Chapter 10: “I’ll Be Right Back,” Said Esmeralda Before Disappearing

“Now then, I have to make it out of here, even if it’s just to attend Esmeralda’s tea party... Anne, how did you two get here? Actually, why are you even down here in the first place?”

After successfully winning Esmeralda over through sheer force of word, Mia began reassessing their situation.

“Yes, about that...”

Mia sighed after hearing Anne’s story.

“So that’s what happened. And the path back is blocked too?”

She’d perked up upon hearing that Anne had arrived through a different route, only to deflate at the news of the cave-in.

“Yes. I don’t think it’s possible for us to clear away all the rock. Also, we’ll have to climb a pretty steep slope,” said Anne with a quick glance at Esmeralda’s ankle. “Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we can go back the way I came. What about you, milady?”

“Actually, we got caught in something like a cave-in too. The ground below us just fell through.” Mia thought back to the place they’d landed. “I don’t fancy the thought of climbing back up to that opening in the ceiling.”

“Agreed. It’s not realistic, especially when Esmeralda is hurt,” added Abel.

“That cavern back there did stretch in the other direction as well...”

Of course, where it led was anyone’s guess.

“Anyway, let’s first check if there are any exits around this shrine. If we can’t find any, I think it’s best we go back to the place where we first landed. How does that sound?”

The group nodded at the suggestion from their “survival expert,” which could certainly be interpreted as ominous foreshadowing, so it was good that after a brief silence, Anne raised her hand.

“Um, milady, might I suggest that we take a short break? Lady Esmeralda’s foot is still hurting, and you look a little tired yourself.”

Almost on cue, Mia broke out in a yawn.

“Phew. I think you’re right. Then let’s rest for a bit before we get going again.”

After a short nap, the group began investigating the shrine’s surroundings. Well, the nap was short for everybody else, who split up and started exploring the premise while Mia enjoyed a decidedly longer one. In the end, they found that there were only two paths leading here, one taken by Anne and the other by Mia.

“I wonder if that other path in the cavern leads out? I sure hope it does...” said Mia after waking up and reconvening with the group.

With their options dwindling, the group returned to the cave that Mia and Abel had fallen into, holding onto a sliver of hope that it still held a route of escape. As soon as they arrived, Abel gestured at the water.

“Look. It was already pretty high on our way here, but it’s even higher now.”

He was right. Places where the water once reached just their ankles now submerged their knees.

“I see. Then there’s still hope. If it’s rising and falling with the tide, then it has to lead out to sea,” said Mia.

Esmeralda squatted down and brought a handful of water to her mouth.

“Yes, this is definitely seawater. There’s a good chance it’s connected to the outside.” She glanced up at the ceiling, then looked around at the group. “I think we should wait before trying to get out though. I’ve been told that the sea at night is very dangerous.”

At Esmeralda’s advice, they decided to take another rest, huddling close together to shield themselves from the cavern’s cold.

This chilliness... It reminds me of the dungeon. Ha ha, how odd. This feels sort of fun.

In spite of her hunger, Mia found that somehow, she was starting to enjoy herself.

May the moons have mercy...and may we all remember this fondly as an exciting summer adventure...

Eventually sunlight began to leak in from the ceiling opening, signaling that it was morning. Strangely, the blue glow in the water disappeared soon after.

Hm, I wonder if it’s from little creatures that only glow at night.

That left them with a problem. Though the cavern was lit, the path ahead was now shrouded in darkness. The sun’s rays couldn’t reach any deeper down the tunnel. They could bring a torch, but it would be of little use once they went underwater.

“I knew we’d need this at some point!”

Esmeralda pulled out the pendant dangling from her neck and held it up triumphantly. The stone set in it glowed with a faint light.

“This will allow us to see for a while. None of us know what lies ahead, so I shall go first and scout the way forward. Since it looks like we’ll need to swim, I’m certainly most suited for the task.”

She threw off her clothes with a flourish, revealing her swimsuit, which she’d been wearing since bathing in the spring. Then she began to wade into the water.

“Wait, let me go.” Abel rushed to stop her. “You ladies can rest here for a little longer.”

Esmeralda looked at him, making a point of directing her gaze down her nose.

“I don’t think so, Prince Abel. Let me put it this way. Would you say you’re a good swimmer?”

“Well, maybe not a good one, but I can swim...” he said, evidently not convinced by his own reasoning.

Esmeralda laughed victoriously.

“That’s right. So stay here like a good little prince and let me handle this. Just so you know, I’ve gone swimming every summer since I was little.”

“But still, I can’t let a lady like yourself put herself at risk like this.”

“Thank you for your concern, Prince Abel, but you may wish to acquire a better appreciation of your position.”

“Position? What position?”

She chuckled at his bewilderment.

“Do you really need to ask? Your position as Miss Mia’s future spouse, of course.”

“Future spo— What?!”

He stiffened with shock, causing her to burst into an even louder bout of laughter.

“Miss Mia is both my princess and my best friend. As a proud Etoiline, I will not allow her husband to be placed in danger. That is simply out of the question. Moreover, this matter is critical to Miss Mia’s own safety as well. Failure is not an option, and therefore, delegation would be unacceptable.”

Anne, who’d been listening to the exchange, was next to raise her hand in concern.

“But, Lady Esmeralda, what about your ankle?”

“Huh? Ankle? Wha— Oh...” Esmeralda, flustered, suddenly seemed to find something about the ceiling very fascinating. “I, uh... I completely forgot about it! How odd! Y-Your treatment, um, Anne, must have been effective...”

That earned her a raised eyebrow from Mia.

“Huh. Really?”

“Wh-What? Do you have a problem with that, Miss Mia?” she asked defensively.

Mia regarded her for a second before smiling.

“No, not at all.” Then, after a deep bow, she added, “Thank you, Esmeralda. I’m glad to be placing myself in your capable hands.”

That helped Esmeralda get back into her usual groove. Smiling back, she said, “And you won’t be disappointed. You have my personal guarantee that I’ll bring back good news. Then, once we get back home safely, I can finally invite you to that extra extravagant tea party I’ve been waiting to host for so long!”

Though it’s generally inadvisable to make conditional statements of fulfilling long-awaited promises after completing a particularly dangerous task, Esmeralda did so with her head held high, entirely unconcerned by the narrative trope she’d just wandered into. Then she did something she’d probably never done before. Her expression softened into a smile that, rather than being sly or haughty, was tender and earnest...

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”

She was not. Her words rang as hollow as the empty chamber in which they waited, anxious eyes staring in vain at the still surface of the water she’d plunged into.

...Well, she wasn’t right back, anyway.