Though he showed no signs of anger or annoyance, his presence was cold enough to instantly freeze the surroundings.

Momentarily tense and speechless, Lucilia finally managed to speak as her stomach churned again.

“Could we rest before continuing? I feel nauseous and it’s difficult to sit.”

Aaron’s indifferent gaze met her eyes, which shimmered with a mysterious light.

He quickly looked forward before she could read his thoughts.

“The terrain here is rough, making it difficult to rest immediately. We need to find a place to set up camp, so please bear with it a little longer.”

“Then I’d like to at least get some fresh air here.”

The makeshift carriage they had hastily obtained was terribly inadequate. It reeked, and there were no cushions to soften the jolting.

Her tailbone ached, and now she had a headache too.

And that wasn’t all. Her stomach was queasy and her knee throbbed.

She wanted to ask again, but lacked the confidence to extract anything from Aaron, who remained unmoved.

She had no choice but to endure the discomfort.

Bowing her head slightly, Lucilia adjusted the blood-stained hem of her dress.

Reaching the place he mentioned was the priority. With that thought, she exhaled a thin breath, determined to endure until then.

But Aaron, who should have been leading them, stood there staring at her.

Had she touched her skirt unnecessarily?

She worried it might seem like she was protesting his refusal to let a sick person rest.

She removed her hands from her dress and straightened her back. Relaxing her pain-stiffened expression, she offered a faint smile.

“We can go now.”

“Get down.”

At this unexpected command, her timidly opened eyes widened in surprise.

“What? But you just said we needed to go further…”

“Fresh air will make you feel better.”

And here she thought he had refused.

She lifted herself before he could change his mind. Lucilia awkwardly stood and bent to exit the carriage.

She was about to touch the ground.

“Ah!”

Before she could understand what was happening, her vision flipped upside down.

Her slender arms were pulled by a strong force, and in an instant, her body was lifted into the air.

When she opened her tightly shut eyes, she realized she was seated on a horse. Only then did she become aware of the hard armor pressing against her back.

Finding herself on Aaron’s horse in the blink of an eye, Lucilia looked around in confusion.

She could see several knights glancing at her.

After being called a witch, it felt as if she had truly seduced a man in a bewitching way, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

Wrapped in Aaron’s broad embrace, she couldn’t even think of inhaling the fresh air.

Why was her heart pounding again?

“Where are we going?”

No answer came.

She felt his chin touch the top of her head. He must have been looking down at her with displeasure.

Since she had resolved to do as he commanded, she decided to remain silent.

Lucilia tried to keep her back as far as possible from his solid chest that rose and fell with each breath, and released a tense exhale.

The horse carrying the two of them sliced through the air and moved forward.

The up and down vibrations made her efforts to avoid contact futile.

“Hold on tight, won’t you?”

As she swayed like a jointless scarecrow and bumped against him harder, Aaron covered Lucilia’s hand with his own. He had her grasp the reins, but finding that insufficient, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Ugh.”

She had never been touched by a man’s hand, and even her attendant maids had never embraced her waist like this. The subtle emotions crashing into her were overwhelming.

All her awareness concentrated on his arm, hard as armor. Her focus scattered only when she became conscious of the knights.

As they raced to join the front, Aaron’s close knights cast sidelong glances at Lucilia. One couldn’t understand how raw those gazes were without experiencing them.

Their eyes, filled with curiosity and resentment, were sticky like wax and sharp like arrowheads.

With Aaron in the lead, the knights increased their pace.

They seemed to be climbing a sloped mountain path, but soon entered a downhill stretch.

The moment her body leaned forward, his large hand pressed harder against her waist.

No matter how she tried to balance herself, it was impossible since she wasn’t accustomed to horseback riding.

She had no choice but to surrender her body to him as he pulled.

Though she was breathing fresh air to settle her stomach, it paradoxically became harder to breathe.

Only after descending the slope and entering another uphill stretch did she begin to adapt little by little.

Lucilia looked at Aaron’s hand with its prominent veins and quietly said:

“I wasn’t exaggerating. I really was struggling…”

“Having grown up pampered and constantly cared for, this environment must be difficult for you.”

He mocked her while feigning understanding.

Lucilia realized that everything she said and did drew others’ contempt.

Having been stripped of her status as a saint, there was no longer any need to revere her. With her changed position, Aaron’s attitude was understandable.

Her first priority was to prove that she wasn’t a witch.

She knew best that she harbored no ill will. If she had to demonstrate it through actions, she could do so easily.

During her time as a saint, she had been extremely mindful of her conduct.

She couldn’t easily lose her temper, had to wear kindness like a second skin, and had to make forgiveness and love a part of her daily life.

Knowing that negative emotions depleted the soul, she always strived to cleanse the residue in her heart.

She had lived distanced from the secular world like the monks, sharing God’s grace with others.

If she lived that way in Tudra, wouldn’t everyone recognize her sincerity?

“I truly apologize to you, my lord. I’m not thinking clearly right now, but once I collect myself, I’ll try to be helpful.”

“You accept reality quite willingly. Indeed, you are fundamentally different from ordinary people like us.”

Even under this sharp criticism that pierced her heart, Lucilia couldn’t retort.

What more could she do here?

If she left his protection, she would die.

Could the marriage even be annulled in the first place? Since he couldn’t refuse either, wasn’t he forced to accept her as his wife?

How could she deny that staying in Aaron’s shadow was the only way to preserve her life?

The best she could do for Aaron was to contact her father quickly and find a way to return to square one.

The mountain wind brushed coldly against her face.

She tried to paint over her hope, but she saw her future in the tangled thickets and towering forests.

It was bleak and hopeless.

Truly, there was no way to quell her troubled heart.

After a while, the noisy rolling of the empty carriage’s wooden wheels finally ceased.

As they reached a flat area, several knights went ahead to scout for a suitable camping spot.

Shortly after, tents were quickly erected.

After helping Lucilia down, Aaron walked away by himself.

Lost among the burly men, she tried to follow with small steps, but found it difficult to match Aaron’s wide stride.

After giving instructions to his subordinates, Aaron leaned against a wooden post and gestured somewhere with his chin.

All while avoiding eye contact.

“Rest over there when it’s ready.”

A tent for her was being set up a short distance away.

The resting space, supported by branches and covered with animal hides, looked incredibly cramped at first glance, but she was in no position to be picky.

In such poor conditions, just being able to stretch out her legs and lie down was something.

She only hoped that no bugs would crawl in while she rested.

Lucilia slightly bowed her head to express her gratitude before turning toward the tent.

Aaron, with his arms crossed, watched her limping steps and sighed.

“Hah…”

Rombon, sensing the depth of his anguish, also sighed beside him.

“Sigh… Shouldn’t we inform the master of this news? Considering how unwell he is, imagine his shock if we suddenly arrive with the saintess. He’ll be more than surprised.”

“If he’s going to be shocked anyway, it’s better he knows a little later.”

“What are you saying? Knowing in advance would lessen the shock.”

“Sometimes it’s more comforting to know nothing. Why burden oneself with worries? Would he even be able to sleep properly?”

Rombon rolled his eyes as if uncertain what was right. With a weary expression, he muttered for Aaron to handle it as he saw fit and went to join his comrades.

Aaron remained leaning against the wooden post, lost in thought.

Lucilia Teneri.

What should he do with that woman?