Inside the carriage, a silence hung between Cedric and me. Earlier, I had acted quite forward in front of him, but now my embarrassment had returned, leaving me quiet as I stared out the window, replaying my earlier actions in my mind.
Cedric was focused on the stack of papers in his hands. He looked swamped, not glancing at me even once. His work must be that important. I cleared my throat to break the awkward silence. "So, what kind of work do you need to do at the palace?" We were sitting across from each other.
"Just this and that," he replied.
"This and that? Do I look like someone who wouldn't understand the world of work?" His vague answer pricked at my pride a little. I didn't know what he meant by it, but I decided to think positively—though I'd already let my words slip out.
Now Cedric looked at me, seemingly startled by my comment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Mean what?" I pressed, noticing how he rubbed the bridge of his nose. The dark circles under his eyes suggested a lack of sleep, and he seemed exhausted. Seeing him like this, I decided to take the chance to move and sit beside him. I knew I'd feel embarrassed later for doing this, but it didn't matter for now.
"Is your work really that overwhelming?" I asked, lightly patting his shoulder.
He sighed heavily and nodded.
"Then take a little break." I took the stack of papers from his hands. "Try to rest for a bit during the ride. I know it won't make much of a difference, but at least you'll get some rest."
Cedric's expression showed genuine surprise at his wife's sudden change in behavior. But I was doing all this for survival—I didn't want to die.
"Why are you just staring? You can lean on me if you want," I offered.
It seemed Cedric's brain was still processing what was happening. He just stared at me in silence.
"What, don't want to?" I teased, preparing to move back to my original seat. But before I could, Cedric suddenly grabbed my hand, pulling me back to sit beside him.
He leaned his head on my shoulder. His thick, blond hair looked incredibly soft, so I couldn't resist the urge to touch it. Caught in the moment, I ended up stroking his hair for quite some time.
Realizing I'd been stroking his hair too long, I tried to stop.
"Why did you stop?" he asked.
"Because it might disturb your sleep."
"Keep going—I like it."
Although I couldn't see Cedric's expression, his red ears were enough to give him away. Happily, I continued running my fingers through his hair. When I said his hair was soft, I meant extraordinarily soft—the kind of softness that would make Cedric perfect for a shampoo commercial.
The silence returned, but this time, it didn't feel awkward. Instead, it was a calm, comfortable quiet, even though neither of us spoke.
The long journey to the palace began to make me drowsy. The ride wasn't exactly smooth. Without modern vehicles like cars or more advanced transportation, I frequently had to steady myself and Cedric, who was still asleep, as the carriage jolted from the bumpy road or the horses suddenly stopped.
I had imagined that riding in a carriage would be incredibly comfortable. But as always, expectations didn't quite match reality.
***
Biting her nails, Zoya stood restlessly in front of the door. She kept glancing toward the gate, hoping for something—or someone—to arrive. But her hopes were in vain. All she could see were the two guards stationed on either side of the gate, both of whom looked confused as Zoya continued staring in their direction.
The servants passing by seemed puzzled by her behavior, yet none dared to approach or speak to her. Her expression clearly conveyed, "Don't bother me, or you'll regret it."
Finally, one servant mustered the courage to address her. It was the head housekeeper.
"Zoya, what are you doing here? Don't you have work to do?"
Zoya was about to unleash a sharp retort but stopped herself when she realized who had spoken to her. The head housekeeper, Eleanor, was a middle-aged woman who had served in the household even before Cedric was born. She commanded immense respect and was practically viewed as a maternal figure by Cedric himself. Her authority in the household was second to none.
Eleanor's primary concern was ensuring that the household ran smoothly and that everyone fulfilled their duties. She was a symbol of discipline, and now this very symbol was questioning why one of the servants was loitering around.
"I'm waiting for Lady Cathleen to return," Zoya replied.
"Lady Cathleen will return when she wishes. You don't need to wait for her," Eleanor said firmly.
"My apologies, ma'am, but—"
"Why don't you help the servants in the storeroom instead? You seem to have plenty of free time."