"You don't look well. I think you don't need to join," Rad suggested sensibly. Rad could only interpret Bree's silence as a sign of sickness. Bree, his number one debating opponent, Bree's change appears too drastic.
"No, Oh my God! I'm fine!"
Bree exclaimed. Unable to contain herself, Bree let out a small shout. "We should leave quickly, shouldn't we?" Bree added more gently, though her face still looked upset.
Bree then approached her steed and mounted Briar, avoiding eye contact with Rad, as her face must have been completely red. Bree could feel the warmth in her cheeks. Bree complained inwardly. It seemed like the dream of defeating Amber was still far away. She couldn't even talk to Rad normally without overthinking it.
Rad still furrowed his brows in amazement, but eventually stepped back. That was the longest time he could hold his breath. He stopped breathing a while ago to avoid absorbing Bree's scent.
Rad could only watch as Bree guided Briar away, approaching another horse that was ready to depart.
Rad then called Edmond with a wave of his hand. "Fetch another leather coat for her," Rad pointed at Bree.
Edmond nodded and relayed the message to one of his subordinates, who quickly ran inside to get the coat. A leather coat was an essential item for traveling on horseback to endure sudden cold winds and rain. Clearly, Bree didn't have one, considering her drenched state when Rad found her yesterday.
"Let's go!" Rad mumbled as he mounted his horse.
Edmond nodded and began giving orders to all the members of the caravan, which was now larger due to the addition of two more participants.
In addition to the carriage carrying Trey and Amber, Rad ordered an extra ten fully armed guards. The areas they would be traveling through could be quite dangerous.
The sizable group moved in an orderly fashion, leaving the castle heading north, away from the coastline, towards more remote farming areas.
At the front line were Edmond, along with two other knights, Auclair and Durant. Bree wasn't very familiar with them, then or now.
Behind them was the horse-drawn carriage containing Trey and Amber. Due to its heavy load, the carriage had to be in the middle to ensure it wouldn't be left behind.
Rad was beside the carriage—not exactly beside it, but slightly ahead.
Bree, at the back of the carriage, looked annoyed to see Amber repeatedly sticking her head out of the window to call Rad. Their conversation was not important. Amber just asked about the weather and the duration of the journey. Rad responded minimally and briefly.
However, Amber didn't give up. Several times, she peered out again to engage Rad in conversation.
Amber seemed so relaxed. Bree hated the situation because it was challenging for her to engage Rad in normal conversation.
"Calm down, Briar. Calm down a bit," Bree whispered softly, stroking Briar's neck gently as Briar suddenly quickened its pace. Bree forgot that Briar could sense her unease. Bree's agitation transferred to Briar.
Bree had tried to slow down, but Briar seemed slow to respond. However, Bree was no longer a novice. She wasn't scared anymore, as she was used to it. Bree knew how to calm Briar now.
She stroked Briar's neck while continuing to whisper. "Pull the reins a little tighter and pat its neck. Not a gentle stroke."
Bree turned and saw Rad on his horse beside her. As usual, he was wearing a cloak covering him entirely, even his head.
Bree followed the advice, patting Briar's neck a bit harder and pulling the reins slightly tighter. Gradually, Briar's steps became slower and more controlled, falling in line with the other horses around.
"Hmm... Not bad," Rad remarked.
Rad glanced at how Bree controlled Briar and acknowledged that it was quite good. Bree had advanced much more in horsemanship than swordplay.
"Aren't you going back to the front?" Bree wanted to ask casually, but it might have sounded a bit brusque because she was uncomfortable with Rad being beside her after giving that advice. His presence made it hard for Bree to think.
"Do I need to arrange where I should be? Where I want to be is up to me."Rad retorted irritably. He had approached because he heard Bree's whisper while calming Briar.
Certainly, it could be dangerous if Bree couldn't fully control Briar, but apparently, her worry was unfounded. The response made Rad feel regretful for being kind.
"I was just asking! Do you have to answer so rudely?!" Bree snapped sharply.
Bree's attempt to be sweet had failed. She had tried, but in vain. For now, it seemed impossible for Bree to charm Rad. Being friendly was just too difficult.
"Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha..." Bree jerked when she heard that resounding laughter. Rad laughed—not an ordinary laugh but a hearty one with a look of amusement on his face.
Making Bree dumbfounded. It was the first time she had seen Rad laugh heartily due to amusement. And apparently, she wasn't the only one.
Several guards around them turned to look, their faces filled with surprise. They stared at Rad as if he were a strange creature. Yes, Rad's laughter like that was rare, like witnessing a solar eclipse. It made sense for everyone to be fascinated.
"I don't understand why you're trying to be sweet, but it's quite amusing. It doesn't match your character at all," Rad commented.
After saying that, Rad kicked the side of the horse he was riding, making it step forward. Rad was now at the front with Edmond.
If Bree wasn't embarrassed, she might have cursed as hard as she could. Cursing Rad, who was too good at reading her mind, and cursing herself for getting angry too easily.
What had happened earlier erased any possibility for Bree to act sweetly toward Rad. This meant distancing herself from victory over Amber.
Bree now rode Briar, half in a daze, pondering. Searching for a way to defeat Amber without sweet-talking.
Because of these thoughts, Bree missed how Amber's face looked as she peered out of the window. She also missed the rare laughter from Rad earlier. Bree was annoyed to see that the laughter was directed at her.
Her increasing irrational jealousy was evident on Amber's face.