My Villainous Husband

73

Eden mentioned that it was only a matter of time before we reached the Temple of Tunia.

It was seventeen days after leaving Countess Tocino’s estate. Snow suddenly began falling from the clear sky. In the next moment, thick clouds frighteningly covered the sky, making it eerily overcast.

“The snow falling this time must be ‘it’.”

As I spoke, Eden nodded in agreement before we urged our horses on. I pondered to myself as I rode that we had truly arrived at the perfect time.

At that time, Eden, who was riding side by side, shouted.

“The Emperor will return soon, right?”

‘No.’

My intuition whispered again.

‘They will think it will stop.’

I shouted loudly towards him, piercing through the sound of hooves.

“No!”

Somehow, my ears were deafening.

“The Emperor will only return in an almost uncontrollable situation! He must have thought the snow would stop by now!”

“Are you saying that because you know that Emperor well?”

Eden’s shout sounded distant as if coming from far away.

I retorted.

“No, it’s my ‘intuition’!”

Seemingly understanding what I meant, he rode ahead. The horse, worn out from the long journey, couldn’t pick up speed no matter how hard I urged it. Still, it didn’t matter. Before the snow piled up too much, we just needed to make it to a small village.

The snow fell heavily as if wanting to completely bury me from this world, turning everything white. In an instant, small and cozy patches of ice formed over my head and shoulders. While a few snowflakes melted upon touching my body, the ones that followed kept falling in the same spot, pressing me down with the weight of fallen comrades and holding each other’s hands.

I couldn’t feel my hands.

The sun was already setting when Eden and I arrived at the small village near the Temple of Tunia. Visitors were a rare occurrence in this place, so upon hearing the sound of hooves, the villagers raised their heads and looked our way, curious about the commotion.

As the horses trotted along with a white puff of breath, we stopped in the middle of the village. A middle-aged woman, likely the village chief, approached Eden and me. It seemed that she recognized Eden, perhaps unsurprisingly. Since the Temple of Tunia was relatively humble, they would call upon the paladins when anyone needed extra help, so it made sense.

“Eden?”

Eden nodded.

As the village chief’s gaze now turned towards me, I looked back at her with a face that was completely red from the cold.

“Who is this person?”

Eden responded shortly.

“A companion.”

Seeing him getting off his horse, I quickly did the same.

He spoke calmly and calculatedly, as always.

“I’ll give you two horses. Will you exchange them for a warm meal, winter clothing, and snowshoes?”

I gripped the hem of the dress tightly.

They certainly wouldn’t be at a loss in this deal. 

While Eden negotiated with the village chief, I gazed in the direction of the temple. Even though it wasn’t clearly visible yet, it was definitely there.