I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55

 

“Where the hell are they?”

 

It was the third day since the Prince’s party had come to the forest, and Sionel, who they thought would be in the cave, was nowhere to be seen.

 

Chad was also missing along with him.

 

She wanted to search the entire forest to find them if she could.

 

“Are you talking to yourself?”

 

But she couldn’t slip away because someone behind her kept being annoyingly persistent. How long had it been since she last spoke? The Prince had already struck up a conversation.

 

“Oh, really annoying…”

 

“The vines keep getting tangled around my feet! They’re really being annoying.”

 

Quickly correcting herself, Ponia closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. She had almost treated him like she would Albio.

 

‘Be patient.’

 

There were many watching eyes. Especially today, Gideon was accompanying them behind the Prince. Though he seemed to have lost interest in Ponia after Chad’s explanation, she still felt constantly tense.

 

She tried to focus on patrolling to fulfill her role as a forest guide, but her ears perked up at the conversation between the Prince and Gideon that followed.

 

“Duke. Are you feeling better? The ducal house is already in turmoil, so you need to stand firm.”

 

“I see that Young Lord Debenham doesn’t look too well either, which is concerning.”

 

Though he spoke of concern, Nicolaus didn’t show even a hint of worry on his face. He had something else he wanted to discuss.

 

“Honestly, I think there’s a reason you brought Young Lord Debenham here at this time, Duke.”

 

“It’s been almost two months since you’ve been unable to find your heir’s whereabouts.”

 

Nicolaus gazed out at the vast forest for a moment.

 

“Deliberately revealing the identity of this forest, which the Imperial Court keeps secret, to Young Lord Debenham who isn’t the heir—doesn’t that mean you also have other thoughts, Duke?”

 

Before coming here, Nicolaus had received orders from the Emperor to find out what Duke Debenham was thinking. He needed to learn something to have the face to meet the Emperor, but Gideon showed no openings.

 

“If Sionel returns, I plan to come to this forest again.”

 

Before coming here, Nicolaus had received orders from the Emperor to find out what the Duke of Devenham was thinking. He needed to learn something—anything—to have the nerve to face the Emperor again, but Gideon wasn’t showing any openings.

 

“If Sionel returns, I plan to come back to this forest.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“…”

 

As expected, this approach won’t work. It’s frustrating, but I’ll have to target the younger sibling instead…

 

“But.”

 

“I think I’ll be visiting the imperial palace soon.”

 

Nicolaus’s eyes widened. At this point, there was only one reason he would visit the imperial palace of his own accord.

 

Official successor change.

 

‘I’ll be taking some very good information with me.’

 

Hiding the smile that was about to form, Nicolaus looked straight ahead as the forest keeper’s red hair fluttered in the wind.

 

“Please let go…”

 

Ponia’s body spun around sharply. Nicolaus’s eyes flashed as he grabbed her hair. Ponia let out a moan from his rough grip.

 

“Yeah, I thought this red hair looked familiar somehow.”

 

“This is a bit…”

 

“I’ve seen you at the imperial palace.”

 

“Right, was it the Debutante Ball?”

 

Now she really couldn’t manage her expression. How on earth did he remember? Ponia had been just one of the many young ladies who attended the debutante ball.

 

She had never even directly encountered the Prince at the ball.

 

The moment Nicolaus opened his mouth to say something, she had a clear intuition.

 

She couldn’t let him say those words. If her identity was exposed here where there were many listening ears, she wouldn’t be able to remain as a forest guide.

 

Naturally, her compensation would vanish into thin air.

 

‘Absolutely not.’

 

There was no time to think of any other reasonable method. Ponia pointed to her right and shouted.

 

“It’s a monster!”

 

Nicolaus was momentarily flustered. Ponia pointed to small footprints beyond the thicket.

 

“Goblins will swarm here soon! We need to evacuate immediately!”

 

However, nothing could be seen in the direction she was pointing at the moment.

 

‘Of course not, it’s a lie.’

 

She couldn’t tell if the footprints belonged to goblins or something else.

 

However, there was nothing visible in the direction she was pointing at the moment.

 

‘Of course, it’s a lie.’

 

It’s impossible to tell whether the footprints belong to goblins or something else.

 

However, at the firm outcry, the guards in the back began to murmur among themselves. Since they didn’t know much about the forest, they were trying to decide whether they should follow the forest keeper’s words.

 

‘Please work. Please.’

 

She needed to buy time, even if just for a moment. Dealing with the Prince alone after everyone else left had a higher chance of success than having her identity exposed in front of everyone.

 

However, the people showed no intention of moving at all. Rather, as time passed, more of them began to suspect her.

 

It was when the Prince also sensed something strange and approached her.

 

“You…”

 

“Help me!”

 

Unlike the meaning of the words and the volume of the sound, a lifeless voice that contained no sense of urgency from the situation was heard.

 

“What the.”

 

Everyone including Ponia turned to look at the source of the sound all at once. And everyone spotted a strangely dressed man.

 

“Chad?”

 

She wondered if he ever cut that hair of his, but seeing those thick glasses gleaming even from a distance, it was definitely Chad.

 

The man running from afar while thrashing through the forest spotted the group and waved his hand.

 

“Oh, Nia!”

 

“What’s with that guy now.”

 

Nicolaus, seeing Chad for the first time, frowned, then hardened his expression at the forms following behind him.

 

“Don’t tell me that’s…”

 

Chad wasn’t coming alone.

 

“Please help me, everyone!”

 

“Hey! Don’t come this way!”

 

“What? Come right away?”

 

“Don’t come this way!”

 

“I’ll come straight over!”

 

Despite the guards’ shouting, Chad answered cheerfully.

 

Huff huff. Huff huff!

 

And in contrast to him, goblins followed behind.

 

All of them in a state of fury as if they had each taken a beating.

 

* * *

 

At the scene where the second battle with goblins began, only Ponia questioned Chad’s actions.

 

‘Why didn’t he handle them directly and came running away instead?’

 

Of course there were many monsters, but she didn’t think Chad would lose. No, she couldn’t even imagine it.

 

Wasn’t Chad the person who laughed heartily while striking monsters’ necks?

 

Suspecting he might be playing around, she stood still, when Chad, who was a bit away, made eye contact with her.

 

And he winked.

 

“Could it be?”

 

Did he do this to help her avoid the crisis of having her identity exposed? If so, that would mean he had been around her the whole time.

 

“Your Highness, my lord! Come this way!”

 

Meanwhile, facing goblins that came in numbers exceeding the guards, the guards seemed to judge they couldn’t face them head-on and tried to evacuate while protecting the distinguished guests.

 

However, the goblins didn’t let them escape.

 

As the guards fought the goblins, their protection became neglected. Naturally, the Prince, Gideon, and Aren got separated.

 

Chad seemed to approach Gideon to convey something, then moved to another location together with him. Ponia also watched for an opportunity and approached the Prince’s side.

 

“Your Highness, I know a safe place.”

 

“Guide me immediately!”

 

In any case, she couldn’t miss the opportunity Chad had created. Ponia led the Prince so they could be alone together.

 

The guards who remembered the path Gideon and the Prince had taken followed belatedly, but one of the guards who had been fighting goblins urgently shouted.

 

“Where is Young Lord Devonham?”

 

None of the guards could answer. Aren Devonham had vanished without a trace.

 

* * *

 

Aren had entered deep into the forest as if enchanted. When the goblins attacked the group, he had seen someone watching them from between the trees.

 

His body, weakened to the extreme, soon staggered and even fell, but he managed to find the person he both longed for and feared.

 

“Brother…”

 

Instead of getting up, Aren knelt down. He didn’t dare think of raising his gaze either.

 

He hadn’t found him. His brother had come looking for him.

 

“Aren.”

 

To personally punish my sibling who dared to betray me.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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