MLCIEF 07

Chapter 7

Delphien knew she should hold back her harsh words in front of the fiancé she admired.

But when it came to survival, things were different.

Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of anything that lowered their chances of survival?

And if people found out she had traveled through the jungle with such lowly people, what kind of disgusting rumors would spread?

For Delphien, it was a complete loss in every way.

“More importantly… if that woman ends up giving birth on the way, won’t it make things difficult for everyone?”

As soon as she said it, she regretted it slightly—it sounded too cold.

But Kettler quickly supported her.

“Your Excellency, please reconsider. They clearly won’t help and will only consume food. If labor starts and we have to deal with a newborn, it will be the worst situation. It’s unfortunate, but we should let them go on their own.”

He was indirectly saying they should abandon them.

But soon, Theodore let out a sigh and spoke.

“If you truly wish to split the group… then I will go with them.”

Everyone was shocked.

“You are knights. If my secretary Logan stays here as well, there should be no problem protecting the lady.”

He was saying he would go with the weaker group to balance things.

The guards of the Marquis family were stunned.

They had expected him to prioritize the lady’s safety and separate the groups.

But now, imagining the feared commander—known as the Black Wolf of the Frontier—leaving them…

Their confidence dropped instantly.

Kettler and Ribeyong had only recently become knights after graduating.

They had little real experience in survival or combat in the wild.

They didn’t even know what to eat or how to find direction without a compass.

Only then did they realize—

They had been relying completely on Theodore without even noticing.

Logan, the secretary, was also shocked at the idea of being left with Delphien’s group.

So he quickly stepped in to calm both sides.

“Alright, everyone needs to rest first. This is a difficult situation, but we survived the sea goddess’s anger. That alone is something to be grateful for, isn’t it?”

But the words “first survival” made the mood even heavier.

Because it meant—

Surviving the jungle was still uncertain.

That night, no one could sleep as the sounds of the wild jungle echoed outside the cave.

The Next Morning

Alice woke up early to check the surroundings.

As she stepped out of the cave, she ran into the Count.

She lowered her head.

“Good morning, Count.”

Only someone as carefree as Alice could greet like that on the second day of being stranded.

Theodore nodded calmly.

Then he spoke as she started walking away.

“Do not wander off on your own.”

“A—ah.”

Alice turned back, holding her swollen belly.

His strict tone reminded her of that day, making her uneasy.

But she understood—it came from responsibility.

“…I’m sorry. I wanted to check which direction we should go today. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

His expression softened slightly.

Then he added,

“This place has many wild beasts and poisonous snakes. It is not safe for a woman to walk alone. Stay with your guardian.”

He was probably referring to Martin.

Alice had no choice but to return.

After watching the “pregnant woman” walk away, Theodore let out a quiet laugh.

He knew it was his duty as a knight and noble to lead and help them survive.

But he also realized—

He had no right to control their freedom too much.

Everyone had the right to survive in their own way.

If he tried to restrict them just because they were weak…

Then he would be no different from Kettler.

He frowned slightly, not liking that side of himself.

He still couldn’t decide—

Should he control them?

Or trust that they could survive on their own?

So in the end, when Alice later went out with the others, he let her go.

In the Jungle

“Alice… we won’t fail to find food like this, right?”

Martin asked anxiously while Alice cut bamboo into water containers.

“Don’t worry. Food is everywhere.”

“Then I’d really like to see that ‘everywhere’ soon.”

“Hey, stop whining. Have I ever let you starve while raising you?”

“You didn’t starve me… but you did burn everything you cooked.”

Ignoring her ungrateful brother, Alice kept breaking branches to mark their path.

Whenever her fake belly got stuck in bushes, Martin helped her.

Finally, he got annoyed.

“Seriously, how long are you going to keep this up? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

Alice, who had gotten used to the fake belly, pretended to realize.

“Ah… yeah. I guess I should take it off soon. It is uncomfortable.”

‘…This is bad.’

The moment she removed it—

That sharp-eyed man would definitely notice.

But she couldn’t delay it forever.

They had found a tall coconut tree—about 20 feet high.

Benjamin couldn’t climb it.

Martin wasn’t agile enough.

Jeffrey claimed he was afraid of heights.

Which meant—

Only Alice could climb it.

But with that huge belly, it was impossible.

She would have to remove it.

Just as she was about to decide, she remembered those sharp gray eyes.

“Nope! No way! I can’t climb that high!”

In the end, they returned with only water.

That Night

The situation became serious.

No one had found food.

Even the Count and his secretary had failed.

The Marquis guards were useless in the wild.

They even brought dirty stream water full of parasites—

And grew more irritated when it was thrown away.

They blamed Alice’s group for returning late.

But Theodore corrected them immediately.

“You were the one who suggested splitting up to gather food first. It is not their fault you failed or that we are delayed.”

Kettler quickly changed the topic.

“If we hadn’t given them half our food yesterday, our lady wouldn’t have gone hungry today. She is growing weaker.”

There was some truth in his words.

Delphien looked pale, leaning against a rock after a sleepless night.

The guards felt helpless and frustrated.

“Sir Kettler.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

At Theodore’s calm voice, Kettler straightened immediately.

Even though Theodore wasn’t his direct superior—

He was the heir of the Parhan Ducal House.

A great commander.

Related to the royal family.

And leader of a feared military force known across the continent.

Not someone a mere knight could oppose.