Chapter 82

The next day.

 

I descended the stairs in a half-dazed state, following the sound of Winnie’s voice waking me up with the reminder that I needed to eat before taking my medicine.

 

Winnie sat me down at a table and said, “Hurry and eat, My Lady. Surprisingly, they’re actually quite good at cooking here.”

 

The steaming vegetable soup was indeed delicious. As I was nearly finishing the bowl, the sound of someone descending the stairs caught my attention. I turned to see Sir Derek, his face covered in red spots.

 

“We should never come back to this place,” he muttered, his expression filled with disgust and dissatisfaction.

 

“What happened to Sir Derek last night?” I whispered to Winnie in a voice so small it was barely audible.

 

“I heard a bug crawled out of his bed,” she whispered back.

 

“A bug?”

 

“Yes! A tiny one, about the size of a fingernail!”

 

Winnie’s giggles caught Derek’s attention. Realizing we were talking about him, he glared at us with eyes full of indignation.

 

“I told you, Miss Winnie! It was the size of my palm! My palm!”

 

Derek shuddered as if the memory alone made his skin crawl.

 

“Maybe the size of a cat’s palm,” Winnie countered.

 

“Miss Winnie!”

 

I flinched at the volume of his voice. Winnie simply covered her ears and stuck her tongue out, causing Derek’s face to turn a mottled red in an instant.

 

“The body was small, but if you include the legs, it was definitely the size of a palm!”

 

“And yet,” Winnie added, “you came to me in the middle of the night asking me to catch it for you?”

 

“T-that’s because… Miss Winnie was the only one I could ask for help!”

 

I imagined this mountain of a man, terrified of a bug, clutching his pillow and seeking out Winnie in the dead of night.

 

Pfft.

 

I couldn’t hold back a leak of laughter. Derek’s gaze shifted from indignation to wounded resentment.

 

“Surely, Lady Lilithia, you don’t think I’m some sort of coward!”

 

Sir Derek was sharper than he looked. I thought I had kept a straight face, but he had seen right through me. I wiped the smile from my face and shrugged.

 

“It’s a complete misunderstanding.”

 

Derek’s lips moved as if he had much more to say, but he eventually let out a sigh that seemed to sink into the floor.

 

“…It’s really not like that.”

 

“Yes, I believe you, Sir Derek,” Winnie said in a tone that suggested she didn’t believe him at all. Derek grumbled to himself about how a knight—a mid-level knight, no less—couldn’t possibly be afraid of bugs. Ignoring him, Winnie handed me two glass vials.

 

One was the medicine from the healer, and the other was a pinkish liquid. Looking at the pink medicine, I had a bad feeling, and as expected, I was right.

 

‘This is absolutely disgusting!’

 

The motion sickness medicine started out sweet with a fruity flavor, but the aftertaste was a horrific, tongue-numbing bitterness. I thought the ordeal was over once I swallowed it, but an artificial strawberry scent rose back up from my stomach, sending shivers all the way to my fingers and toes. The taste was so appalling my eyes nearly popped out of my head. It was exactly the taste of that strawberry-syrup cold medicine from childhood.

 

“They say it’s made with raspberry juice, so everyone—young and old—takes it easily,” Winnie remarked.

 

People actually like this? I stared at the empty bottle, unable to believe it.

 

“The apothecary makes it using a secret method passed down through generations. They take great pride in it.”

 

“It better be effective…”

 

If I endured this horrific taste and the results were mediocre, I might actually cry out of sheer resentment.

 

“My Lady, this one too.”

 

There was one more vial of the foul medicine left. I gulped it down with all my might, my face contorting involuntarily.

 

“Water…”

 

Even though one dose was supposed to be a complete cure, they strangely recommended taking it consistently. I tried to hypnotize myself into thinking it was something healthy, like herbal medicine, but I just couldn’t get used to the taste. I hurriedly drank the water Winnie handed me, but a subtle hollowness remained.

 

‘…If Freyer were here, he would have given me a lemon candy.’

 

Because we had left in such a hurry, I hadn’t had the chance to tell Freyer. Just as I was beginning to regret not leaving even a short note, I shook my head vigorously.

 

‘What am I thinking? Lilithia Baimery, you decided to distance yourself from Freyer.’

 

Yet, a corner of my heart was questioning the necessity of it, and my emotions and reason were at war. If it hadn’t been for those lemon candies—if I hadn’t experienced that sweetness—perhaps my heart wouldn’t be wavering like this.

 

‘It’s all because of the lemon candies.’

 

I missed the refreshing taste that had brightened my mouth. Swallowing my bitter saliva, I climbed back into the carriage.

 

 

***

 

 

The strawberry-flavored motion sickness medicine was tragically ineffective.

 

“Should I ask them to stop for a moment…?”

 

“No… I’m okay.”

 

I felt like screaming for them to just leave me on the side of the road, but I clenched my teeth, knowing we couldn’t delay the schedule any further. Hearing Winnie’s worried voice from inside, Sir Derek opened the window and asked.

 

“There happens to be a lake nearby. Why don’t we take a break there?”

 

“That would be for the best.”

 

The carriage slowed down, and with Winnie’s guidance, I managed to sit on a rock overlooking the lake. Though the temperature was shifting rapidly due to the changing terrain, a cool breeze was blowing, characteristic of early autumn. Winnie went back to the carriage, saying she would bring something to cover me with.

 

‘This is a problem.’

 

This was already the second time the schedule had been delayed due to my motion sickness. I grew anxious thinking that a ten-day trip might end up taking over a month.

 

“Should I take a gate from the next village?”

 

It was expensive, but as they say, time is money; buying time might be the better choice. But then I remembered the merchant guild’s balance after paying the rent and wages. Following the wave of cancellations, the guild had to tighten its belt. Plus, the luggage my father had packed was a hindrance. The only Gate capable of transporting a wagon was at the Magic Tower headquarters.

 

I had no choice but to endure. To settle my nausea, I pressed firmly on the pressure point between my thumb and forefinger.

 

“It’s probably best to keep an empty stomach to avoid the queasiness.”

 

That seemed like the best plan.

 

Warm sunlight reflected off the lake, and I squinted against the glare. Just then, a cozy cloak was draped over my shoulders.

 

“Thanks, Winnie.”

 

Thump.

 

I felt someone sit down beside me. My eyes were still under attack by the bright light and wouldn’t open yet. But… this didn’t feel like Winnie’s presence. Winnie was small and had a bouncy energy; the person sitting next to me had a presence that felt large enough to overwhelm me.

 

‘Did Sir Derek come at Winnie’s request?’

 

“I heard you were carriage sick.”

 

At the familiar voice, I snapped my eyes open and whipped my head around.

 

“Prince Freyer?”

 

I was met with Freyer, who was sitting there with a playful smile. It wasn’t an illusion; Freyer had actually appeared in the middle of a forest.

 

‘Why are you coming out from there?’

 

Questions began to pile up in my mind, followed by a strange, creeping sensation.

 

“Did Sir Derek report my location to you…?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Freyer answered nonchalantly, a smile lingering on his lips.

 

“W-why?”

 

Did he assign Sir Derek to me just because he wanted to see me?!

 

“Beyond Pearching Kingdom lies Oneren Kingdom.”

 

“Eh…?”

 

I had been halfway through a fantasy of my own making. I stared at him blankly. Oneren Kingdom was a major trade hub on the continent.

 

“That is my destination.”

 

I belatedly remembered hearing that Freyer had plans to establish diplomatic ties with Oneren.

 

‘Was I just delusional…?’

 

I had mistakenly assumed he had followed me.

 

“Sir Derek and I agreed to meet on the outskirts of the Empire to avoid prying eyes.”

 

“At this lake…?”

 

“It’s the perfect place to avoid being caught.”

 

So, Sir Derek had intentionally stopped the carriage at the lake specifically to meet Freyer.

 

“…A forest is quite fitting, I suppose.”

 

Finding out it wasn’t because of me left a hollow ache of disappointment in my chest.

 

Tap, tap.

 

I kicked at the ground with the toe of my shoe. My ivory-colored shoes began to get scuffed against the rocky ground. Just as I began to feel those scuffs mirrored the scratches on my heart, a hand touched the bridge of my nose, smoothing the frown there.

 

“Are you disappointed because I didn’t say what you wanted to hear?”

 

Why would I be disappointed? Feeling like my heart had been exposed, I jerked my head away.

 

“Me? Haha! Of course not!”

 

“Of course, you were the more important factor.”

 

As his green eyes gazed into mine, a surge of emotion filled me. My face flushed hot, and I stood up abruptly.

 

“…You joke too much! I should be getting back in. We’ll be delayed.”

 

I walked away with large strides, hurriedly fanning my face with my hand to cool down. The rhythmic sound of his footsteps following behind me felt like the thumping of my own racing heart.

 

‘What is wrong with me…?’