I can explain

Leo walked closer towards Mae, protectively standing in front of her.

"There isn't any need to go forward like that." Mae struggled to prevent him from noticing who she had hidden inside the bush.

"Princess please calm yourself, I'm only trying to protect you." Leo countered her movements easily, his ears picking up some strange sounds.

'You may be stronger but I definitely do not need your protection, especially not now.' Mae panicked, looking over at where he was hidden, but something seemed strange, there seemed to be slight movements.

"Did you hear that?" Leo's eyes focused in that direction, bringing up his hand to prevent Mae from walking any closer to what he viewed as a threat.

Drawing out his sword from its scabbard, Leo took careful steps closer towards the bush, his sword aimed to search the bush.

Mae's eyes shone with panic at what he planned on doing.

'It's a living, breathing person in there, what do you want to do? Poke the bush with your sword?' Her eyes darted back and forth from Leo and the bush.

Before he could take another step towards the bush, something rolled out of the bush, injured and lifeless.

"I- Is th... that a s...s... snake?!!" Mae hyperventilated, a wave of shock and fear rocking her body at the same time.

Leo looked down at what was originally thought to be the remains of the snake. Something felt off, it almost felt like it was some sort of diversion.

Taking a swing at the bush with his sword, he chopped off the top of it. He noticed drops of blood stained the floor, his guess–the snake killed must have bitten someone or something before the culprit fled.

Mae's heart jumped out of her chest, hoping for the worst case scenario, she shut her eyes, scrunching up her nose.

"What's wrong with your face?" Leo snorted.

"What?" Mae opened an eye, looking weirdly at her surroundings before it locked back at Leo.

With a raised brow, Leo awaited an answer. Putting back his sword in its scabbard, he folded his arms.

'Phew! He must have escaped, what a relief." She let out a sigh at the turn of events.

"Aha ha. You see, I thought an animal might have been Injured while you did that; so I feared for it's life." She explained.

"Feared for it's life..." Leo's voice trailed as he repeated what was said, he couldn't shake off the suspicion he felt towards her seemingly innocent words.

"Princess Mae," Leo hesitated in his next words.

"Yes Leo?" Mae pushed back a stray hair off her face and behind her ear with a smile.

"Perhaps you are secretly meeting someone?" Leo stared into her eyes, hopeful his guess was all in his head.

Mae froze upon his question, "I- uh... why would I ever..." She licked her lips at how dry it suddenly felt, trying to regain her composure she laughed out her initial worry.

Laughing alongside her, something tugged at Leo's heart, a mixture of pain and betrayal. It was at that moment he knew his suspicions were far from wrong.

"I don't know anyone from these parts, I just came for some birdwatching." She tried covering it up.

Leo's eyes glanced over her body, earnestly trying to believe what she had just said, he had hoped–just a journal in sight would have been sufficient for him. Yet after a brief while, he found nothing, not even a pen unlike last time.

"Birdwatching you say Princess?" He narrowed his eyes, coming closer towards her.

Alarmed, Mae took a step back as well, "Yes? Do you have any issue with what I said?" She pushed back on his chest as she had nowhere else to move after being cornered to a tree.

Placing a hand beside her head, he stared right into her eyes, "I don't see a journal or was it a pen?"

Mae gulped down, she couldn't hold his stare any longer, she looked to the side; finally realising she had been caught lying.

"I can explain." She timidly replied, she ducked trying to escape his constriction to her movements.

"Then please do Princess." Leo held her back up, determined to get the answers.

"Not now, not here." She replied ambiguously, holding back stormy tears threatening to fall due to the force Leo had used to bring her back up, she had hit her back on the tree.

"No, if I let you off now, this might happen once again, what are you hiding Princess Mae? Who did you secretly come to see alone in the woods at that? His Majesty made it clear you couldn't go out until the Prince's arrival, what would he think of you–me if he finds out?!" He shook her slightly, his concern clouding his judgement.

It took all willpower not to gasp and groan in pain after that ordeal. She shot a glare at him, "What the hell do you think you are doing chief guard Leo! Have you no respect for the Royal household anymore?"

Shocked by her change in mood, Leo immediately let go of her and backed up a bit, finally returning to his right state of mind. "I deeply apologize for my behaviour. I would accept any punishment you deem fit." He dropped to his knees.

Internally Mae's mind had kick-started into overdrive, her heart pounding. She hadn't believed that method would have worked.

Having been so familiar with him, she had never thought to remind him of where he stood while he was with her, but desperate times called for desperate actions.

Her hands instinctively shot up to her shoulder, gently rubbing the pain, she held back a groan. She couldn't let him find out he had unintentionally hurt her in the process.

'I need to get back to the Castle to get treated soon, staying here wouldn't help.' She continued her massage on her shoulder for a bit.

"Your punishment–" She paused as their eyes locked for a brief while.

"I don't deserve your pity, Your Highness. Please carry on with your judgement." Leo looked the other way immediately, he couldn't help but feel something off but after he had crossed the line with Mae, he would gladly accept what was coming.