A few days later.
Since Albert had prepared a carriage for us, we moved out into the garden.
By the way, during those few days, we had been staying at his mansion.
We felt terribly sorry for being taken care of in every possible way, but Albert insisted that he wanted to do at least this much for us.
“Wow…”
“This is… incredible.”
Sofia and I stared at the carriage in wide-eyed amazement.
Aisha and Snow, meanwhile, looked intensely curious, wagging their tails vigorously as they examined it.
Rather than a carriage, it was more like a small house.
It had a bedroom, a kitchen, and even a shower, all neatly and compactly arranged.
There were two horses.
Both were large and powerful-looking, seeming capable of running endlessly.
“If you’re going to continue your journey, I want you to use this. You can stay in it overnight, cook meals, and even take showers. It’s fairly sturdy too, so it can serve as a shelter if a storm comes.”
“Something like this… are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course. You are the saviors of Lenoglade, after all. If anything, I’m worried this might not be enough to properly thank you.”
“Thank you very much.”
It was more than generous.
With this, we could travel to the royal capital in complete comfort.
“Then, let’s go buy food and water right away—”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ve already loaded the essentials.”
“Huh?”
When I hurried inside to check, I found that food, water, and even clothing had already been prepared.
“You went this far… a-are you really sure?”
“I told you, didn’t I? This is nothing at all.”
“Thank you.”
When Sofia thanked him, Albert gave a wry smile.
“Think you might fall for me now?”
“If I had met you before Fate, maybe.”
“Good grief… it seems I’ve been thoroughly rejected.”
“Um… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Love never goes perfectly… and that’s exactly why it’s fun and so engrossing.”
That sounded just like something Albert would say.
“Hey, hey, Fate. Since everything’s ready, does that mean we’re leaving now?”
At Licorice’s question, I gave a small nod.
“Yeah. We can’t afford to waste time.”
The Dawn Alliance had been involved in the Lenoglade incident.
We should hurry.
Everyone moved to the carriage and began loading their personal belongings.
We were also given a few extra supplies, which we added to the load.
Amid all that, I faced Albert.
“Um…”
“Hm? Is something wrong?”
“Thank you.”
“That’s my line, actually…”
“Even so, thank you. I feel like I learned many things.”
“I see.”
Albert looked at me…
After a moment, he gave a wry smile.
“Perhaps this outcome was inevitable.”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Ascart. From the beginning, I never had any room to step in. You two are complete as you are… It’s a relationship I truly envy.”
Hearing that made me happy.
“Um… there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“May we come here again someday?”
Albert’s eyes widened in surprise.
After a moment, he smiled gently.
“Ah, of course. But there is one condition.”
“A condition?”
Albert held out his hand.
“Won’t you be my friend?”
“……”
“What do you say?”
“Gladly.”
Smiling, I took Albert’s hand.
Comments
Post a Comment