Chapter 4
“That’s true.”
Even so, Benjamin squinted his weak eyes as much as he could to confirm if it was really him.
Seeing that, Alice clicked her tongue.
In truth, not just Benjamin—any citizen of the Empire would know Theodore, the heir of the Parhan Ducal House and a great knight.
Since his boyhood, articles about him had appeared constantly, so everyone in the Empire knew his life story and admired him.
Even now, people loved Theodore Parhan—who lived on battlefields—more than the princes fighting over succession.
Until recently, news about his engagement with Lady Delphien Pierre had been flooding everywhere.
After staring for a while, Benjamin muttered,
“Ah… from the side, it really looks like him.”
“Maybe you should wring the water out of your clothes first.”
“Sigh… but Alice, are you really sure this is Atis?”
Still unable to accept reality, Benjamin suddenly widened his eyes.
“No, wait… you…!”
Only now did he notice Alice’s swollen belly, and his eyes shook in confusion.
Just two months ago, her stomach had been flat when she ran away after working him to exhaustion.
Now it looked like she was about to give birth.
But soon, he concluded that Alice must be working on another case.
His expression clearly said:
Even that is part of your disguise…?
When Theodore returned from the coast, Kettler, the Marquis family’s guard, ran toward him.
He reported that the lady had regained consciousness and suggested they wait on the shore for rescue.
But Theodore looked down at him and shook his head.
“A rescue ship will not come.”
After glancing around and then at the dark sea, he added,
“It seems we must all walk through the jungle ourselves.”
Alice turned and began to walk, swaying slightly as she supported her belly like a real pregnant woman.
Benjamin wiped his wet face and shook his head helplessly.
Then Alice asked,
“When did you even board the ship? Were you in second class? Looks like you made some money.”
Benjamin, their childhood friend, had confessed to Alice two months ago after getting a job.
Alice had told him to follow her for one month as a detective assistant, and she would consider it.
But after days of hard surveillance work, he suddenly ran away.
Sighing deeply, Benjamin answered honestly,
“I was on a business trip for a Viscount.”
“Wow, you’ve really moved up. Running errands overseas. Anyway, how long are we going to stand here? Let’s find somewhere to block the wind.”
Martin shivered, and Benjamin struggled to focus with his blurry vision.
“Alice… is there really no other way except crossing the jungle?”
Naturally, they relied on Alice, who had always been their leader back in the neighborhood.
Looking between the dark jungle and the rough waves, Alice said,
“Yeah. No rescue ship is coming. And even if it does, do you think they’ll find this exact spot?”
The jungle was enormous.
“Before anyone finds us… we’ll probably starve to death here.”
“Hic!”
As soon as Alice finished speaking, Lady Delphien—who was sitting on a nearby rock—started hiccuping, having overheard her.
“Watch your words! This is Lady Delphien of the Pierre Marquis House!”
At the guard’s sharp shout, Alice lowered her head.
He immediately began comforting his lady.
“Please do not believe such ignorant words, my lady. There must be a way. And above all, His Excellency is here.”
“T-that’s right…?”
Even as she agreed, silent tears flowed down Delphien’s face.
The guards looked helplessly at Theodore, but he was busy handing over supplies he had gathered from the shore to his secretary, Logan.
Meanwhile, Alice searched through items washed ashore for anything useful, and Benjamin followed her closely.
“Alice, you came to Lambit because of a case again, right? I had no idea we were on the same ship.”
Alice had no desire to explain anything to someone who had run away during a mission.
It was already ridiculous meeting him here—and now she had to survive with someone whose survival skills were practically zero.
“Benji, you ran away before, and now you’re following my sister again?”
Martin gritted his teeth.
Because Benjamin ran away, he had to take the role of assistant—and ended up in this once-in-a-lifetime disaster.
Still, he was grateful he was with his sister.
Benjamin shrugged awkwardly, but he didn’t look completely hopeless.
Even if this place was called the Bottomless Pit—
They would survive.
Because Alice was here.
After working under her for a month, he knew—
Alice was someone who could conquer even a place like Atis.
Just then, some noise came from the nobles’ side.
Turning around, they saw someone else had been found on the shore.
Martin recognized him immediately.
“Ah, that guy! He was caught pickpocketing in the ship’s dining hall. You saw him too, right?”
Alice didn’t even have the energy to care and just shrugged weakly.
The pickpocket, however, quickly understood where he should go.
Instead of approaching the nobles, he quietly moved toward Alice’s group.
Even without words, the aura of the Count was enough to intimidate him.
For a while, they all stayed near the shore due to the Marquis lady’s insistence.
But as the wind grew stronger and their soaked bodies trembled uncontrollably, they had no choice.
The dark sea crashed violently behind them.
In the end, the survivors turned away from the ocean—
And stepped into the dark jungle, like a beast opening its mouth.
As they walked, the guard tried to comfort Delphien again.
“My lady, please do not worry. Everyone here will do their best to serve you. You will not be in danger.”
Hearing that, Alice’s group felt awkward.
Everyone here?
Serve her?
…Not really.
We’re trying to survive ourselves first.
In a place like this, survival came first.
We might help… but unless it’s her fiancé, the Count… we won’t go that far.
Thinking that, Alice glanced at the Count—
And froze.
Their eyes met.
‘……!’
A chill ran through her already cold body.
‘Why… why was he looking at me?’
Could it be—
Was she imagining that his gaze slid down toward her belly?
And then back up to her face?
Alice instinctively covered her stomach and hid behind Martin.
He was big, hard to feed—but useful to hide behind.
‘His instincts are scary… but I’m a pregnant woman right now.’
Even if he felt something familiar, there was no way he could connect her to that “thief” from the plaza.
Feeling bold, Alice glanced down at his lower body.
There was nothing visible over his wet black trousers.
‘If he’s walking fine… then it must be okay… right? It didn’t rupture or anything…’
Gasp.
But she quickly looked away.
Because he had already sensed her gaze—
And turned to look directly at her again, narrowing his eyes.
