I Wish You Well In Your Next Love, My Love - Chapter 18

“Since you’ve already put in the effort, why not do a little more. My head still hurts.”

Arvina gave a faint smile as she lightly placed her hand over his large one.

“If you’re joking, you must be feeling better.”

Glancing down at their joined hands, Gerard let out a quiet chuckle.

“So it takes this much to win the princess’s heart. Maybe rampaging once in a while isn’t so bad.”

The curtains I had drawn the night before were wide open.

It must have rained a little overnight, because the scent of wet grass drifted in through the window.

After the dark clouds cleared, the sky was unusually bright. Light filled with the morning scenery seeped into the bedroom, illuminating Gerard and Arvina.

Even the gazes watching them were warm. As if they were looking at a well-matched pair, eyes that seemed to believe a couple who would soon make the entire Empire buzz had been born.

I hid behind the long shadows of the people and picked up my heavy bag.

I should leave quickly while everyone’s distracted.

I hoped no one in this mansion would even notice that I was here.

Just as I quietly stepped back, Gerard’s head turned. Through the crowd, his eyes met mine precisely.

Startled, I immediately turned away like someone fleeing.

Our eyes had met, but it lasted less than a second.

* * *

“What?! The carriage already left?!”

The strap of my bag slipped weakly down my shoulder.

“They left early at dawn with all the Purifiers. Didn’t you hear?”

“Even though Arvina is still here?”

“Miss Odriann will probably take her personal carriage. Or the young master might escort her himself.”

The steward shrugged as if I were worrying over nothing. Leaving me standing there in a daze, he swept the ground with a long broom.

‘Right… I’m fourth-rank, so I wasn’t even part of the mobilization…’

The Castion grand ducal manor stood in the middle of a vast plain. Even the wide natural gardens surrounding it were private property.

Since it was land where no one could enter freely, like the gates of a territorial fortress, I couldn’t even call a hired carriage. To reach a place where I could hire one, I would have to travel by carriage first.

This is bad.

“How long would it take to walk to the nearest market from here?”

“If you follow this road straight, it’ll take about four hours.”

“Ah. Four hours.”

Under the blazing sun, it felt like my whole body would melt. Four hours of walking in this weather.

Normally, I would grit my teeth and think, ‘Let’s do this.’ But not today.

After purifying all night, I barely had the strength to stand. And I hadn’t eaten anything.

I shut my eyes tightly, wishing this were a dream, but when I opened them, nothing had changed.

“I feel like I’ll collapse on the way.”

Even my sigh felt heavy.

Just then, the sound of hooves approached, and a carriage stopped in front of me. The Odriann family crest was engraved on it.

“Louize? Why are you still here?”

“Arvina…”

I clutched the strap of my bag with both hands and looked at her desperately.

“Don’t tell me you missed the carriage?”

“Yeah. I stayed with you next to Lord Castion the whole time, so I didn’t hear when they were leaving.”

“Oh no, Louize.”

Arvina frowned sympathetically.

“But what should I do… My carriage is already packed with too many things, so I can’t take anyone else.”

She shifted slightly to the side so I could look inside. The carriage really was filled with boxes. They looked like gifts of gratitude from the Castion household.

“And I can’t have a lady sit next to the driver. I’m sorry.”

“No, I can sit there…”

“I’ll give you this instead. Then call a carriage and come safely, Louize.”

Arvina extended her pale arm out the window and dropped a gold coin. It was more than enough to pay for a hired carriage.

I caught the coin with both hands without thinking. Before I could even stop it, Arvina’s carriage was already rolling away into the distance.

I stared blankly after it.

“The money isn’t the problem…”

I let out a long sigh. A noble lady wouldn’t understand that I couldn’t call a hired carriage from here.

No matter how I thought about it, there was only one solution. I ran a hand down my dry face and adjusted my bag.

Then—

Thud. Someone grabbed my bag from behind.

Startled, I turned around.

‘…No way.’

I had run into the one person I least wanted to see again.