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chapter 24
A short while later, we set off again.
Only after getting out of the carriage earlier did I realize something: this three-horse carriage didn’t even have a coachman. Kal and Riks were driving the horses themselves from the driver’s seat.
And apparently, Seirin had been following from behind the carriage, which was why I hadn’t seen her.
No wonder it was so quiet.
We were all scattered apart, making conversation difficult.
Well—except for the driver’s seat. Kal was never much of a talker to begin with.
Arvan lowered the window opposite the one I was looking out of and leaned his head slightly out to check behind us.
Near the tail end of the carriage, I spotted Seirin riding along.
When I peeked my head out, she immediately sped up to ride closer to the carriage and shouted urgently,
“Lady! It’s dangerous to lean your head out!”
Like a well-behaved child, I quickly pulled my head back inside and sat properly.
“I just wanted to talk to you, Sir. I’ll stay seated, so could you maintain this position?”
“…Understood.”
She had always been sensitive when it came to my safety.
It wasn’t like I had stuck my whole head out—just my face slightly—yet her reaction speed had been astonishingly fast.
Unlike the gentle expression she wore earlier, her firm and serious face was equally striking.
She’s so cool. I kind of want to call her unnie… but I probably can’t.
Seirin was the only other woman in the group, which made me like her even more. I wanted to grow closer to her.
I opened the window wide so my voice would carry better.
Leaning closer to the window, I directed my question toward Seirin, who was riding in line with where I was seated.
“Sir Adel, if it’s not rude, may I ask how old you are?”
“I’m twenty-four. If you’re curious about anything else, please feel free to ask.”
“Thank you, I won’t hold back. Then… Sir Riks looks younger than you. Am I right?”
“Yes, Riks is twenty-two, the youngest in the knight order. However, he does not fall behind in skill, so there is no need for concern. For reference, the vice-captain is thirty-eight.”
Before I transmigrated, I had been twenty-five in Korean age—so by this world’s age, I was the same as her. Physically speaking, I might even be older than Seirin.
…Wait. Then can’t I confidently call her unnie? Should I try hinting at it later? No, people here probably don’t use unnie or oppa outside family…
While my thoughts wandered elsewhere, I kept up the conversation with Seirin.
“You’re all so young. If His Grace brought only this small number of people, you must all be highly skilled….”
“The knights of Canelwell operate strictly on ability. Every member is capable of handling more than their share wherever they go.”
Seirin’s eyes sparkled vividly as she spoke, clearly proud of her knight order.
From her gaze, I could feel just how proud she was to be a knight of Canelwell.
“Ah… Of course, I’m not boasting about myself. I hope you won’t misunderstand.”
Having said it aloud, she seemed slightly embarrassed, her cheeks faintly flushed.
“I think it’s wonderful that you speak so confidently, trusting in your entire order’s skill. It must be reassuring to travel with such capable people.”
I didn’t know her personality well yet, but at least I could tell she wasn’t someone who liked to show off or wallow in baseless arrogance.
When I smiled at her, she turned her head slightly toward me and smiled back.
“…Thank you for saying that.”
Since she was riding, she soon faced forward again, but for a fleeting moment, her expression had bloomed brightly.
That innocent-looking face etched itself into my vision.
What should I do? In this short span of time, I’d already grown quite fond of her.
Just thinking about parting ways someday made me feel a little sad.
Once the conversation with Seirin got started, it flowed easily.
“Does Sir Adel’s family all live in the Grand Duchy?”
“Yes. My father was once a knight but retired due to age. He now tends a small vegetable garden with my mother. My younger sibling is still young and receives simple training from our father.”
Even though we had just met, perhaps because the conversation felt natural, she often shared things I hadn’t even asked about.
“Oh… Is your sibling a girl or a boy? If they’re your sibling, they must be adorable. How old are they?”
“There’s quite an age gap between us. He’s a boy, ten years old. Perhaps because of the large age difference, everything he does looks adorable to me.”
At the mention of her brother, her face brightened noticeably. She must cherish him dearly.
Talking about family started to feel like I was interrogating her background, so I subtly shifted the topic elsewhere.
We chatted idly, passing the time, and before sunset, we had a simple meal and resumed our journey.
By now, sitting continuously had become quite uncomfortable.
My butt feels like it’s going to turn square.
Yet everyone else looked perfectly fine, making me keenly aware of the difference in stamina between them and me.
When I get back, I really need to start exercising. Apparently, whether in Korea or here, I’m equally lacking in stamina.
Though I’m still better off now than when I lived in Korea….
While I was having this mini existential moment, the group found a suitable place to stay before nightfall.
Eager to escape the carriage, I hopped down the moment it stopped and set foot on solid ground.
With nothing else to do, I approached the knights setting up temporary tents to help—
“It’s alright, Lady. We can handle this ourselves. Please rest.”
Riks gently declined.
So I ended up sitting idly on the edge of the carriage, swinging my legs and gazing up at the night sky.
The night sky here was truly magnificent. Countless stars embroidered the heavens.
On Earth, wouldn’t you have to go to Mongolia to see something like this?
As I stared blankly at the stars, I sensed someone approaching nearby.
When I turned my head, Arvan was there.
As he stepped closer, moonlight spilled over his handsome face, which had been hidden beneath the shadow of a tree.
Bathed fully in the moonlight, his pale skin seemed even colder in tone, and his clear blue eyes looked almost unreal, creating an ethereal atmosphere as if he didn’t belong to this world.
“…Your Grace?”
Without realizing it, I called out to him as though enchanted.
Though my voice had been barely more than a whisper—soft enough that an ordinary person wouldn’t have heard—it was enough for Arvan to give a slight nod.
“I would like to continue the discussion we began this morning. May I come in?”
His words jolted me back to my senses. I hurriedly slid off the carriage threshold where I had been sitting and scrambled inside.
“Oh—yes. Just a moment. Please come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Arvan climbed into the carriage, closed the door, and sat across from me. He began speaking immediately.
“I will get straight to the point. Although I selected only those I trust, I believe it would be unwise for too many people to know about the Holy Sword.”
“……”
“If word spreads that the Holy Sword has come into my possession, it will cause trouble in many ways. For me—and for you.”
His calm gaze fixed steadily on me.
“What are your thoughts, my lady? If we do not inform the knights as I intend, then when we begin searching in earnest, it will have to be just the two of us.”
I agreed with him. You never know where words might leak.
The fewer who know, the better.
Though Arvan would ultimately become the sword’s owner, it was still an important imperial symbol. There was no harm in being cautious.
“I also think it’s better not to tell them if possible. No matter how trustworthy they are, the more people who know, the more likely it could spread unintentionally.”
“I have one question. Is the place where the Holy Sword sleeps dangerous?”
At his question, I briefly recalled the original story. There hadn’t been anything particularly threatening.
“No, not really… It’s just buried underground in a difficult location to find. If there’s any danger, perhaps only the monsters that live in the mountain range.”
“Understood. Then please inform me once we reach a nearby location.”
“I will.”
“And…”
After briefly glancing at the seat I was sitting on, Arvan stepped down from the carriage and extended his hand toward me.
“Would you step down for a moment?”
“…Ah, yes.”
I could have stepped down on my own, but there was no reason to refuse the hand he offered.
Perhaps because it was night and the forest air had grown colder, his palm felt warmer than it had that morning.
Feeling oddly self-conscious, I clasped my hands behind my back and fidgeted with the one that had touched his.
Arvan pointed at one side of the seat and turned to me.
“If you press the button here, a fold-out bed inside the seat will extend.”
When he pressed it, with a small mechanical sound, mattresses slid out from beneath both seats and connected.
“Wow…!”
My mouth fell open at the unexpectedly modern feature.
It was on par with modern technology.
No wonder this carriage was much larger than the one he had ridden before… It must be magic.
“It has a function like this? Our carriage at home is just ordinary.”
“It is a specially made carriage for travel. I did not have time to commission one, so I purchased one already available on the market. I’m glad you seem to like it.”
…That means he bought it because of me.
I had been marveling thoughtlessly, but suddenly my heart felt heavy.
“…Wait. It looks expensive. Did you buy it because of me?”
“It is not that expensive. It may be useful someday.”
“But still….”
“It is fine. You need not concern yourself.”
How could I not? It clearly looked expensive.
Judging by his indifferent tone, it seemed almost like a one-time-use item for this journey.
At best, it would probably end up gathering dust in a corner of the Grand Ducal carriage storage.
As I wondered whether I should reimburse him once we returned to the duchy, Arvan caught me off guard with an unexpected question.
“More importantly, what does ‘heol’ mean?”
“……”
Damn it. I really need to watch my words.
But I couldn’t take back what had already slipped out.
In that split second, I desperately scrambled for an explanation and finally gave him a rough one.
“It’s… an exclamation used when you’re surprised.”
“I see. It’s a word I’ve never heard before.”
Of course you haven’t. I’m the only one here who knows it.
“Ah, haha… Actually, it’s just a word I use by myself when I’m surprised. A habit….”
Perhaps because he noticed the cold sweat forming as I awkwardly explained myself, he studied me briefly before letting it pass without further comment.
“I see. Then you may sleep in the carriage. Once the sun sets in the forest, travel becomes impossible. We will depart again at daybreak.”
“Ah, yes. But where will you sleep, Your Grace?”
“I will sleep in the tent with the knights.”
“……”
In truth, he held a higher status as Grand Duke, yet I alone was receiving special treatment.
I was grateful—but as it kept happening, I couldn’t feel entirely at ease.
