Chapter 8 – The Road to the Imperial Family (Part 2)

“Then are you taking a carriage?”  

Celine asked while having tea with Ellerdin in the garden.  

“Huh?”  

Ellerdin put down the tea she was drinking. Tilting her head as if she needed an explanation, Celine looked around and said.  

“Actually, going from here to the capital by carriage is too hard. Since you already know this place is a den of demons and there’s a dragon, why not fly comfortably? Everyone here knows there’s a dragon anyway.”  

“What?”  

Surprised by the unexpected remark, Ellerdin burst into laughter.  

“No, I’m heavy. And it would be hard to fly all the way to the capital.”  

At her words, Phil and Pearl, who were far away, came running and clung to her shoulders.  

“Me! I’ll give you a ride! I can do it!”  

“No! I’ll give you a ride! Ellerdin, come with me!”  

Their bodies were so big, yet their actions were still like children.  

Ellerdin patted Phil and Pearl’s heads.  

She calmly expressed her refusal.  

“I won’t go like that. It would be a nuisance, and there are bad people in the capital who might harm you.”  

Phil and Pearl looked at Ellerdin with sullen expressions.  

Their faces were so pitiful that they could almost cry.  

“Hmm…”  

Certainly, Ellerdin’s words made sense.  

However, Celine didn’t want Ellerdin to go to the capital by carriage. She was worried that the bumpy northern land would hurt Ellerdin.  

After a moment of thought, she brightened as if she had a good idea and asked.  

“Then how about the Duke? How about it? Since you’re going together anyway and he’s your husband, wouldn’t it be okay?”  

“Huh? Haha…”  

Ellerdin laughed as if she had heard a funny joke.  

As she was about to say it was absurd, a thought flashed through her mind.  

If she went in Fernan’s arms, she would be able to hold him for the entire time it took to get to the capital.

In fact, no matter how long she spent with Fernan these days, it was always not enough, so she couldn’t easily dismiss this suggestion.  

‘But I might make it hard for him because of my selfishness…’  

But she didn’t want to miss such an opportunity. Ellerdin bit her lip and fell into thought.  

Noticing her dilemma, Celine raised her eyebrows at Phil and Pearl, signaling them to quickly bring Fernan.  

Understanding the signal, they happily flew toward the castle.  

‘Still, should I mention it once… No, I shouldn’t make things difficult. It would be hard for him. But if I could go like that…’  

Unaware of the small dragons and Celine’s scheme, Ellerdin was still groaning in her worries.  

***  

“What’s going on?”  

Fernan raised his eyebrows at the dragon that came through the office window.  

Phil laughed shrilly and said.  

“Let’s go to the garden quickly!”  

“Let’s go to the garden!”  

Pearl followed, flapping her wings.  

The garden was currently where Ellerdin was resting.  

‘Could something have happened to Ellerdin?’  

Fernan jumped out of the window. Phil and Pearl flew after him.

Hurriedly running to the garden, a peaceful daily life was unfolding there.  

‘Why did they… call me?’  

Fernan scanned the surroundings in confusion. There was no sign of threat anywhere.  

At that moment, noticing Fernan’s arrival, Celine gestured for him to come over.  

“Madam, just ask once. Who knows? The Duke might like it.”  

Celine said in a loud voice as if for him to hear.  

Ellerdin shook her head, her face buried in her hands.  

“I don’t have the courage… What if he doesn’t like it…”  

At the word ‘dislike,’ Fernan stopped in his tracks.  

Seeing that he could hear clearly, Celine slyly asked again.  

“Still, if I were the Duke, I would have traveled the world holding you, Madam. But I might hesitate a bit thinking you’re in a demon’s arms.”  

Ellerdin quickly lifted her head at Celine’s words.  

“Absolutely not. I don’t care if Fernan is a demon or not. Rather… I selfishly think it’s good that he’s a demon… But… that’s a separate issue. No matter how strong Fernan is, carrying me to the capital would be difficult. I’m not short, so I’m heavier.”  

Ellerdin said with a self-deprecating smile.  

Fernan clenched his fists tightly at her unconscious self-deprecating words.  

Even though her wrists still showed her bones prominently, what nonsense was she saying?  

He strode toward Ellerdin. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Ellerdin turned her head.  

“Fernan? When did you come?”  

Ellerdin stood up in surprise.  

“I just arrived. By the way, you were having an interesting conversation. If you’re okay with it, may I carry you and fly?”  

Fernan asked, gently wrapping his arm around Ellerdin’s shoulder.  

Ellerdin hesitated, unable to answer easily.  

Fernan held her hand and smiled brightly.  

“If you don’t trust me, would you like to try it now?”  

“What?”  

Before she could understand his words, Fernan suddenly picked her up.  

Ellerdin, startled, clung tightly to his neck.  

Fernan spread his wings from his back and flew into the sky.  

“Ugh.”  

In a sensation completely different from standing on the ground, Ellerdin tightly closed her eyes.  

With Fernan’s embrace being the only place to lean on, strength naturally went into her arms.  

“Ellerdin, slowly open your eyes.”  

Fernan said in a gentle voice, holding Ellerdin’s body firmly.  

Ellerdin slowly opened one eye.  

The narrow scenery she usually saw was replaced by the entirety of the Ducal territory in view.  

“Oh my…”  

Ellerdin couldn’t close her mouth at the sight she was seeing for the first time.  

Everything was beneath her feet.  

Looking down, she saw Celine waving her hand.  

Beside her, two dragons were flying up.  

A cool breeze pleasantly brushed past her face.  

The view before her was wide open, and only the blue sky existed above her head.  

A sense of liberation different from when she first entered the sea surged in her chest.  

Her body’s trembling gradually subsided. Ellerdin comfortably leaned against Fernan and began to take in the surroundings.  

Seeing her relax, Fernan slowly began to fly forward.  

“It’s the first time the world looks so small.”  

It had always seemed so large, as if it would swallow her at any moment, but looking down from the sky, she realized how small the world was.  

After leisurely circling the Ducal territory, he gently set Ellerdin down on the ground.  

The grass under her feet felt unfamiliar.  

Having been floating all this time, her body couldn’t find its balance and wobbled when she suddenly stood on the ground.  

“Oh.”  

Fernan quickly caught her arm. Ellerdin, embarrassed in his arms, let out a small laugh.  

“Thank you.”  

Fernan smiled brightly.  

“Then I’ll comfortably escort you tomorrow morning.”  

After he left, Ellerdin pressed down on her pounding heart.  

Seeing her face flushed with joy, Celine burst into laughter.  

***  

“Shall we go then?”  

Fernan spread his arms as if inviting her to come.  

Ellerdin hesitated for a moment, then jumped into his embrace.  

His warm body heat seemed to transfer to her.  

‘My heart won’t stop racing.’  

Ellerdin buried her face in Fernan’s chest, grumbling.  

She worried about what would happen if her heart burst.  

Even though it was her first time going to the capital in a long time and meeting the Emperor for the first time, she wasn’t concerned at all.  

‘So much has changed…’  

In her original life, she would have had to sit perfectly still in a carriage, adorned like a doll with ornaments constricting her entire body.  

But now, she was comfortably dressed and adorned, nestled in the arms of the one she loved.

Also, originally, she would have had to refrain from eating anything to fit into her clothes, but yesterday, Nisroch had introduced a new dish, anticipating she would be hungry when they reached the palace.

It was so much to her taste that she ended up overeating a bit yesterday.  

Unlike the cold past where no one saw her off, now Mollek, Celine, Nisroch, and other servants and the children in the garden were all seeing her off.  

It was amazing how life could change in an instant.  

“Have a safe trip.”  

Parin gently touched her cheek. Ellerdin smiled and caressed Parin’s chin.  

“Ellerdin, bring back something delicious!”  

“We’ll be waiting! If anyone bothers you, just tell us anytime!”  

Phil and Pearl said, bouncing around.  

“Okay, don’t cause too much trouble.”  

Ellerdin laughed, covering her mouth.  

Seeing that the farewells were mostly done, Fernan spread his wings from his back. As he took off, he cast an invisibility spell on both himself and Ellerdin.  

“Then let’s depart.”  

Fernan picked up Ellerdin and slowly ascended.  

The journey to the capital through the sky was a new world for her.  

The bumpy carriage roads now looked like tawny lines, and the vast forest looked like a small park.  

People moving here and there looked as small as ants, and she could see where the once distant cities were at a glance.  

Ellerdin blankly watched the white clouds pass above her.  

“Fernan, what does that feel like? Can I touch it?”  

Without thinking, she spoke, and Fernan burst into laughter.  

To say something so cute was truly unpredictable.  

“Then shall we go?”  

He smiled, hugging her tightly. The two of them slowly entered the white clouds.  

Ellerdin reached out her hand toward the clouds.  

Experiencing what she only knew in her head was precious. Ellerdin’s eyes sparkled as she watched the vapor slip through her fingers.  

They navigated through the clouds and briefly played by the river below.  

They sat on the roofs of other people’s houses and enjoyed the freedom above the road.  

Buying fruit at the market and taking bites as they flew, they eventually arrived at the capital.