Chapter 19
The preparations for going out were quickly finished.
I changed into a comfortable dress and stepped outside.
An open carriage was waiting in front of the mansion.
It was different from the carriage we used when going to the ball.
“Are we taking the carriage?”
“The distance is too far to walk. Even if you were in good health, it wouldn’t be easy to walk all the way there.”
Richard kindly answered my basic question.
“Hold on.”
“Thank you.”
I took Richard’s hand and got into the carriage.
This time, I sat next to Richard, facing the direction we were heading, and only then did the coachman start the carriage.
The carriage began to move forward slowly, at a pace that wouldn’t be burdensome to me.
“Isn’t this bothersome for you?”
“I can’t say it’s not, but don’t worry, I’m thinking of today as a chance to clear my head.”
Although his tone was curt, the meaning behind his words wasn’t cold.
I smiled and looked at Richard’s profile.
I had been worried because he was depicted as a villain in the original story, but after spending a few days with him, he didn’t seem like such a scary person.
Well, the reason Richard became a villain in the first place was that the woman he desperately loved, Ailen, fell in love with the male protagonist, Crown Prince César Crayton, instead of him.
Before he lost his mind to his obsessive love, Richard was portrayed as a reasonable person.
So, it seemed that the way he was now was his true self.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Richard turned his head to look at me.
His eyes, clear as the sea, were focused entirely on me.
I was smiling in their depths.
“I just think I made a good choice in marriage.”
Even though he said it was because I reminded him of his younger self, Richard was moving to save me.
No one else wanted me to survive, but he alone wished for my survival and moved to obtain the Rosier flower.
There might not be any hope, but I was happy enough knowing that he was willing to act for my sake.
“It’s uncomfortable, so stop staring and look ahead.”
“…Okay.”
I laughed awkwardly at Richard’s blunt words and turned my gaze forward again.
The sun was beginning to set.
The sky, tinged with a tangerine hue, was beautiful.
It seemed as if stars were twinkling faintly in the sky.
Though it wasn’t night yet, a few stars were already clearly visible.
Seeing this sight right before my eyes, after always viewing the world from inside the mansion or through the window of a stuffy carriage, made me feel as if my heart was opening up.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
As the carriage continued at its slow pace, Richard spoke.
I nodded, not denying it.
“It’s been so long since I went outside for personal reasons. It might even be the first time in years.”
For a moment, sympathy flashed in Richard’s eyes.
I pretended not to notice the emotion in his gaze and grinned.
“Besides, this is the first time I’m going out for a personal reason since coming to this estate, isn’t it?”
There was no reason for me not to be delighted. My heart fluttered like I was going on a picnic.
“Really, I’m in a good mood.”
A cool breeze gently swept through my hair.
I raised my hand and brushed my wind-blown hair aside.
Richard stared intently at my profile for a moment.
Normally, his gaze would have made me feel uncomfortable, but today was different.
Even his gaze felt pleasant.
“Thank you, as always.”
Richard blinked slowly.
The rhythmic jolting of the carriage felt almost like the melody of a symphony.
Richard, still not taking his eyes off me, slightly parted his lips.
“I haven’t done anything to deserve your thanks yet.”
A laugh escaped me at Richard’s still somewhat awkward words.
“It’s your thoughtfulness that I’m grateful for.”
“…”
Finally, Richard turned his gaze away.
After that, we didn’t speak until we arrived in town.
But even without words, it wasn’t awkward.
As we entered the town, the carriage’s speed slowed considerably.
“Now I understand what you meant by ‘one year.’”
Richard suddenly brought up the topic.
“What do you mean?”
It turned out he was referring to something I’d said the day after we met.
“At first, I thought you were just hoping for a divorce, but now that I think about it, it means something entirely different, doesn’t it?”
I turned my head to look at him.
As I stared at his expressionless face, our eyes met.
His emotionless gaze somehow felt like it was reprimanding me.
“You were planning to die, weren’t you, Diarna?”
His gaze was uncomfortable.
But I couldn’t argue with what Richard had said.
It was an undeniable truth.
If the medicine couldn’t be found, I would die within a year.
Even if I managed to use him to obtain the medicine, I had no intention of staying here.
After all, Richard’s side was not where I belonged.
Instead of answering, I shrugged my shoulders.
“You’re someone who seems to find the idea of death very easy.”
“I didn’t want to be like this either.”
Truly, I didn’t want to live with only thoughts of death.
Who would want to become such a pathetic being, begging for love only to die?
I would have been better off not knowing the original story.
If only the medicine were easier to obtain.
In a situation where it was a miracle that the medicine even existed, it wasn’t strange for me to keep death close.
For me, living was the same as steadily approaching death.
But Richard probably wouldn’t understand that.
At that moment, the carriage came to a stop.
We had arrived at the entrance to the night market.
“Enough of the gloomy talk, let’s head to the night market.”
When I eagerly got up from my seat, Richard reluctantly stood up as well.
Richard got off the carriage first and offered his hand to help me down.
I took his hand and carefully stepped out of the carriage.
I noticed people around us recognizing Richard and greeting him.
Some of them looked at me standing beside Richard with a respectful expression and bowed their heads in greeting.
I smiled and greeted them in return.
Most of them looked moved, bowing their heads repeatedly to greet me.
“Does something bother you?”
Richard asked me, as I greeted the people.
Richard looked properly.
The scene of the night market I had imagined was slightly different from this one.
In most novels, scenes like this would typically involve blending in with the ordinary citizens, enjoying the night market in a way similar to them, wouldn’t it?
But that wasn’t the case for me.
I arrived at the night market in a luxurious carriage, accompanied by Richard, the lord of this territory, and his servants.
Even though I had gotten out of the carriage, everywhere I looked, it was clear I was arriving as the lady of the estate.
But it wasn’t a situation where I could voice any complaints.
The fact that I was able to visit the night market this time was entirely due to Richard’s consent, which would have otherwise been impossible.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go in.”
I led Richard into the night market.
Richard was guided into the market by my hand.
There was an advantage to entering the night market with the lord, Richard.
The bustling crowd parted to make way for Richard and me.
“What is that?”
I pointed to a line of people and asked.
Richard, appearing familiar with the night market, looked at the place I pointed out and answered.
“It seems like a minstrel has come to the night market.”
“A minstrel?”
“Minstrels are those who travel from place to place, composing and singing songs about what they have seen and heard.”
Minstrels were figures from novels.
“Then let’s go listen.”
I urged Richard to head towards the place where people were lined up.
Using the privilege of being with the lord, I was able to push through the crowd and sit in the front row.
Richard, accommodating my request, couldn’t hide his discomfort.
He seemed to struggle with why he should listen to songs by famous musicians on the street when he could pay to hear them privately.
However, while completed music by renowned musicians was certainly good, street performances could also be enjoyable.
As I was about to sit on the ground, recalling memories from before my reincarnation, Richard stopped me.
“Sit here.”
Confused, I looked at Richard, who spread out a handkerchief for me to sit on.
Surprised by this unexpected kindness, I stared blankly at Richard.
“Thank you.”
I thanked Richard in a small voice, just loud enough for him to hear.
I then sat down on the handkerchief he had laid out.
In the meantime, the minstrel’s song began.
The minstrel was singing about a woman’s tragic love.
The story was about a woman who was abandoned and abused by her family, met a husband who barely understood her, and ultimately met her death due to illness.
I could hear people around me sniffling as they listened to the minstrel’s song.
However, I couldn’t show any reaction to the song there.
I remained frozen, staring blankly at the minstrel until he disappeared.
The song was my story.
Though there might be differences in the depiction, the life of the woman the minstrel sang about was strikingly similar to mine.
My reason was urging me to immediately grab him and demand where he had heard this story, but unfortunately, my body did not respond.
It wasn’t until after the minstrel had disappeared that I could regain my senses.
“Diarna?”
When I came back to my senses, I saw Richard looking at me with a serious expression.
“If you’re not feeling well, wouldn’t it be better to go back as is?”
Although I had just come outside and it would be a shame to go back so soon, I had no time to worry about such trivial matters.
“Richard, just now…”
“What?”
“…Never mind.”
Richard tilted his head, seemingly not understanding.
I shook my head as if it was nothing.
But my feelings were far from calm.
The song was about my death.
It suggested that despite my longing for life, the story would flow as per the original plot.
I decided not to share this with Richard and swallowed the words I wanted to say.
I wondered if the minstrel might be singing about the rules of this world.
The rule that one cannot escape the original story.
Thanks