"Seriously, why the hell are you pointing a sword at the lady?! Luman, are you trying to get arrested?? Why are you butting into our fight?! It feels like you cheated!"
"...What?"
Luman stared with his mouth hanging open, like he’d lost the ability to speak, and Dell... just looked at me.
For some reason, it felt like he was sizing me up.
He didn’t notice anything weird, did he?
Gulp. My throat went dry.
"Kids these days are seriously bizarre. Is this what a generation gap feels like? That can’t be right. We’re not even that far apart...."
Luman muttered like he truly couldn’t understand, then let out a sigh.
"Ren."
"What."
I barely managed to answer without biting my tongue.
My heart was pounding like crazy! What if Luman suddenly snapped at me and said I was lying!? I’ve never lied before! W-well, okay, I did lie about the medicine being tea....
I hid my hands in my clothes and glared at Luman on purpose, trying to look annoyed.
"You sure you’re okay? Where did she hit you? That made a pretty loud noise. More importantly, get up already."
"D-don’t ask me something embarrassing like that!"
I answered sharply, then scrambled to my feet and started sweeping the tea leaves together.
"What, are you planning to tell everyone I got hit by a girl!?"
"Ren."
"Huh...?"
I was clutching the bundle and wrapping the herbs back up when Brother called my name, and my whole body went stiff.
"I’d rather you didn’t fight over something as small as tea leaves."
"...Okay."
"Let’s get moving."
Brother turned his back just like that.
Luman tapped his arm, but Brother didn’t react at all. Sir Dell went back to his place too, and after looking between Coco and me, Luman said, "Keep it to arguing only," then shut the carriage door for us.
"......"
"......"
Even after the door closed and the carriage slowly started moving again, we stayed frozen exactly as we were.
Clatter.
The carriage hit a rock, Coco swayed, and without thinking I grabbed her.
Our awkward eyes met, and for one second Lady Coco looked like she was about to cry.
The tension in her cheeks trembled, then loosened, and the second I saw that face, something surged up in me too. Neither of us waited for the other—we both whipped our heads away so hard it practically made a crack sound.
Her long purple hair smacked me in the face again!
"Idiot! Just pick up the tea leaves."
"I know that, okay?? Who are you calling an idiot!"
Coco ignored me, plopped down onto the floor of the carriage, and started sweeping up the herbs with those pale, pretty hands.
"You tied this bundle way too carelessly."
Coco muttered under her breath, scolding me.
You wanna fight!?
I opened my eyes wide and started gathering the rest of the herbs, and then she shoved my hand away.
"What the hell!"
"Move. Your wrist’s thin as a twig. I might snap it."
"Your mouth’s the problem."
"Hah! Like you’re any better."
Contrary to my worries, Coco’s hands were surprisingly deft as she tied the bundle up tight.
If you tie it that hard, how the hell am I supposed to undo it!!
Maybe she saw the look in my eyes, because she sighed openly.
"Hey. Don’t tell me you don’t even know this."
"......"
Coco stuck out her lip.
It didn’t feel like she was saying it just to humiliate me, so I held it in too.
She softened her voice a little and pointed at the bundle she’d tied.
"It’s tied tight, but if you pull here, it comes undone easily. See? That’s how you tie it."
She untied the bundle, then slowly tied it again, glaring at me like, Got it?
"I know already, okay?? Yeah, fine. You’re amazing."
"Hmph. Everyone already knows Coco Gannion is amazing, idiot."
"Look at the mess that just happened because of you! Are all nobles this damn nosy?? Huh?"
I spoke with my lip stuck out, and for some reason Coco’s face seemed to dim.
She didn’t answer. She just turned her head away.
The sharp, aristocratic line of her profile looked weirdly lonely.
Just curse me out instead!! What’s with you all of a sudden! Did I say something wrong or what...?
"What? You actually watch other people’s moods more than I thought."
"Oh, please! I wasn’t watching anything!!"
Ridiculous. What a ridiculous girl. What a ridiculous noble.
"Hmph."
"Hmph!"
"Hmphhh!!"
"Hey. Children. Stop fighting."
Luman tapped on the window and warned us.
"I’m not a child?! I’m almost an adult, okay?"
Luman just snorted and didn’t answer.
No way... he didn’t hear us talking about the illness earlier too, did he?
Is this carriage seriously not soundproof at all?
"It is soundproof, you know."
"......"
"It’s because you were being loud. I couldn’t hear the words."
"Really?"
The second I narrowed my eyes, Coco exploded.
"Why are you so suspicious about everything!"
"Why are you flying off the handle all of a sudden!!"
Hmph!!
We traded a bunch of pointless lines like, "You’re annoying," "You’re worse," "Unbelievable," "So what."
While we were doing that, the carriage started slowing down.
Curious, I looked outside and saw a steep cliff beside the road.
If we made it safely down this slope, there’d be a forest. And if we passed through that forest, there was a fairly big town beyond it.
The woods spread below the mountain road like a sea, dense branches swaying, and beyond them I could see the town stretching out in the distance, tiny from up here.
"Whoa!"
"How provincial."
Mock me all you want.
I ignored Coco completely and stuck my head farther out the window.
"Ren."
The second I heard Brother’s stern voice, I pulled my head right back in, but then—
"Hey."
I shut the window and looked at Coco when she called me. Her face looked all prickly again, like something else had gotten on her nerves.
"You need to tell them about that. Why are you hiding that, idiot? Stop by our estate. It’s obviously some trivial illne— ahem. That, right?"
Coco spoke in a commanding tone, lips jutting out in annoyance.
"I don’t need that."
"What? What do you mean you don’t need it! What, are you saying you...?"
What the hell are you thinking?! Coco’s eyes flew wide in shock!
"It’s not like that, okay!? Whatever you’re imagining, you’re completely wrong!! I just don’t like burdening other people with my body, that’s all! And why the hell would I go to the estate where you live?! Are we friends? Are we family?? We’re not!"
Coco’s face turned bright red. She bit her lip, then snapped back angrily.
"Hah, who said we were friends!? Do whatever you want! You’re seriously weird. You’re a really weird guy."
"You’re wayyyyy weirder!"
Weird bitch!
...Probably shouldn’t say that.
Coco was a lady.
Remembering her status, I swallowed you bitch back down.
Still, I was pissed off and annoyed and bitter!! I wanted to get back at her somehow.
Thinking that, I swayed with the rattling carriage.
But as night got closer, Coco’s face seemed to grow darker.
"What’s wrong?"
Not that I was really curious. We were just riding together, so I was asking out of basic manners.
It wasn’t concern or anything disgusting like that.
I glared at her while I asked.
"Still, you’ve got it better than I do."
"...?"
What kind of random bullshit was that??
"At least you can trust your family. I have no idea why you’re hiding that, but still."
"Ah...."
Coco muttered it like a complaint. She even seemed anxious, just a little.
And she really did seem like she truly didn’t understand me at all.
"You like him that much, you follow him around that much, so why hide it? Don’t you trust him?"
"He’s my brother. Why the hell wouldn’t I trust him!"
I don’t want to think about stuff like that too deeply! I shot back like a spring snapping upright.
"Why are you getting mad? Whatever. I don’t have a father, and I don’t have a mother. I’m basically an orphan."
"...Uh...."
Fuck.
No, seriously, who just drops something like that out of nowhere!!
"That was really random."
What are you even supposed to say to something like that?? I don’t either? No, that wouldn’t comfort her at all! I’ve got my brother!
Coco didn’t say anything.
I bit down on my lower lip for no reason.
Ah!
"Hey. Hey! Coco! Hey!"
"...How dare you call a lady that."
"Then just trust me."
I said it lightly, like I was tossing out an object.
But I meant it.
"What??"
"What, is there some reason you can’t?? Like you said, m-my brother’s a Hero, and he’ll get you home safely! I can guarantee that much with my whole damn life if I have to!!"
"What is wrong with you? You’re telling me to trust you because you trust your brother. So basically you’re just telling me to trust your brother, aren’t you?"
Coco stuck out her lip.
Was that what I was doing...?!
But if it is, then what’s wrong with that?
"Trust him. Brother’s never failed a mission, not even once. Right now his mission is getting Lady Gannion safely to the capital, so he will absolutely keep you safe."
"You’re seriously bizarre. First you tell me to trust you when I say there’s no one to trust, and now what? Are we friends or something?"
"......"
Fuck. I’m the one who said that first earlier. Getting it thrown back at me somehow pissed me off!
"Hah! The whole world would laugh if they found out you were friends with a peasant."
"What kind of dumbass nonsense is that. Why would we be friends?"
"......"
"Even if your mouth’s twisted, at least speak stra—agh! Ow! That hurts! Don’t pinch me! Are you insane!? Are you actually insane?!"
Aagh!!
I flailed in surprise, but weirdly enough, it didn’t hurt that much.
When I realized it didn’t hurt, I just blinked blankly, and Coco shot me a look before going back to her seat.
"I’ve never met anyone as impossible as you!"
Same here, okay? But... was she smiling just now?
"Hey. Coco. Why are you smiling??"
She was the weirder one here.
We each turned to look out our own window. Coco’s profile looked a lot more relaxed now.
Then I heard a soft little puff of laughter.
They say people who laugh to themselves are crazy... I’d better be careful around Coco.
"I’ve never seen my lady chatter like that before."
"Maybe there’s something that clicks because they’re around the same age."
And then I heard some disgusting nonsense from outside the carriage too.
"Not even close!!"
"Don’t say ridiculous things, Dell!"
We shouted at the same time.
"Hahahaha!"
Cheerful laughter split through the night wind.
***
Wheee.
Dell soothed the horses and brought the carriage to a stop.
"Let’s rest a little before moving on."
"Would anyone like something to eat?"
I heard Brother’s voice. Dell opened the door, and when I poked my head out, Brother was already taking cleaned meat out of a small sack.
"Wouldn’t soup be better?"
When Dell said that with a smile and shook his head,
"So you like soup."
this time Luman picked up the conversation.
...? Why are you looking at me?
Dell had been staring at me weirdly for a while now.
"Cold medicine and soup go well together. It digests easily too."
"Tol meat doesn’t have the best texture, but it’s good for your immune system."
"Is that so?"
Dell nodded like he agreed with Luman, but kept looking around for ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ something to feed the fire with.
Doesn’t have the best texture? I thought it tasted great.
"Um. I don’t really want soup...."
I wanted the meat Brother had prepared.
"Ren. You’ve never been picky about meals."
"Huh?"
Brother looked down at me with a deep, steady gaze.
Huh? I’m not! Brother! I’m not picky about food!!
"Oh. Right. I’ll eat it."
"What? If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t—"
"Hey. Coco...."
"Why are you watching his mood?"
Why are you trying to get my brother to dislike me! Since when was I watching his mood!!
When I glared at her, Coco scrunched her brows hard. Her thin brows arched up like they were angry all by themselves. Then she looked toward Brother and her lips twitched.
"Ren. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah. A little...."
I answered hesitantly. I’d really rather not receive this sudden concern, thanks.
"Didn’t you throw up everything? Eat at least a little."
"Okay...."
So he did see! I don’t like that!
I didn’t really want to eat, but I had no choice except to accept it like I was giving in.
"Come to think of it, I’ve heard stories about the beautiful villa belonging to House Gannion."
Dusk was slowly settling in. Near the moon, faintly rising into the sky, the stars packed tightly around it were shining at their own lazy pace. Luman, who had been looking up at the sky, suddenly spoke like something had occurred to him.
