WHM | Chapter 48

~Chapter 48~

Cedric was in a bad mood.

Maybe it was hard to describe exactly how he was feeling, but it was definitely not good.

“I heard you injured your ankle.”

“It’s completely healed. It wasn’t anything serious. Thanks for worrying.”

“Still, be careful. Injured areas tend to cause problems again later.”

To anyone listening, it sounded like a polite and casual conversation. In reality, Theorn and Eileen were maintaining some distance while having a calm, superficial chat.

But that was the problem. The person Eileen was talking to.

‘How could I forget that this person was supposed to join us in the middle of the trip?’

The Prince, Theorn Arwyn, had said he needed to meet someone from the capital before leaving the castle, so he would join them later, heading straight to where Lord Rotner was. But when he heard Eileen was joining, he suddenly decided to travel with them.

Cedric was puzzled, but the answer came from an unexpected person.

“Ah, I mentioned it when I saw him.”

“What?”

“I told him when we met that Lady Eileen had gotten hurt.”

“…Did you explain to him why?”

“Was I not supposed to? Isn’t it good if he joins? He’s from the Arwyn royal family.”

Diana’s innocent response made Cedric realize what had happened, and he felt even worse.

Meanwhile, Eileen and Theorn continued their endless conversation.

“So, are you traveling alone? I don’t see anyone else.”

“The person who was following me had some business and had to go back to the capital. I’m used to traveling alone, as it’s less of a hassle than having someone else along. Serving someone is just in the way…”

Cedric’s pale blue eyes narrowed as he watched them. To him, it looked like Eileen was mocking him for being unable to protect his fiancée.

No, it actually seemed that way.

“With a royal from Arwyn, you don’t need a guard.”

That was the final straw. Oh, the arrogance in that statement.

“Then it’s even more reassuring that His Highness the Prince is with us.”

Eileen’s soft and polite response was even harder for Cedric to accept.

This was Eileen Cashier, after all. She had no problem cutting through the nobles with precision, but why was she so friendly to Theorn?

“Just as Eileen said, it’s reassuring that Prince Theorn is with us. The journey will be safer.”

Cedric bit his lip in frustration but still spoke politely, trying to step in. He had to admit, objectively speaking, Theorn’s presence did offer some reassurance.

Cedric had seen Arwyn royals demonstrate their extraordinary abilities. He had witnessed one use their powers to quickly rebuild a bridge destroyed by rising floodwaters. That supernatural ability was certainly a huge asset.

Still, that didn’t change how Cedric felt about the situation.

‘But that’s not the point.’

Cedric was confident that with his guards, and himself, they could handle any ambush. So, this was a matter of pride.

“Of course, our Duke’s guards will do their best to ensure His Highness doesn’t need to intervene.”

“Still, I can’t just sit back and do nothing. My swordsmanship isn’t bad either.”

“Is that so? It would be an honor to have a sparring match sometime.”

“I’ve heard much about the Duke’s swordsmanship. It would be an honor.”

Eileen, sensing the escalating tension, decided to intervene and mediate.

“Shouldn’t we get going? We’re going to miss the sunset.”

Theorn, known for his ‘polite but broken personality,’ had a reputation for being difficult. But Cedric was clearly annoyed by Theorn’s joining, and Theorn must have noticed it. That’s probably why he responded in such a skewed way.

But really, Cedric seemed to be enjoying himself a little. In that sense, it was almost like a twisted pleasure.

‘If only they would both just behave like adults and stop letting their emotions and impulses guide them.’

But when you thought about it, neither of them were fully adults. Expecting them to act mature was probably an unreasonable demand.

“…Let’s just leave already.”

Eileen sighed, knowing that she had to be the most rational one among the three of them. She climbed into the carriage first.

***

“Hey, Eileen.”

“Yes?”

Eileen answered Cedric for the eighth time, sitting opposite him in the carriage. But Cedric, who had been staring at her, suddenly shook his head.

“No, never mind.”

Eileen calmly took a breath. What could it be now?

He had been riding outside but came into the carriage during their brief stop, claiming he needed to discuss something. But now, he was just staring at her.

It hadn’t been half a day since they started their journey. The sun had just started to rise, and they had only just begun their travels.

They had left early in the morning, but it was clear they wouldn’t reach their destination until sunset.

‘So, does that mean I have to sit here facing Cedric this whole time?’

Eileen was known for her patience, but Cedric’s behavior was starting to get to her. He had a way of making everything awkward.

He didn’t seem to want to deal with his emotions, and it bothered her. It felt like, if he didn’t fix things right now, it would just get worse.

Do I not trust him?

A voice inside Eileen’s mind questioned her. Maybe she didn’t trust him as much as she thought. After all, she had no reason to judge him so harshly unless she lacked belief in him.

But maybe it wasn’t about trust. Maybe Eileen had simply built too many walls around herself.

The same thing had happened with Diana. Eileen had trusted her but was disappointed. Cedric had acknowledged his mistake, and everything was smoothed over, but some of his words still lingered in her mind.

“I hate you. I don’t want you involved in my life,” he had said.

At first, she thought those words would disappear, but sometimes she wondered if they were still buried deep inside her. Was she really able to understand Cedric?

“Cedric.”

His head jerked back toward her after he had been pretending to look out the window.

Eileen couldn’t deny how those eyes, filled with the purest blue sky, seemed to focus entirely on her. She liked these moments. The world outside could be forgotten in those seconds.

But that feeling was fleeting.

‘I’ll regret this. I will regret this.’

The voice in her mind whispered again. She would regret letting her heart go where it wanted. When Cedric had to face so many things that were more important than her, he would eventually turn away from her. And if that happened, she would fall apart.

‘Diana was lucky.’

Cedric already knew he had his own flaws. At least Diana wasn’t too cunning. She had been more reckless.

“Did I get something on my face?”

Cedric, still youthful in appearance, made a face as if he had gotten something on his face. Despite everything, Eileen felt like she could never truly hate him. She understood him too well, and maybe that was why.

But at least right now, they could still talk like people.

There was no need to worry about the far future. That only brought fatigue.

Eileen stared at Cedric and, sensing his hesitation, finally spoke.

“No. You’ve been calling my name over and over. If you have a problem, just say it.”

“I don’t have a problem.”

“You certainly seem to have something to say.”

Cedric crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, once again staring at her.

Eileen didn’t budge, staring back at him.

“Staring at my face won’t get you an answer. You need to ask a question.”

“You know…”

Cedric started, but then stopped. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

“Are you, like, really interested in high status?”

Eileen blinked. She realized what Cedric was trying to say. He couldn’t ask outright, “Are you interested in Prince Theorn because he’s a royal?”

Even though Theorn seemed to have one thing over Cedric, it was his potential to become a king someday. Outside of that, Eileen didn’t have any reason to be so friendly toward him.

Cedric was clearly struggling with this thought, trying to deny it.