Without thinking, he jumped off his bicycle and threw himself toward her.
He grabbed her and pushed her out of the bicycle's path, but he fell hard onto the ground while the bicycle rolled away.
His hand slammed against the ground, and blood stained his knee.
His sister ran toward him, crying.
"Lucas! You're bleeding!"
But Lucas, still overwhelmed by fear, grabbed her arm and shouted,
"Why didn't you stop?! Didn't I tell you not to go near that place?!"
His sister froze as tears began streaming down her face.
"I... I tried, but the bicycle wouldn't stop..."
Lucas fell silent.
He looked at her trembling face, then at his bleeding hand.
He wasn't truly angry with her.
He was angry with himself.
He had been terrified that his sister might get hurt, and even more afraid that he might not have been fast enough to save her.
But he didn't know how to express that fear.
So his fear turned into anger.
She raised her hands, trying to help him, but he pushed them away irritably.
"Why didn't you listen to me?!"
The little girl froze in place.
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
Lucas ignored his own injuries as he held his little sister's hand, which was bleeding slightly.
Lucas shouted, his voice trembling with anger,
"How many times have I told you not to go near the slope?!"
Tears began gathering in her eyes.
"But... I only wanted to catch up with you..."
Lucas fell silent.
He was frightened as he looked at the wound on his sister's hand.
His heart was still pounding violently at the thought of watching her get hurt right before his eyes.
But he didn't know how to say that.
He knew only one way to deal with that feeling...
Anger.
From a distance, the young head butler watched the scene, and he understood it from that day onward.
He returned to the present and looked down the empty corridor.
Even after all these years... you haven't changed.
He sighed silently.
When you're afraid for someone, you become angry with them.
And when you feel that you failed to protect them... you become even harsher.
____________________________________
Shake... shake... shake!
The carriage jolted violently, causing Sally to clutch the seat as she looked around in fear.
"What is this?!" she asked in a trembling voice.
The carriage suddenly came to a stop.
Sally raised her head and said anxiously, "I'll go see what's happening."
She opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.
"Excuse me, what is all this noise about?"
One of the knights approached her and said, "It seems the road near the river is blocked because of the rain."
"Ah... oh my God."
Irene stepped out of the carriage and looked around.
"What is happening here?"
Sally quickly turned toward her and said, "Your Majesty, you'll get mud all over you."
"It's all right, Sally. What's happening?"
The knight in charge, Peter, stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty, it seems impossible to pass near the river. The river has overflowed because of the rain, and passing through there would be extremely dangerous."
Irene asked, "Is there no other road we can take?"
Peter replied, "There is. However, we would have to return to the city first before we could take it."
Then he added hesitantly, "There is another road that goes through the mountain, but it's rather rough... and it wouldn't be safe to travel through it."
Irene looked toward the mountain road for a few moments before saying:
"Returning to the city would take half a day. We can't turn back now... Let's take the mountain road. We'll proceed carefully."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The carriages began moving again and took another route toward the mountain.
After some time had passed, the carriage began shaking violently once more.
Sally clung to the seat and said fearfully:
"Oh my God... Why is the carriage shaking so violently? Wouldn't it have been better if we'd waited until the river road reopened?"
Irene answered calmly, "It's impossible for the road to reopen overnight. It rained heavily throughout the entire week. It will take several days to clear the road."
Sally sighed.
"Ah... You're right."
She then studied Irene's face for a moment before saying:
"But how can you be so calm even in a situation like this? I mean... How could he ask us to leave in this cold weather and take this treacherous road? Does he not care about your safety at all?"
Silence filled the carriage for a moment.
Irene said calmly:
"After everything that has happened... he must see me as nothing more than an annoying thorn in his finger, and he wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible."
Sally's expression changed, and she said angrily:
"You didn't do anything wrong! You were only..."
But she couldn't finish her sentence.
Jolt!
The carriage suddenly shook violently.
Both Irene and Sally lost their balance and fell against the side of the carriage.
"AAAAH!"
Sally began screaming.
"What's happening?!"
And suddenly—
BOOOOM!
A powerful impact came from beneath the carriage.
The carriage tilted violently to one side, sending Irene and Sally sliding toward the door until they were pressed against it.
Sally's screams grew more panicked.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you all right?!"
Suddenly, the carriage door above them was opened.
Peter appeared, shouting:
"Your Majesty! Are you both all right?!"
Irene raised her head and said:
"We're fine! What's going on?!"
Peter quickly answered:
"T-They've lost control of the horses because of the thunder! And the carriage has tipped toward the edge of the cliff! You have to get out now, before the carriage falls down!"
Sally's eyes widened.
"Ah... oh my God!"
Irene embraced Sally for a moment and said calmly:
"Sally, please calm down."
Sally was trembling violently, and tears had begun streaming down her face.
Irene looked up, then turned her gaze toward Sally.
"My maid will go out first."
She looked at Sally and said:
"Come on, Sally. We don't have time. Stand up slowly and take the knight's hand, all right?"
Sally asked in a trembling voice:
"What about you?"
"I'll come out right after you. Do as I tell you, quickly."
"Okay... okay."
Sally began to stand up very slowly.
But the carriage continued shaking beneath her feet.
One of the knights shouted:
"Take my hand!"
He reached his hand toward her.
Sally grabbed his hand tightly.
"All right, we're going to pull you out now. Slowly!"
The knight began pulling her outside while small rocks fell from the sides of the cliff.
"Hurry!"
Sally was finally pulled out of the carriage.
The knight immediately turned around and returned to the carriage door.
"All right, Your Majesty. Stand carefully and take my hand."
Irene took a slow breath, then began to stand.
One step...
Then another...
She reached her hand toward the knight.
But suddenly—
The carriage shifted slightly downward.
"Ah!"
Irene lost her balance and fell again.
"Damn it!"
The knight shouted:
"Your Majesty! Please hurry! Take my hand!"
Irene pushed herself up again.
She stood.
And reached her hand toward him.
Everything was still for a moment.
...
...
Then—
Sally let out a piercing scream.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Peter's voice followed:
"Damn it! This is impossible... impossible!!!"
Then came the sound of rocks breaking apart beneath the carriage.
Crack... crack... crack...
The rocks began tumbling down the cliff.
Irene froze for a moment.
She raised her eyes.
"What—?"
In an instant, the ground beneath the carriage collapsed, and a massive mass of rocks and mud broke loose, dragging the carriage down with it.
The cliff had—
COLLAPSED.
....
"IRENE!"
The carriage fell down the cliff along with the mass of rocks, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Only the sound of rain and thunder remained, filling the air.
To be continued....