Chapter 21.2

“There is no one else.”

“Then let’s go.” He acted like someone who wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, and straight after Claude finished speaking, the car started making a loud noise. Surprised by the roar, which she’d heard for the first time, Lia took a deep breath and clenched her fists nervously.

“First time in a car?” He asked gently.

Lia nodded, “Yes. I’ve only read about them in the newspaper. I knew I would ride in one at some point, but I must say, it’s a strange feeling.” It was shaky and too loud and she wondered why n.o.bles were so enthusiastic about them. You couldn’t even have a quiet conversation in them by the looks of things.

However, the speed was not comparable to that of a carriage. They went down Metasequoia Road at great speed, and then quickly crossed the city. The once frightened Lia was now eagerly looking out of the window as if she’d never been scared.

Suddenly, the car shook as if it had fallen into a hole. In an instant, her body, which had been sitting relaxed, jerked towards the front of the car and she yelled in surprise. Fortunately, Lia didn’t hit the car divider.

Claude grabbed her scrambling arm and pulled her back, cursing. Thanks to that, Lia was safely seated but she looked bewildered and quietly said, “Sorry.”

“Sit quietly. You’ll get hurt.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Anyway, are you eating well?” Claude lifted an eyebrow as he looked down at the arm that he was holding.

“Of course. I eat incredibly well. I even ate everything you brought yesterday. It was so sweet and sticky that it felt like it was sticking to the roof of my mouth, but I ate it all.” Lia looked up at Claude and smiled. Thinking of last night made her smile, it was possibly the happiest day of her four years in Cosoar.

“Is that so?” He muttered softly and grabbed her wrist. Then he buried his nose in the small palm of her hand and inhaled.

Startled, Lia became stiff and unable to move. Claude’s smooth nose and plump lips seemed to press against the palm of her hand, and seeing his crystal blue eyes between her fingers overwhelmed her.

“It still smells sweet. The food seems to have been more fragrant than I thought.” His breath tickled between her fingers. Lia wanted to say something, but her lips wouldn’t move. Noticing that she couldn’t even hear the car noise that had been so loud, it was clear that something was wrong.

“How did it taste?” he asked.

“It, it was great.”

Upon hearing the answer, Claude nodded and let go of her hand. “Sleep. It will probably take more than four hours to get there with the rest stops in between.”

“Only four hours? It takes more than half a day by carriage. It seems great, this car thing.”

“It’s still just a noisy piece of iron.”

Lia glanced at Claude’s face as he responded indifferently. In the end, she couldn’t muster the courage to ask why he’d come to Cosoar a few days ago. She wanted to ask if it was true that he was confused about the date as he’d said, but she kept her mouth shut because she had a feeling that she shouldn’t ask.

The car exited the city and they were now driving along the peaceful forest road. Rays of sunlight filtered through the branches and shined brightly on the rough body of the car, and dust rose from the wheels as they drove along the winding dirt road.

Claude finally folded his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes and Lia looked at his calm demeanor as he slept. How can you sleep in this situation? Not long after thinking that, she’d dozed off herself.

Determined that she would not make a mistake today, she forcefully kept her closing eyelids open, and stared straight ahead. Finally, the capital. Freedom was at hand.

***

Claude heard a thump and opened his eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping, he’d just closed his eyes because he didn’t know where else to look. Next to him, Canillian was fast asleep with the side of her forehead resting against the door, muttering as if she were in pain.

What an eyesore. Claude grabbed Canillian’s shoulder, as he was sleeping in a strange position and it looked uncomfortable. Carefully he placed his head on his shoulder and Canillian, whose left forehead was red, mumbled an incomprehensible sound in his sleep.

Claude smirked and calmly gazed at the sleeping man beside him. Blonde eyelashes, the same color as his hair, created a light shadow on his white face. Even if he enjoyed outdoor activities, he was too white and thin to partake. There was no sign of an adam’s apple on his delicate neck, and above all, he smelled decidedly different from the normal smell of sweat on men.

Is it the scent of lavender? Or is it the scent of poppies that bloom in abundance by the river? he wondered.

A soft cheek brushed against his nose as he lowered his head and savored the scent some more. Canillian’s thin breath tickled his temple and at the same time, his heart started to beat rapidly. Claude lowered his upper body further as if he was possessed by something. He wanted to savor the scent more. No, he just wanted to taste it. He was desperately curious as to what it would taste like if he put his tongue on this skin.

Just as his lips touched the long, white nape of Lia’s neck, the sound of something dropping made him come to his senses. It was his emerald cuff that had fallen to the floor. The cuff, which fell from the sleeve that was grasping Canillian’s arm, rolled on the floor and landed at the tip of his shoe.

I must be crazy… Or maybe I’m in the process of going crazy. Claude, who sighed in shame, bent his upper body forward, and in a confused state of mind, picked up the cuff. The sparkle of the delicately cut emerald reminded him of the color of Canillian’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Canillian’s head, which had been leaning on him, bowed down. Clutching the cuff with his upper body still bent forward, he turned his head to look up at Canillian. Sweating from the heat emanating from his palms and back, he was captivated by Lia’s smooth lips, as if something sweet was on them. It must’ve been because of the heat, surely. It was the hot air that filled the car that was driving him crazy because he’d never thought he’d want to kiss a guy.

Claude stretched out his hand and brushed his fingers through Lia’s honey-colored hair. The moment he felt the silky soft touch he lost all sense of reason and placed his lips on Lia’s. His head tilted as he tasted the sweetness of his full lips. A red tongue appeared suddenly, through parted lips that had been at first met without a gap.