Having received Blue and the cage from Ferrell once more, Kyle headed to the carriage where Carly was waiting.

Kyle carefully conveyed to Ferrell that Carly didn’t want to see his face. Ferrell only smiled faintly and handed over the cage without hesitation.

After securing the cage firmly in the carriage, Kyle and Carly left the capital behind.

The worry that the bird might be startled by the unfamiliar environment was short-lived. As Carly placed the nuts she had brought on the floor of the cage, Blue eagerly flapped its wings and devoured them all.

“She only likes the nuts Anne gives, huh?”

Kyle was a bit worried that Ferrell might have been mistaken.

With the large cage and Kyle inside, the carriage was quite cramped.

“Isn’t it a bit tight?”

Just as Kyle was about to move to the seat next to the driver, Carly stopped him.

“Stay here. It’s lonely by myself.”

“…Yes.”

Nodding, Kyle sat back down. As the carriage moved, he gently tucked Carly’s wind-blown hair behind her ear to prevent it from getting caught on anything.

The warm rose scent lingered in the air.

“Thanks for tidying up my hair, Kyle. I’ll tie it up.”

Carly pulled out a ribbon from a small bag in front of her and quickly tied up her hair with her hands.

Kyle turned his head to hide his reddening face. They had been spending a lot of time together lately, but apart from mealtimes, they had been busy with their own travel preparations.

So, sitting close together like this felt new and brought a fresh wave of nervousness.

Once her hair was tied, Carly seemed startled by the jostling carriage and held onto the wall.

“Kyle, do you think the road ahead will be rough?”

“Probably. There will likely be many uneven paths.”

Carly had always suffered from motion sickness during long journeys, and the prospect of traveling for a long time worried her.

The discomfort came sooner than expected.

Carly hung her head forward, holding a handkerchief to her mouth, trying to suppress her nausea but to no avail.

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

“I’m okay… Ugh.”

Kyle gently cupped her cheek with his hand and said,

“Lean on me.”

“…Thank you.”

* * *

Although they couldn’t be sure Anne had gone south, they knew she preferred warm places over cold ones.

Kyle suspected she would have sought out the shelter she often spoke of and believed she would have gone south.

As Kyle and Carly traveled south, they stopped at various villages along the way.

During their journey, they overheard a rumor.

“How’s the border these days? Wasn’t it closed off a few months ago?”

“Nah, it’s not like that anymore. Don’t worry, just head to Vails.”

That evening, the two of them were having a late dinner at an inn in the city after another fruitless day when Carly’s eyes lit up at the merchants’ conversation from the next table.

“Kyle, did you hear that?”

“Yes, I did.”

Kyle also had a curious expression.

Who has been in charge of border checks lately? It was Duke Davis, who had become a recluse after Anne disappeared.

The first thing he did upon rising was to tighten border checks.

“Could it just be a routine duty?”

Kyle hesitated, wondering if Evan might have forgotten about Anne.

But Carly shook her head firmly. The Evan she knew would never give up on Anne, not even in death.

“He must have tightened the border checks to find Anne. We should head there too.”

Evan must have found a clue about Anne at the border.

That very day, they changed their course toward the southernmost border of Terossa, where it met Vails.

The journey to the border was filled with Carly’s bouts of motion sickness and disappointment each time they released Blue.

The driver shouted,

“The carriage can’t go any further from here.”

“Understood.”

Kyle handed the agreed-upon amount to the coachman.

“Should we meet here tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, we should reach the border by then. If anything unusual happens, let me know.”

“Alright.”

As the coachman headed towards the stables, Kyle turned to see Carly struggling to stand properly as she got out of the carriage.

“Let me carry you to the inn.”

“How can I let you do that? I can walk.”

Kyle kneeled close to the ground and extended his hands behind him.

“Carly, it’s fine. I can carry you there quickly.”

“…Alright.”

Carrying Carly on his back, Kyle walked to the inn. Once inside, he fed Blue some fruits and nuts, noticing how tired the bird seemed.

“We’ll be crossing the border soon. Do you think Anne could have made it to Vails?”

“…What if she’s not in Vails?”

The Terossa Empire was vast. While they had come south based on the assumption that Anne disliked the cold and considering Duke Davis’ disposition, there was still a chance she had gone north.

The post-war reconstruction had just begun, and every city was filled with strangers, adding to the chaos.

Kyle, having come to terms with the possibility of not finding Anne, spoke softly.

“…If we don’t find Anne, don’t be too disappointed. Let’s consider that the future you mentioned has already changed.”

“……”

Carly didn’t respond. Instead, she added a few more walnuts to the already full bowl of fruits and nuts and began to pray.

This was what Kyle had feared. If they didn’t find Anne, Carly would be heartbroken.

His stomach churned with worry.

* * *

The next day, Kyle knocked on Carly’s door first thing in the morning.

“Let’s go down for breakfast.”

“Okay!”

Unlike the previous day, she seemed to be in better condition. Kyle, who had decided to stay an extra day after discussing it with the coachman, approached the busy innkeeper.

“We’d like to stay another night.”

“…Hmm, that’s not possible today. We have a group booking. I can offer you one room.”

Oh no.

Kyle nodded, thinking he’d need to find another inn. Just then, Carly came down from the second floor.

“Lady Carly, let’s take another day to rest. Blue isn’t doing well. However, we’ll need to find a different inn.”

“Is Blue sick?”

Carly asked with a worried expression.

“You should take a look.”

Kyle brought the birdcage down to the first floor. Placing it gently on the floor, he pointed out,

“Blue is eating well but seems to be moving slower than usual. It’s probably exhausted from all the flying.”

“You’re right.”

“Chirp… Chirp chirp (I’m so full… I can’t move.)”

Just then,

“Wow! A bird! Daddy, look! A bird!”

“Hildes! We agreed you’d behave. Today is an important day for business. If you get distracted…”

“Can I just look for a moment?”

“You’ll be bothering those people, Hildes.”

“Just for a second! I won’t make any noise.”

The cute boy’s plea echoed through the inn. Carly smiled and slowly approached the child.

Bending down to his level, Carly asked,

“Can you watch quietly so the bird can rest?”

“Yes!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright. May I take him over to see the bird for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Hildes, holding Carly’s hand, cautiously approached Blue. His attempts to move silently made Carly smile warmly.

Kneeling in front of the cage, the two quietly observed the bird.

“……”

Kyle met Carly’s gaze, and seeing her smile so brightly, he quickly turned away, his face flushed red like a beet.

The child, Hildes, tilted his head and asked, “Mister, do you like this lady?”

“What? No.”

“Then you must like her a lot but haven’t told her! Your face is all red like a beet!”

Kyle, taken aback by the child’s words, looked at him, but this only made his face turn even redder.

Carly, noticing Kyle’s embarrassment, smiled and explained to the child,

“He just has a face that turns red easily. It doesn’t mean he likes me.”

Kyle covered his face with his hand. He wasn’t usually one to blush, but he had been feeling unusually warm around Carly recently, which might have led her to believe that he often blushed.

The child’s father, Calvin, grabbed the child by the armpits, lifting him up with a stern expression.

“You shouldn’t be saying such things! How many times did I tell you to behave today?”

Ever since Hildes recovered from his cold, his mischief had increased, and Calvin looked at him as if he were dealing with a troublesome prankster.

“But I just thought the mister liked the lady and couldn’t say it… I wanted to help!”

“Oh, you little rascal!”

Calvin hurriedly covered Hildes’ mouth, but it was too late—everyone had already heard the conversation.

The innkeeper, who had been watching Carly and the child with a smile, quickly cleared his throat and retreated to the kitchen.

Calvin couldn’t bring himself to look at Kyle. Though they had just met that day, Calvin could sense Kyle’s feelings from the way he looked at Carly. But now, thanks to Hildes, Kyle’s unspoken affection was suddenly out in the open, and Calvin wasn’t sure how to apologize.

Caught off guard, Kyle was at a loss for words, his eyes darting around. To hide his confusion, he lowered his head, unsure of what to do.

Carly, meanwhile, grasped Kyle’s arm and asked,

“…Is what the child said true?”

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories