Chapter 140
Alter quietly boarded the carriage and gazed out the window.
Not many thoughts came to mind, and occasionally the vibrations of the carriage were transmitted to him.
Even though he was leaving for his honeymoon, why was he enveloped in such a tranquil atmosphere?
'Am I just relieved that everything ended without trouble? Hm.......'
Alter glanced absentmindedly at the ring on his left hand.
It was proof that he and Brillie were married, and also the symbol of their bond as a couple.
It looked oddly awkward, yet it also seemed to evoke a subtle feeling.
'Does marriage make everyone end up like this? Why does it all feel so bland?'
Alter was questioning his own emotions.
They had gone through all sorts of chaotic events, but in the end, he had married Brillie.
He thought he should be at least a little happy, but his heart was completely unmoved.
'I don't know where to start or what I should do. Am I the strange one?'
Alter was vaguely aware of a sense of alienation.
Normally, he would have set a goal and tried to respond to it accordingly.
But now, not even a rough objective came to mind, and he was swept up in an inexplicable feeling of emptiness.
'Lailnetia the Devouring? Knight of True Flame? I can't fight enemies that haven't even appeared yet, can I?'
It was pointless to be conscious of the dragon or Lang Couster at this point.
There was no way to predict where or how they would cross paths in the future.
If anything, perhaps it was because of their existence that he was able to keep his reason.
'Even if I can accept going on a honeymoon... I still have to sleep with Brillie, don't I?'
Alter flinched unconsciously as he glanced at Brillie out of the corner of his eye.
Brillie had turned her head, shrouded in silence.
The two could do nothing but look at each other vaguely when their gazes met.
"Is there anything you want to say?"
"Uh... I'm not sure. What about you, Brillie?"
"Me? I... um... well......."
Brillie seemed hesitant, then she closed her mouth.
Once face-to-face with Alter, no words came out.
If anything, just watching Alter seemed to freeze her whole body.
"It does feel a little awkward. I don't feel anything, so it's hard to put it into words..."
"Right? I want to say something, but nothing comes to mind."
"Maybe things will get better after we arrive?"
"Maybe it's just that being stuck in the carriage is stifling. It shakes sometimes... and the movement makes your head spin, doesn't it?"
"That could be true."
Alter answered calmly, but he couldn't shake off the sense of distance.
His emotions toward Brillie were tangled in a subtle way.
Could it be that, in anticipation of married life, he was subconsciously feeling pressure?
"Just in case, let me ask... Do I seem strange to you?"
"No. You're the same as usual. Why? Is there something wrong?"
"My body's fine. It's just... my mood feels complicated, that's all."
"Are you worried? Don't stress about it. We can just relax and go back when we want, can't we?"
"Of course. I'm sure things will improve soon."
Brillie reached out to hold Alter's hand but quickly withdrew.
Perhaps the pressure of marriage had caused her to shrink back psychologically.
Rather than messing things up for no reason, maybe it was best to leave him alone.
'Maybe it's better not to go out.'
In this situation, even recommending Alter do anything should be avoided.
That kind of suggestion might just end up putting further pressure on Alter.
That was why, for now, she chose to quietly observe and simply support him as much as he wanted.
'No need to rush. It's both of our first times facing this.'
For that reason, Brillie was even more cautious.
If she said the wrong thing, it would only sound like nagging or forcing.
She had to match his pace so Alter could finally feel comfortable with her.
'Should I cancel everything and just go straight to the inn? At least we could rest that way.......'
* * *
As soon as they arrived in the city, Brillie went straight into a tearoom.
Alter was in a low mood, so it didn't seem right to eat a proper meal right away.
She had intended to drop their things off at the luxurious inn she'd reserved, but since Alter objected, she reluctantly gave up.
"Shouldn't we rest at the inn?"
"It's fine. I'm feeling much better. I was just a little tense, that's all."
Alter sipped from his teacup and furtively glanced around.
There weren't many patrons, with nobles scattered at their respective tables.
Even though the establishment served expensive refreshments, the subdued atmosphere limited the number of guests.
"Just wandering around probably won't make things better. Even if we don't go to the inn, maybe we should move about a bit?"
"Still, we can't just change the schedule we've already set, can we?"
"It's fine to change it. We only made reservations for places like restaurants or inns. Even if I paid deposits, there's no real problem if we don't go."
"But this is our honeymoon; isn't it wrong to ruin the mood on the first day?"
"So you'd rather I watch you struggle on our trip? If that's the case, we might as well not bother with it."
Brillie answered firmly, her eyes tinged with chilliness.
For her, the honeymoon was simply an event associated with the wedding.
If things seemed likely to get difficult because of the honeymoon, perhaps they ought to return to the capital.
"This is our first trip together after getting married. It's meaningful and will be a memory we'll never forget. Even so, you want to change the schedule?"
"You're my husband now. How could I enjoy traveling while my husband is suffering?"
"I just needed a moment to adjust. I'm back to normal now, so following the schedule shouldn't be a problem."
"It wasn't like I thought up the schedule myself anyway. I just pieced together information I found here and there. Is there anywhere you especially want to go?"
"Not really... but since we're here, shouldn't we at least stop by some places once?"
"If that's all, then there's really no need to go. From the start, I never wanted to be tied down by a schedule. As long as you're by my side, that's all I want."
"......"
Alter hesitated for a moment before conceding.
If she was saying this so seriously, there was no point in pushing further.
Hearing the word 'husband' made him understand her feelings a little better.
"Aren't you hungry? There are plenty of restaurants nearby. If we want to find somewhere especially popular, it might take a while."
"I filled up on refreshments here, so my hunger's gone. How about you, Brillie?"
"I'm fine. I did eat a little of this food, too."
Brillie lifted her teacup as she looked at the plate of bread and sweets.
Perhaps because this was one of the scheduled spots, the taste was certainly superb.
The aroma of the tea was particularly subtle, melting away her fatigue.
"So... what do you want to do next?"
"How about we just move about freely? But since it could be a waste of time, let's just pick and choose a bit from the schedule."
"You mean you don't want to stray completely from the schedule?"
"Yes. After all, we made reservations; we can't just not go, right? We'll just try to stick to it where it fits."
"That sounds reasonable. It's not easy to match your steps to everything, after all."
"This is still a vacation, so let's enjoy it together. There's no need to get too caught up in formality."
"Yes. We should enjoy ourselves."
Only then could Alter finally dispel his impatience and anxiety.
Brillie didn't act forceful about the honeymoon.
She simply pursued a balanced daily life as his wife.
'I need to accept this with a more open mind. There are truly important things elsewhere.......'
After a brief hesitation, Alter resolved himself.
Even if their trip changed course along the way, their first night together needed to be brought to a definite close.
Sharing a bed as husband and wife was only natural, an appropriate outcome.
'Mistakes should only happen once. If they keep repeating, we'll just grow more awkward.'
No matter how embarrassing or hesitant he felt, it was something he'd have to face eventually.
After all, married life was meant to involve a couple's harmony and the prosperity of descendants.
In truth, it was the clearest way to prove the marriage, and their two houses' heads would keep being conscious of it.
'There are still enemies out there... but I can't keep putting this off because of them.'
* * *
Alter leisurely walked around the outskirts of the city with Brillie.
He didn't act hurried; from time to time, they simply took a break.
As always, they strolled and made idle conversation.
"It looks like it's getting dark. We should probably head to the inn, right?"
"... Yes. We should probably go in soon."
Alter flinched for a moment but then calmly boarded the carriage.
He was still hesitating, but he couldn't back out now.
For Brillie's sake, he needed to see things through to the end.
"They say it's a luxury inn, but it might be less comfortable than you think. Our house is quite large... and we don't have many servants, do we?"
"I understand. Not many places can be more comfortable than the duke's house."
"Still, nobles use it often, so the basics should be taken care of."
Brillie spoke calmly but couldn't shake off her uneasiness.
She would soon have to share the bed and spend the night with Alter, but no solution came to mind.
She wondered if she shouldn't just set everything aside and sleep quietly without thinking.
'Maybe we could wait until later? It does seem a little too soon.......'
Brillie was already trying to compromise with herself.
Her previous failure had dampened her resolve.
But if Alter was willing, maybe she needed to change her mind a little.
'Will Alter make the first move? And if he does.......'
"Um... Brillie."
"......."
"Brillie?"
"Yes? Did you call me?"
"Could you look over there?"
Brillie looked straight at the direction Alter pointed.
Black smoke was rising from a building clearly visible outside the window.
That wasn't all—raging flames licked up the outer walls.
"That looks like the inn... Is that where we're supposed to stay?"
"We'd better check."
Brillie stopped the carriage and immediately called Edith over.
Edith moved between carriages for a moment, then returned and spoke slowly.
"Uh... I think that is our inn."
"So what do we do now?"
"We'll have to look for another inn, right?"
"But there's probably no other luxury inn available, is there?"
"Probably n...ot? I'll check to be sure, though."
"Haa......."
Brillie's expression twisted in despair.
Why did this accident have to happen just as they were about to spend their first night?
Everything unraveled right from the start, and now even the mood was sinking.
'It's ruined. There's no way to spend our first night together like this.'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Of course...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】