Chapter 167
Inside the carriage, we shared stories we hadn’t had the chance to talk about before.
Looking back, they were all trivial little things.
Yet, talking with Kyle made me feel happy.
Just looking at each other made me smile, and the more curious I became about him, the more I wanted to reveal my true self.
“So, I clearly remember the first day I saw you. I didn’t know at all that you were looking at me, and I ended up pointing at you.”
“You’re quite the liar.”
The memory was vivid, as if it had happened yesterday.
Was it because our first meeting was a moment of dramatic twist for me?
“At that time, I was scared I might lose my life. But how did you end up looking at me, Kyle?”
“…Because your eyes were dazzling.”
That was definitely flirting.
‘Saying it’s dazzling with a face like that? That’s 100% a thief! Give my heart back!’
I didn’t know where to look, so I hesitated and quietly countered:
“You’ve been pretty since you were young, but I don’t think I was dazzlingly beautiful…”
Embarrassed, I mumbled, and Kyle chuckled softly.
Then, with a playful smile, he corrected me.
“I said dazzling, not pretty.”
“Kyle!”
The awkward silence felt like it would never return.
The soft, tender sensation of our lips was faintly lingering in my mind, but now, the moment of laughing and chatting inside the carriage felt even clearer.
“To me, sparkling is more beautiful than pretty. Strangely, when I see something that shines, I become obsessed.”
Does he have a really obsessive personality?
That couldn’t be.
Kyle always maintained boundaries, and I had never seen him behave otherwise.
“So, is that why the Obelrn Grand Duke’s carriage is so extravagant? I noticed earlier that everyone was too dazzled to properly see the carriage.”
Kyle laughed at my playful joke.
We spent quite a long time in the carriage that way.
We laughed over memories we had shared and satisfied our curiosity by exchanging small, ordinary details of our daily lives.
The only exception was when I asked why he frequently left the palace—he didn’t answer at all.
“Wow! Look over there! The Obelrn Grand Duke’s crest is on it!”
“That’s the carriage from the play, the one the main characters ride.”
“Oh my! No wonder I dreamt of angels. I can actually see the main characters in real life. Even the carriage is magnificent!”
“It’s not that impressive. The actors are all handsome and pretty. Their portraits weren’t even that good-looking.”
As we passed the outskirts of the capital where many commoners lived, people began approaching our carriage, chattering loudly.
“Step back! It’s dangerous! The carriage can’t move! Please! Step back!”
The coachman’s booming voice telling people to move was heard inside the carriage, but the crowd didn’t thin out.
If anything, it seemed to grow.
“Doesn’t it seem a little noisy outside?”
“I probably shouldn’t have ridden in such a carriage.”
Kyle muttered discontentedly.
Of course, he could move places easily like a great mage.
This carriage ride was entirely for show, for the people.
‘Am I just getting excited like a fool?’
Thinking that made me feel strangely melancholic. But there was no time to indulge in that feeling—the situation was worsening.
The crowd, having heard of our arrival, kept growing until the carriage eventually stopped, unable to move forward or backward.
“I think it’s better if I step out for a bit. If it’s too much for you, I can go alone, so you can stay seated.”
By now, I knew very well that the Obelrn Grand Duke avoided showing his face publicly, and I didn’t want him to reveal it in front of such a large crowd.
“…….”
As the carriage door opened and I stepped out, cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Is that really the daughter of Count Inferna? Her hair is red, just like the rumors said!”
“They say she’s like a single red rose; her beauty really gives off the scent of roses.”
There was a time long ago when everyone treated me with hostility simply because I was the daughter of Count Inferna.
Of course, since I had possessed the body of a villainess, it was understandable.
Still, it used to sting a little. Today, my feelings were peculiar.
Everyone was being kind to me, which made me feel both excited and burdened.
It felt strange to be favored without doing anything, and it made me uneasy.
“El.”
Kyle grabbed my hesitant hand.
I thought he disliked moments like this, but he gently held my shoulder and smiled.
His eyes said he would never leave me alone, and it made my heart flutter.
“Ah! This is too much! The Grand Duke is even more handsome than a prince from a fairy tale!”
“I thought the actors were exaggerating their handsomeness, but wow! This is a scoop, a real scoop!”
“…Even portraits don’t capture him at all.”
Voices praising Kyle’s handsome face reached my ears.
‘…They speak louder than when they praise me.’
We raised our hands to greet them.
I wasn’t sure what the emperor wanted, but I felt we had fulfilled our purpose by showing our unwavering love.
“I didn’t expect we’d be greeting people for an hour.”
The crowd was so huge that soldiers had to intervene to clear the path, thanks to complaints from other passing carriages.
It allowed the carriage to move again, but I didn’t feel particularly good.
Exhausted as if all my energy had been drained, I felt queasy and dizzy.
“You don’t look well. Are you okay?”
Kyle asked, frowning. Seeing his concerned expression made me shake my head.
After all, today was a journey for our engagement. I didn’t want Kyle to worry about my health.
“This carriage is too inefficient. I think that’s enough, shall we move on?”
When he offered his hand, I thought our journey had ended.
Holding Kyle’s hand, we arrived at the exact kind of sea I had mentioned.
The salty scent of the ocean calmed my queasy stomach.
Splash.
The sound of waves crashing was thrilling, like drinking a refreshing soda.
Since I had spent so much time in the palace, and even in my previous life I wasn’t close to the sea, it felt like I was seeing it after a very long time.
“You like it too much; it’s troublesome.”
“Huh?”
I had been so absorbed in putting my feet in the water that I hadn’t heard Kyle speak.
I was holding my dress in both hands, so I hadn’t paid attention.
The wind blew my hair, and strands began sticking to my cheek and lips like seaweed.
“…Wait a moment.”
Kyle bent slightly and gently held my flowing hair between his fingers, tying it with a soft click.
“Wow.”
I was about to ask if hair could be tied so easily, but he smiled softly at me.
“If I could stop time with my magic, the moment I’d want to stop forever is probably right here, with you.”
I blinked slowly at Kyle’s words. Was this him saying he loved me?
Or was he simply saying that he had never felt such happiness before in his life?
Not knowing his true intentions, I nodded, putting aside my impatience.
“Then I’ll make this time ours too.”
“……”
“I’ll remember this moment forever. This time with you is very precious to me, Kyle.”
Kyle’s face turned red as if it were about to explode.
But this time, he didn’t look away; he stared straight at me.
I felt awkward at his gaze, but I didn’t want to avoid it. So I quietly looked back at him.
“El. Did I tell you?”
“What?”
‘Did he bring me here to say something?’
When we held hands in the carriage, I thought our duty was over, and that returning to the palace would leave nothing more to say.
I was excited about the journey together, so I felt a little disappointed—but I couldn’t show it, because Kyle’s engagement wasn’t out of love.
Yet the way he looked at me now felt so tender, almost dripping with sweetness.
“I like you.”
“Huh?”
“I like you a lot. Elufe Inferna.”
