Chapter 40: Chapter 40

The original story has gone off course.

I was both flustered and amused.

Well, isn’t this how reincarnation plots always go? In a way, it’s all playing out exactly as it should.

‘At least the male and female leads are still in love, thank goodness.’

Had Rick lost his feelings for Maria?

I didn’t sense anything like that…

While I was mulling it over, the banquet seemed to have begun. In the distance, music drifted through the air, accompanied by bursts of laughter and applause. Strings of colorful glass lanterns were hung to create a festive atmosphere, and the occasional cheer hinted at some performance taking place.

Was Natalie dancing there now?

‘Or maybe grilling meat…’

Shaking off the tempting thought, I turned my steps toward the royal family’s tent.

Thankfully, with most people at the banquet, I could avoid anyone seeing me in my mud-streaked state.

According to the original story, the first prince oversees the banquet, the second prince drinks himself into a stupor, and the third prince—unhappy with the number of game he caught during the day—sneaks off with his attendants for some nighttime hunting.

…At least, that’s how it was supposed to go.

“Your Highness?”

I blinked, unable to believe my eyes.

Tristan was indeed with his attendants, but instead of heading out, they seemed to be returning. Even more surprising, he wasn’t carrying any hunting equipment.

Tristan looked just as startled to see me.

“Doris Redfield, what on earth happened to you?”

“What? Oh…”

I’d thought the darkness might hide the mess, but Tristan had an uncanny eye for detail. He pointed straight at the mud clinging to every hem of my clothing.

Half-truths felt safest.

“I slipped.”

Would he believe me?

Tristan responded flatly, “How many times?”

“…”

“Can you even walk?”

“What do you take me for?”

“A lady so frail she was bedridden for weeks after the young duke stepped on her foot during a dance.”

“Ugh, that was—”

“Enough.”

He silenced me with a raised hand, then turned to his attendants.

“You’ve done well. Deliver the second round of tasks to the field team and then take your meals.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The attendants scattered.

Tristan… doesn’t go hunting? And he praises his workers? And he works himself?

I stared at him, dumbfounded.@@novelbin@@

Once the attendants were gone, Tristan suddenly draped an arm around my shoulders. His voice sounded tightly controlled, like he was suppressing irritation.

“Which path did you fall on?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because if you fell, it means someone neglected to maintain the road.”

“…?”

Today seemed to be the day for people to trip over everything—my father, Maria, the male lead, the female lead… all of them ended up tumbling somewhere in the story.

Sure, my father slipped on dung, and I fell while carrying out a ridiculous scene, but still.

“It rained. Slipping was unavoidable.”

“Unavoidable? Not at all. The paths are supposed to be under constant maintenance. I had even emphasized caution.”

“Wait, you…?”

Was he referring to me?

Had he really been ensuring proper road maintenance just because I’d told him to be careful about muddy paths?

It had just been a passing remark!

“Did you take my warning about the muddy paths seriously?”

Tristan frowned.

“Was it just an empty remark?”

Yes.

“No.”

“Judging by your appearance, it seems you failed to take the weight of your own words seriously. Since you clearly aren’t in a state to dance with your fiancé at this banquet, return to the Redfield tent immediately—”

“I wasn’t planning to attend anyway. I came to speak with you!”

“Oh?”

“I noticed the smaller tents on the outskirts seemed dangerously exposed. For future events, please make sure no tents are placed in such vulnerable blind spots.”

I was referring to Maria’s tent, which had been shoved into an empty corner simply because it was small.

Of course, in the original story, this was a necessary setup for Rick to save Maria. The female lead had to face danger for the male lead’s chivalry to shine.

But the story had deviated. Rick hadn’t shown up.

Those cracks, once justified as plot devices, needed to be addressed now.

Tristan tilted his head.

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing. A friend who came with a small party to the tournament just seemed worried about a worst-case scenario, so I’m voicing her concerns for her.”

“And this worst-case scenario would be?”

“A wild animal approaching, perhaps…”

I stopped short of mentioning the other possibility—that a less-than-human noble could intrude.

No need to invite further questions.

‘After all, I managed to handle Alex without him seeing my face.’

Nor did I want Maria to be anxious. Tonight, nothing happened.

Just like in the original, Alex would go down in history as the idiot who chased a rabbit off a cliff.

Tristan nodded.

“Understood. We can’t move the tents now, but I’ll tighten the patrol schedule.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“But you’ll have to answer one thing.”

“What?”

Tristan’s tone turned unreadable as he continued…

Suddenly, Tristan yanked up my sleeve.

“Your Highness!”

“Are you sure nothing happened?”

Under the flickering light of the lanterns, Tristan’s sharp, almost predatory gaze was fixed on one spot—my arm, where Alex had grabbed me just before he fell.

Was there a wound?

I’d been too distracted to even think about it!

“I- I’m fine. Maybe it got scratched when I fell—”

“I see.”

“See wha—Kyaa!”

Before I could finish, Tristan scooped me up in his arms without warning.

What the hell is he doing?!

“What are you doing?! Put me down!”

“I’ve realized you’re clearly not in your right mind.”

“I’m perfectly sane!”

“Save that claim for after you’ve taken care of yourself.”

“I can take care of myself—if you’d put me down!”

I struggled furiously, but Tristan didn’t let go.

Soon, he carried me into one of the royal family’s pristine white tents. The interior smelled faintly of dried herbs.

A middle-aged man dressed in white rose to his feet.

“Your Highness Tristan?”

“She’s injured. See to her immediately.”

“It’s not an injury!”

My protests were, of course, ignored.

The man, who appeared to be a physician, gestured for the assistant maids to clean me up. They brushed away the mud and wiped the exposed area, revealing the wound Alex had left.

Wow.

He’d really left a mark.

Tristan’s voice took on a mocking tone.

“My fiancée seems to need a lesson in vocabulary. This isn’t a ‘scratch.’ This is more like a ‘gouge.’”

However, his lips twitched, and the expression he wore was far from amusement. His next words were directed at the physician.

“How serious is it? Can it be treated quickly? Will it heal fully?”

“Don’t worry too much, Your Highness. The wound is large but superficial. The bleeding has stopped, so it just needs to be disinfected and properly treated.”

“…I see.”

Tristan stepped back, his expression still clouded with questions.

While the physician and the maids cleaned and disinfected my arm, I couldn’t help but notice Tristan stealing glances at my wound.

Every so often, the physician would warn, “This might sting a little,” but I was so distracted by Tristan’s gaze that I barely felt any pain.

“All done. Don’t overexert yourself for a few days, and if you develop a fever, call for your physician immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s fortunate you came right away. It’s not a serious injury, so don’t worry too much.”

The maids left, and the physician returned to his desk. I sprang up from the bed—

“Ah!”

—or at least, I tried to. Tristan pressed his finger firmly against my forehead, forcing me back down.

Plop.

Looking down at me, he said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“The treatment is done…”

“Didn’t you hear what the physician said?”

I’d heard it all very clearly.

“He said it wasn’t a serious injury, so—”

“He said the wound is large, and you shouldn’t overexert yourself.”

“…”

Aren’t we both cherry-picking the parts we want to hear?

I wanted to sit up again, but Tristan was leaning over me, leaving me no choice but to stay still.

If I tried to get up now, I’d end up bumping heads with him.

Why is he acting like this?

Resigned to my predicament, I relaxed. Honestly, lying down was comfortable.

Tristan seemed to relax as well, though he still didn’t seem inclined to let me go.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I fell. My arm must have gotten scratched by a thick branch.”

“If that were the case, a normal person would have gotten up, dusted themselves off, and moved on. But instead, this lady ignored her own injuries to come and report safety concerns about the camp.”

“…”

“Are you truly going to claim that nothing happened?”

“Yes.”

I answered firmly.

I just wanted everything to end quietly and safely.

Alex wouldn’t cause any more trouble after this. One person dealing with danger was more than enough.

Tristan’s lips moved slightly.

His reply was…

“Fine, I’ll take you at your word—for now.”

For now?

Why does that phrase feel so ominous?

I couldn’t exactly argue, so I nodded, feeling a bit uneasy.

And then it hit me—the real reason I’d come here in the first place.

“Oh, Your Highness!”

“Yes?”

“I almost forgot—I wanted to give you a gift…”