"Delphine? Miss Delphine!"
A distant voice seemed to come from another world, faint and indistinct.
The Chancellor's daughter slowly opened her eyes. They were deep and beautiful, like amethysts. The first thing she saw was the slightly dazzling sunlight filtering through the trees. It was the afternoon sun, dyeing the layers of leaves pale yellow and tender green. The veins of the branches and leaves were clearly visible in the light, while the dry, monotonous chirping of insects echoed through the forest.
She knitted her brows as if recalling something, but a look of lingering terror soon appeared on her face. Delphine drew a soft breath, blinked, and only then clearly saw the pair of eyes watching her from nearby.
"Lord."
"Are you all right?" Brando looked at Delphine's pale face, as though she had just been fished out of water. Noticing the way her consciousness seemed to curl inward, he could not help wondering whether she had just awakened from some nightmare.
"Could you help me up, Lord?"
Brando watched her for a moment, then nodded.
He reached out, supported her by the shoulder, and helped her sit up against a rock. Delphine's entire body was almost soaked with sweat. Her face was pale, making her look like someone recovering from a serious illness. She merely raised her head and stared blankly at him.
Brando felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze. He lowered his head to avoid it, but what entered his view was the girl's snow-white, slender neck. Her dazzlingly pale skin seemed almost transparent beneath the sunlight, and the capillaries beneath it were clearly visible.
"...Does it look good?" Delphine suddenly asked in a hollow voice.
"Ahem..."
"I still don't understand."
"What don't you understand?" Brando asked, startled.
"I don't understand what you were thinking."
"Me?"
"Lord,