“Is this the one you chose?”

“Hm? Oh. Yes.”

“Your head. Lift it.”

He unfolded the bonnet and placed it on Amel’s head, then tied the ribbon beneath her chin.

Amel obediently lowered her head and waited until he had finished. When she raised her head, she could feel his surprisingly gentle touch as he put the bonnet on her.

Cervel withdrew his hand and adjusted the bonnet.

He straightened the crooked brim with his fingertips and tidied the ribbon so that it fell naturally.

“I’ve paid for it, so wear it.”

Amel ran her fingers over the bonnet before looking up at him.

“Thank you.”

“Anything else you need?”

“No. This is enough.”

When Amel pulled the bonnet firmly onto her head, Cervel lifted the brim with his hand.

“Can you see in front of you like that?”

“The sun is too strong.”

“You still need to see where you’re going.”

And Lilline had been watching them.

After observing the two of them for a moment, Lilline spoke.

“My lady, I’ll go to the carriage rental office.”

“Hm?”

“It shouldn’t take this long just to rent a carriage, so I should go and see what’s taking them. But I don’t know the way. I’ll take a soldier with me.”

Saying she was going to check on the carriage rental, Lilline took another soldier with her and left.

‘There was no need for her to go that far……’

It seemed as though Lilline had deliberately given them some privacy.

While they were looking around the market stalls afterwards, Cervel returned with a pair of shoes.

When Amel asked why he had bought them, he scolded her for limping around without telling him how uncomfortable her shoes were.

In truth, her feet had swollen and her flats were feeling rather tight.

“……But these are slippers.”

“There’s no one here who’s going to care what shoes Miss Amel is wearing.”

Cervel took off her shoes and put on the slippers.

Amel obediently let her handle her feet, glancing around awkwardly.

A few passers-by looked at them curiously, but soon carried on walking as though nothing had happened.

Feeling unnecessarily self-conscious, Amel could only scratch the back of her neck.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

Embarrassed, Amel wiggled her toes and shifted her feet against the ground a few times.

“They should have finished renting the carriage by now.”

“Let’s go to the rental office.”

Amel unnecessarily adjusted the brim of her bonnet once before turning toward the carriage rental office.

“My lady, you’re here?”

Everyone was waiting at the carriage rental office.

“Did you rent the carriage?”

“Yes, my lady. We’re ready to leave now.”

They rented a carriage and set off again. It was a large carriage designed for long-distance travel.

The carriage itself was sturdy, but it had no suspension, and the seats were nothing more than wooden planks.

They had placed cushions on the seats, but whenever the carriage jolted, they still found themselves unconsciously shifting in their seats.

Fortunately, once they descended from the mountains, the road became smooth.

There was no need to wind their way around obstacles as they had on the mountain roads, and the carriage moved along comfortably.

Lilline was dozing beside her, her head bobbing with each nod, while Cervel sat with his arms crossed, gazing out the window.

Still, there was no way to avoid their legs touching.

Whenever the carriage jolted, their thighs brushed against each other, and at some point, their legs naturally became intertwined.

Neither of them pulled away, leaving them exactly as they were.

With his knee slipping beneath the folds of Amel’s skirt, there was barely any distance between them.

After that, they continued their journey without further incident.

The carriage traveled for another two days before finally arriving in Bliana.

The sea came into view through the window.

Amel gazed at it for a while.

She reflected on the unfamiliar roads, the uncomfortable nights spent camping and all the unexpected events that had occurred along the way.

As each memory returned, she realized that, surprisingly, they had been amusing rather than difficult.

However, she didn’t think she could do it all again.

“Why are you smiling?”

‘Was I smiling?’

Amel touched her cheek.

“There were so many things that happened on the way here.”

“And?”

“These past three weeks felt like three years.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

And throughout every one of those moments, Cervel had been by her side.

“The sea.”

“Sure is. We’ve finally arrived.”

Amel uncrossed her arms and spoke.

“We arrived much later than expected.”

The carriage was traveling along a road that ran beside the sea.

“We’re heading to a villa, but where are you planning to stay, Your Grace?”

“Could you drop me off in front of the Riashu Hotel?”

“That casino hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t staying at a hotel be inconvenient for you?”

“I’ve rented out an entire floor under the Grand Ducal House’s name for a year, so it’s fine.”

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“About a month.”

“You’ll be staying for quite a while.”

“Yes. I’m planning to take a vacation while I’m at it.”

Amel rested her arm on the window ledge and looked outside.

When they arrived at the Riashu Hotel, they were met with an unexpected sight.

The building was completely charred.

All the windows on the ground floor had been shattered, leaving the place in complete disarray. The advance party, who had gone ahead to the hotel, approached and gave their report.

“There was a fire at the hotel this morning. It started in the kitchen and spread as far as the banquet hall. The damage appears to have been extensive, as the fire wasn’t extinguished quickly. They only managed to extinguish it completely this evening. The other nearby hotels are fully booked as well, since it’s festival season.”

Amel glanced at Cervel.

“Oh dear.”

“Your Grace, what should we do? Is there somewhere else you can stay?”

Cervel thought for a moment before turning to Amel.

“Which direction is your villa?”

“If we continue straight this way with the sea beside us, we’ll reach it. Or…….”

Amel hesitated.

Everyone must have been exhausted after spending so long camping.

And the carriage they had rented was a cheap one, so the ride had hardly been comfortable.

So she carefully offered,

“Or would you like to come with us?”

***

“My lady, we’ve arrived!”

A soldier called out from outside the carriage.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the villa’s gates.

When Amel looked out of the window, she saw the evening sun setting over the horizon.

She glanced at Cervel.

Amel had invited him to stay at the villa en route, and he had accepted without hesitation.

When the door opened, Cervel stepped out first.

Servants were waiting outside.

They were murmuring amongst themselves, but there was no commotion. Amel had sent someone ahead to notify them of her arrival.

“My lady.”

The head maid had come out to greet her.

She was seventy years old this year, but despite her age, she was still remarkably spry.

“Are you all right? I was informed of what happened. I heard you encountered a landslide. Were you hurt?”

“No. Fortunately.”

“I was terribly worried. What kind of rain goes on for an entire week? I thought you were delayed because of the rain, but…….”

The head maid trailed off as she glanced toward Cervel.

“Ah, right.”

Amel introduced him to the head maid.

“This is His Grace, the Grand Duke of Madillert. You were informed, weren’t you?”

“Yes. I was informed beforehand. It is an honor to have you staying with us, Your Grace.”

Cervel politely apologized for the sudden imposition.

“I’m sorry to impose on you so suddenly.”

“Not at all, Your Grace. You must be exhausted after such a long journey. Would you like to freshen up first? I’ve already had your bath prepared.”

The front doors of the villa were wide open.

A soft carpet covered the lobby floor, on which stood a marble mermaid statue. A staircase rose behind it, and the villa had been designed so that the second floor overlooked the lobby.

The villa had been passed down to Amel’s mother by her maternal grandmother on her wedding day. Amel had often visited as a child with her mother, but she had rarely come since growing up. Even so, the interior remained exactly as she remembered it.

The building was a hundred years old, yet it showed no signs of ageing.

It was constructed from brilliant white limestone, and its rounded, arched windows made the rooms feel open and airy. The blue walls added to the villa’s cool atmosphere.

Whenever the maids passed by and greeted Amel with a nod, she smiled gently in return.

“My lady, I’ll show His Grace to the guest room.”

“Yes. Your Grace, then please get some good rest. I’ll see you at dinner.”

The head maid left for a while, and Lilline soon left as well.

“My lady! I’m going to get some moisturizing cream from the head maid’s room. I’ll apply it for you after your bath!”

“Go ahead.”

“Please go to your room first, my lady!”

Amel slowly made her way down the hallway and quietly opened the door to her room. The hinges had been well oiled, so the door opened with hardly a sound.

Sunset light streamed through the window, bathing the room in warmth.

This made the room feel even cozier.

Amel took off the bonnet she had been wearing and ruffled the hair that had been flattened beneath it.

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a cautious knock on the door.