Chapter 161
Lynette sat in a corner of the dining hall, absently fiddling with the cup filled with warm tea.
After being told not to get involved in what Euphen and Eshar were doing, all she could do here was kill time.
Resting comfortably was fine for a day or two, but being stuck here all the time was getting tiresome.
Because Euphen and Eshar were busy digging into the current Count’s background, she rarely even got to see their faces.
Sillian seemed to welcome that situation, but Lynette didn’t find it enjoyable.
If they were all going to act separately like this, was there really any need to bother traveling together?
‘Well. Even so, it’s not as if they’re going to ask anything of me.’
If she tried to get involved, who knows when or where danger might arise.
It’s certain that they would absolutely hate it when that happens.
Lynette took a small sip of the hot tea.
Having stayed in the inn the whole time, she felt restless.
When she had been hiding in the inn with Sillian, it hadn’t been this boring, so why was it so hard to endure now?
‘Was it because I was too scared back then to feel bored?’
Whenever she left the inn, she never knew when or where an attack might come, so out of fear, she had chosen to stay hidden. But now, it wasn’t as if there was anything particularly threatening.
Maybe it would be fine to go out.
Lynette frowned a little as she thought it over. Of course, that didn’t mean she planned to wander around carelessly.
She didn’t want to worry them like that.
‘Once I finish my tea, I should go to Sillian.’
If she said she wanted to go out, he would probably insist on going with her.
If she said she wanted to go alone, would he let her?
Since no assassins had appeared lately, he might actually agree.
As Lynette blew lightly on the hot tea and took a big sip, she noticed a familiar silhouette coming down the stairs.
“Sillian.”
Speak of the devil.
When she waved and called out to him, Sillian strode over.
He sat down across from her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You must be bored.”
The man spoke while letting out a light laugh.
His words, as if he could read her mind, made Lynette smile awkwardly.
“Would you like some tea? It’s pretty good.”
“I’m fine.”
A brief silence followed.
“Um, Sillian.”
“Yes?”
“Can I go out?”
At that question, Sillian answered without even thinking deeply.
“Where do you wish to go?”
“It’s not that I want to go anywhere in particular…”
How was she supposed to say she wanted to go alone?
After hesitating for a moment, she ended up rambling a bit.
“There hasn’t been any trouble lately, so I thought maybe it would be okay to go out by myself. You probably have things you need to do too.”
“I don’t.”
His firm reply left her momentarily speechless.
As Lynette’s lips parted soundlessly, the man watching her let out a chuckle.
“So what you mean is… you want to go out alone?”
“Yes.”
She almost added, ‘If not, it’s fine to go together’, but stopped herself.
If she said that, he would definitely insist on coming along.
“You must not go anywhere dangerous.”
“Of course.”
“If you see anyone suspicious, you need to return to the inn immediately.”
“I’ll let you know right away.”
The way he spoke sounded like he was scolding a child, but rather than complaining, Lynette nodded earnestly.
“And don’t stay out too late.”
“I’m planning to come back around evening.”
Sillian stared at her quietly.
“Thank you for not going out on your own without telling me.”
“You’d worry.”
At that, the man smiled brightly, as if just the mere fact that she cared was more than enough for him.
“If it’s all right, I’d like to go out together next time.”
“Alright.”
Lynette answered obediently.
He even pressed quite a lot of money into her hands, saying she would need it when going out. She told him she only planned to look around, but Sillian insisted it would be good for her to buy anything she wanted.
In the end, after receiving a considerable amount of money and leaving the inn, she tightly gripped the heavy pouch in her hand for no real reason.
‘Having a lot of money makes me feel uneasy instead.’
She had never carried so much before.
Before coming to the Imperial Castle, she had been so poor that even eating a single loaf of bread a day was difficult, and after arriving at the Imperial Castle, she had never held ‘money’ with her own hands.
Everything she needed to live had always been prepared in front of her naturally.
Even after they left on their journey, Sillian had handled everything.
Lynette had nothing to begin with.
Lost in thought, she made her way past the front of the inn.
Since the inn is located on a fairly busy street, there were many people around. It wasn’t quite like the cities near the Imperial Castle, but she could still tell that it’s a considerably large town.
‘Do people even know what happened to their lord?’
Despite the Count’s family being in utter chaos, the residents of the territory seemed peaceful.
Lynette looked around.
She had wanted to go out, but because she didn’t have any particular purpose, nothing really caught her eye.
She didn’t know how long she walked like that.
Eventually, she left the street lined with shops.
She planned to turn back if it seemed dangerous, but since she’s in broad daylight and the wide road continued straight ahead, she didn’t feel afraid at all.
After hesitating for a moment, she continued onward.
Walking down a quiet path felt quite nice.
Maybe it was because she had never strolled around a village so leisurely before.
Walking through the perfectly manicured gardens of the Imperial Castle was lovely, but enjoying a simple, unadorned landscape like this was also pleasant.
Lynette lifted her hand to block her eyes from the warmly shining sunlight.
Perhaps because the breeze is rather cool, she didn’t feel hot at all.
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