Chapter 7: The Messenger and the Star Badge
Another half year passed.
One day, while returning from town, Charlotte encountered a group standing helplessly at the entrance to the forest.
At the time, she was in an excellent mood.
The herbal merchant had just told her that the herb cookies and herbal candies she supplied to town were selling extremely well.
She had been hurrying home, eager to start making more immediately.
However, the group looked deeply troubled.
Still wearing her black robe, Charlotte could not help stopping.
At heart, she was simply too kind.
“Um, is something wrong?”
The group visibly startled at the appearance of the woman in black robes.
Keeping her head lowered so they would not see her face, Charlotte discreetly observed them.
There was a middle-aged man carrying a scroll tied with ribbons, along with several knights dressed in armor.
The knights stared at Charlotte cautiously as though protecting the middle-aged man.
Some of them even had their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken to them after all.
Perhaps I’m bothering them.’
“I’m sorry.
I shouldn’t have interfered…”
Her shoulders drooping sadly, Charlotte turned to enter the forest.
Having spent her days speaking only with the herbal merchant, she had grown starved for human conversation.
She found herself ashamed of that loneliness and wanted to flee the scene as quickly as possible.
“Ah, please wait a moment!”
The middle-aged man hurried toward Charlotte, his round belly jiggling as he ran.
The knights hurried after him.
“Pardon me, but would you happen to be the Witch of the Northern Forest?
Allow me to introduce myself.”
With that, he showed her a star-shaped pin attached to his chest.
It glittered gold in the sunlight.
The emblem of a royal messenger.
“Oh my, this is…”
Startled, Charlotte hurriedly tried to kneel on the spot.
However, her foot caught on a tree root, and she nearly fell.
The world spun upside down, and Charlotte braced herself for the impact.
Yet no pain or shock ever came.
“Huh?”
When she opened her eyes, one of the knights was standing there.
His platinum blond hair shimmered beneath the sunlight, and his eyes were the color of red wine.
His pale beauty was sharp and refined, and the intensity of his gaze nearly made Charlotte’s legs give out.
“Ah, um…
I-I’m sorry.
And thank you for catching me.”
Realizing she was being held in the knight’s arms, Charlotte hurriedly stood and dusted off her clothes.
She had married without ever truly experiencing romance, then was abandoned without ever being loved.
Even now, in the full bloom of eighteen, Charlotte still felt awkward around men.
“No.
We are the ones who startled you.
My apologies.”
The knight replied with formal politeness before immediately stepping back behind the messenger as though his task was complete.
“Haha, forgive us for frightening you.
Now then, are you perhaps the Witch of the Northern Forest?”
At the messenger’s question, Charlotte became troubled.
‘Another visitor searching for the Witch of the Northern Forest.
But I’m sorry to say I’ve never met such a person…’
Even now, Charlotte had not the faintest idea that the townspeople themselves were calling her the “Witch of the Northern Forest.”
Despite the fact that the herbal merchant she frequently dealt with had a sign hanging prominently outside his shop reading:
[The Witch of the Northern Forest’s Sweets Sold Here!]
“Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone by that name.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help.”
Charlotte answered so sorrowfully that the messenger and knights found themselves unable to say anything.
‘Isn’t that supposed to be you?’
The same thought crossed all of their minds.
And yet, the delicate young woman before them did not seem to be lying.
Yes, delicate.
The messenger regained his composure and continued.
“I see.
By the way, do you live nearby?
You appear quite young.”
Charlotte nearly nodded instinctively before suddenly stiffening.
Before she knew it, her hood had fallen back, exposing her face.
The last time she had spoken to someone without her hood had been the young boy half a year ago, and now Charlotte’s milk-white skin flushed bright red.
“Ah…
I live in a mountain cabin within this forest.
My name is Charlotte.”
She deliberately omitted her family name.
If anyone learned that she was the daughter of a noble family, even one from a lesser branch, she had no idea what trouble it might bring upon her family.
However, the graceful bow Charlotte performed despite her plain dress captivated the men entirely.
“If it isn’t too much trouble, may we accompany you?
We’ve been unable to enter the forest for some time now.”
The mustached messenger with the round belly looked genuinely troubled, and Charlotte could not help sympathizing with them.
‘But what does he mean they couldn’t enter?
There aren’t any roads, certainly, but this forest really isn’t that dangerous…’
Tilting her head inwardly in confusion, Charlotte smiled warmly.
“Of course.
If you’d like, please come have some tea at my home.”
And so, Charlotte ended up leading the royal messenger and his escort back toward the home where Lax awaited her.