Chapter 229
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
She seemed just as impressed by the beautiful scenery as Liana—if not more so.
This was also why Cain didn’t rush the horses, preferring to maintain a relaxed pace.
For the lesser nobility in the provinces, moving to the capital and building power there was often a lifelong dream. Yet, life in the capital was utterly dull and monotonous.
Surrounded by expensive things and treasures, boasting and indulging in rare luxuries, the capital’s life appeared dazzling at a glance but was, in truth, like a frog trapped in a well.
Those who never knew how vast the world was, nor how magnificent nature stretched beyond the capital, and who spent their lives confined within the city walls until death—Cain felt a certain pity for them.
Agatha was no exception. Though she could have been raised with more honor than any other noble in the capital, she was not. Moreover, she had not only been confined within the capital but also deprived of any blessings that should have been hers.
Cain wanted to show all the beautiful things the world had to offer to her. Though his own experiences outside the capital were mostly terrible wars stained with bloodshed, the breathtaking sights he’d seen along the long journey still lingered vividly in his mind.
He had vaguely hoped to show those wonders to Agatha—something he had forgotten during the time when he’d wronged her terribly and been lost in foolish thoughts. Now, at last, he was glad he could share the wide world’s beauty with her.
“Do you like flowers?”
“Hm?”
“Do you like flowers? Your face looks much softer as you gaze outside.”
“Well, I suppose there’s no woman who doesn’t like flowers.”
“So wife… Agatha does like flowers as well.”
Agatha didn’t understand the hidden meaning behind Cain’s question.
He surely wasn’t trying to win her favor with flowers. Why ask something like that? Was he just caught up in some unnecessary sentimentality? Cain Vernat, the man she knew, wasn’t the type to be swayed by such frivolous feelings.
“You seem to have many questions for me.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I don’t have many questions for you.”
“Yes, I know.”
The meaningless brief exchange ended, and Agatha turned her gaze back outside, leaving Cain’s inscrutable expression behind.
It was a warm spring day, the sunshine gently melting even her weary heart.
Could this warmth melt the scars frozen within her?
Following her gaze, Cain also looked at the flowers outside. Somehow, just looking at them, he felt as if the fragrant scent of the blooms brushed against his nose.
The carriage moved on in silence for quite a while.
But no one felt heavy-hearted. Bearing an unexplainable feeling, the carriage continuously rolled toward its destination.
During the night, the carriage stopped and set up a nearby tent. Cain’s newly established rule for the journey to Arta was to travel only during the day.
After a full night’s rest, the horses pulled the procession more efficiently during the daylight hours, and the knights replenished their strength with proper food and sleep.
Unlike the central capital region or the fiercely contested northwest, the southwest was rich in sights to see, thanks to its warm climate. Agatha marveled at plants she’d only seen in books.
When she encountered flowers she didn’t know, she enjoyed the scenery alongside Charlotte’s explanations—Charlotte having lived in the south for a long time.
It was the most peaceful time since Cain and Agatha had been together.
There had been no such peace even after their engagement was announced and Agatha began living at the Marquis’s estate. She had always carried anxiety, unsure when or where the Calvino family’s threats might strike, and her relationship with Cain was strained.
The happy month she spent with Cain in Arta had ended too quickly and contributed greatly to dragging her into despair. She tried to erase those memories from her mind.
Now, free from past suffering and no longer trying to impress a fake husband, this was Agatha’s most peaceful moment.
Cain’s heart was also calmer than ever while watching her. He knew she still kept her distance, but he was simply grateful to be with her.
If things stayed like this, they could live together for as long as they wished—perhaps even a lifetime—so long as she didn’t completely push him away…
“Ah.”
Cain, who had been tracing the soft line of Agatha’s nose with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, startled by an unusual movement in the carriage. Instinctively, he reached out toward Agatha.
The driver suddenly halted the carriage. Liana, startled by the sudden stop, let out a short scream and instinctively grabbed Agatha.
“What’s going on?”
Lehman, following on horseback, approached the carriage. Sensing a possible danger, Cain asked Lehman about the situation through the window.
“Commander, you’ll need to dismount for a moment.”
“I asked what’s going on.”
“Well… there’s someone there.”
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