Chapter 045
Charlotte got into the carriage with an excited Theo and Stephanie. She had to force herself to look away from Cassius, whom she kept glancing at with a lingering expression.
Unfortunately, Cassius would be taking a different route from the group during the journey.
For him, this trip was both work and travel. By tracking the movements of the snow beasts, they could find traces of monsters.
It was confirmed that the Snow beasts were heading toward the sea, so thoroughly searching the surrounding areas was the main objective.
Charlotte’s carriage, carrying her and the children, left first.
“Now, let’s depart as well.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The knights followed behind with determined expressions. It was the beginning of a difficult journey.
Cassius’s eyes darkened.
At the same time…
Lorencia was also in a carriage with Janice.
But unlike the excited carriage ahead, Lorencia’s carriage was filled with a heavy atmosphere.
“Why would anyone like a stinking beach?” Lorencia grumbled.
Her family estate was near the sea.
The fishy smell was just as strong there, even though it was much more developed and closer to the bustling capital.
She hated that smell. She felt as if it had seeped into her skin.
“…We’ll be back soon. It’s only two weeks, so why are you making such a fuss?”
“Sigh…”
Lorencia ran her hands through her hair in frustration.
The most frustrating thing about being in Isteria was that she couldn’t do anything her way.
Pretending to be a good woman was exhausting.
“When will this play finally be over?”
“I already told you. This sea trip will be the last. Don’t be so impatient. If you rush things, you might ruin everything.”
Hearing Janice’s words, Lorencia clenched her teeth.
Janice glanced at her, then turned to look out the window.
She had successfully convinced Count Mers.
The count would follow Janice’s plan to protect his position.
Janice slowly closed her eyes.
This sea trip would be drenched in blood.
So, she would let them enjoy it to the fullest.
It would be their last happiness.
Taking care of two overexcited children alone was no easy task.
Of course, Luna was there to help, but that only worked if the children actually listened to her.
As soon as they arrived at the village where they planned to stay for the night, the two kids bolted out of the carriage as if they had been waiting for this moment.
The startled guards immediately followed after them.
“Look! I’m faster than you!”
“No way! I’m just letting you win!”
Theo and Stephanie bickered as they ran, continuing their argument from the carriage about who was faster.
Sigh…
“Duchess, you look exhausted.”
I turned to Luna, who was smiling gently.
Until recently, I had thought that treating Theo was the hardest thing I had ever done.
It really felt like it was draining my life away.
But I had been foolish and short-sighted.
Raising children was even more exhausting.
A thousand times harder.
Not only did I have to comfort them when they were upset, but I also had to consider their emotions all the time.
“I’m fine. Let’s go eat and get some rest.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
Luna patted my back with a sympathetic look.
Cassius was searching the nearby forest and would join us in the evening.
Even for a skilled knight, the forest was dangerous at night.
Luna and I ordered food at the inn where we were staying.
At least one good thing was that Theo’s health had improved enough that he no longer needed healing magic.
Just having Stephanie by his side was enough now.
Look at him. He even has more energy than I do.
As we waited for our food, I recharged myself with coffee.
“Ughhh…”
Luna chuckled and poured more coffee into my cup.
“Are you alright?”
“I feel a little better now. Theo and Stephanie argued the whole ride here. I think I repeated myself ten times. And I think they asked me at least twenty times, What will they do if rain pours out?”
Luna burst into laughter.
She probably thought I was exaggerating.
“How about switching carriages next time?”
“What are you saying, Duchess? That won’t do. Your carriage and mine are made of entirely different materials,” Luna firmly rejected the idea.
She avoided my gaze, which meant she just didn’t want to ride with Stephanie and Theo.
Sigh…
I guess I deserved this.
Maybe things were easier when Theo was alone.
Then again, Stephanie looked so cute running around with the braids Charlotte had done for her.
She felt torn between exhaustion and affection.
Thankfully, the food arrived at just the right moment.
“This is the best inn in the area.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I thought it would be nice to make it feel like a real trip, so I made a reservation.”
Luna spoke cheerfully.
She had changed, too.
She used to be distant and cold, but now she was the person who took care of me the most.
I felt a lump in my throat.
And at the same time… I felt sad.
After this trip, Luna would leave, too.
Feeling a bit down, I focused on my food.
“Those kids don’t seem hungry at all.”
“They’ll come back when they get hungry. My younger siblings are the same.”
As soon as Luna finished speaking, the inn’s door swung open.
“I won! I came in first!”
Stephanie grinned and raised her fist in victory.
It looked like their race had finally ended.
I waved at Stephanie and Theo.
“Hurry and eat your food. That way, you’ll have more energy to play again.”
“Yes!”
The excited children ran over. They smelled of dirt and wind—proof that they had been running around all day.
“I don’t like carrots!”
Ignoring Theo’s complaint, I put a big scoop of carrots onto his plate.
Stephanie, shocked, quickly protected her own plate. As a dragon, she really hated vegetables.
But when it came to sweets, she loved them more than anything.
“If you keep acting like this, there will be no snacks today.”
“No way! That’s not fair, Charl! We already picked out what we wanted to eat on the way here!”
“That’s right! I personally chose them!”
“Then eat everything on your plate.”
After hesitating, Theo and Stephanie finally started eating their vegetables.
Watching them made me laugh. These little troublemakers.
Spending the whole day with them was always noisy and chaotic, but thinking about being alone later made me feel strangely empty.
I had gotten so used to having them around that my once-empty days now felt full. I was no longer used to being alone.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you just ate a whole onion!”
“That sounds more like you, Theo. Stop picking out the onions.”
“Tch!”
Pouting, Theo bravely bit into the onion. He looked so serious about it.
Stephanie was just as determined, eating her food with the same intense focus.
“Tonight, we’re going to the night market.”
“The night market?”
The two little ones perked up.
“Yes. When Cassius arrives, we’ll all go together. I heard there’s something special happening tonight.”
Luna had already checked in advance—there was going to be a fireworks festival.
It would be a fun sight for the kids.
“What do you have to do if you want to go?”
“We have to listen well.”
Theo answered confidently.
“That’s right. Just eat your snacks, come back, and rest quietly. Got it?”
“Uhh…”
Stephanie and Theo exchanged looks.
“Answer me quickly.”
Finally, they nodded reluctantly, looking disappointed.
So cute.
They were acting sad now, but I knew they would fall asleep the moment they lay down.
They had barely slept last night because they were too excited, and they had been talking and playing all day. There was no way they weren’t exhausted.
Sigh… I wish I had their energy.
Thank you for the free chapter