Chapter 140
“It looks good on you.”
“…Sillian.”
“If you don’t like it, we can look for another one.”
“Are you really telling me to wear this while traveling?”
“There’s no rule saying one must wear only sturdy clothes just because it’s a journey, is there?”
He began sorting through the clothes again.
“I thought wearing something pretty might help lift your spirits.”
At those words, she pressed her lips tightly together.
‘So it’s because I’ve been down this whole time.’
A faint sense of guilt pricked her.
She really had to stop thinking about Euphen.
Her gaze lingered quietly on Sillian’s smiling profile.
It struck her again.
How he was doing his best to make her feel better.
Lynette ran her hand over the clothes he had chosen.
The soft fabric brushed smoothly against her fingers.
It was true that if she wore this all day on horseback, it would soon wear out, but she was grateful for his thoughtfulness.
Just as he said, perhaps wearing something nice might make her feel a little happier.
“I like this one.”
“This one looks nice as well.”
He picked up another outfit, one accented with a pink ribbon.
Lynette gave a faint smile and nodded.
“That one’s nice too.”
“Which do you prefer? No, actually, it would be better to buy both.”
“No, I don’t need two sets.”
“I can’t decide.”
Sillian gave a quiet laugh.
Lynette pointed to the first one he had chosen.
“I’ll take this one.”
“You don’t like this one, then?”
“Buying too many will only become a burden.”
When he showed no sign of giving up, she snatched the clothes from his hand and hung them back on the rack.
“Then how about buying a ribbon that matches this outfit?”
“Do we really have to buy more?”
“I’d like to.”
He handed the clothes to the clerk, then walked over to a display stand filled with ribbons.
They seemed to be made from leftover fabric.
An endless array of colorful ribbons.
“The embroidery on the sleeves earlier was of fruit, so…”
Sillian looked unusually serious.
After carefully examining the ribbons, he chose one in a matching shade, embroidered with a small fruit at the end.
“This one seems to suit it best.”
“All right, let’s go with that.”
Lynette gave a faint laugh.
Was it that he enjoyed seeing her dressed up, or that he simply liked shopping itself?
Or was he just trying hard to cheer her up?
‘He’s trying to make me feel better, of course.’
After all that had happened, she had been practically confined to the inn.
It was only natural that Sillian would be worried, especially since she had even fallen ill.
Shaking off her lingering thoughts, Lynette did her best to respond to his efforts.
Following his suggestions, she held different ribbons up to her hair, and picked out whatever looked pretty to look over more closely.
Instead of telling her to take them home, Sillian suggested she try changing into the new outfit, and so she obediently did.
The size didn’t fit perfectly at first, but after a few quick adjustments, it fit as if it were made for her.
“It suits you well.”
He approached with a gentle smile, picking up the ribbon he had chosen earlier.
“Would it be all right if I tied it for you?”
When she nodded, his long fingers brushed lightly through her hair, gathering it neatly halfway up before tying the ribbon at the back.
Perhaps because he himself had long hair, his touch was unexpectedly skilled.
Turning her head this way and that in front of the mirror, Lynette smiled at him.
“I like it, Sillian. Thank you. For the clothes and the ribbon.”
‘And for trying to cheer me up.’
She swallowed those last words.
The two of them left the shop with lighter expressions.
Next, they stopped by a general store to browse through random trinkets, and afterward, she bought a comfortable pair of shoes at a shoe shop.
As she became absorbed in looking at all sorts of things, her thoughts gradually began to fade away.
How many hours had passed since they came out?
When she finally noticed, the faint light of dusk had already fallen.
“What would you like for dinner?”
“Anything’s fine. As long as it’s not the inn’s.”
The man gave a soft laugh.
After a bit of looking around, the two entered a restaurant bustling with people.
“Let’s hope the food tastes good.”
He murmured quietly as he looked over the menu.
“If there are this many people, it probably isn’t bad.”
Lynette replied lightly.
Once they placed their order, Sillian simply watched her in silence.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
She touched her cheek awkwardly and smiled sheepishly.
He laughed in response.
“Do you feel a bit better now?”
“…Yes. It was fun. Thank you for the gift.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“What about you, Sillian?”
At her question, he tilted his head slightly.
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes. I enjoyed it enough.”
That made her feel a little relieved.
Perhaps it was just a polite answer, but his voice sounded lighter than usual.
Before long, their food arrived.
Just as she brought the first spoonful of soup to her lips, the loud chatter from the next table suddenly caught her ear.
‘…I think I just heard the name Euphen.’
She pretended not to notice, but her attention was already drawn there.
She tried to tell herself it must be about someone else with the same name, but she already knew that was impossible.
His name was far from common.
“They say that Prince Euphen is dead.”
At those words, Lynette’s spoon slipped from her hand with a sharp clatter.
Soup splashed across the table.
“Lynette?”
Sillian called her name in alarm, but she couldn’t hear a thing.
Without thinking, she rose from her seat and hurried toward the next table.
“What… did you just say?”
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