Chapter 8
“Perea. Drive the cart slowly this time. Look around carefully, all right? No speeding like usual. Maybe you should wait for Harun to go with you?”
“With Harun? Oh, no, he’s busy harvesting carrots. I’ll be fine going alone!”
You’ll be fine, maybe… but the people going with you won’t be, the village chief thought grimly, but didn’t say it out loud.
He forced an awkward smile while Perea, in contrast, looked absolutely thrilled.
It had been ages since she’d driven anywhere outside the village. Running the clinic meant she hardly ever left Timi, so this little trip felt like a mini-adventure.
And since it was for the “distinguished guests’ meal,” no one could complain.
Perea stuck the key the chief had given her into the old cart and beckoned for Ray and Theo to join her.
Compared to the splendid royal carriage they’d arrived in, the village’s cart was practically a toy — but this was all Timi Village had. She had no choice.
“Please, get on here!” she said brightly, pointing to the back.
That was the luggage area — not exactly a passenger seat.
Ray’s brows furrowed hard, his expression darkening immediately.
“You’re treating us like cargo?” he said coldly.
His voice sent a chill through the air.
Considering he’d only ever ridden in elegant royal carriages, it was understandable he’d be offended.
Still, Perea and the villagers were doing their best. If he doesn’t like it, he can walk! she thought but swallowed the words. Instead, she waved her hands quickly and smiled awkwardly.
“Of course not! It’s just… this is the only cart our village has. Otherwise, we’d have to walk all the way to the next town. Would you prefer that?”
“…Huh?”
His face twisted even more. Perea immediately shut her mouth before she made it worse — she could already imagine this ending badly if she pushed him further.
While the two stood there silently glaring at each other over the cart, Theo was busy climbing aboard by himself.
The boy had never seen a luggage cart before, and to him, it was like a brand-new playground.
After much effort, he finally pulled himself up and waved proudly.
“Ray! Come on, it’s super big up here!”
“See? Sir Ray, it’s quite comfortable, actually!” Perea added quickly.
Taking the hint, Ray sighed heavily and climbed aboard.
Unlike Theo, who had struggled and scrambled, Ray simply placed one long leg up and lifted himself effortlessly.
Even such a simple movement looked graceful and powerful — unfairly so.
Perfect body, perfect face… maybe the gods forgot to give him manners, Perea thought wryly. At least they were fair somewhere.
Once he settled in the back, Perea hopped up to the driver’s seat.
The moment her hands wrapped around the handle, her lips curved into a delighted grin.
In the Amur Empire, carts were powered by magic stones, not animals.
This technology made the Empire far stronger than neighboring nations that still relied on beasts of burden.
Among its citizens, social rank often depended on how many magic stones one owned — or how skillfully one could use them.
Even the royal carriages ran on these stones. Ray, being highly trained, could handle them with ease — which was why Theo could travel with only a single escort.
Clunk!
The cart suddenly jolted as one wheel hit a sharp rock. Perea reacted by sharply turning the handle the other way.
The jolt and turn sent a rush of excitement through her fingers — she loved the feeling of steering like this.
Humming a cheerful tune, she began driving along the cliffside road, the wheels rattling dangerously close to the edge.
Meanwhile, the two “passengers” in the back looked increasingly different by the minute.
Each time the cart swerved, Ray turned paler, feeling the fried eggs he’d eaten for breakfast climb back up his throat, while Theo squealed and bounced up and down, thrilled.
“Ray! Ray! This is so fun!”
“Theo, hold on tight. It’s dangerous.”
“Uh-huh! I’m holding on tight!”
No sooner had he said that than the cart lurched again.
Theo let out a delighted “Kyaa!” and laughed so hard that Ray had to pull him onto his lap and hold him firmly in place.
“This crazy human woman…” he muttered through clenched teeth.
He had ridden in every kind of carriage imaginable across the Empire — but never one like this.
It was like surviving a battlefield again.
The cart rocked and shook so violently that Ray was almost convinced Perea was trying to throw them off on purpose.
After what felt like an eternity of mortal peril, the cart finally screeched to a stop.
“Here we are!” Perea chirped.
Her voice was bright and cheerful, but to Ray, it sounded like mockery. A vein pulsed on his temple as he climbed out, clutching his dizzy head and uneasy stomach.
Theo followed, still laughing, holding Ray’s hand as he stepped onto solid ground.
The moment Ray’s boots touched the earth, he turned toward Perea and held out his hand.
She blinked, confused. His cold smile sent a shiver down her spine.
“Give it,” he said flatly.
“W-what?”
“The cart key.”
Perea instinctively hid the key behind her back. If he takes it, I’ll have to walk all the way home!
Seeing her reluctance, Ray’s smirk deepened, his blue eyes narrowing sharply.
His presence alone was enough to make her feel like a real snow leopard was crouched right in front of her.
“I said, give it.”
“B-but this cart is really important to the village…!”
“I can’t risk you driving like that again. Hand it over.”
There was no room for argument.
Sighing in defeat, Perea reluctantly gave him the key.
“‘Reckless driving,’” she muttered bitterly under her breath — it was a phrase she’d heard too many times from anyone who had ever ridden with her.
Even the chief’s earlier warnings about slowing down had been exactly right.
Normally, Perea wasn’t hot-tempered or rash — except when she grabbed a steering handle.
Something about driving flipped a switch inside her, turning her into a completely different person.
No wonder everyone in the village always wondered how she’d even passed her driving test.
And now, having driven with a prince and his escort, her “reckless driving” had finally caught up with her — the key had been confiscated.
“At least… I didn’t crash,” she mumbled.
“Tch.”
“You’re not… going to leave me here, right?” she asked nervously.
“I’ll think about it,” Ray said coolly.
Perea scowled and stepped back, sulking.
Theo tugged her sleeve and whispered softly, “Perea, I had fun! Next time, let’s ride together — just us!”
Her frown melted into a smile. The boy’s innocent cheer was impossible to resist.
Ray, whose sharp hearing caught every word, simply sighed and shook his head, clearly exasperated.
The next village, Nuping, was very different from Timi.
While Timi was entirely made up of snow-white rabbit beastmen, Nuping was home to a mix of races — various beastmen and even humans.
Because of that, the marketplace there was lively and diverse, filled with ingredients Timi couldn’t produce — including meat. Lots of it.
For the predator guests, it was heaven.
Perea had been to Nuping before to buy ham once or twice, but this was the first time she’d done serious meat shopping.
As she watched the mountain of meat piling up in their basket, her face turned pale.
There’s only two of them… how are they going to eat all that?!
Ray and Theo, however, were fully enjoying themselves — the butcher himself looked astonished at the sheer amount they were buying.
“Bill,” Ray said.
“Y-yes, sir! Altogether that’ll be twenty thousand Pherin!”
“That’s cheap,” Ray replied without hesitation.
Perea nearly choked. Twenty thousand Pherin was two months’ worth of food expenses for the entire Timi Village!
But to him — or rather, to the royal treasury — it was pocket change.
As she stared, speechless, Ray pulled out the money smoothly and handed it over.
Theo looked up at Perea with a smile.
“Perea, what meat do you like?”
“Uh… me? Bacon, maybe?”
“Hmm. Bacon doesn’t chew right. Then today, let’s share a back leg together!”
The boy licked his lips and grinned adorably — completely unaware that his suggestion sounded terrifying.
Perea, who had dissected animal legs before but never eaten one raw, gave a nervous laugh and quickly shook her head.
