The Misconception of the Pure Girl
So the two of us returned home again, but...
"......"
Era simply sat there in perfect seiza, completely motionless. The pile of laundry had been tossed to one side. She wasn't even boiling the porridge. She remained kneeling with both hands neatly placed on her knees, gaze fixed on the floor.
"...Era."
"..."
No reply.
"...What was that earlier?"
She shook her head vigorously—left, right, left, right.
"...Want some water?"
Another vigorous shake.
"...How about eating something?"
Once again, only the same head-shaking. Not a single word. Just that silent swaying of her head.
......
I couldn't bring myself to ask anything more. I didn't even know how to ask, and it was obvious she'd only respond by shaking her head anyway.
The sun slowly sank, darkening the room. Yet Era never once shifted her posture. She simply... stayed there. And so the night grew deep.
"...Go to sleep."
Those were the first words she spoke. Era rose slowly, wobbled once as if her legs had gone numb, but quickly regained her balance. She lay down in her usual spot, sharing the blanket, keeping a proper distance between us.
But less than five minutes later—
Swish—
Era crept toward me, inching closer with deliberate stealth.
"...Hey."
No answer.
"...Move away."
Still no answer. Instead, she clutched my sleeve tightly.
I thought she might be following me again like yesterday. When I reached out to pry her hand off—
"......?"
The shoulder beneath my palm was trembling. Violently. The hand gripping my sleeve, her shoulders, her back—everything. It was shaking even worse than when she'd dropped the laundry.
I paused to look at her. I couldn't see her face; she was hunched over, clinging to my clothes. But those small shoulders were trembling so hard.
"......"
The hand I'd meant to push her away with slowly stopped.
"...It's fine."
"......"
"...Hold on while you sleep."
"......!"
For the first time, Era lifted her head. Her black eyes stared straight at me—unnaturally clear even in the darkness.
"..."
She didn't answer. Instead, she gripped my sleeve even tighter, so hard her fingers seemed to sink into the fabric.
"......"
I turned my gaze back to the ceiling. It took a long time for Era's trembling to finally subside.
===============
Ugh... I'm so tired.
"Mmm~ mmm mmm~ mmm~"
A sudden humming pulled me from sleep. I forced my eyes open.
"Hum~ hum hum hum~"
Era was stirring the porridge and humming cheerfully. Her steps were light and bouncy, her hands moved normally again, and her face wore that same bright, carefree smile as always. The girl who had been shaking so badly last night...
"Your Highness, are you awake?"
"...Yeah."
"Did you sleep well?"
"...What about you?"
"I slept great~!"
"..."
The sleeve she'd held onto all night was still wrinkled.
"Up we go..."
I rose slowly from my spot. My hands were free. I'd fallen asleep without tying her up last night. My feet were unbound too.
"...Seriously."
Strangely, the thought of running away didn't even cross my mind.
"...Era."
"Yes?"
"...What happened yesterday?"
Era paused in the middle of stirring the porridge, then asked back.
"...What do you mean?"
"Why were you trembling like that?"
"...I wasn't feeling well, that's all."
"...Not feeling well."
"That's right!"
"...Where?"
"......My stomach. And my head too."
Way too naturally.
"...Era."
"Yeees~?"
"...You're a terrible liar."
"......!"
Era froze. Then—
"...Hehe. You caught me?"
—she was smiling brightly again.
"...But I'm still not going to tell you."
"...Why not?"
"Because Your Highness shouldn't have to worry about it~"
She clearly had no intention of saying more, so I didn't press her. But...
"..."
That trembling from yesterday wouldn't leave my head.
==========
It was shortly after we'd finished breakfast.
Knock knock.
The sound of someone at the door.
"......!"
She always jumps like that.
"It's okay~ It's just Mister Damil."
Era tried to hide me behind the screen again. But before she could, she paused for a moment... right before opening the door. She glanced back at me.
"Your Highness."
"...What?"
"...I'll show you."
"...Show me what?"
"Hehe... that thing you were so curious about?"
"......?"
"...What are you talking about?"
But Era didn't explain further. She simply walked to the door, and I hid behind the screen for now. Something felt off, though. Her voice sounded different from usual...
Her eyes looked strange too.
Like they were... spinning.
The door opened.
"Era, dear~"
"Mister Damil~"
"Brought you some bread again today. We've had a lot left over lately."
"Wow~ Thank you so much!"
The same greeting as always. But then something flickered from Era's hand—
"...Mister Damil."
"Hm?"
"...I have something to tell you."
No way......!
I froze behind the screen.
Hey, that's—
"What is it?"
"...I brought a guest with me?"
My breath caught.
"...A guest?"
"Yes. Right now. In my house."
"......!"
Through the gap in the screen, I could see Era staring intently at Damil. Her usual bright smile was gone, replaced by a serious expression.
"...Who?"
"...The prince."
"......!!"
I started to stand up from behind the screen. I had to run. Right now. Before the whole village heard the news—
...Wait, why would I need to run? I'm the prince. If word gets out, wouldn't that actually help me? And isn't Era saying this because she intends to let me go?
While those thoughts raced through my mind—
"...Oh."
"......"
"...I see."
"......?!"
...What?
What?
What did he just say?
Damil's expression was far too calm. He'd just been told that the prince of the empire was in a commoner's house in a remote village.
"...Alright. Got it."
Way too naturally.
"You'll have to take good care of him, then."
"Yes! That's what I plan to do!"
Era smiled brightly, completely at ease. But my mind behind the screen had gone completely blank.
......?
......??
......???
He's the prince. The prince of the empire. Someone a commoner should kneel before on sight. If he were discovered in a commoner's home, the entire family would be suspected. Yet Damil just...
"...Yes. Take good care of him."
"Of course!"
"Let me know if you need anything."
"I will!"
In such a casual tone. Like he was talking about a neighbor's guest. As if...
As if he had already known.
No. It didn't even seem like he already knew. It was too... too much like he was reading from a script.
Is he just assuming Era is lying?
That could be possible, but the moment I thought that—
"Mister Damil."
"Yes?"
"Just a moment..."
"...Alright."
With those words, Era instantly walked over to the screen and—
"Don't tell anyone~"
Whoosh!
She yanked the screen open.
"Ta-da!"
...What the hell is she doing?
"Hey! Era, you—!"
"...Oh, it really is His Highness."
"Greetings. I am Damil, a farmer from the nearby fields."
...No. Something is very wrong here. There's no one in this country who doesn't recognize my face. Era had already confessed to bringing me here, and now he's seen me, yet this is his reaction?
No. Something is off. Something is definitely wrong. This is...
"...Hehe."
From the side came Era's soft, quiet laugh.
"Please come again soon."
"...Yes. I'll stop by again."
With that, Damil slowly turned away. The door closed, and his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
"......"
"......"
Cold sweat had formed in my palms.
Swish.
Era closed the door and turned around, wearing that same bright smile as always.
"Mister Damil left~"
"......"
"Your Highness, were you surprised~?"
I tried to step out from behind the screen, but... my legs wouldn't move properly.
"...Era."
"Yeees~?"
"...Just now."
"Yes?"
"...Mister Damil. What you did just now."
"Yes!"
"...What was that?"
Era paused for a moment. Then—
"...What do you mean?"
"......"
"What did Mister Damil do?"
So innocently.
"......"
I stared at her for a long time.
I saw it clearly just now.
The moment she said the prince was here, he accepted it in less than a second with "I see." No surprise. No questions. As if...
As if he had been brainwashed.
"...Mister Damil."
"Yeees~"
"...Accepted it way too naturally."
"...Did he?"
"...Yes."
Era smiled brightly.
"...Hehe. Mister Damil has always been a kind person."
"...No, that's not what I mean."
"It's because he's kind~"
"...That's not it."
"......"
"...Era."
"Yeees~?"
"...What did you just do?"
Era paused again.
"...What do you mean?"
Acting like she had no idea.
"I don't know. I don't get it. But... but you definitely did something, didn't you...!"
"...I didn't do anything, though?"
"......"
"Hehe."
Era clasped her hands together and laughed.
...That laugh was starting to scare me.
I briefly glanced toward the door. The door Damil had just walked out of. If I opened it and left, there was the village. The villagers. And then...
Could I really escape? Now that the entire village was already under Era's control?
"...Hehe."
"......?"
At the small laugh, I slowly turned around.
"Hehehe..."
Era was laughing like an idiot with her hands still clasped.
"Your Highness."
"...What?"
Era slowly opened her mouth.
"...I told you, didn't I?"
"...?"
"That you can't escape."
"......!"
"...What?"
"......"
Those words she'd muttered to herself yesterday.
"Even if I let you go, you won't be able to leave this village."
I finally understood what that meant. Right now.
"It seemed like you were thinking about something else..."
"So I made sure you couldn't think about anything else~"
"...No one is going to take Your Highness away."
"No. One. Will."
"......!!"
Cold sweat ran down my back.
"Your Highness~"
"...What?"
"You know..."
"......"
"The two of us."
Era spoke slowly.
"...are going to live here together forever."
"......!"
"...What?"
"...Hehe."
"Yeees~"
"...Forever."
Era smiled brightly.
"...Forever. With you and me."
"......"
"...Right here."
"...Era, that's—"
"Just the two of us."
"......Get away."
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Cold sweat poured down like rain.
"...Hehe."
"...?"
"...Are you scared?"
"Are you scared?"
"......"
"How cute... hehe."
Cute? This?
Looking at her, I finally realized it for the first time. That this small, smiling girl had something terrifying inside her. I didn't know exactly what that terrifying thing was, but...
"....."
I kept my mouth shut for a long time. I had no idea what to say. Era simply stared at me intently. Then, smiling brightly like always, she asked—
"...Should I boil some more porridge for you?"
"......"
It seemed I had been seriously mistaken about something. The misconception that the kidnapper was a pure, innocent girl.