Chapter 21: Filler; Back home(skip if you want.)
Chapter 20
The carriage was quiet, too quiet. Just the sound of horse hoofs stepping on the cemented floors of the streets and the wheels rolling along.
Kaizen sat stiffly beside Alira, his arms resting on his laps and his eyes fixed on the window, pretending to watch the blur of buildings pass by. His soaked trousers were beginning to dry, clinging uncomfortably to his legs, and his bare feet rested awkwardly against the polished wooden floor of the carriage.
Neither of them said a word.
Alira didn’t seem bothered by the silence. She sat gracefully, legs crossed, one hand supporting her chin while she stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
Kaizen shifted slightly.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Alira also tried to speak.
"So—" She started.
They both paused.
She raised an eyebrow.
"...Go ahead," she said, gesturing for him to speak first.
Kaizen hesitated, then glanced at her sideways. "Why did you help me?"