Chapter 49
Cairn stared at Lilien for a long moment, then finally gave a resigned nod.
“All right, let’s go together.”
Without a single sigh or complaint, he grabbed a large umbrella for them both.
“Think you can walk all the way to the stables, or should I carry you?”
His tone was so dead serious that for a moment, Lilien almost believed him—but she quickly caught onto his real intention.
“I might be a crybaby, but I’m not an idiot. You’re just teasing me now.”
Still a teary-eyed scaredy-cat, Lilien refused to be carried and instead clung tightly to his arm, walking close by his side.
Once they reached the stable, Cairn put the horse away, loosening the reins and piling plenty of hay in the feed trough. Lilien, who’d always been a little afraid of horses, stood back and watched from a safe distance.
“Let’s go back inside.”
Lilien quickly slipped under his arm, hugging his side.
“Cairn, are you still mad at me?”
It was a little late, but she needed to know if their friendship was still okay.
“No.”
Hearing that, Lilien felt a weight lift from her shoulders as they left the stable.
“That’s a relief.”
Under the tilted umbrella, the two of them walked along a path dotted with fallen violet petals. Even when water splashed up on her ankles, it couldn’t ruin Lilien’s mood.
* * *
The scent of double cherry blossoms drifted in through the window. Lying side by side, the two of them simply held hands—nothing more. Lilien stared up at the ceiling with wide, restless eyes, then turned her head to look at Cairn.
“Cairn, how did you know to come find me?”
After hearing from Matilda that the Count was away, Cairn had rushed out on horseback in the pouring rain to reach her. Baltan might have been a relatively safe city, but the De Bermore estate was remote, and he was worried.
“Just… a feeling.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“You’re definitely not an idiot.”
Cairn had been planning to send a letter to the count, asking to finalize their engagement while things at the De Bermore house were still in chaos—but with the lord of the house absent, that would have to wait.
He knew the Count would marry them off in a heartbeat if he asked, even if it went against Lilien’s wishes. The count would do it, convinced it was for her own good, regardless of what she wanted.
Cairn, on the other hand, wanted to be the one person in her life who actually respected her wishes. But he was perfectly willing to let the Count do the dirty work if it got him what he wanted.
Whether she understood any of this or not, Lilien was much chattier than usual that night.
“I can’t sleep.”
“With all that talking, how could you possibly be sleepy?”
At his playful scolding, Lilien sighed deeply—the smell of alcohol lingering in her breath.
Cairn wanted to scold her for drinking alone the first night she was left in the house, but given everything that had happened, he held his tongue.
Suddenly, she let go of his hand, jumped out of bed, and went over to the window. He heard her feet dragging on the floor.
When he sat up and looked over, he saw her grab the brandy bottle sitting on the windowsill.
“What are you doing?”
Startled, Cairn rushed over and caught her wrist, but not before she’d managed to drink quite a bit. There was only a little left in the bottle.
“Drinking.”
The belated word sounded very pleased with herself.
“You’re really something…”
Cairn snatched the bottle from her and set it on the floor.
He scooped her up in his arms, and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. Her warm breath brushed against his jaw, and the usual floral scent clung to her skin.
“Cairn, have you ever been drunk?”
Her fingers playing absently with his hair, almost as if she wanted to test his patience.
“I’ve had to drink with some old businessmen before—pretended to enjoy it for their sake.”
He gently laid her down on the bed.
“Old men…”
Suddenly, for no clear reason, her blue eyes shimmered with tears, catching the faint light from the lamp on the windowsill.
Cairn was surprised, but did his best to keep his voice calm and soothing.
“Hey, why are you crying? Everything’s going to be okay, Lilien.”
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