Chapter 4 – Part 4

The two arrived at a resting village only at night.

Employees were getting ready to stay here or preparing the necessary luggage.

“The room is here.”

Eli familiarly guided Ruby to the door.

The room she entered under his guidance was quite spacious. It seemed to be the best room in this accommodation.

While Ruby entered the room and took off her coat, Eli stood there without taking off his coat.

“What about you?”

“I’m in the next room. Call me if anything happens.”

He casually replied.

“We’re not going to share the same room?”

Ruby, on the contrary, was surprised and asked.

“I deliberately got separate rooms for the trip. I thought you might suspect me of playing tricks.”

He answered without hesitation.

Unable to say outright, Ruby averted her gaze, her face reddening with embarrassment.

“That… I’m sorry.”

Eli had been on and off lately, but before that, he had been inseparable from Ruby.

They had always shared a room when they were together, so she figured it would be the same this time. She figured that since this might be their last trip together, he might want to stick around.

“Rest.”

Ruby felt like Eli knew what she was thinking and chuckled lightly, closing the door to the room.

***

“Did you sleep well?”

The next day, Eli was up early.

“Yes.”

Ruby’s answer was bright. She had worried about not being able to sleep, but the bedding was as soft as that used in Grit Manor, and Ruby slept soundly.

“That’s fortunate.”

“Did you sleep well?”

Eli nodded as well.

“Come.”

He held out his hand for her to escort her, and he got on the carriage.

The journey to the summer villa in Devens went smoothly. Eli, familiar with the lodgings along the way, proudly guided Ruby to each one, boasting about their excellent conditions. Ruby speculated that this route was chosen because it was a location favored by high-ranking nobles on their way to Devens, a secluded villa for the elite.

“Have we ever traveled like this together…… No, it’s been a long time since we’ve traveled that far.”

She recalled following Eli around in their early days as newlyweds. At the time, Ruby had always thought of it as traveling because she was happy just to be with Eli.

“You were so inexperienced at traveling that you got motion sickness every time.”

Eli also recalled those days and chuckled.

“I’d never been on such a rough road before, so I was surprised I was okay.”

Compared to then, Ruby had become more accustomed, and the carriage, now much improved, provided a different riding experience.

Not all the roads Eli took were well-paved. She remembered that the wheels of the carriage were made of a completely different material back then, perhaps anticipating rough terrain.

Even so, they had encountered unexpected accidents several times during their travels.

At the time, she didn’t realize it was a bad thing and was only happy to have more personal time with him.

Then one day, the recovery time took longer than expected. It wasn’t until Eli, who usually didn’t get involved, was fixing the wagons with his own hands that she realized what it meant to be late.

“If you’re late, negotiations will break down or go against you, and the burden will eventually fall on your people.”

Later, after hearing an explanation from Leton, she could somewhat understand the weight of what he was doing.

“It’s because I have more experience than you. You suffered a lot following me. Every time the carriage wheel broke, you got hurt.”

“I only got a few scratches.”

Even though she was careful when the carriage wheel broke, collisions were inevitable. There were times when she got minor injuries, and once she twisted her wrist, trying not to fall.

“You were sore all day, and it took forever to heal because you didn’t tell me.”

The memories of the old times that she had kept quiet about came flooding back at his words.

“I thought you might find it troublesome.”

Even then, Eli scolded me for not telling him. It was a time when she was more afraid of feeling like a burden to him than of being yelled at.

“At that time, I just wanted to be with you.”

“I’m sorry for being bothersome,” she added.

“It’s okay. You were bothersome in a good way.”

As time passed, Ruby could now understand Eli’s feelings to some extent.

She was glad he didn’t get mad at her because she was more of a hindrance than a help to his work. The annoyed look on the face of the servant, who was supposed to be attending to her, came and went.

“But it wasn’t for the reasons you think. You went through unnecessary trouble because of me.”

Eli kept his gaze on Ruby as he spoke.

“That’s why. I wish you stayed in Shuban,” he added.

Ruby, now understanding his true intentions, let out a sigh of relief.

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

Although it was an event of the past, Ruby felt a strange sense of relief now that she knew Eli hadn’t found her troublesome.

“Thanks for telling me, and thanks for worrying about me.”

Ruby expressed her gratitude with a slightly relieved expression.

It was the first time they had shared such stories. The two people who had been given a second chance at life hadn’t dwelled on the past. Ruby thought it was because they already knew that the past wouldn’t change even in the returned time.

As they talked about things they didn’t know, it dawned on them that they were really getting a divorce. Eli, silently watching Ruby’s relieved expression, turned his head away.

***

Ruby, who had just woken up, walked out onto the balcony attached to her room. She thought about taking a short break and getting some fresh air.

“It’s chilly.”

At the familiar voice, she turned to find Eli, who was using the adjacent room.

“You’ll catch a cold. I’ll bring something warm; wait here.”

With those words, he went into his room. A while later, there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, there he was.

He draped a coat over her shoulders.

However, he didn’t come into the room.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“Probably because I went to sleep as soon as I got in. How about you?”

“Same here.”

As it was an ambiguous time to cross the forest, they had decided to leave early the next morning, so they booked accommodation for the afternoon. Ruby, who had fallen asleep due to fatigue, woke up now.

“If it’s alright, shall we go out?”

“Now?”

“There’s a festival today, so there should be a lot to see.”

It was quite an enticing proposal since she had nothing else to do while being unable to sleep. Besides, changing into simple clothes was possible even without the help of maids.

“Sure, why not.”

While Ruby changed into different clothes, Eli, who was already dressed, waited for her. His attire looked more casual than usual.

“Ready to go?”

Leaning against the wall, Eli reached out his hand as Ruby approached.

***

“There are so many people.”

“Be careful.”

As Eli gently wrapped his arms around Ruby’s shoulders to protect her from being jostled by the crowd, they encountered the shoulders of a man who seemed intoxicated and in a good mood. The crowd was indeed larger than expected, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“Here.”

Guided by Eli, who seemed to know the place, Ruby followed him.

“Have you been here before?”

“I’ve passed by.”

Eli, still making sure Ruby didn’t get bumped into, continued to keep his arms around her.

With no specific plans in mind, the two wandered through the festival, but Eli suddenly stopped. Following his gaze, Ruby saw a place selling paintings. The paintings were not properly framed, and the quality was not the best.

“I’d like to ask for a painting.”

“A painting?”

It was an unexpected suggestion.

“If you want to, why not?”

Although she wasn’t entirely sure, there was no reason to stop him if he wanted to do it. Eli, aware that Ruby had misunderstood his question, didn’t bother to correct her and headed toward the street artist without saying a word.

“Come on, please.”

The painter, unfamiliar with the business, stiffened when he saw them.

“I’d like to ask you for a painting.”

“Do you have a painting in mind?”

He asked, sounding expectant.

“Not the one you drew, but a portrait.”

“A… portrait?”

While Ruby was surprised, she also understood that painting a portrait for nobles was a time-consuming task. It was not only expensive, but also not something easily commissioned on the street.

“A simple painting like that shouldn’t take long, and I’ll pay you generously.”

Where Eli pointed, there was a drawing that the artist had practiced in pencil. It was a well-drawn but uncolored drawing, just for practice.

“I’ll… give it a try.”

The amount he suggested was so large that it would be earned only if the artist sold all his paintings.

“Good luck.”

Following the artist’s guidance, the two of them sat side by side in the inner area.