IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 15

"Well then, I'll be off."

Verasielle, who had accompanied Chayston to the market entrance, headed toward the carriage she'd arrived in.

Chayston nodded briefly in farewell and walked toward his own waiting carriage.

Their destination was the same, but naturally—as if it were the most obvious thing in the world—they each planned to take their own separate carriages.

Unlike when she'd left, Verasielle climbed into the carriage with her arms full of packages.

She'd spent too much time shopping. They needed to hurry.

"We'll be departing now."

At the coachman's signal, the carriage began moving. However, the smoothly rolling carriage stopped after barely any distance.

And here she'd just been thinking she could finally close her eyes for a moment...

"What's wrong?"

Verasielle called out to the coachman.

"There seems to be a problem with His Grace's carriage."

"His Grace's carriage?"

At this unexpected development, Verasielle finally pulled back the thin curtain to look out the window.

"He's right."

Outside the window, Chayston stood in front of his carriage, exchanging words with his coachman with a serious expression. His face was thoroughly crumpled, as if he found this situation extremely displeasing, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Whatever had happened to his carriage, one of the wheels was broken.

"Lady Verasielle, why don't you return together with His Grace?"

At the coachman's question, an expression that clearly said I don't want to appeared on Verasielle's face.

However, since this carriage and this coachman both belonged to the Duke's estate, she couldn't just pretend not to notice.

"Ugh..."

Letting out a deep sigh, Verasielle hauled herself up with a grunt.

"Your Grace, shall we head home?"

When Verasielle flung open the carriage door and called out, Chayston's eyebrows twitched subtly.

"If you're going to the estate, let's travel together."

"It's fine, so please go ahead."

Chayston turned his head sharply away from Verasielle as he spoke.

Watching this, a vein twitched on Verasielle's forehead, but she soon smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Just get in."

When times are tough, the one who can smile is first-rate. That's what she told herself, anyway.

"Your Grace, the wheel is completely broken, so it will take considerable time to replace."

The coachman bowed his head toward him.

With the delay looking longer than expected, Chayston deliberated. He had a prior appointment with the Council of Elders regarding the mine development issue.

If he was late, they'd obviously start going on about his qualifications again.

"Hurry up. In the time you're spending deliberating, we could've already reached that point up ahead."

Every minute and second was precious, but the reason he kept deliberating despite that was because of that woman standing there with her arms crossed, smiling. That woman who spoke as if she were being considerate while poking at him.

"Fine, I'll go ahead."

"Yes, sir. I'll repair it completely and follow behind."

Chayston had no choice but to move. If the Council of Elders caught even the smallest handle to grab onto right now, they'd obviously latch on and not let go.

He absolutely couldn't let them see that. Rather this—riding back in a carriage with this woman was better.

"Should've just gotten in from the start."

Verasielle muttered as she watched Chayston plop down across from her.

If he was going to get in anyway, why bother being difficult? Just wasting time for no reason. Verasielle grumbled internally.

She was worried that Raphel might have woken up while she was gone. Worried that the awakened Raphel might be desperately searching for her.

"Let's depart."

Chayston completely ignored Verasielle's words and pulled the cord connected to the coachman.

The stopped wheels began rolling smoothly again.

The two of them looked out their respective windows.

Chayston sat with his legs crossed, looking out the left window. Verasielle rested her neatly folded hands on her lap, looking out the right window.

They both hoped to arrive at the estate as quickly as possible. Because this time was extremely unwelcome for both of them.

"..."

"..."

With neither of them speaking a word, suffocating silence settled inside the carriage.

Even though the carriage had such a smooth ride that only the sound of rolling wheels could be heard, it still jolted and shook when hitting large stones.

Each time that happened, the legs of the two people sitting across from each other lightly brushed against one another.

Despite the seats facing each other being clearly spaced apart, unintended contact occurred thanks to Chayston's long legs.

However, neither of them moved to the side complaining of discomfort.

The reason was simple. Neither wanted to lose.

You move first. Or I move first. That's what they were doing.

'I could tell from the moment I first saw him, but he really is a stubborn bastard.'

Verasielle put strength into her leg where it touched Chayston's, not wanting to give ground.

Then Chayston also put considerably more force into his crossed leg.

His strength was so overwhelming that Verasielle's knee, which had been touching his, was helplessly pushed aside.

'This bastard?'

Verasielle glared daggers at Chayston.

Chayston had his arms crossed with a serene expression, as if nothing had happened, completely at ease.

'Fine, whatever.'

Not wanting to get dragged into a childish fight, Verasielle relaxed her leg and leaned back against the seat.

They weren't on terms to have a warm conversation anyway, so she judged it would be better to just sleep until they arrived at the estate.

And that thought became reality within just a few minutes.

Having moved diligently since early dawn, she quickly fell asleep.

Inside the carriage where stillness had descended, the sound of Verasielle's soft, sleeping breaths could be heard.

Thud!

"Mm..."

It was the moment when Chayston, who had been silently looking at only one window, was about to turn his stiff neck to the other side.

"..."

He saw Verasielle's face with her eyes closed.

His gaze naturally lingered on her.

She was sleeping with her face completely relaxed and defenseless—not an act at all.

With a face so childlike it didn't match her age of twenty this year.

It was an innocent face that didn't look like someone full of extravagance and vanity.

She didn't look like someone who would commit fraud for reward money, but you shouldn't judge people by their appearance alone.

Chayston chewed over again the truth he always kept engraved in his heart.

His father, who had a reputation for being kinder than anyone else in the world.

His father, who always wore a good-natured smile for others, was a scoundrel who raised his hands against his own child.

At the unpleasant old memory, Chayston turned his head sharply away.

Because it felt like memories he didn't want to remember would surface again.

Thud!

"Mm..."

However, his gaze had no choice but to turn back to Verasielle.

Her head, gone limp, had collapsed to the side, and Verasielle was banging her head against the carriage wall.

She'd hit it hard enough to make quite a loud sound, but she only wrinkled her face slightly while still remaining fast asleep.

Once again, Verasielle's head lunged toward the wall.

No sound of friction was heard.

Because he'd stood up and caught Verasielle's head with his hand.

She was banging her head against the wall so hard that even watching made one wince—he absolutely couldn't just sit there and watch.

"Mm..."

Even in this situation, Verasielle was mumbling and burying her face deeply into his palm. She must have mistaken it for the wall.

Chayston furrowed his brow at the tickling sensation on his palm and positioned her head to lean against the wall.

Then he pulled his hand away and quickly sat back down.

But his effort was pointless as Verasielle started nodding off again and thunk banged her head against the wall.

By this point, she should've woken up, but she slept soundly indeed.

"Ha..."

Chayston let out a hollow laugh.

Was she dull or just indifferent?

It was more painful for the person watching than for the person actually banging her head.

He crossed his legs and leaned back against the backrest.

This time he didn't catch her head. He'd realized it was pointless. He figured she'd eventually wake up from the pain.

Watching her sleep through narrowed eyes, his gaze moved to the box placed beside Verasielle.

The wrapped box was the snow globe she'd won after their battle of nerves earlier.

Could she have possibly bought it for that child?

"Ridiculous."

He immediately changed his mind.

It could be a show to make it look like she'd bought it for the child. Or it could be for herself.

After all, extravagance naturally includes wastefulness.

Chayston wasn't sleepy nor did he want to sleep, but he closed his eyes.

Because Verasielle nodding off right in front of him was considerably irritating.

"Mother..."

How many tens of minutes had passed?

At the small voice that broke the silence and burrowed into his ears, Chayston opened his eyes.

"...Mother."

The same voice flowed from her lips again.

Verasielle was mumbling, calling for her mother sorrowfully. As if having a nightmare, her brow was completely contorted.

Chayston silently watched her. Verasielle looked like she might burst into tears at any moment, her face full of distress.

What a truly strange woman.

She inflicts psychological abuse on a child while acting like the world's most affectionate mother.

She puts up walls of wariness toward him, glaring like a wildcat, yet draws genuine, sunshine-like smiles when she wins.

And now she's even crying pitifully while calling for her mother.

Truly an unpredictable woman.

"...Mm, Mother."

When Verasielle called for her mother sadly once more, he moved his hand.

His long fingers pressed against Verasielle's furrowed brow as if drawn by a magnet.

Poke.

Then her contorted brow smoothly relaxed.

Her face, which had been full of distress, was now gently at ease.

No longer having nightmares apparently, her red lips only let out soft sleeping breaths.

Was she sad thinking she wouldn't see her parents for a while, acting like this?

As silence fell inside the carriage once more, Chayston silently gazed out the window.

There was no particular reason for his action.

He'd simply found the sound of her pitifully calling for her mother irritating, that's all.