5 Years with The City's Crown Prince

3

After that day, I rested at home for a long time.

Then one day, the weather was beautiful, so I decided to go hiking.

I didn't tell him. I just wanted to quietly enjoy the experience by myself.

I walked along the mountain path by myself, a hiking pack on my back, breathing in the fresh air.

The forest was silent. The only sounds I could hear were my own soft panting, the rustling of the wind, and the occasional, long cry of a bird.

I was getting a little tired, so I leaned against a tree and sat down cross-legged. It was a relaxed posture, not a particularly graceful one.

I was so tired of playing the part of a frail, timid woman all day, every day—someone who shrinks away from everything.

'I just want to be myself, to sit however I want without being constrained.'

As I took out my water bottle to get a drink, the bushes rustled. I vaguely saw a fluffy, adorable tail give a gentle wag.

I put down my water bottle and crept in that direction, afraid I'd scare the little creature off.

The distance between us shrank. I didn't know if the little thing would suddenly bolt, and every nerve in my body was taut. Then, I lunged for it.

The moment I touched the patch of grass, it gave way, plunging me into a trap twelve feet deep.

I felt myself falling, my arm scraping hard against the trap's rough wall.

Before I could even register the pain, my head slammed against the side of the pit. My consciousness vanished, and I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was a completely unfamiliar place.

I was in a small bamboo house. It wasn't spacious, but it was very bright, with a fresh and elegant simplicity.

I was lying on a surprisingly large bed pushed against a wall. On that wall was a small, slightly ajar window. A gentle breeze made it flutter, creating a crisp, clear sound.

I tried to sit up slowly, using my hands to support myself.

The moment I put weight on my hands, a sharp pain shot through me. I cried out and fell back heavily, landing on my injured arm.

My hand ached, but my entire arm felt as if a thousand needles, dense as raindrops, were piercing me to the bone.

I began to sob. My weak cries echoed in every corner of the little bamboo house. Outside, the gentle sound of rain began to mingle with my weeping, creating a strange and different mood in the quiet mountain setting.