yul was still sizing up Sungjin, lifting a brow.
"This… is what my sister prefers? So why did she go after that servant?"
Sungjin asked calmly,
"Is there something you want to ask me?"
The atmosphere between them was tight and tense for no clear reason.
Rafaial stepped in, trying to lighten the mood:
"The duke offered a small three-day survival challenge in his forest. Let's show them how we protect the empire, as they wish."
He didn't say "challenge" for nothing—he wanted Silevster to understand that none of his schemes to paint Rafaial as unfit meant anything.
To him, this was just… changing scenery on a normal day.
Sungjin smiled, clearly proud of the prince's words.
Han-yul, meanwhile, rolled his eyes.
"Lord Han-yul," Sungjin addressed him, "since you're here, I want to test you as well."
Silevster snapped sharply:
"How dare you—"
Rafaial' eyes hardened—
a look the duke had never received before.
He spoke, tone calm but irritation leaking through:
"Disrespecting one of mine is disrespecting me. Control yourself, Duke Silevster."
Han-yul smiled smoothly—unlike his father, he had perfect emotional control:
"I like the idea. What do you propose we do?"
Sungjin looked at Rafaial, silently asking permission.
The prince nodded.
Sungjin:
"The forest is yours, the field is yours. Isn't it fair for two of us to compete? Why not join us as well? Whoever hunts the most… wins."
Han-yul hummed thoughtfully.
"Simple enough. But what do I gain from this? You're the ones proving yourselves."
Rafaial:
"If you win, I'll reward you with whatever you ask—as long as it's within my boundaries."
Han-yul paused,
and the image of Mariana came to mind—
her voice echoing:
"What do you think about traveling somewhere far from this castle?"
"Where would you even go, Mari?"
"I want to see the sea… but it's too far, and father doesn't let me leave."
Her eyes had glowed with longing.
He remembered it clearly, even though she never realized he noticed.
A sudden smile spread on his face.
He extended his hand, accepting Rafaial's deal.
And so, the first official match between Sungjin and Han-yul was sealed.
Preparations for the first night in the forest began.
Meanwhile—
Rora, Jin-ho, and Mariana were running for their lives from a thief.
But… how did everything even end up like this?
About half an hour earlier…
The midday sun was at its peak, hiding behind a few drifting clouds.
It was warm and cold at the same time—an odd balance—yet the weather made walking around pleasant, without feeling heat or chill.
They had wandered into the narrow alleys at the far end of the noble district, a place that looked just unsafe enough for people to avoid it.
Rora and Marianna were chatting endlessly, to the point where Jin-ho didn't even try to join the conversation.
He simply watched them laugh, and smiled because their happiness alone was enough to make him feel content.
It was just one of his traits—he didn't mind staying quiet as long as the people with him were enjoying themselves.
A small girl was stealing a loaf of bread. From an angle Marianna couldn't see, Jin-ho noticed her even though he was standing behind her.
He didn't want to expose the girl; he pitied her.
But Rora said aloud to Marianna:
"Is that girl… stealing a loaf of bread?"
He frowned at her for revealing it, but Marianna didn't react the way he expected.
She simply approached the baker, paid for the loaf, and looked at the girl who had already run away when she was noticed.
Suddenly, the doors of the bakery slammed shut, and curtains dropped over the windows.
Jin-ho's eyes scanned the place. He stepped ahead of the girls, leaving Rora and Marianna behind, preparing for anything that could happen.
"Marianna: there's a door behind those stairs. We can get out quietly."
Jin-ho: "How did you even know that?"
Rora: "Stop questioning everything! Let's just get out before something happens!"
Their whispers could be heard, though not understood.
Then a deep voice came from the dark corner:
"Where do you think you're going, sweetheart?
Give me what you've got, and nothing will happen to you."
Marianna walked carefully, feeling her way through the overly dark room, until her fingers slid into a crack in the wall.
"When I open this, we run."
Jin-ho simply nodded—no questions this time. Asking more might only put them in danger.
"But how is it logical she knows a hidden exit like this?
She isn't even from the common districts to have explored such places…"
They slipped out the back door, but the sudden light outside startled her, making Jin-ho shout at one of the men waiting for them.
Marianna had to pull off her long coat—it was slowing her down.
The moment she removed it, her clothes underneath were revealed:
A simple ivory cotton blouse, unadorned except for neat stitching near the collar—almost as if the tailor had rushed, only for the result to look more elegant than intended.
The sleeves were snug enough to keep her warm in the winter air, but widened slightly at the wrists, giving her room to move.
Her trousers were made of thick, charcoal-gray fabric—closer to a rider's breeches than anything women normally wore.
They wrapped neatly around her waist with a plain leather belt, giving her a bold look rarely seen among the city's ladies.
Despite how unusual it was in a society that expected skirts, the quiet elegance of the outfit made it feel as if they were created for her.
As she ran, the trousers raised a deep question in Jin-ho's mind.
This style wasn't supposed to appear until much later in the era—how was she allowed to wear them under this society's rules?
Was that why she wore the long winter coat?
She didn't care what she was wearing.
What mattered was that she felt comfortable, and running in those clothes felt like the old days—before she ever entered this world.
She, too, was a reincarnator—like Jin-ho, only more withdrawn.
She knew things others didn't. She had lived them countless times.
So the moment wasn't strange to her at all.
But her companions saw it differently.
The man chased them for several long minutes, weaving through the crowd.
They stopped at last, surrounded by people whispering about her clothes, her boldness, and why a duke's daughter would be running like this.
Marianna stood still, unfazed.
She was used to these stares.
Used to the whispers slipping into her ears.
Once, they made her shiver.
But not anymore.
Still, something was different about this regression.
She felt someone drape fabric over her shoulders.
She looked down—it was a light coat, enough to cover what had been revealed.
"…Jin-ho?"