CH 240

Just in case, I asked Jake if he could heal the horses with magic. He tried, but failed.

It seemed that another special magic was needed to heal non-human beings.

“Well, Jake.”

The weather seemed a bit chilly, and the stillness was awkward, so I touched Jake’s fingertips and started talking.

Then Jake glanced back at me, smiled, and took off his coat to cover me.

In an instant, warmth enveloped me.

I looked up at him with a bewildered face.

“What? Why this… … ?”

“Because you look cold.”

Saying that, Jake put my hand together and covered it with his own.

“Ah.”

I didn’t know, but he was right.

I don’t know when it started like this, but my hands were bloodless and cold.

“I should cast a warming spell on the inside of the carriage. What do you think?”

“Great.”

I nodded.

Jake looked at me with warm eyes after he put on the spell.

I felt warmer in his eyes than the robe on my shoulders.

“Yaawn…….”

As my body warmed up, at some point, I started to feel drowsy slowly.

It was because I spent a lot of time in an unfamiliar place today.

At one point, my head dropped without my knowledge.

Every time I opened my eyes, I could see a serene landscape with the magic stones in the carriage softly reflecting on us.

“Are you tired, Mir?”

I heard Jake’s languid voice.

I answered slowly.

“…… yes. you?”

“Me too. Shall we sleep for a while?”

“…… In this carriage?”

Of course, since it was the carriage of Duchy Theion, it was by no means narrow.

It was enough to easily carry about eight adults.

However, since there are seats on each side, it didn’t seem comfortable to sleep.

“Yes. You can lie down on my lap.”

“But…… Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

For you. I omitted the afterword.

Of course, Jake smiled and shook his head as if he understood everything.

“That’s what I like better.”

“Then, I’ll borrow it for a moment.”

I smiled lightly in gratitude and lay down with my head on Jake’s lap.

‘Weird.’

Until I lay down, I thought I was going to get up soon because it was definitely uncomfortable.

‘Why do I keep getting more sleepy? It’s cozy.’

I just closed my eyes for a moment, but before I knew it, I actually fell asleep.

* * *

In the quiet carriage.

Outside, except for the soft moonlight and starlight, it is pitch black.

“…… she fell asleep.”

Jake stared at Emir’s face as she slept soundly on his lap.

He smiled and dimmed the lights in the carriage.

“Mir, how can you look so lovely while sleeping?”

“…….”

It was obvious that she was asleep so she couldn’t hear it, but at the moment, Emir’s fingertips moved slightly.

Jake rearranged Emir’s clothes.

“Do you know, Mir?”

He questioned her.

Of course, no answer came. Only the soft breathing could be heard.

“…….”

“I value you more than anything in this world.”

“…… Mmm.”

Emir’s head moved slightly as if she was talking in her sleep.

Jake patted her hair with a loving hand, and then murmured.

“I will never lose you. I’ll promise.”

“…….”

“Good night, Emir. Have a nice dream.”

Eventually, Jake, too, turned off the lights in the carriage, tired.

In the carriage were two lovers who were asleep.

* * *

“Umm, what time is it now?”

I awoke to the cheerful morning birds chirping, something I never heard in my room in the mansion.

“Huh? Ah…… Come to think of it, the horses were sick yesterday, so they fell asleep here.”

Shaking my head, I got up from my seat.

I saw Jake sleeping with his head leaning against the window.

‘It must have been inconvenient, Jake.’

I felt sorry and grateful at the same time.

I carefully laid him on the carriage seat.

Then I took out a neck pillow from my bag and put it on his neck.

‘I forgot to use it yesterday too.’

Then, after wishing him to sleep comfortably and saying goodbye, I got off the carriage and could see the horses recovered and the coachman returning.

“Ah. Lady Emir, did you sleep well all night?”

“I slept well. The horses look fine. Did you find the antidote after all?”

“Yes, after wandering around the mountains, I finally found an antidote. When I returned, it was already dawn and the two of you were sleeping.”

The coachman replied shyly.

“I feel apologetic to the Lady and Young Master, as I think you must have had an uncomfortable night because of my mistake.”

“Um, it’s okay. It was less uncomfortable than I thought.”

I smiled.

It wasn’t a lie.

Despite sleeping in the carriage, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, and rather refreshed.

‘It was an exciting and cozy night.’

I stretched my arms and smiled.

* * *

Q: Duke Maya, how was it when you first found out that Lady Emir and Lord Jake were dating?

A: It was a shame. I guess I feel a little bit sad.

Q: I heard that you sent a courtship letter to Lady Emir.

A: Oh, the marriage proposal? It was flatly rejected.

Q: Do you still have regrets?

A: Well, what do you think?

Q: …… Whates?

A: Pfft, I’m kidding. Of course there can be no such thing left.

Q: Oh, the Duke has a pretty cool personality.

A: She’s already chosen someone else. I accepted that choice. Even so, if we can remain close friends, isn’t that enough?

-Interview with Maya Tuitte-

* * *

Inside the cozy-looking office.

Hearing the crackling sound of the fireplace, Maya looked out the window.

There was light frost on the windows.

The scenery outside was all white.

At this time of year, whenever it was winter, Maya Tuitte would think back to when he was a child and the estate was completely frozen.

He was lost in thought for a moment with sentimental eyes.

“Your Excellency, what are you thinking?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about the old days.”

Hearing the aide’s voice coming from behind, Maya responded calmly as usual and turned around.

“You’ll have to go to bed early to leave for the empire tomorrow.”

“Right. Have you prepared the pottery and other gifts in advance as instructed?”

“Yes, I have it ready.”

“Yes. Then you should just go. I will go to bed soon too.”

After sending the aide away, Maya pulled out an envelope from the desk drawer.

It was the marriage proposal, sent to her just a few months earlier to coincide with Emir’s debut.

‘Even though I was rejected and it came back like this…….’

How many months have he been rejected?

Actually, he didn’t expect much from the beginning.

Even so, when the marriage proposal, which he did with courage, was lightly rejected, he had a little regret right after.

‘But now is the time to throw away even that piece of regret.’

Not long ago, he found out about Lord Jake and Emir’s relationship.

A few months after he heard they were engaged.

‘She went to find the right match for her, the one she wanted.’

That’s a good thing.

Really.

Maya muttered so quietly.

He smiled and took out the courtship letter that he had carefully written letter by letter from the envelope and lightly skimmed through it.

“I didn’t know when I was writing this, but it seems I liked you too.”

In the courtship letter, not a single one contained personal feelings.

Because there wasn’t even that common word of admiration written on it.

However, he seemed to have enough love for Emir in his past self.

“But, Lady Emir. I don’t want to be an ugly man who gets sullen to Lady, so let’s end things up at this point. My feelings.”

There was still a bit of a lingering left in the tone.

But the next moment, without hesitation, Maya put the entire envelope containing the courtship letter into the fireplace.

Crackle.

The paper that had been soaked with the faint perfume burned and a fragrant smell rose up.

“This is the end, and we are going back to being friends again. Would the Lady want that too?”

For some reason, Maya looked at the burning fire for a while, feeling relieved.

Until the paper becomes ashes and even the ashes are invisible.