Chapter : 26
I stepped down from my carriage and boarded the one opposite it without a hitch. Pellius looked up at me, his face tense.
“Kal. You should’ve sent word that you were coming. I would’ve liked to escort you.”
“That’s not necessary. I didn’t come here to sneak around for an affair.”
I sat down on the cushioned seat and pretended to straighten my dress, not sparing him even a glance.
“Where are you headed?” he asked.
“Kyannite. I’m late, so tell them to hurry.”
Pellius relayed my words to the coachman without missing a syllable. And yet, the carriage started off at a sluggish pace, crawling forward as if reluctant to move.
He chased after me at full speed earlier…
It was so slow that I watched two rickshaws overtake us one after the other outside the window.
At this rate, it’ll take over fifty minutes.
I could change clothes after arriving and just head home from there.
Pellius, who had been carefully watching my expression, offered a shy smile.
“Kal. Did you receive your graduation certificate safely?”
“I’m on my way from giving it to my master.”
“It’s a day you’ve been waiting for—why leave so quickly instead of enjoying it? Unless…”
“If you’re asking about a partner, Hayden agreed to go with me. It’s just that the date venue is a little unconventional.”
Having experienced firsthand how persistent his advances could be, I cut him off before he could say any more.
Still, even as I pushed him away coldly, there was a faint trace of laughter in my voice.
He was, after all, an old acquaintance I was glad to see again.
Encouraged by my smile, he gestured toward the fur draped over my shoulders.
“That shawl suits you very well.”
“Thank you. I know you gave it to me, but I didn’t choose it myself.”
Pellius laughed, baring his teeth as if it didn’t bother him in the least.
“……”
When I turned away with an indifferent expression, his smile slowly faded.
“Kal. Why didn’t you reply to my letters?”
“……”
“I thought you loved me. Maybe not as much as I love you—but still.”
Before answering, my gaze dropped to the hem of the cloak spread across his knees.
The image of the imperial knights I had seen just before dying flashed through my mind, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
I don’t even have the luxury to play at love right now.
As I remembered it, after today our relationship had continued for about another year.
He was a loyal man who never wavered before temptation, a brave lover who spared nothing to protect my honor.
Up until the moment he got drunk, sang in a ridiculous voice, and started dancing like a lunatic, everything between us had been fine.
Tch. A man who was so elegant with a sword…
It was all in the past, though.
I gave my head a small shake, brushing away the unpleasant memories.
Pellius watched my every movement with trembling eyes.
Even when he looked at me like a rain-soaked puppy, nothing stirred in my heart.
“I have a disciple named Amon,” I said.
“I know.”
“At the moment, even caring for him alone is more than enough for me.”
The color drained from Pellius’s face almost instantly.
And it wasn’t just Amon. The more deeply I involved myself in this affair, the more danger my family and those close to me would face. Perhaps this time, I really would lose everything.
Pellius would only suffer a relatively minor injury—breaking his leg while doing something I never asked him to do—but even that kind of sacrifice was a burden to me now.
“Kal. Are you comparing me to that child? Is that all I am to you?”
When I didn’t answer, the fist he had been gripping tightly on his knee clenched even harder.
I knew it was cruel, but I didn’t correct his misunderstanding.
We would soon arrive at Kyannite anyway, and after today, we wouldn’t meet again.
“Then I’ll be going—”
But just as I was about to say goodbye, I saw the carriage pass straight through the front gates of Kyannite without slowing.
“Huh?”
What is this?
As I stared out the window in shock, Pellius lowered his head, his face heavy with gloom.
Damn it. Judging by how sharp he is, he must’ve slipped the coachman a decent bribe.
With an irritated sigh, I folded my arms across my chest.
“Listen. Whatever the past was like, the me right now can’t be compared to anyone.”
“……”
“No matter how hard you try to change my mind, the day you hear a different answer will never come.”
Ignoring his dejected expression, I lightly tapped on the window leading to the driver’s seat.
“Turn the carriage around. If you try a stunt like this again, you won’t be driving the horse—you’ll be pulling the carriage yourself.”
Even though I’d spoken quietly, he must’ve heard me clearly.
Neigh—!
The sound of a horse whinnying rang out loudly as the reins were yanked.
When the slowly rolling wheels finally came to a stop, Pellius looked regretfully toward the back of the driver’s head.
Before the lovesick Pellius or the sluggish coachman could even climb down from their seats, I opened the carriage door myself.
“I’m really leaving now.”
Holding my garment bag and the hem of my dress in one hand, I stepped down carelessly. Pellius called out to me in a panicked voice.
“Kal, wait—!”
Worried he might jump out and cause a scene, I didn’t step back and instead blocked the carriage entrance.
“Can’t you give me just one more chance? Even if I force myself to meet someone else, my heart still races only for you.”
His fervent gaze dropped to my lips, but I smiled and pushed his shoulder back.
“You probably haven’t met enough people yet. Since you’ve started looking, try a little harder. Do you really think there isn’t a single woman better than me?”
“I—”
But Pellius bit his lip and swallowed the rest of his words. His face, which had gone pale earlier, flushed red again.
What’s wrong with him?
A bad feeling crept over me as I turned around—and my eyes met Hayden’s.
He was standing at the entrance, smoking a cigarette.
“……”
Hayden’s face was stiff. He couldn’t bring himself either to meet my gaze or to turn away.
What an embarrassment.
As I shut the carriage door, the coachman hurriedly urged the horse forward.
A small swirl of dust washed over my face, but I didn’t bother brushing it away.
“Hah…”
I tried to let out a quiet sigh where Hayden couldn’t hear it, but instead a puff of white breath spilled from my mouth.
Hayden cleared his throat softly, as if trying to lighten the mood, and spoke first.
“You look beautiful, my lady. I was so distracted that I couldn’t pay attention to what I overheard.”
The words themselves were awkward, but his expression and tone were shamelessly smooth—a blatant lie.
“…Really? Then waking up before dawn to get ready was worth it.”
He moved as if to take my bag, but I waved him off.
“It’s fine.”
When I told him it was just a garment bag, he frowned, saying there was no need for me to rush over like this.
“Did you receive your graduation certificate?”
“I left it with my master. I’ll probably get it in two years.”
There wasn’t much more to say…
But it felt awkward to go in alone, so I set the bag down beside him and stood next to him.
Despite his indifferent expression, Hayden studied me for quite some time.
“……”
“……”
Just as I started wondering whether I should point out his blatant stare, Hayden finally glanced in the direction the carriage had gone.
“Is your master white-haired with golden eyes, or blond with pale eyes?”
“…My master is blond with red eyes.”
I frowned slightly as I pulled my slipping shawl back into place.
“The outerwear really stands out too much compared to the dress, doesn’t it?”
Feeling wronged, I even lifted the fur to show him. Cold air brushed against the bare skin revealed beneath the dress.
“And yet I’m wearing red so openly.”
“…I thought the dress was chosen to match your hair color. The fur, however, suits you so well that I must have been mistaken—ah. That’s right. I already said that.”
“?”
When did he say that?
As I stared at him, Hayden’s gaze dropped toward my body.
Ah. Come to think of it, this shawl was exactly his taste.
“Is it pretty?”
“……”
“Not really?”
I’d expected him to at least show some envy.
When I tilted my head, Hayden frowned and turned his face completely away.
Determined to ignore my question altogether, he kept clearing his throat, his expression stiff.
If there’s nothing else to do, he could at least go inside already.
Perhaps I’d been standing out here too long; a chill crept up my back.
“It’s a bit cold.”
As I hugged the soft fur around my shoulders, Hayden—who’d been stealing glances at me—blinked slowly.
“……?”
Others might not notice, but I could tell he was thoroughly flustered.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ahem.”
Though I hadn’t stepped closer, Hayden took a step back.
“That’s not it. You should go inside first, my lady.”
“What?”
“I’ll stay a bit longer.”
Why not go together? …Was he trying to chase me off?
When I didn’t respond, Hayden turned his head slightly toward me.
His deeply furrowed expression looked far more irritated than before.
The sudden change caught me off guard, but seeing the deep crease in his brow, I had no choice but to nod.
“Uh… all right.”
It wasn’t necessary for us to go in together, anyway.
But as I turned away with an uneasy feeling, I heard Hayden mutter quietly behind me.
“……”
“……”
“Looks like I’ve finally gone mad.”
What?
After taking just two steps, I spun around.
Unaware that I’d turned back, he stood there with a vacant expression, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Did I mishear him…?
It didn’t feel that way—the words I’d caught had been far too clear.
