Chapter 75. One last moment before leaving
***
Sponsored by Curufin. Thank you ❤️ (6/10)
***
Ihedia was waiting for Kayan in the greenhouse for mealtime again today.
Some time ago, Ihedia had made the first move to invite Kayan to eat with her unless he had other plans.
Since then, she had been able to spend time with Kayan almost every day face-to-face.
Ihedia treated him with a carefully crafted smile and voice, and he was happy about it.
Shefelt a faint twinge of guilt, but then she thought of what was to come and hardened her resolve again.
If she didn't want to arouse his suspicions, she had to be careful not to be overly intimate, but also not to be so reserved as to make things awkward.
Kayan was more attentive than he seemed, so she needed to be more convincing.
So she had to put aside all her other thoughts and just express to him how she was feeling at the time.
She just acted as naturally as possible, without any pretense.
Kayan didn't seem to find her change of demeanor too strange.
But after spending so many days in this mindset, he was sometimes confused whether she was acting or being sincere.
It was really...... unexpected.
It was a side effect of being in a routine where she laughed with him when he laughed, listened to everything he said, and thought of her even when he was alone.
Ihedia glanced at the entrance to the greenhouse.
Kayan hadn’t show up even though it was much later than usual, as if he had a lot of work to do today.
'He's not coming at all.’
If he wasn’t, he would have sent words.
Ihedia decided to wait a little longer.
She rested her chin on the table and listened to the melodious birdsong.
There was one reason she chose to dine in the conservatory instead of the dining room.
There was no better place to enjoy the warm weather and the view.
Aside from that, Ihedia spent most of her day in the conservatory.
Every inch of the house was familiar to her, with its southern flair, but it was here that she most closely resembled Elmir’s view.
Ihedia would stay far away from Anut and reminisce about the glorious Elmir spring.
As she reminisced about Elmir, her thoughts naturally turned to the reality she had to deal with.
To escape the Anut and rescue Evan from the prying eyes of Patrick and Lena.
The more complicated the situation, the clearer it became when she focused on a single goal.
‘I just have to start over.’
When Ihedia saw Netira's note to Kayan, she came to her senses.
It seemed that their relationship was not as simple as everyone had made it out to be.
No wonder, after all these years, they had considered each other their only family.
Perhaps there were subtle feelings between Kayan and Netira that a third party could never know.
She was not sure what drove them apart, but once the misunderstanding was resolved, Kayan's interest in her (Ihedia) would fade.
The problem came next.
If Kayan didn’t protect her, she would die at Netira's hands.
She remembered clearly how Netira had killed a slave who had been involved with an Anut warrior.
Perhaps her body would be brutally dismembered and displayed in front of the outbuildings.
She must escape this place before that happened.
That was the conclusion Ihedia came to that night.
Her situation hadn't changed much, except for the circumstances.
So, just as she had struggled to win Netira's trust in Bayate, she would have to work to win Kayan's heart.
While Ihedia was lost in her thoughts, Kayan entered the dining room.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Kayan was breathing a little heavily, as if he'd been running.
Ihedia stared at him, then gave him a stern look.
"Yes. I've been waiting a long time."
"...."
"You didn't show up, so I had to eat first, so you can go."
Kayan, who had never seen Ihedia so angry before, was too taken aback to say anything.
It was refreshing to see him who usually didn't bat an eyelid at most things be rendered speechless by a prank like this.
Ihedia couldn't help but let out a giggle.
“Just kidding, have a seat."
Kayan breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his stiff expression.
He looked at Ihedia with a bit of amusement at her first joke.
"I guess you can afford to joke around now."
"You often tease me, Kayan, so I thought I'd give it a try."
Kayan smiled at Ihedia's grin.
Ihedia then called for Sawana, who was waiting nearby, and she disappeared from the greenhouse.
"You must be very busy these days."
"There is a man in the west, in a country called Shardi, who has been poisoned, similar in appearance to the corpse in the hut, and I may have to be away from home for a while to investigate."
"You've made a lot of progress."
"Thank you."
Kayan was still buried in the work of examining the corpse in the hut.
He often asked Ihedia about the poison, and each time she helped him with everything she knew.
Fortunately, it also served to undermine Kayan's distrust of her.
Soon, Sawana came in with the meal, and the empty table was filled with plates of southern food.
Before Ihedia picked up a cutlery, she spoke.
"I want to ask about something."
"What is it?"
"I heard from Sawana that this is the time of year when Anut is blessed by the sun. The weather is mild and there are great festivities............. I'd like to go outside and see them."
Then a troubled look crossed Kayan's face.
Wasn't that the way it was in Bayate, to go out and do something dangerous without anyone knowing?
Even though they had gotten relatively close recently, he still didn't trust her enough to allow her to go out on her own.
Moreover, he was worried that if she went out, Hashad or Netira might do something unsavory.
It was clear that Ihedia had become his weakness from the moment she was brought here.
But he also knew that Ihedia would be bitterly disappointed if he refused her request.
It was the only time of the year when the sun shone on the frigid Anut.
Maybe Ihedia just wanted to see the festivities for the sheer joy of it.
"Okay."
"Then..................."
"Come with me instead."
Ihedia's eyes widened a little.
"With you?"
"You don't want to do that?"
"You're so busy that you don't even have time to eat, and I don't know if you can afford it."
Ihedia wasn't wrong, but Kayan figured it wouldn't hurt to enjoy the sun's blessings with her before he headed west.
This journey would be a long one.
He had a feeling that he would have some decisive evidence that would corner Hashad in Chardi.
Regardless of what it might bring to Anut, he wanted to spend some meaningful time with Ihedia before he left, if only for a little while.
"If you want it so badly, I'll make time. I'm actually a fan of festivals myself."
Ihedia smiled faintly at that and nodded.
***
Ihedia left the mansion with Kayan.
Kayan's arm slipped around her waist from behind.
It wasn't the first time she'd ridden with him, but being this close to him made her body tense.
Whether it was intentional or not, each time it happened, Kayan pulled her closer to him.
As they rode, the soft sun shone down on them, sending a warm rush of energy down their backs.
At the same time, Ihedia could feel Kayan's lips on her hair as the horse swayed with each movement, making the nape of her neck tickle.
A short time later, they arrived at the main street, and as Sawana had said, every inch of space as far as the eye could see was covered with people.
Even though they hadn't yet entered the gates, Ihedia's heart began to pound with the vibrancy that radiated from the people basking in the sun's blessings.
It was a vibrancy she hadn't felt in a very long time.
The people's clothing and the aesthetics of the streets were very different, but somehow it reminded her of the bustling festivities in Elmir.
Kayan and Ihedia dismounted from the horse.
Kayan gave a small smile at the excited Ihedia, her eyes fixed on the bustling street.
He took her hand without a word.
Ihedia stared at him in surprise, but Kayan didn't seem to notice, tugging on her hand and walking slowly away.
Ihedia didn't shake his hand away, but instead squeezed it with a little more force.
Then a gentle smile crossed Kayan's face.
***
Support me @ https://ko-fi.com/doraaaaaaa
Write a comment