***
The sound of a wooden wheel clattered against the ground, accompanied by the rhythmic clattering of a horse's hooves. Somewhere in the countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and stretches of lush green grass. It was a hot, sunny day.
The cart driver guided the horse with steady focus, fully immersed in his work.
"Thank you for accepting my offer, sir. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found someone willing to travel to such a distant place."
The voice of a young woman drifts from inside the cart, addressing the driver. It obviously was Lea.
"Don't worry about it. You're lucky I just happen to be heading that way too. Of course, you'll pay me back," the driver replied with a shrug.
"R-Right..." Lea muttered.
She sighed softly, her gaze shifting to someone sprawled on the floor of the cart. Covered in a dark, tattered cloak, the figure's white, spiky hair stood out starkly. It was Luke, snoring loudly without a care in the world.
"This is such a hassle," Lea grumbled, narrowing her eyes in frustration. Her exhaustion was written all over her face.
But her frustration quickly faded, replaced by a sense of relief and contentment. After all, she got what she was looking for.
Lea leaned back and reached for the necklace hanging around her neck. Gently, she opened the locket, revealing a small picture tucked inside. It was a photo of her grandmother sitting beside her, both of them smiling.
A faint smile graced Lea's lips as her gaze softened, fixated on the image. A wave of relief and warmth washed over her at the sight of her beloved grandmother.
"I miss you, Grandma," she murmured softly. "I got what you asked for."
Lea missed her grandmother more than anyone else. This didn't mean she had a distant relationship with her family and relatives, but her childhood was largely shaped by her grandmother's presence. Their time together forged a deep and unbreakable bond.
While her parents suggested hiring a private tutor to refine her skills, her grandmother firmly insisted on teaching Lea herself. Despite her old age, it was remarkable how adept her grandmother remained in the art of magic.
By the age of six, Lea had proven to be a quick learner, especially under her grandmother's meticulous guidance. Her mastery of magic advanced rapidly, and by the time she turned eight, she earned a place at the prestigious Veritas Aurea Academy. This renowned academy only accepted individuals of exceptional talent, those who met its lofty expectations for both magical knowledge and wisdom.
As the heir to the Vitalis Faction, Lea's parents had high expectations of her. Much of her time was spent learning magic and acquiring knowledge, shaping her into what many considered a prodigy. However, within her family, her accomplishments were seen as the bare minimum, given their own extraordinary abilities.
Though she wasn't pressured by any of this, the boredom of someone who looked up to her was heavy, hiding away that boredom through her soft smile and personality.
"Ah."
Lea closed the locket with care and leaned back, her eyelids drooping slightly as she listened to the rhythmic clatter of the horse's hooves against the ground.
Suddenly, Luke's unconscious body twitched, and he mumbled softly, drawing her attention. She watched as he shifted restlessly, eventually rolling onto his stomach against the wooden planks. After a moment, his eyes fluttered open, squinting at the light.
"You're awake," Lea said, her tone calm but watchful.
Luke glanced around, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings with confusion. All he could see were thick white silks draped over the cart, and the steady rhythm of the wheels and the horse's hooves echoing as they moved along the road.
"Where am I?" he muttered, still disoriented.
"You're in the carriage, heading to the place we need to go so that I can finally fulfill what my grandma said," Lea replied, her voice even.
"Right. You forced me into this."
"Because you're acting like a child!" Lea shot back, frustration creeping into her tone. "Do you have any idea how much effort it took to find you, drag you onto this cart, and then pay double the usual expenses just for this journey?"
"Ugh, don't give me a headache right after I woke up," Luke groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Either way, I'm just relieved I managed to bring you with me, even if it was by force."
'Right,' Luke thought to himself as he lay flat on his stomach, turning his head to the left to avoid meeting Lea's gaze.
"Just as my grandma described, you're stubborn to deal with," Lea said with a hint of exasperation. "I didn't realize she was actually telling the truth. And honestly, sometimes you act like a child."
"Well, your grandma certainly has a knack for fortune telling, I'll give her that," Luke replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Lea couldn't help but wonder why her grandmother was so intent on meeting Luke. While she had mentioned wanting to reconnect with an old friend, and she quickly identified that old friend as Luke, it left Lea curious about the connection they might share. What kind of history tied Luke to her grandmother?
The thought had lingered in her mind for much of the journey, but eventually, her curiosity began to wane, overtaken by other concerns.
Lea sighed deeply, closing her eyes as she lowered her head, the weight of exhaustion evident in her posture.
"I just want to take a break so badly," she murmured. "Even the thought of it makes me jealous."
For a moment, silence filled the cart, broken only by the rhythmic clatter of wheels and the steady beat of the horse's hooves. Luke's eyes narrowed as he listened to Lea's ongoing complaints, though he stayed quiet for a while longer.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a long time," Luke said suddenly, his tone thoughtful.
Lea's eyes widened slightly in intrigue. What kind of relationship does he have with my grandmother? She wondered, her curiosity hidden behind her composed expression.
"I can't even remember the last time we met," Luke continued. "It's been so long that by then, she already had a whole family tree established through her bloodline."
It was hard to tell if Luke was being sarcastic or not, but his words raised more questions than answers. While he had revealed that he was a zombie and incapable of aging, the possibility of a connection with Lea's grandmother hinted at something deeper.
If he truly had ties to her grandmother, it could mean they both attended the same academy—an academy that had long ceased to exist since the fall of the Aurelian Empire. The thought left Lea pondering the mysteries of Luke's past and how it intertwined with her family's history.
The more she dwelled on the thought, the more it seemed to slip through her grasp, becoming an elusive puzzle she couldn't quite piece together.
"Ah, I guess I've grown some courage now. I didn't even plan on meeting her, but her annoying granddaughter is such a hassle." Luke muttered with a sarcastic edge, smirking just out of Lea's sight.
Lea's eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" Luke replied quickly, feigning innocence. "I was just talking to myself. Or are you reading my mind now? Did your grandmother teach you to be a fortune teller or grant you clairvoyance?"
"You said it out loud! Of course, I heard it, and I can't just ignore it!"
"Could've fooled me. Either way, it feels like you're listening to my thoughts, which is totally a violation of my mental privacy."
"T-That doesn't even make sense!"
They continued to bicker for a while until the conversation finally tapered off. Lea, clearly annoyed, crossed her arms and leaned back, her chest rising and falling with a frustrated breath.
"Bastard," she muttered under her breath.
Luke didn't respond to her jab. Calm as ever, he shifted his head to glance at her while still lying on his stomach.
"W-What?" Lea instinctively pressed her hands over her skirt, as if to shield herself from his gaze.
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, his expression briefly stern before he closed them with a sigh.
"Nothing," he muttered, turning his focus elsewhere.
"Just wake me up when we arrive. I'm going back to sleep," Luke said, pulling his cloak around him and making himself comfortable before slowly closing his eyes.
Lea felt a strange emptiness after their exchange, as if she'd just had a random conversation with a stranger and ended up with nothing.
She sighed, turning her gaze to the outside world. The breeze swept across the land, and the grass swayed gently, dancing with the wind. The sun's rays were warm, and the heat was unmistakable.
A soft smile tugged at her lips as she placed her hands over her chest, watching the peaceful view in contentment, trying to ease the weight of her stress.
If only she knew what lay ahead—how much more her life would change, especially after meeting that insufferable undead bastard.
"It will be over after this."