C61
Bianca's heart was pounding. She tried to stay calm. When was the last time she kissed Zachary in her previous life? In the past, the couple had only reluctantly kissed in bed, and the kisses were very sporadic.
Now that she thinks about it, she had never kissed him before his return. How will he react when their lips touch? Will he be disappointed if she seems aggressive? It would be nice if it ended with a cute reaction that wasn't one of disappointment.
Bianca's eyelashes trembled with tension. It felt like Zachary's lips were about to touch hers. Just as Bianca was getting anxious, an unexpected voice crossed the silent carriage.
"I brought the food... Oh, Madam."
The moment Yvonne's voice was heard, the breath and body temperature of the fingertips that had touched Bianca's face disappeared at the same time. It was an instant. When Bianca blinked in surprise, it was already too late.
What caught Bianca's gaze was the darkness of the night that landed in the carriage, and by then Zachary was far away. They seemed so close a moment ago, but it was startling how far they had separated.
Zachary's face revealed his agitation. An absurd and bewildered expression that couldn't hide his surprise. As if his steel reason, his logic, and his stubbornness should never have allowed him to fall into the current situation.
Bianca turned to Yvonne, who brought the food. She also seemed dismayed at realizing she had made a grave mistake. Being ignorant is a great sin as a servant. As if understanding Bianca's displeasure, she trembled with a determined expression on her face.
But how could Bianca say anything to Yvonne? Bianca sighed softly and gestured to Yvonne.
"It's fine. Bring it here."
"... Then I'll leave."
As if Yvonne's appearance was an opportunity, Zachary hastily ran out of the carriage as soon as Bianca turned her head towards Yvonne. The sight of his back as he escaped looked perplexed. As if he had almost made a mistake, even the sense of relief was evident in his steps.
Yvonne, who observed the situation holding her breath, asked cautiously.
"Was I too careless...?"
"No. You came at the right moment. I was hungry."
Bianca replied with a straight back.
She said it was the right moment, but it was a blatant lie. It couldn't have been more careless than this, but she also gave up quickly because her day hadn't been going well.
Today is not the only day, anyway.
Bianca decided to relax, pulling the food Yvonne had brought her, taking a casual bite of the bread, but the crumbly bread in her mouth was exceptionally dry.
----
About 10 days after leaving Arno's estate, the capital was just around the corner. The servants looked at each other's faces as if they couldn't believe they had arrived in the capital so quickly.
From Arno's estate to the capital, it takes three days on horseback. One week on foot. And it takes about 10 days for more than 50 people to mobilize.
It was a normal speed, neither slow nor fast, but the servants couldn't hide their embarrassment.
They had set out for this journey two and a half weeks ago.
Why was such a long journey planned? It was because of the variable called Bianca.
It was not uncommon for young noblewomen to complain that they couldn't bear the arduous journey. During the journey, there was no choice but to eat poorly, and as comfortable as the carriage was, it was not as good as the castle. It was common to cry after three days, and they had heard of the significant disruption to the schedule that this could cause.
Furthermore, the person they serve is "that" lady. Someone who is demanding and luxurious... When they found out that the lady would travel with them to the capital, they were scared.
"What if we can't find a place to stay?"
"What should we do if she gets angry because there are too many insects when we travel through the mountains?"
"And if she says the carriage is shaking...?"
Servants and soldiers expressed their concerns about traveling with the lady, loaded with useless excuses. However, as decided by Mr. Zachary, his wife Bianca agreed, and the commanders had no complaints about it, so they couldn't reverse the decision.
They had no doubt that this journey to the capital would be the longest and most terrifying nightmare they had ever had. But it was funny that they raised their voices with so much fuss, and none of the things they were so worried about happened.
Bianca had been in the carriage all day, except for a short walk in the area in the morning before the group departed.
Occasionally, Bianca's maid, Yvonne, came and went to run errands for Bianca, but Bianca never showed her face.
The journey went smoothly. Far from being uncomfortable, the servants and other gentlemen were astounded by Bianca's deadly calm appearance in the carriage. They wanted to hide in a mouse hole when they thought about their previous comments that, according to them, would be an obstacle to their journey. They seemed to have made a fuss for no reason.
There was a lot of talk among the servants about why Bianca didn't come out, and whether the lady was sick or not.
"I heard she is weak... Is she alright?"
"If she's sick, she should say so. She's not someone who can endure that."
"Yes, that's right."
And while they went about their duties, the servants' eyes fluttered with anxiety. Bianca's silence unsettled them.
Contrary to their concerns, Bianca was doing very well in the carriage. She continued to recline in the carriage, pretending to be nauseous and dizzy. But the motion sickness wasn't so bad.
Bianca also knew that being demanding about motion sickness would only prolong the journey. It was better for Bianca to reach the capital as soon as possible, rather than trying to be as comfortable as possible in an uncomfortable carriage. She enjoyed her free time with fresh fruit.
Thanks to Bianca's cooperation, they arrived in the capital earlier than expected.
Lahoz, the capital of the Sevran Kingdom, was incomparable to Arno's estate in scale.
If Arno's castle was built on flat land, the Sevran castle was a fortress built on a high hill and a cliff.
Rising like a mountain, Lahoz was surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. In the only peaceful spot without cliffs, moats and tall walls were built, and the only way to enter Lahoz was through a drawbridge. It was a blessed terrain that didn't allow any foreign invasion.
The impregnable white citadel, where one could feel the power that had stood between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile for over a hundred years, was splendid as if boasting its majesty. At the tip of the citadel's pinnacle, a flag with the emblem of the House of Sevran fluttered. The pattern in which the golden sunlight split behind the red rose contrasted with the blue sky.
The lookout who found the Arno family flag in the tower shouted down.
"Black wolf! That is the Arno flag!"
In a short time, the Arno procession arrived at the gates of Lahoz. Zachary, who was at the front of the procession, shouted towards the castle.
"I am Count Zachary of Arno! I have been summoned by His Majesty, open the gate!"
"Lower the drawbridge!"
As soon as the soldier who confirmed Zachary's identity shouted, the heavy gate collapsed with the sound of chains moving. With a loud noise, the drawbridge descended in front of Zachary.
Zachary was the first to cross the drawbridge. All the soldiers in the capital looked at Zachary in awe. Thanks to Zachary's repeated victories in the war against the Kingdom of Aragon, the capital's soldiers could stretch out and sleep in a safe place. For them, not only as soldiers but also as people of the Sevran Kingdom, Zachary was a heroic savior.
Traders and officials passing by the small drawbridge stopped at the word "Arno" and watched the procession of the Arno family without understanding. In this way, the Arno family entered the capital city of Lahoz with praises.
Tags:
TWB (Novel)