Chapter 18
About ten days since I entered the book.
The main male lead started acting strange.
I was lying in bed, lost deep in thought.
“Something’s definitely weird.”
Since yesterday, Albert had been acting oddly.
I knew he had a grumpy personality, but he kept glaring at me or picking fights. Sometimes, he would just stare at me in silence or look at me with a sulky expression.
Even though I saved him, he left as if he was angry and disappeared.
“Did I do something wrong…?”
I was trying so hard to raise his favorability because Albert hated me.
Honestly, I still felt guilty for running away from the dining car yesterday.
I was scared… scared he might suddenly turn dark and cut off my head.
That’s why I wanted to be on his good side… but something felt off.
I was lost in thought, not moving at all, when I suddenly sat up.
“…No way.”
Eric’s words from last night suddenly echoed in my head.
[What if Albert doesn’t feel the way you think?]
[They say the third party’s view is the most accurate when it comes to relationships.]
I had brushed it off because I believed Albert hated me.
At least in the novel, that was always the case. I thought he would never like me, even now, because in the original story, he was destined to dislike me and eventually kill me.
When Eric said it, I didn’t believe him. That’s why I willingly saved Albert.
But now… I started to think maybe Eric was right.
“Sophie, Sophie.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“What do you think about what Sir Eric said yesterday… about His Highness the Prince?”
“Hmm… Should I be honest?”
When I asked urgently, Sophie, who was sitting by the bed knitting, answered.
“Actually… I think Sir Eric was right.”
Sophie smiled brightly and said something that hit me hard.
“His Highness the Prince is starting to be interested in our lovely Lady Hartmann. Finally!”
Ha ha…
I stayed quiet, and Sophie continued with a bright expression.
“I wasn’t sure at first either. But the way His Highness kept getting mad at you and blushing for no reason seemed strange.”
“…”
“Now that I think about it, he’s just like a boy experiencing his first love.”
“…Ha ha. Really?”
“Yes. I shouldn’t say this, but you used to have a bad temper, my lady. I thought His Highness didn’t like that, but now that you’ve become kinder, maybe his attitude has changed too?”
Sophie kept knitting furiously while talking.
“Well, honestly, who wouldn’t love you? I’ve always thought that. You’re so beautiful! Don’t you agree?”
…So I was the only one who didn’t realize it.
Albert might really have feelings for me.
I was in despair. Was it this obvious that I had never dated in my past life?
“…But this is a problem.”
My goal was the trip.
As someone who knew the future of the novel and could slightly change the story, I didn’t want to twist the original plot this much.
And the male leads were meant for the female protagonist, Emily. Especially Albert, the main male lead.
“I’d better avoid Albert for now…”
I sighed quietly.
“And I should avoid getting too involved in the story moving forward…”
Clang!
There was a loud noise, and the train suddenly screeched to a stop.
Sophie screamed in shock. I opened my eyes wide and looked around. All my previous thoughts flew out of my head.
What now?
Soon, an announcement echoed through the train.
[We have encountered a problem and will temporarily stop the train. Passengers, please remain in your current positions.]
The train had come to a complete stop. Sophie frowned slightly.
“There must be some kind of problem with the train.”
“Yeah.”
Before long, hurried footsteps filled the corridor outside.
“I’ll go check,” Sophie said, setting down her knitting needles and peeking into the hallway.
She soon closed the door and came back to me.
“The staff are all rushing somewhere. I didn’t ask what was going on because they looked so busy.”
“The staff?”
“Yes. And they were all male staff, like they needed physical strength for something…”
Sophie tilted her head.
“What could it be? Was there an accident?”
“Hmm… Not sure.”
The train stopped suddenly. Staff rushing somewhere. Something must have happened…
I frowned. I had a bad feeling.
“What’s going on?”
At the same time, Eric and Albert also felt the train stop and frowned.
Albert had been telling Eric, who had woken up late, about the morning’s events.
About the assassin, and how Irene’s knight had saved him.
Just as he finished explaining, the train suddenly stopped.
Albert looked around, frowning, and told his attendant:
“Go find out what’s going on.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The attendant returned shortly with a report.
“They say there’s a large bear carcass on the tracks.”
“Bear carcass?”
Albert asked, and the attendant nodded.
“Yes. The staff think they can move it, but it’s so big it will take some time. They said to wait comfortably, and the train will depart again soon.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t the next station Sinks Station? They treat bears as sacred there…”
Eric tilted his head, puzzled, and then stood up.
“Well, at least it’s nothing serious. Right, Albert?”
“…Sinks Station is up ahead. People in this area would never leave a bear carcass like that.”
“Maybe the bears fought each other to death. There are lots of bears in these mountains, and they’re violent animals anyway, right?”
Eric stretched with a big yawn, while Albert still looked uneasy.
“Don’t overthink it. How about going to the social club with me, Albert?”
“…Social club?”
“Yeah. The dining car is probably closed now, so let’s have some tea and pass the time.”
Albert hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“…No. Go by yourself.”
He still looked sensitive and on edge.
“After what happened this morning, I think it’s better to stay cautious today.”
“…Hmm. Fair enough. I’ll go alone then.”
Eric shrugged, yawned lazily, and left the room.
The Ramier Express train’s social club was unusually crowded today.
Because the train had stopped for a long time, many bored passengers had gathered there.
First-class passengers were sitting on sofas, drinking tea and chatting.
“They say there was a bear carcass on the tracks?”
“Yes. The staff are out removing it now.”
“I saw them bringing levers and carts earlier. When I peeked outside, it looked huge!”
“I never thought I’d encounter something like this while riding the Ramier Express. It’s kind of fun since we’re traveling.”
Sophie and I had also come to the social club and were listening to the conversations.
Hearing the noble ladies at the next table, I whispered to Sophie:
“So the train stopped because of a bear, Sophie.”
“Yeah. I guess so…”
But Sophie’s expression was a little strange. I tilted my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. It just feels strange.”
Sophie frowned.
“People in this area see bears as sacred. It’s strange that a bear carcass would just be lying on the tracks…”
Just then.
The door to the train car opened, and a familiar man appeared.
