Chapter 96
The carriage carrying Angela and Yvonne rattled unusually harshly compared to the ones they usually rode in. It was to the point where one could almost trace the shape of the ground beneath.
This was likely because the carriage was designed for swift movement, making it small and lightweight.
In such a carriage, the space Yvonne occupied was so narrow that she could barely perch her bottom. Sitting crammed in the corner like that, she seemed liable to tumble from her seat at any major jolt.
“……Yvonne.”
Unable to watch any longer, Angela called out to her. As if worried that she might be told to get out now, Yvonne glanced slyly at Angela’s expression instead of replying.
Angela met that wavering gaze straight on and tapped the seat right beside her, as if noting it down.
“Come closer and sit properly.”
“I’m…….”
“I’m saying this because it’s uncomfortable for me to watch, so hurry.”
Anticipating Yvonne’s falling lips preparing to say she was fine, Angela quickly cut her off and nodded toward the seat beside her once more.
Yvonne, who had been hesitating, reluctantly shuffled over to Angela’s side and sat up straight. Angela immediately leaned her head against Yvonne’s shoulder, effectively pinning her in place so she couldn’t escape.
“Tell me if it’s uncomfortable.”
She said this, but Angela knew full well. No matter how uncomfortable it might be, Yvonne wouldn’t voice any complaints.
And conversely, Yvonne knew too. Though Angela pretended to lean freely, she was actually holding back her full weight, concerned that Yvonne might be uncomfortable.
With each breath in and out, Yvonne felt Angela’s kindness and bit her lip.
It had been like this since childhood, but there was something about her every action that tugged painfully at the heart.
That’s why she was someone Yvonne couldn’t tear her eyes away from……. But she had turned away for far too long, without even realizing that Angela had been watching her all along.
Yvonne carefully took Angela’s hand. The response that came back was just a momentary flinch. Angela let her hand be held and remained still. Then, as if tossing out a trivial story, she spoke lightly.
“Your hand must be cold.”
Yvonne easily realized this referred to her own chilly body temperature.
She had long noticed that Angela’s body temperature was unusual. However, the question about it had been directed not to Angela, but to Kalian.
Kalian had scrutinized Yvonne as if gauging her intentions. His suspicious gaze continued with such meticulous observation that it felt deliberate.
As if dissecting her insides, unfolding each wrinkle of her brain to peer carefully for any hidden malice.
Only then did Kalian open his firmly shut mouth and explain the reason. And that reason had become the very cause for Yvonne sitting here now.
Grace. The woman who had so thoroughly ruined their lives.
She couldn’t leave Angela standing alone in front of her. The countless times she had used Angela as a shield to escape would remain a lifelong regret, gnawing away at Yvonne’s memories.
“Not at all.”
Yvonne replied, gripping Angela’s hand more tightly. She hoped that Angela, who had been hurt by her own cold heart, could steal even a little warmth from her now.
If it were now, she could give it all without reservation. That’s why she was here.
* * *
The speed of the rapidly moving carriage slowed noticeably. Sensing this, Angela tilted her head in puzzlement and listened to the sounds outside before opening the small window. It hadn’t been long enough since their departure to already be taking a rest.
“Sir Jamie.”
Angela called to Jamie, who was riding alongside the carriage, guarding it closely. Perhaps because he hadn’t protected Angela properly last time, his gaze was sharper than usual as he scanned the surroundings, and he responded immediately.
“Yes. Is something the matter?”
“I’m the one asking. Is something the matter? Why are we stopping?”
Ah, nodding casually, Jamie replied in a tone as nonchalant as his nod.
“It was decided to rest for a bit before continuing.”
Upon hearing this, Angela furrowed her brow immediately. She had grasped at once what that decision implied.
“Will you fetch Kalian for me?”
Without a second thought, Angela instructed. Jamie, as if unwilling to leave Angela’s side, relayed her order to another nearby soldier. The soldier darted off like an arrow.
Not long after, Kalian approached and took the spot beside the carriage where Jamie had been standing guard. By then, the procession had slowed so much that it seemed it would halt at the mere flick of Kalian’s fingertip.
“I’m not pleased.”
Angela said abruptly. Kalian must have understood what her sudden words meant.
Under normal circumstances, the soldiers would have raced without rest until nightfall. If the movement was truly urgent, they wouldn’t hesitate to light torches and press on through the darkened forest paths. Where in the world was there an expedition route that allowed such leisurely rests?
This was the result of Kalian’s consideration for Angela. But as she had told Emmit, Angela wasn’t out on a picnic. She wanted to endure the same discomforts and dangers as everyone else.
“If you consider me like this one more time, I’ll get out and ride a horse.”
From the beginning, Angela had chosen a horse as her means of transport to the Halyang region. It was Kalian who had stubbornly dissuaded her, saying it would be too strenuous. Yet now, he was turning her into an obstacle that prevented them from picking up speed.
Only after hearing Angela’s warning, delivered with a glare, did Kalian back down a step.
“I was short-sighted.”
As soon as she heard the reply, Angela slammed the window shut. Shortly after, the carriage, which had been coming to a stop, began to pick up speed again.
Yvonne offered her shoulder to such an Angela. If she couldn’t rest with her feet on the ground, at least she could lean on her shoulder and relax comfortably.
“Count Florence did that because he cares for you a great deal.”
As Angela leaned her head, Yvonne spoke as if making an excuse on Kalian’s behalf. It was a remark prompted by worry that things might become awkward between the two, but it was unnecessary concern.
“……Yeah, I know.”
In the slowly drawled short reply, there seeped an unspoken excitement, one she hadn’t shown for fear that Kalian might change his mind.
* * *
The knights who had finished setting up the tents for tonight’s stay glanced surreptitiously at Angela. She was sitting with Yvonne in front of a modestly flickering bonfire.
Even in comfortable attire, the air of nobility wasn’t easily erased, so the knights worried about how to handle dinner for this high-born lady.
They themselves planned to catch some wild game and make do roughly, but if they offered that to the daughter of the Bilton Dukedom, it seemed like a look of disgust would come right back at them.
Of course, with so many knights from the Florence and Bilton families around, they would handle it somehow.
Yet, facing those haughty eyes observing their every move, it felt like they should rush over and attend to her needs right away. The urge to do something—anything—for her wouldn’t fade easily.
Why on earth bring such a precious lady from a noble house to a battlefield? The knights from other families simply couldn’t fathom the Florence Count’s actions.
“It’s driving me crazy.”
One knight muttered while sharpening his sword for the hunt. The knight beside him, also honing his blade, clicked his tongue as if to say, you too?
“Just ignore it. The Florence family will take care of her anyway, so why all the fuss?”
Another knight said. But even he couldn’t shake the feeling that he ought to do something, compelled by Angela’s freely wandering gaze.
At that moment, it seemed the Florence family’s tent setup was complete, as one of their knights approached Angela. Seeing him explain something, they thought they could finally divert their attention from her.
However, in the next instant, their worries deepened. Whether the Florence knight was mad or not, he handed a bow to Angela.
What if she misfired and hit an ally? It was baffling why he’d give her such a weapon. But the knight proceeded to lead Angela into the forest just like that.
The knight who had earlier advised ignoring it frowned and opened his mouth.
“Be careful during the hunt. A stray arrow might come flying.”
“Damn, we might not even make it to the battlefield before we drop dead.”
Spitting with a ptui, the knight grabbed his sharpened sword and headed into the underbrush.
* * *
‘This mountain has many unusual beasts, so you must be careful.’
When Angela expressed her desire to join the hunt upon hearing they needed to procure their own food, this was the story Jamie had shared.
So, she had prepared herself to some extent, but could a wild boar really grow to that size? Angela was flustered by the enormous bulk that made her expectations seem laughable.
Of course, Angela now possessed a power that made fearing beasts difficult. Even so, the astonishment didn’t vanish entirely. It was nearly the size of the Alcyon she had seen last time, with its wings folded.
It was while Angela was blankly admiring it.
“Lady Bilton!”
Snapping back at Jamie’s sudden shout, she saw a wild boar—no different from a monster—charging straight at her.
It felt different from when the Alcyon or Red Wolf had lunged. It seemed to have simply picked the smallest and easiest target in the group to attack.
Jamie, who had dashed over in a hurry, clashed his sword precisely against the boar’s gaping fangs. Clang! At the moment of impact, both Jamie and the boar were pushed back hard.
Soon, the gathered knights gripped their swords, thinking that if they caught this one, the entire halted army in the forest could eat their fill—every last one of them.
The entire army could eat their fill?
In this procession where she could do little more than slow their steps, Angela realized she had found a role for herself.
“Groooar!”
The boar let out a ferocious roar that made one wonder if boars normally sounded like that, charging as if to trample the knights.
But after just a few steps, the boar collapsed to the ground with a massive thud! The knights, who had been gripping their swords with all their might, all stared in confusion at the boar. An arrow was lodged right in the center of its head.
Following the trajectory of that arrow, their heads turned to find Angela standing there. The very Angela they had worried would fire blind arrows.
“I heard she shoots a bow well, having learned from His Excellency…… but this isn’t just ‘well’—it’s beyond that.”
Jamie, whose sword hand still tingled from the single clash with the boar, muttered in bewildered tones.
Angela shrugged nonchalantly. The bow was merely to avoid revealing her abilities; the actual hunting of the boar was due to something else, but without letting on, Angela asked the clustered knights.
“Will this make for a bountiful meal?”
No one offered a ready answer. Angela seemed unaware of just how thick and tough the hide of the boar she had pierced with her arrow was.
They all glanced once at the bow in Angela’s hand, then back at her face. With a chilling premonition that his earlier joke about dropping dead might become reality, one knight regretted his words and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Of course!”
“Thanks to Lady Bilton, we’ll have full bellies tonight!”
The ones who quickly regained their composure and chimed in were the Florence family’s knights. As they applauded Angela, the other knights stood there dazed.
Suddenly, one knight recalled that Angela Bilton wielded a whip as if it were an extension of her hand and awkwardly joined the Florence knights’ applause.
She had been so demure and complaint-free during the journey that they had completely forgotten. She was originally a woman infamous for her ruthless nature and harsh words and actions. And now, with archery skills like that.
The question of why bring a woman to the battlefield vanished entirely with this. None of the knights here could pierce that boar’s hide with a single strike. It meant she was better than them.
They had briefly wondered how to rescue her if she fell into danger among the enemy. All needless worries.
Right. What kind of man was Count Florence? He had thought it all through.
“Kalian!”
Several knights dragged the boar back near the tents. Walking among the knights, Angela suddenly ran to Kalian and pointed at the boar with a radiant smile.
“I caught it.”
With a smile far too bright for boasting about such an immense hunting trophy, the knights’ minds grew complicated once more.
