Chapter 9 Part 4

Without listening to Hyle’s response, I immediately opened the window. Then through the gap came wind…!

And not just any wind—sandy wind…!! It rushed in tremendously!

“Ugh.”

A foolish groan involuntarily escaped me. In all my life, I never thought I’d get a face wash from sandy wind! And inside a carriage, no less!

Slam!

“Are you stupid? To think of opening a window in a carriage running on a dirt road…”

Having quickly moved behind me to shut the open window, Hyle looked down at me with a sigh.

When I raised my head in bewilderment, my eyes momentarily met Hyle’s as he looked down at me.

Wait, isn’t this too close?

“Ugh…”

Reflexively trying to move away from him, my body pressed even more firmly against the carriage wall, which was already tight against me.

But the more I curled up my body, the more it was like falling into his embrace.

“Are you sick? You’re sweating. Your complexion has been excessively pale since earlier…”

Puzzled, Hyle’s large hand fell toward my forehead. Soon, a light warmth touched and heated my cold forehead.

“Strange, there’s no fever.”

“Ah, I’m not sick! I just wanted… some fresh air for a moment.”

Looking up at Hyle while ridiculously squeezed into the corner of the seat like a cornered mouse, I soon sighed and quickly slipped out through the space under his arm by lowering my waist.

What am I doing? In my own way, I’m trying to be considerate, but Hyle doesn’t seem to care at all.

Is it high-level acting? Or does he really not feel any such discomfort…?

Whatever it is, I won’t make unnecessary contact. Let’s just stick to this today.

Not only for my sake but also for Hyle’s—surely it must be difficult for him to have his holy power absorbed every time he touches me.

“Rosiel, you…”

Just as Hyle was about to say something, the carriage stopped moving.

The faint murmur of people outside suggested we had already arrived at the party venue.

Soon after, when the coachman opened the carriage door, Hyle paused what he was about to say and quickly extended his foot outside.

Thanks to that, the carriage that had been filled with Hyle’s presence instantly became empty.

See, he’s getting out as if he’s been waiting for this moment. I was right—being with me must have been difficult after all.

Before, I didn’t know, but now that I’m aware Hyle might find me aversive, every single one of his actions seemed to be because of me, and it continued to bother me.

Caring about someone else’s feelings and expressions was a more annoying and bothersome task than I had expected.

“Rosiel.”

As I was staring into space, lost in thought, a clear voice suddenly reached my ears.

As if bewitched, my wandering gaze turned toward the doorway where Hyle stood.

“Don’t avoid me this time.”

Contrary to his words, Hyle’s outstretched hand toward me left absolutely no alternative.

Is it because the carriage door is narrow? Unlike before, there was no space to pass by his extended hand.

Did he purposely get out quickly for this? Just to… hold my hand?

“Even if you say that… you’ve made it impossible to avoid.”

There was no other option but to take his outstretched hand.

As I reluctantly placed my hand on his, the corners of Hyle’s lips gently curved into an arch.

A firm pressure was applied to our clasped hands. As if he would never let go. Tight.

“Yes, you’ve made me like this.”

The outside of the carriage door was blindingly bright.

That tactlessly kind man was still, at every moment, meticulously illuminating my darkness.

Hyle slowly pulled me toward him. When I came to my senses, I was in his arms before I’d even stepped on the carriage steps.

A Laté like me not only alighting from a carriage marked with the Feros crest but also being embraced—this was more than enough to draw everyone’s attention.

“Hyle… can you put me down? Everyone is staring at us.”

“Isn’t this kind of attention what you wanted?”

When I awkwardly pushed at Hyle’s shoulders, he instead smiled broadly as if this was a good thing.

So… it’s absurd, but I’m strangely persuaded by that innocent smile.

As he said, this was indeed the attention I had wanted.

The more closely we associate, the more clearly all nobles would know that Abel had been abandoned by me.

Everyone feared turning their backs on Laté more than on the imperial family. It was natural.

The Emperor, who didn’t want to be called a tyrant, couldn’t decisively cast out his enemies despite his desire for power.

Although he claimed to use other means, fear couldn’t easily sprout unless those means were directly linked to one’s life.

After all, people reveal their true nature only when their lives are immediately threatened.

In contrast, the Laté had no attachment to appearances. If something was bothersome, they would simply eliminate it in one go.

While the Emperor needed pitiful flattery, there was no way to please the Laté, so the only recourse was to hope not to catch their eye.

Therefore, if Abel had been abandoned by me, that is, by Laté, it meant he lacked that much value.

Moreover, imperial power was still more strongly concentrated in the current Emperor, who was extremely robust regardless of his age.

This meant that, barring any special anomaly, it would be a distant future when Abel became Emperor.

This also meant that nobles didn’t need to bow their heads in front of Abel with caution right now.

“This process wasn’t in my plan.”

“Good outcomes often come from things that weren’t in the original plan.”

I tried to push Hyle away again, but he still didn’t budge.

Instead, with a cheerful face as if it were nothing, he even spun me around once while holding me.

Wait, this… seems like a continuation of our newlywed couple act. Does he not realize it? This really makes him look like a husband joyful in his newlywed bliss!

“That’s enough, so please put me down.”

“I just learned that such desperate words can come from your mouth.”

“Great to hear that. Put me down now.”

Only then did Hyle place me on the ground. Now that I think about it, there seemed to be quite a height difference between Hyle and me.

After being held so high up and then coming down, the feeling was… strange.

Somehow, I don’t want to experience being picked up like a package twice…

The party venue was a separate hall specially prepared by the Artine family.

As people who enjoyed parties more sincerely than anyone, they had a building specifically for hosting parties as a separate annex within their residence.

“Ah, that reminds me, there’s something I want to say…”

In the midst of walking, a peculiar voice came from Hyle, who had suddenly stopped.

People who had arrived around the same time as us had all quickly entered the party hall, so the surroundings were quiet.

My steps naturally halted due to Hyle stopping.

I met his eyes calmly, wondering what he was going to say after such a buildup, and he soon opened his mouth with a gentle smile.

“Rosiel, you’re beautiful today. More than usual.”

“W-what? Suddenly?”

“Earlier, you said you wouldn’t refuse.”

“You look pretty today. You must have put in some effort.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”

“Feel free to say it if you want. I won’t refuse.”

I wondered what he was talking about, but it seemed to be a continuation of our earlier conversation.

Wasn’t that supposed to be a joke…?

“Still, without any warning…”

It was truly a sudden compliment.

Seeing my embarrassment, Hyle firmly grabbed my wrist as I was backing away, as if he hadn’t finished what he wanted to say.

“I was going to tell you when we met at the mansion, but you got into the carriage, abandoning me.”

“Don’t make statements that could be misunderstood. That wasn’t abandoning, it was ignoring.”

“…Isn’t that more likely to be misunderstood?”

For a moment, Hyle appeared to be contemplating something before releasing my wrist. Then he carefully pulled something out from his garment.

It was a small box of unknown identity… it seemed to contain something.

Hyle held it out to me.