Chapter 17
017
For a moment, Henesstia didn’t fully process what he’d said—but then her face flushed bright red in an instant.
“Th-that kind of—!”
Her voice almost rose, but she barely managed to suppress it under the weight of all the watching eyes.
Flustered, she quickly pulled his hand away and began to ramble.
“So, it’s decided then, right? I’ll… I’ll go ahead!”
How could he say something like that out here…! She wasn’t sure if the others had heard his quiet whisper, but the words still lingered vividly in her ears.
As she clutched her ear and turned to leave the tent, Riad jerked his chin.
“Bron.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll escort the lady.”
Just as before, Bron moved to follow behind her, but Henesstia couldn’t bring herself to focus on him right now.
Are we really going to be sharing the same tent… the whole time?
The rough road ahead, the possible bandits—they all seemed like meaningless concerns now, blown away by a single sentence.
Still pressing her fingertip to her tingling earlobe, Henesstia stepped out of the tent—only to lock eyes with a man nearby, crouched and polishing an oddly shaped sword.
“Oh, you’re out already? Did you… make your decision?”
It was Edin—the knight who had left earlier.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Henesstia spoke without even thinking.
“Yes… thanks to you. But, um… why are you out here?”
Normally, she wouldn’t have asked a question like that so casually, but it slipped out before she could stop herself. Her lips clamped shut in embarrassment.
Edin blinked a little at the question, then gave her a somewhat ambiguous smile.
Scratching the back of his neck, he looked around awkwardly.
“Well…”
He trailed off, and that alone was enough to make it clear he had no intention of answering.
Henesstia blinked up at him, quietly watching.
His pink hair kept drawing her eyes—it had been a long time since she’d seen someone with that color, other than herself or Heron.
Noticing her gaze, Edin lifted a few strands of his shoulder-length hair and offered a small smile.
Only then did Henesstia realize she’d been staring, quite rudely at that. She chose to bow her head slightly in silent apology rather than try to explain herself, and then moved on with Bron at her side.
* * *
Truthfully, Henesstia didn’t even need to prepare.
She had nothing to prepare with.
Because of that, she could afford to eat at her own pace and take her time changing—far more leisurely than anyone else.
“There’s… too much.”
Her breakfast included roast turkey, potato salad, pickled fish, and more.
They’d brought her the same meal the knights had eaten, and honestly, it had nearly made her gasp aloud.
It was the kind of food you’d expect at a dinner banquet, not for breakfast. It was too heavy, too much to handle.
She was sure that if she ate all of it, she’d end up throwing everything up not long after getting in the carriage. In the end, she shut her eyes tight and asked for a simpler meal.
“Just some pickled olives and dried figs will be enough.”
The village woman Bron had brought to assist her returned quickly with the requested food.
“Will this be enough for your meal?”
“…Plenty.”
Even then, Henesstia only managed to eat about half. She dabbed at her lips with a napkin, her stomach already feeling off.
‘I should eat more while I can.’
It was a habit from her time at the Baron’s estate—forcing herself to eat whenever food was available. She was debating whether to force down another bite when she noticed the woman hesitating nervously in the corner.
Their eyes met, and the woman gave a small, awkward smile.
“D-Did you finish eating?”
Clearly, the noblewoman she’d been assigned to so suddenly was making her nervous.
And truthfully, Henesstia had been just as uncomfortable with a stranger, pretending not to notice her at all. But seeing the woman’s expression—like she was on the verge of tears—made her feel oddly silly for it.
‘She’s probably even more overwhelmed than I am.’
Setting her fork down, Henesstia made a quiet request.
“Could you… brush my hair?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes—of course!”
The brushing was clumsy.
Maybe it was because she’d relaxed after seeing Henesstia’s soft smile, but the woman began to speak more freely as she worked.
“When the knights suddenly arrived yesterday, the whole village was thrilled! You know, when the knights come, we don’t have to worry about wild animals or raiders as much. And then…”
Even through the awkward combing and the nervous sweat, Henesstia could feel the woman genuinely trying to match her pace—and it had been a long time since she’d felt that kind of warmth from another person.
So she listened quietly.
“The man who came with you yesterday… that’s your husband, right?”
Henesstia had just taken a sip of tea and ended up swallowing it all at once, unable to savor it.
“I-I mean the one you were riding with. He is your husband, right?”
A more traditional noblewoman might’ve snapped, accusing the girl of speaking as if she’d dredged gossip from the mud. But instead, hot tea rushed down Henesstia’s throat, warming her from the inside.
“…Yes. He’s my husband.”
Even though they’d been married a year, calling herself someone’s wife still felt unnatural. Henesstia set her teacup down.
If she drank any more, she’d probably get sick just from the tea.
“I thought so! I saw the two of you on your way back yesterday—he looked so dashing…! There’s no one like that in the village. No, honestly, I don’t even expect someone like him—but if even one of the knights staying here were half as handsome, I’d have dragged him to the altar myself!”
Henesstia had never encountered this kind of honesty before. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she simply watched the woman chatter away through the mirror.
“You must be so happy to have a husband like that.”
The woman’s innocent smile made Henesstia return a faint smile of her own.
And in doing so, the woman didn’t realize that Henesstia hadn’t actually answered that statement.
‘I… don’t have the right to even speak of happiness.’
It had been so long since she’d known what happiness even felt like. Closing her eyes, Henesstia listened quietly as the woman kept talking, letting her voice drift around her like a lullaby.
* * *
When Bron came to tell her it was time to depart, Henesstia stepped outside—and froze in her tracks, stopping a few paces away.
“My lady? Is something wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
The area was bustling with movement. Horses and knights swarmed the grounds, and between them, two carriages stood out brilliantly.
One was for cargo.
The other—clearly—was meant for her.
And in front of that carriage stood Riad. He had been leaning against it casually, but upon spotting Henesstia, he straightened up.
‘Was he… waiting for me?’
The gazes of the surrounding knights pricked at her like needles.
She started walking toward Riad, slowly pushing through their eyes, step by step.
There weren’t just a few of them—at least a dozen pairs of eyes followed her. Their attention pressed down like a weight, threatening to flatten her.
It felt like walking between massive boulders, each step heavy, and pretending not to notice was exhausting.
They said the Ingel house had more knights than servants—and already she worried how she’d manage to live there.
‘I can’t let myself look weak.’
Beneath her dress, her legs trembled so hard they could’ve collapsed beneath her. But she gritted her teeth and repeated that thought like a shield.
When she reached the carriage, Riad extended a hand toward her—gloved in black.
His gesture was so smooth, so natural, that Henesstia hesitated only a moment before taking it.
“……”
The pressure that had felt so overwhelming only moments ago suddenly eased.
He gently pulled her closer. She let him, stepping toward him without resistance.
Her toes stopped just in front of his polished shoes.
“As we agreed earlier, we won’t be taking the main road. It’ll be rough—so if anything feels off, say so immediately.”
“…Yes. I’ll be fine.”
Still holding his hand, she climbed into the carriage. She’d been escorted countless times in her life, but this felt different.
He didn’t shut the door right away. Instead, he stood there, watching her as she took her seat.
His gaze lingered long enough for her to wonder if something was wrong. She reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Then he turned away.
“I’ll be up front. Can’t ride beside you this time.”
“What? Oh—yes. I know.”
“Bron will stay near the carriage. If you need anything, call him.”
…That courteous, but uncomfortably perceptive knight.
As Henesstia reached up and began twirling the ends of her hair—the same way the village girl had brushed it—she gave a short, careful reply, trying not to betray her nerves.
“Understood.”
Compared to the ride from the Count’s estate to the Baron’s, this was a far more luxurious situation…
But somehow, it already felt like the journey home would be even longer. And even harder.
* * *
It was exhausting.
Henesstia praised herself for choosing a light breakfast, pressing a hand to her queasy stomach as she tried to endure the discomfort.
Clatter—!
“…Ugh.”
The carriage jolted again. Despite sitting upright with perfect posture, her upper body pitched forward.
Just the thought of enduring this for several more days made her head throb.
They did take breaks here and there, but she couldn’t afford to show any signs of fatigue—so all she could do was endure. They had only just departed; it wouldn’t do to be the first one groaning.
“If you’re uncomfortable, my lady, please don’t hesitate to let me know,” Bron said, matching pace beside the carriage on horseback.
But all she could do was answer that she was fine.
While she suffered through this, Riad was far ahead, riding at the front, cutting through the path before anyone else.
At this point, Henesstia wasn’t sure he even felt like a real human anymore.
‘…His stamina is something else.’
The seats, true to the Ingel house’s prestige, were plush. The noise was minimal, and the jolts weren’t even that severe.
Still, no carriage was completely smooth—her body could feel every vibration creeping through her bones.
“Just a little longer… Just hold on…”
And so she endured, until at last the sky was painted in shades of orange and red—sunset.
The long day was finally coming to a close.
Knights jumped down from their horses and began setting up camp, and the carriage wheels—constantly turning—finally came to a stop.
As night fell, campfires were lit, and preparations for overnight rest began.
Henesstia sat still, resisting the urge to sink to the ground, watching the knights work with practiced ease out of the corner of her eye.
They didn’t seem any more comfortable than she was. And if any of them accidentally met her eyes, they quickly turned away—as if scrambling to escape her gaze.
Everyone was avoiding everyone else.
I want to go to the tent…
She scanned the area, searching for Riad.
Then she spotted him—leaping down from his horse in one smooth motion, striding forward.
She recognized him right away—she’d been searching for him, after all.
Among this sea of strangers, he was the only one that felt remotely familiar. Her heart lifted at the sight.
Just as she began to smooth her clothes and raise her head, their eyes met in midair.
He stopped walking.
Henesstia tilted her head slightly, confused.
The flickering firelight reflected in his golden eyes, casting shifting shadows across his gaze as it locked onto her.
“Henesstia. Come here.”
Thanks to the near-silence—no small talk from the knights, not even murmurs—his voice rang out clearly across the camp.
Only then did Henesstia move her feet, which had felt rooted to the ground since she’d first stepped down from the carriage.
