WTBFCY Chapter 2

A black hand brushed past her back.

At that sensation, her whole body broke out in goosebumps. Her legs momentarily gave out, but she gritted her teeth and steadied her swaying body, running. Too terrified to look back, she fled madly forward, looking only ahead.

She blinked constantly to keep the tears streaming down from blocking her vision, holding back her sobs.

She wanted to scream for someone to save her, but she knew well that even that would be meaningless struggling. She couldn't breathe properly. She knew instinctively.

It had come right up behind her.

Her face twisted with terror. The moment she reached forward with her hand, a powerful force grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward.

Excruciating pain, as if her scalp were being torn off. Her body fell backward and lifted lightly into the air.

"Ahhh!"

Regina screamed and snapped her eyes open.

At the sickening sensation of her body dropping through empty air, she gasped. Though her vision swam, the soft sensation of the bed registered first.

As she blinked to clear her head, her familiar nanny's face suddenly appeared.

"Miss! Are you all right?!"

The nanny, who'd been dozing in a chair beside the bed, was startled by Regina's scream and jumped up. Regina looked at the nanny, drenched in cold sweat.

"Nanny..."

"Miss, are you conscious? Are you hurt anywhere? Should I call the family doctor again?"

Seeing the nanny's face pale with worry brought Regina back to her senses. As Regina braced herself on the blanket to sit up, the nanny quickly put her hand around her back to support her.

"No, I just had a nightmare and got startled. Could you give me some water instead?"

"Yes, yes! Just a moment, Miss."

The nanny hurriedly poured water from the bedside table into a glass and handed it to her. Regina gulped down the lukewarm water in one go.

Only after drinking water twice in a row did her thirst subside. As she caught her breath, her memories slowly returned.

She remembered the carriage accident, and wandering the mountain for hours before miraculously encountering her father.

She'd arrived home and fallen asleep as if collapsing. When she suddenly opened her eyes, the family doctor was looking down at her.

At the doctor's words that there was nothing wrong, she'd watched through hazy vision as her mother wiped away tears and her father sighed with relief, then drifted back to sleep.

Regina swept back her flowing black hair and looked at the nanny.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A full day and a half, Miss. Would you like more water? Or perhaps something light to eat?"

"No, I have no energy. I'll sleep more."

Her scalp felt clammy with sweat to the touch. Regina frowned, and the nanny wrung out a cloth that had been draped over a basin and wiped her face, neck, and hands in turn.

"Yes, your mind and body are still in shock, so sleep more. After a good rest, you'll feel much better, Miss."

"Mm. What about Father and Mother?"

"They both stayed by your side until late at night and just went to rest. The doctor said you weren't injured anywhere, just weakened. They were both so relieved that you were safe."

"I see."

The nanny went to the window and carefully drew the curtains to keep moonlight from seeping in. In the suddenly darkened room, Regina flopped back onto the bed.

"It's truly fortunate. To return from that forest without any harm—God must have helped you."

The nanny clasped her hands together and offered a brief prayer of thanks to God, genuinely relieved. Regina, watching the nanny with drowsy eyes, yawned and asked a question.

"Do you know that forest, Nanny? I never knew there was such a wide, dark forest in our territory."

"Of course I do. Even when this nanny was a small child, the village elders warned us never to go there. They said a terrifying black faerie lives in that forest and eats children."

"Ahaha, a black faerie? You really believe in that?"

"Oh my, of course, Miss. Black fairies really exist."

The nanny answered in a light tone. Finding it both curious and somewhat endearing that this elderly, gray-haired woman believed in fairies, Regina humored her appropriately.

"A black faerie really lives there?"

"Well, I've never seen one myself, but I have heard stories of people who entered the forest and never returned."

As the nanny pulled the blanket up to Regina's neck, Regina's eyelids grew heavy with sudden drowsiness.

"Haven't you heard the story, Miss? If someone calls your name three times in the darkness, you must never turn around..."

The nanny continued, patting Regina's chest.

"If you carelessly turn around, the black faerie will devour your soul completely. And after stealing the soul, the black faerie disguises itself as the human it ate and hides among people."

'That's all just superstition.'

Regina wanted to scoff and respond to the nanny's words, but unable to resist the weight of sleep pulling her consciousness downward, she drowsily closed her eyes.

The nanny gazed fondly at the sleeping Regina, adjusted the blanket covering her, and kept watch by Regina's side all night long.

Fortunately, after two days passed, Regina recovered her strength.

Around the time everyone in the Evelyn household breathed a sigh of relief at her usual lively appearance, Regina suddenly remembered an appointment with a friend she'd completely forgotten.

"Oh, right! The tea time appointment!"

Regina, who'd been lazily lying in bed until late, suddenly bolted upright.

"Emma, prepare for an outing right now! I had an appointment today and completely forgot."

"What? Right this instant?"

"Yes, right now."

Emma, who'd been watching over the Miss while the nanny was away, widened her eyes and asked back.

"But Miss, the Baron said you should stay at the manor and recuperate for a while, not go anywhere."

"What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine! It's all right, I'll talk to Father myself, so prepare immediately."

Regina rolled out of bed and pressed Emma to get ready, then headed straight for the study.

The hem of Regina's elaborately dressed gown fluttered with her hurried steps. Worried Regina might trip over her dress hem and fall, Emma turned pale and tried to stop her.

"Miss, you'll fall! Please walk slowly."

"It's fine, Emma. I'll just see Father and come back, so wait here for a moment."

Regina glanced back at Emma, who was hurriedly gathering things and following her, smiled reassuringly as if to say not to worry, then ran ahead.

"Father, I'm here!"

The study door opened vigorously. Beyond it, Emma could see the surprised faces of Baron Evelyn and the butler, and she quickly bowed her head.

As soon as the door closed, Regina's voice rang out from beyond it, pleading for permission to go out.

"The Miss really can't be stopped..."

Not long after, the study door burst open again. Emma, who'd thought it would take longer, looked at Regina in surprise.

"Miss, what happened?"

Regina, who'd successfully obtained permission to go out, grinned triumphantly at Emma.

"I got permission, of course. Now, let's go! Emma."

"Oh, yes! Let's go together, Miss."

Emma picked up the luggage again and followed Regina, who was striding ahead confidently.

Clop-clop, clop-clop.

The estate of Margaret Jenkins, Regina's longtime friend, was about an hour away by carriage.

Despite the short distance, more people than usual were escorting Regina. Baron Evelyn was worried about his daughter's safety.

Because so many people were traveling together, the speed wasn't very fast. Regina opened the window and anxiously stuck her head out.

"Can't you drive the carriage a bit faster?"

"Miss, we'll arrive well before the appointment time at this speed."

As Regina kept urging, worried the day would end, Emma worked hard to placate her.

"We specially arranged to have tea time in the garden today. It can't get dark."

"Oh my, I told you not to worry. Now, calm down and sit properly. What if you fall?"

At Emma's insistence, Regina had no choice but to straighten her posture. But still worried, she couldn't take her eyes off the scenery outside.

Soon Regina, now focused on watching the scenery outside the window, closed her mouth, and the inside of the carriage became much quieter.

A breeze blew in, lightly tousling Regina's wavy black hair. Sunlight shone on her pale purple eyes, making them sparkle, and her pressed lips colored a charming red.

'...Was the Miss always this beautiful?'

Regina's appearance suddenly seemed oddly unfamiliar, and Emma stared at her blankly.

'She certainly had a cute appearance, but she didn't have such a mysterious aura. Or rather...'

"What did you think of Lily, Emma?"

Emma, who'd been staring intently at Regina, stopped her train of thought at the sudden question.

"...Lily?"

"Yes. I still can't believe Lily was a thief."

Emma recalled the red-haired maid Lily, who'd been unbelievably kind.

"She got along well with everyone. She never lost her temper once."

"Hmm..."

Seeing Regina's spirits oddly dampened, Emma thought, Oh no. Come to think of it, Lily had been Regina's personal maid. Having been suddenly betrayed by her closest servant must have been quite a shock.

Flustered, Emma hurried to continue speaking to lift Regina's mood.

"...My father said all con artists are like that. They're the type who approach you pretending to be friendly, then stab you in the back, so you don't need to feel hurt, Miss."

"Hurt? I'm just wondering why they haven't been caught yet."

When Regina's face became grumpy, as if embarrassed, Emma pretended not to notice and answered with a smile.

"They'll be caught soon. Don't worry too much, Miss."

Regina nodded instead of answering. When she turned her gaze outside the window, she could see the manor in the distance beyond the wide plain. It was Baron Jenkins' estate, their destination.