Chapter 8.2

The carriage, with its curtains drawn, was dark. Just as darkness before sleep often brings a flood of thoughts, the dim carriage had the same effect.

“Be smart, Edgar.”

A voice that seemed to strip away the excitement of travel echoed in the silence. Lady Wharton, who had summoned Edgar unexpectedly the previous evening, already knew everything.

“Have you given up on marrying the Duke’s daughter?”

It was her opening remark, replacing a greeting.

“I seem to be the last person in this city to hear about your romantic escapades.”

Edgar had known that the news would eventually reach Lady Wharton’s ears. However, her reaction was more composed than he had anticipated, as if it wasn’t worth addressing.

“What the theater needs isn’t an audience to fill the stalls but distinguished guests to fill the royal box. If the Duke’s daughter spends time in the box seat, that seat will become a throne—a throne that everyone will want to occupy at least once.”

The notion that marrying the Duke’s daughter would expand Flavium Theater’s clientele and attract even those who idolized high-ranking nobles had been drilled into him repeatedly. Her words weren’t meant to correct him but to remind him of what he already knew. They were like a whip aimed at a racehorse veering off its predetermined path.

“I won’t say much. I can only hope that the boy I took in hasn’t grown into a foolish man.”

Edgar closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. The swaying carriage reminded him of the waves pushing him along. For someone adrift in the waves, there was no will of their own. How much time had passed in the darkness? The carriage gradually slowed down and came to a halt.

Soon, the carriage door opened. The early morning sunlight poured into the dark interior, dazzlingly bright. Edgar, accustomed to the darkness, blinked slowly at the unfamiliar light. As the cool morning air streamed in and his vision cleared, he saw someone standing at the door. 

Natalie held a bag in both hands, wearing a large hat adorned with ribbons that fluttered in the wind, making the hat look ready to fly away. Her luggage was so plentiful that the coachman had to carry it with both hands.

Edgar stepped out of the carriage and walked toward Natalie. Spotting Edgar approaching, Natalie’s face lit up. Edgar took the bag from Natalie’s hands.

“Good morning, Natalie. Did you sleep well?”

“No.”

Natalie replied as Edgar took the bag she had been gripping tightly.

“I couldn’t sleep. This is my first time going on such a distant trip, and I was so excited that I couldn’t fall asleep.”

She spoke candidly, her cheeks flushing as if embarrassed by her sleeplessness.

“And you, Mr. Wharton? Did you sleep well?”

“I didn’t sleep well either.”

Hearing Edgar’s answer, Natalie seemed relieved to find they had something in common. She held her hat firmly with her now free hands, smiling brightly. It was impossible not to smile back at her. 

Standing beside Natalie, Edgar’s face lit up with a smile under the sunlight. The boy Lady Wharton had taken in seemed to have grown into a foolish man.

***

Natalie had imagined a long-distance trip to be purely romantic. She hadn’t anticipated how exhausting it would be before reaching the destination. Her stomach churned, and her head felt dizzy. Every jolt of the carriage threatened to bring up her breakfast. 

To prevent such an incident, Natalie clenched her hands tightly on her lap and pressed her lips together. When the carriage hit a particularly rough patch of road, she covered her mouth quickly.

Across from her, Edgar Wharton’s gaze met Natalie’s for a moment. His expression, lingering with traces of amusement, seemed as though he was enjoying some sort of spectacle.  

How cruel of him to take pleasure in another’s suffering.  

Natalie wanted to say that. But she felt that if she removed her hand from her mouth, something disastrous might happen, so she couldn’t speak.

“Are you alright?”  

Edgar asked gently.  

“…No.”  

Natalie barely managed to reply in a trembling voice. Watching the curtains sway only made her dizziness worse.  

“Natalie, close your eyes.”  

Edgar’s suggestion, amidst a world that seemed to spin endlessly, circled in her mind before slipping out one ear. She was struggling to steady her breathing, her chest rising and falling erratically.  

Then Edgar stood up from his seat. Natalie stared blankly as he approached her. Edgar placed her bag where he had been sitting and took a seat beside her. The carriage, rattling along the rough road, shook so violently it seemed its wheels might wear out. Natalie frowned at the sight of Edgar’s blonde hair appearing to sway along with the motion.  

Her dizzy vision turned black the moment a cool hand touched her eyelids. Edgar’s fingertips gently brushed over her eyelids, coaxing her to close them.  

“If you can’t see or hear, it might get a bit better.”  

Natalie heard his soft voice close by. The rough noise of the wheels that had been scrambling her mind suddenly faded into a distant hum. Edgar had blocked her ears with his hands.  

With the sound gone, Natalie’s ragged breathing slowly calmed. In the meantime, Edgar gently rested her head against his shoulder.  

“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”  

His whisper reached her faintly. As Edgar had said, the dizziness subsided somewhat when she couldn’t see or hear. But she couldn’t sleep comfortably.  

The firm shoulder against her forehead, the warmth of his embrace, the faint scent of Edgar lingering near her nose—all of it kept her from falling asleep.  

When her hair brushed against his shoulder in the rattling carriage, her ears burned with embarrassment. Natalie worried that her body heat might transfer to Edgar. She couldn’t decide when to say she was fine now and pull away from his embrace. 

As the moments dragged on, she suddenly felt the sensation of fingers slipping into her clenched hands. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut tighter, trying to hide her flustered heart.  

It was likely Edgar’s fingers that slipped into her hands, prying open her tightly clenched grip. Then, as if soothing a sick person, he gently stroked her palm with his thumb.  

It’s purely a medical act to ease my dizziness, Natalie told herself over and over. But despite her resolve, her hands kept stiffening with nervous tension.  

“Relax your grip.”  

Natalie tried to follow Edgar’s words. But whenever his fingertips brushed her palm, the ticklish sensation made her fingers shrink back again.  

The gentle vibration of his laughter transmitted through their contact. It was a quiet, childlike laugh, as though he were playing a prank.  

Natalie frowned.  

How could he play around with someone who’s unwell…  

“…You’re truly too much.”  

Natalie muttered softly, pulling her hand away from Edgar’s. She leaned her head against the window instead of his shoulder. Edgar, however, reached out and held her hand again.  

“Sorry. I won’t tease anymore.”  

Yet his voice still carried traces of laughter. He was utterly untrustworthy.  

Natalie tried to free her hand again. But all she managed was to wriggle her fingers, as Edgar interlocked his with hers, making escape impossible.  

Though she surrendered her hand, Natalie stubbornly kept her head pressed against the window. Each time the carriage hit a bump, her head knocked against the glass. She winced in pain but endured it.  

Still, enduring the pain didn’t stop the loud thuds. Edgar covered her forehead with his hand to shield her from hitting the glass.  

Natalie leaned her forehead against his hand, silently waiting for them to reach their destination. Before she knew it, drowsiness began to creep in. Having lost sleep the night before, she quickly drifted off.  

***

When Natalie woke from her brief nap, the scenery outside the window had completely changed.  

Her view was filled with green.  

The vast, verdant plains stretched out, rippling in the wind like waves. The roadside trees glittered under the summer sun, their leaves revealing glimpses of the blue sky through their branches.  

It was a dazzling summer day, with colors so vivid and vibrant they felt surreal.  

Natalie’s heart raced as she realized how far she had traveled. The bustling noise of the city had disappeared, leaving her captivated by the unfamiliar tranquility of the scenery.  

“It’s beautiful.”  

Natalie smiled as she turned to Edgar. Leaning loosely against his seat, Edgar glanced briefly out the window.  

The sunlight streaming through the window made his blue eyes shimmer like the ocean catching the light.  

Beautiful.  

Natalie felt the same emotions looking at Edgar as she did when gazing at the summer landscape. She leaned back against her seat to let Edgar have an unobstructed view of the window.  

Edgar only spared the scenery a moment’s glance before shifting his gaze to Natalie. Instead of the summer view, he smiled at her.  

“It is. Beautiful.”  

The way their eyes met made his words about the summer scenery feel as though they were directed at her.  

Natalie’s heart grew restless as she looked back at Edgar. She couldn’t take her eyes off the man who resembled the radiant summer sunlight, even though his brilliance made her feel dazzled.  

She already regretted the fleeting departure of the season.