I lowered the hand that was covering my face and hurriedly stuck to the carriage window.
The town seen through the carriage window looked peaceful. Somehow, I had a strange expectation for the scenery outside the window, that looked neither confused nor miserable, before hitting my head against the window while glancing at the statue at the entrance of the village.
…It was really Count Winder, the real James Winder—!
In the unbelievable reality, I banged my head against the carriage window. When my forehead, which had hit the window, started to throb and hurt, I could feel the laborious reality that I pretended not to know.
What are you really going to do now, Adelia Blai…!
Taap.
It was not the thump that I heard whenever I hit my forehead against the window. On my red, swollen forehead, I could feel something soft and warm, not a cold and hard window.
As I was surprised by the unexpected warmth, Cain reached out his hand and put it between the window and my head.
Thinking that the warmth on my forehead was his hand, my face turned red without realizing it.
“Oh, thank you…”
“Come here, get away before the window breaks.”
No, what kind of window would break like that… Really, because of me?
Cain smiled as I glanced through the window and got off the carriage first. I got up from my seat reluctantly after swiping the window a few times with my finger for nothing before staring at the ground he was standing on, thinking I was going to die. Even though it was an ordinary land with nothing, it seemed that the lava was boiling.
…Could this be hell?
Or, the place where I will die?
“Adelia Blaise.”
Eventually, he quietly called my name again at the sight of me, unable to even stick a toe out of the carriage.
“…get off. I’m getting off.”
Winder village, one of the most beautiful villages in Lian…
This was one of the must-visit spots if you visit Lian, and it was also one of the villages that I, who possessed into this world, wondered about it.
Although not now. At least, not now…!
One of the reasons why I could not step into this Winder village where Cain was standing was because this village was the stage for the first incident that announced the introduction of the novel, ‘GDS’!
Tilting his head to the side at me, who could not get out of the carriage, I smiled awkwardly at him and opened my mouth.
“I… Grand Duke.”
“….”
“Can’t I just wait in the carriage?”
“….”
“I won’t run away and I won’t make any trouble, too!”
“….”
“I’ll just do nothing, just sit quietly and wait!”
No matter how much I tried to collect my thoughts, I uttered to him with a sense of urgency and a sense of uneasiness. At my words, Cain raised an eyebrow in response.
“Young Lady.”
“….”
“Do you think that I follow the Young Lady’s request?”
“No, in some places, the wishes of the dead are granted, though Your Highness won’t grant the wishes of the living?”
“Because the living is you.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Because you were the one who packed up your things when I told you that I was going to send you a carriage and went on a night escape.”
…After all, he did not believe that I wanted to travel, did he?
I smiled awkwardly at his reply. Of course, considering the lies I have been telling him all this time, it was not like I do not understand why he reacted like this… but, nonetheless—!
Still, no matter how much I think about it, was this not the beginning of the novel…?
A great anxiety that could not be put to sleep with just a light comfort of having a casual relationship with Cain and giving Irene a break before the beginning of the original story rose.
At that, I shook my head, saying that the sound of a strong warning in my head told me that I should not step onto the ground of Winder village even if I died.
Seeing me like that, Cain spat out a few words.
“Do you really not mind if I leave you here?”
“Of course! I’m really not going to move away from here. I can really wait patiently!”
“I’m not worried about that.”
He is not worried…?
His words, which seemed as though he would never leave me until just a moment ago, raised doubts in my mind. Gazing at him as if I did not understand the meaning, Cain continued with a smile.
“In this town, people who can’t even hold a sword tend to become corpses. Perhaps, you might die before you get the chance to run away.”
“Die… Am I going to die?”
“I will not stop you if you dare to remain alone in this situation where the hatred of humans has reached its peak, still…”
“I’m getting off!”
I hurriedly jumped out of the carriage, after listening to his blunt words with contemplation. Cain frowned at me when I jumped fearlessly out of the carriage in high shoes, but I smiled casually at him.
“I’m off now. Shall we leave right away?”
I hurriedly got back on the carriage again at the thought that flashed in my mind after seeing a small grin appear on his face as I bursted out laughing as though I was being preposterous.
Oh, come to think of it, there was that thing… Why did I not think of that?
As soon as I got down to the ground, he let out a sigh as I got back into the carriage again. I pretended not to hear his sigh, I then lifted the lid of my seat, and rummaged inside.
I am sure it is somewhere here…
“Found it!”
I found a yellow backpack hiding in the deepest part of the chair before jumping down next to Cain, who was watching me from outside the carriage.
Smiling broadly at him with my bag wrapped around me, I spoke.
“Then, shall we go now?”
