After a short time spent washing the clothes and finding a sunny spot to dry them, Theresia and Carol returned to where Regulus was waiting.
"So," Regulus asked, leaning against a tree. "Are you two going to hide together, or one at a time?"
Carol immediately stepped forward. "Let's do it one at a time."
She glanced at the drying clothes nearby. "After all, our belongings are still here, and I don't feel at ease leaving them unattended."
She turned to Theresia. "Young Lady, you should go first. I will... test him after you return."
"I see." Theresia nodded, accepting the arrangement.
She looked at Regulus again, her heart beating a little faster.
She hadn't fully thought this through yet.
What should I do if he actually finds me?
Should I really believe in fate and honestly accept the pursuit of this man?
Theresia shook her head slightly. "Forget it. Let's wait until I'm actually found before worrying about that."
Clearing her mind of these distracting thoughts, she felt much more relaxed. She looked at Regulus with a challenging smile.
"There should be a time limit for the search. Is one hour acceptable? If you don't find me within an hour, I will return here on my own, and you lose."
"That's enough time," Regulus agreed easily. "I'll give you a ten-minute head start to find a hiding place. After ten minutes, I will come for you."
Theresia nodded.
The next moment, a gust of wind swept through the clearing.
Theresia, seemingly transforming into the wind itself, dashed straight toward the city—the direction from which Regulus had come.
Her figure quickly disappeared from sight.
Running that fast, and heading toward the busy streets full of residents and pedestrians... she clearly didn't intend to make this easy for him.
Once Theresia was gone, Regulus turned his attention to Carol, who was staring back at him with a mix of defiance and resignation.
Now that they were alone, there was no need for pretenses.
Regulus reached out and took Carol's wrist, pulling her into his arms.
He could feel the stiffness in the girl's body—proof that she was still not used to being so intimate with him.
"How about we play something a little fun while we wait?" Regulus whispered.
"Do whatever you want," Carol replied flatly, her eyes lowered. "As a toy, I have no right to refuse."
"Are you sure about that attitude?"
Regulus looked down at the blonde knight.
She was very sensible. She clearly understood her position.
However, while she wouldn't refuse his requests, she certainly wouldn't actively cooperate or enjoy them. She was engaging in malicious compliance.
It's fine to do it occasionally, Regulus thought, but if it continues like this in the future, it will become boring.
He decided to tease her a little.
He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear, his hand sliding down to her waist.
"Mmm..." A weak, suppressed sob escaped her throat.
Compared to most girls, her mental defenses were surprisingly fragile when it came to him. She couldn't hold back the reaction.
"Could... could you please not harm the Young Lady?" Carol looked up at him with pleading, wet eyes.
"Impossible," came the immediate, resounding reply.
Carol lowered her head. She knew it. This man was determined to possess Theresia.
At the same time, she realized her own helplessness.
Once you become this person's "toy"—no, even without that label—stopping him was impossible.
And given their current relationship, she could no longer protect Theresia around the clock.
If this man wanted to, he could keep Carol in his bed all day, preventing her from ever seeing her mistress. Without Carol by her side to guard her, the naive Theresia wouldn't last a day before being completely deceived by him.
But I still want to try…
Just as she raised her head to speak again—
"Waaah!"
Carol's eyes widened in shock.
Her lips were sealed by his.
It was strange... despite everything they had done in the carriage, despite the humiliation, she still had her first kiss.
Until now.
Faced with the sudden attack, Carol, who offered no resistance, gradually felt her stiff body relax against him.
After a long while, just when she thought she was about to be bullied further right there on the riverbank, Regulus suddenly pulled back.
She looked at him with a puzzled, flushed expression.
"Alright," Regulus said, wiping his lip. "We'll continue this after I find Theresia and bring her back."
"After...?"
Carol's consciousness, which had been hazy from the kiss, snapped back into focus. She immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
After Theresia was found, it would be her turn.
But unlike the actual search for Theresia, her "turn" would surely just be meeting him at a secluded location... and spending that hour doing this.
I'm such an idiot... she thought bitterly. When he said he could 'sense' me and find me anywhere, I actually believed it was magic. It's just... an arrangement.
"I'm off," Regulus announced.
"Um."
Carol watched helplessly as Regulus walked away toward the city.
Once he was a certain distance away, she crouched down, her legs weak, and began to organize the weapons and equipment they had left on the ground.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Capital.
It had been more than ten minutes.
Theresia had successfully entered a bustling market street.
"There's absolutely no way he'll be able to find me here," she muttered to herself, blending into the crowd.
Even if he guessed the general area, she could easily use the throngs of people to evade him.
However, a wave of guilt washed over her.
Is this too cunning? she wondered. I'm constantly moving. If he can still find me in this situation... doesn't that prove he can truly sense my location? That fate is real?
But then her thoughts drifted to Carol.
Carol was her personal bodyguard and her best friend. Theresia felt a pang of unease. I can't steal my best friend's man.
Although... Regulus seems to have hundreds of wives. Even if I were to join them, it shouldn't be considered 'stealing' in the traditional sense, right?
She shook her head violently.
No, no! Sharing a husband with hundreds of girls…
If it were a smaller group—say, a dozen—she might consider it. But over a hundred was simply too many.
Theresia, no longer wanting to dwell on these confusing thoughts, glanced around at the street in front of her.
"What should I do now?" she murmured softly.
She thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up.
"By the way! Let's go check out the flower shop."
It had been a while since she last visited. She wondered if the owner had collected any new seeds from distant lands.
Having determined her destination, Theresia quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd, anticipation in her steps.
What she didn't know was…
A few minutes after she left that spot, Regulus appeared at the corner of the street. He didn't look around or ask for directions.
He simply smiled and headed straight in the direction she had gone.
For Regulus, it didn't matter if she was constantly moving or hiding in a bunker.
As long as she remained within the domain of his Little King Authority, finding her was as simple as finding his own hand.
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