Chapter 29
After a brief moment admiring the view, the two of them made their way to the wooden dock where the boats were tied. When a servant approached to row for them, Cairn waved him away and personally untied the rope securing the boat to the post.
Cairn stepped into the small rowing boat first and then held out his hand to Lilien, who lingered uncertainly on the dock. She just stared at him, not moving.
“Are you scared?”
“No!”
Cairn saw straight through her—Lilien jumped, startled that he’d guessed her feelings so easily, which only made him more certain.
“If you’re not scared, why aren’t you getting in?”
“I’m just… waiting for the boat to stabilize. What if it tips over?”
The boat was swaying, ever so slightly.
“It’s already steady.”
“It’s still… wobbling a bit!”
“Lily, it’ll always move a little, unless the whole lake dries up. Are you planning to wait that long?”
Out of excuses, Lilien opened her mouth to protest, then clamped it shut.
“Are you really that nervous? I’ll catch you. Just trust me and come down.”
He wiggled his outstretched hand encouragingly. Lilien stepped closer to the boat.
“Climbing a tree is way harder, you know.”
Cairn’s teasing voice softened, coaxing her on. Unable to resist, she finally took a little leap and landed in the boat.
“Ahh—!”
She let out a ridiculous little yelp as her body pitched forward. Startled, Cairn caught her, steadying her in a brief, awkward embrace. Embarrassed, Lilien quickly stepped back and separated herself.
“…I’m fine now.”
“Sit down, carefully.”
She edged backward until she could settle onto the cushioned seat. Cairn pulled the oars out of their rests and began to row at a relaxed pace.
“How’s the sunlight?”
“There are enough clouds—it’s not too strong.”
The gentle sun on her face put Lilien in a good mood. She removed her bonnet, decorated with a ribbon, and set it near the stern.
The sound of the oars parting the calm water was soothing. Droplets sparkled in the air whenever the blade broke the surface.
Secretly, Lilien found herself staring at Cairn’s forearms, revealed by his rolled-up sleeves. The sturdy oars looked almost delicate in comparison to his strong arms. Every time he pulled and pushed, his forearms tensed, veins standing out against his skin. Without realizing it, Lilien’s mouth went a bit dry.
Cairn caught her watching and asked,
“Do you want to try rowing?”
She couldn’t exactly confess she’d been staring at his arms, so she nodded as casually as she could.
“Here you go. Careful—it can splash. No, hold it like this, see?”
Cairn handed her an oar without thinking much of it, but when Lilien gripped it clumsily, like a child holding a fork, he gently arranged her fingers, showing her the proper grip.
“Like this?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
Before she realized it, he’d crouched down in front of her, his hands warm and steady over hers as he guided her through the motions.
“You don’t need to dip it too deep, just match the rhythm.”
The boat started gliding forward, slowly.
“Try to use equal strength on both oars—otherwise you’ll change direction.”
Once he sensed she’d gotten the hang of it, Cairn let go and let Lilien try rowing by herself. She wasn’t very skilled, but he never lost patience, calmly guiding her with gentle instructions whenever she made a mistake.
By the time they’d gone halfway around the lake, she’d just about gotten the rhythm.
“You’re pretty good at this.”
“Really? I am?”
“You’re a natural.”
Even though the compliment was clearly exaggerated, Lilien was delighted and burst out laughing. Seeing the sweat beading on her forehead, Cairn gently took the oars back from her.
“It’s tiring—let’s take turns.”
From that point, he insisted on handling the rowing until they reached the dock, only letting her try again when she begged for one last turn near the end.
As they strolled along the lakeshore afterward, Lilien’s skirt fluttered lightly in the breeze.
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