Chapter 198
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“You can carry me for as long as you take a nap. How about that? Tempting, isn’t it?”
He found my trick amusing enough to laugh but didn’t seem tempted.
“If we do that, we won’t reach today’s goal.”
“Ow… it hurts…”
“Your feet hurt?”
See?
I just slightly frowned and muttered to myself, and he immediately stopped walking, led me to the shade of a tree by the roadside, and sat me down.
‘If I were really hurt, I’d rest right away.’
In the end, I lied to buy him some time to sleep. He seemed suspicious but didn’t push further against my stubborn feigned illness. He laid his head on my thigh and tried to enforce our already-made deal.
“So later, I’ll carry you for as long as I sleep.”
“You said you weren’t making deals earlier.”
“I never said that.”
“Isn’t that the roundabout way nobles talk?”
He widened his eyes and burst out laughing. Meeting his fresh smile, I almost forgot we were fleeing for our lives and thought we were just leisurely on a picnic. My heart raced and throbbed, so I put on a deliberately stern expression.
“Close your eyes now.”
At last, his eyes, the color of fresh leaves above my head, slipped behind his eyelids. His bright smile slowly faded away until it vanished completely.
As he fell asleep, I watched his face quietly. The gentle breeze shook the leaves, and the sunlight filtering through shifted constantly. His face, painted with light and shadow, seemed to change every moment.
There was no time to be bored. Maybe it wasn’t a lie when he said he spent the whole night watching my face and forgot both time and fatigue.
Whoosh.
“Gasp…”
I too lost track of time, only snapping out of it when a strong wind rattled the branches overhead.
“Oh…”
A leaf fluttered down from the air, and of all places, it landed on the bridge of his nose. I quickly brushed it away so as not to wake him and shaded his eyes from the glaring sunlight with my hand.
“Dana.”
Despite my efforts, the man who’d fallen asleep called out to me with his eyes closed.
“Yes?”
I answered reflexively, and he smiled contentedly before telling me why he called.
“Just…”
“Just?”
“I just wanted to call you.”
His trivial words were utterly absurd.
“Go back to sleep now.”
When he tried to open his eyes, I covered them firmly with my hand. He pulled it away and kissed my palm. The ticklish kiss slowed down and stopped after the third one.
‘I wish when I open my eyes again, I’m in this man’s home…’
Watching the man fall back asleep, I lost track of time again but apparently not my fatigue.
A sudden animal cry startled me wide awake. Only then did I realize I had fallen asleep.
I hurriedly raised my head and looked toward the sound—there was a cart slowly approaching, drawn by a donkey. The man heard it too and opened his eyes wide, sitting up before I could even wake him.
I quickly gathered our things and tried to hide, but it was too late.
“Good day.”
The coachman stopped the cart before us and greeted us. While the man gave a brief reply, I quickly turned my head and put on my mask. The bruise on my left cheek would make it easier for him to remember me.
“Where are you going?”
I thought the coachman would just exchange greetings and pass by, but he didn’t leave.
“It’s not far from here.”
“There’s only one road here anyway, and I pass the monastery where I live. I’ll give you a ride that far.”
Only then did I notice the coachman’s robes. He was a monk.
I wanted to refuse but worried it might look suspicious. Besides, the sun had nearly set while I’d dozed off, making me anxious. Also, a monk living isolated in a monastery might not know about the wanted notices for a black-haired man and a blonde woman.
In the end, we accepted the ride to the monastery.
“Are you a married couple?”
“Yes.”
The monk kept talking as he drove, but only the man answered.
“You seem new around here.”
“We’re just passing through.”
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