Chapter 69 - "Being Followed?"

After Harold helped her climb the horse, he climbed behind her, causing her to stiffen before she eventually relaxed as the horse began to move. As they returned to the palace, Alicia looked around with a sigh. She couldn't believe how much she had enjoyed herself. She had thought it would be boring and tiresome, but it was actually refreshing. She didn't even realize when the day started getting dark. 

She also noticed that now she felt somewhat closer to Harold and less scared of him after spending the day with him in that manner. Who would have guessed that he would let her have her way? Her lips pulled up into a smile when she remembered how Harold had smiled at her earlier after their dance. It was the first genuine smile she had seen on his face since she was used to those evil smiles and smirks that had mischief written all over them. 

"You should smile more often, you know?" She told him, but Harold didn't respond. She didn't know if he was deliberately ignoring her or perhaps he was deep in thought and hadn't heard her. Either way, she chose not to bother him.

Why was he the way he was? Why did he behave that way? Contrary to whatever he wanted her to think, she knew that he was a good person deep down. Why did he want people to see him as cold and heartless? She tried to imagine how terrible his childhood must have been to make him angry at the little boys who were having fun. She decided that she was going to find time to have a private chat with Alvin since she doubted Harold was ever going to open up about his life to her.

Maybe that was why she was here? Maybe this was like a mission from the universe? Or a test she needed to pass, and she would probably be able to go back to her body if she was able to help him? Thinking about it, their situations were somewhat similar. Everyone disapproved of them both. The only difference was that Harold was feared by everyone, and he faced their criticism without revealing his emotions, while on the other hand, no one feared her, and she had tried to take her life because she couldn't stand the criticism. 

Okay, they were nothing alike, and their situations were very different. She shook the thought out of her head and almost laughed at herself. What kind of a stupid thought was that? This wasn't some kind of transmigration web novel. This was real! And Harold wasn't her business. 

While Alicia was filled with her thoughts, Harold, on the other hand, recalled some memories of his childhood as he rode the horse. He remembered all the times he watched other kids play but couldn't join them because they said he was a bastard or called him the son of a slave. He still remembered the day Alvin had brought a ball for them to play, and how the queen had plummeted it when she caught him playing. 

He knew that the kids earlier weren't the ones his anger should be directed at, but he couldn't help it. He was angry with everyone and everything. He was even angrier with himself now for having such thoughts. It was all Alicia's fault. She was trying to make him out to be somebody he was not. Maybe what he needed to do was to show her how wrong she was about him. He wasn't good, and he didn't want to be good.

"That horse... Hellion. Why was he like that earlier?" She asked curiously, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Hate people," he answered in a monotone voice.

"Why?" 

"Don't know."

"Who owns it?" 

"Mine." 

"You bought it?" 

"Gift."

"From who?"

"King."

Alicia would have been pissed at the one-word answers he was giving her, but she knew that his answering her questions in the first place without shutting her up was a miracle. 

"Then why don't you sell it off and get another one?" She asked curiously. She couldn't understand why he kept a horse that he couldn't even mount. 

"I do not let go of whatever belongs to me," he said in a tone that left her tongue-tied, feeling as though there was more to those words. 

After a while, she asked, "So... if I can get Hellion to like me, will you give him to me as a gift?" 

"Yes." He agreed immediately because he knew it was impossible. Hellion was familiar with him but still never let him mount him for the 3 years he had owned the horse. Talk less about her. He almost laughed, remembering how Hellion had tried to throw her off if only she hadn't been smart enough to hold on tightly and ask for his help. 

"You promised. Make sure you do not go back on your word," she said excitedly. Owning a horse would make things easier for her. That way, she could easily escape with Paulina. Bless the soul of whoever thought of not building a wall around the palace. Maybe the person thought of her and decided to let it be. If she could get Hellion, then her escape plan was set. She had seen the few stores at the market where she could get whatever she needed for her fugitive trip. And since that merchant was now familiar with her as Harold's bride, it would be easy to get him to hand over more male clothes for herself and Paulina. They would have to fully disguise themselves as men and cut their hair if need be. 

"Is that a threat?" Harold asked, referring to the statement she made about him making sure to not go back on his word. 

"Nope. Just making sure." 

He frowned but decided not to push it. 

"I won't." 

"And... can we come here another day?" She asked, turning to smile at him, but she was craning her head so much so she had to look ahead. 

"Why?" He asked in a tired voice. 

"Because we had fun today. And I don't get to have fun in the palace." She said, pouting, but stopped pouting when she remembered he couldn't see her face. 

After a pause, he asked quietly, "If that happens, you won't... run away?" 

There was something about the way he said it that made her swallow back what she wanted to say. She wished she could look at his face right now. He sounded like a kid with abandonment issues. 

What was she supposed to say? She could not live here. This was not her life. She wanted to tell him she wouldn't run away if he continued to bring her out, but she could not bring herself to promise him that. It was at this moment that she realized she was beginning to grow attached. 

"Can't answer?" He asked in a pissed-off voice. And was even more pissed at himself for being pissed. What was he expecting? Why would she want to stay with a person like him? He had always been okay all by himself, and now, miraculously, he had his wolf. Oh... there was also Alvin. So he didn't need her. 

Alicia was still confused about how to answer that question. She wanted to lie so they would drop the topic, but she couldn't do that. 

"How long is it going to take to get to the palace?" She asked, changing the topic. 

He snorted at her attempt to leave that topic. Of course, he had expected that. She was still planning to run away from him. Unfortunately for her, he didn't share the same thoughts as her. 

He snapped to his senses when he suddenly caught the slight movement of leaves from the corners of his eyes, and his ears picked up the sound. As though his horse also sensed it, it neighed as it stopped abruptly.

"What spooked the horse?" Alicia asked curiously, wondering why the horse suddenly stopped and why Harold tensed up behind her. 

"We are being followed," Harold said in a flat tone as he looked around them, scanning the environment and also trying to get any scent at all, but he got nothing. 

"Being followed?" She asked, panicking. That term was never associated with something good, especially after being followed by different reporters and paparazzi. If they were being followed now, it was certainly going to be for a different reason than peeping into their private lives. The thought of it alone made her almost have a panic attack as she looked around in a frenzy. 

"W-What aaabout Alvin?" Alicia asked, and Harold turned to look behind them. They were far away from the village now, but not close to the palace yet. 

Even as he turned around, different men in masks came out from behind the trees where they had been hiding, holding weapons in their hands. 

"What is happening?" Alicia asked in fright. She had not accidentally committed suicide in her era just to come to this era and be killed in a fight that wasn't her business, had she? 

Harold sighed. He had been expecting this from the moment he agreed to leave the palace. As a matter of fact, he had been surprised that no attempt had been made earlier on their way to the marketplace. 

He looked at the men who had surrounded his horse and saw that they were about eighteen in number. If he was alone, he wouldn't have been worried, but a woman was panicking in front of him, who had unconsciously grabbed his arm while looking at the men.

He had never fought while protecting someone at the same time, so he was not sure how he was supposed to handle this.