98
Not long after we both got in the carriage, the coachman began driving the horses. After waving one last time to Father and Mother who were visible outside the window, I leaned back against the carriage seat and asked.
“Lionel. Where exactly is Verdion?”
“It’s a territory you can see if you go straight south from Lowell. We’ve started trading with them relatively recently, but among our merchants it’s quite famous for dye crops. A lot of good fabric comes from there too.”
“Ah, really? I didn’t know.”
“Haha! You can learn about it from now on.”
Lionel said with a hearty laugh. Meanwhile, I, who had been worried, let out a small sigh.
I lacked confidence about whether I could properly run this trading company that I would have to take over someday, whether I could catch up to Father.
“Compared to other regions, there are also many shops that make handicrafts. Young masters, if you have time, you can look around and explore, so please let me know anytime.”
“Ah, okay. I will.”
After that, we spent time reading newspapers and discussing related stories or exchanging trivial daily conversations until we arrived at Verdion territory.
We arrived at Verdion around past noon. From when we entered the Verdion territory border, the atmosphere was quite different, so I was unconsciously looking out the window continuously when the carriage gradually stopped.
“Looks like we’ve arrived. Let’s get out.”
“Yeah.”
Lionel opened the carriage door first and got out, then Cedric followed. Then he looked back at me and extended his hand.
“Watch your step.”
It was still embarrassing to receive his escort, but I didn’t feel the same resistance as before.
Instead of saying again that he didn’t need to do ‘such things,’ I playfully grabbed that hand and came outside.
Then Cedric naturally embraced me as I stepped down from the carriage and kissed my forehead at the speed of light before pulling away.
“Young masters, come this way!”
Lionel, who had been talking with the coachman and then looking around to check where to go, shouted toward us. He seemed to be hidden behind Cedric’s back and didn’t see what we did.
“…Don’t do that outside.”
“No one saw.”
Indeed, there happened to be no one passing by the carriage station area, and Lionel also fortunately didn’t seem to see it, so it was as he said.
Still, I became embarrassed for no reason.
Feeling somewhat awkward, I glared and punched Cedric’s side with my fist before moving my steps toward where Lionel was calling.
Soon we followed Lionel to meet Lavendel, the guild leader of the dyeing guild in Verdion who had been receiving cotton fabric deliveries from the Lowell trading company.
When we met directly to hear why the settlement had been delayed until now, it seemed to be due to complications in the fabric inspection process recently.
Fortunately, we confirmed the situation without major problems and organized the ledgers and specifications before returning. At first I felt overwhelmed, but after actually completing the work, I felt proud.
“Young master, you spoke well without being nervous.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Lionel smiled like an uncle looking at his nephew. Cedric also patted the back of my head as if praising me, making me feel very good. Right now my shoulders were soaring high, not knowing their limits.
“By now the coachman should have moved the luggage to the inn, so I’m going to check on that. What would you two like to do? Will you play around for a bit and come back?”
Instead of answering immediately, I looked back at Cedric, wondering what to do. Then Cedric checked the time and answered.
“Let’s look around the area until the sun sets and come back.”
Since I was fine with either way, I nodded in agreement. There we temporarily parted with Lionel and went down to the streets of Verdion square.
As Lionel had said, not only the street market but also the shops had many unique places dealing with handicrafts.
“There are so many pretty and unusual things…”
“Right.”
We mainly went into shops that catered to nobles or wealthy merchant classes to look around. Then Cedric, who had been looking around the display case, took out a ring set with diamonds and showed it to me. The transparent gem sparkled in the light.
“Diamond?”
“Yeah. Do you know? That diamonds symbolize eternal love.”
“Yeah, I know.”
That’s also why they’re mainly used for wedding rings. At my answer, Cedric showed a grinning smile.
“I want to make wedding rings with diamonds with you too. Do you like big stones? Or ones with several small ones set in? Ah, if we put on something too big, it might be inconvenient to wear around.”
Cedric held the ring up to my finger. Watching that scene made my cheeks feel warm for no reason.
“I don’t care about anything.”
“Anything? Really? You’d complain if I put on a diamond the size of your palm.”
“That would be natural. No matter what, it’s a wedding ring, so it should be possible to wear it around.”
If the stone was the size of a palm, setting aside the price, it would be so heavy I wonder if I could even lift my hand wearing it. I suspect it would be used only on the wedding day and then buried in a jewelry box from the next day.
Cedric pulled up the corners of his mouth. It was quite a mischievous-looking face.
“You just wear it around. If it’s heavy, I’ll hold your hand constantly beside you.”
“…I’d have to hold it all day.”
“I’m fine with that. Yeah, sounds like a good idea.”
At this rate, he really seemed like he’d put on one the size of a palm, so I had no choice but to surrender first.
“I take back what I said. I don’t not care, so let’s make the stone a reasonable size.”
At that moment, our eyes met exactly in mid-air. We giggled without either of us taking the lead.
Eventually, concluding that wedding rings that are matched once in a lifetime shouldn’t be bought carelessly, we decided to think about it more carefully later and bought only two matching brooches before leaving the shop.
After that, we continued wandering around looking at various places, had a meal, and only returned to the inn when the sunset began.
Lionel and the coachman had already received room keys for each of us and put in our luggage.
“Eddie. Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“Yeah, come over before bed.”
“Got it.”
Cedric’s back looked happy as he left for his own room to check luggage and wash up. After seeing off that back with my eyes for a moment, it was when I was turning to go to my room.
Suddenly an unfamiliar fragrance brushed past my nose. I instinctively recognized it was pheromones, not perfume, and looked around the corridor area.
But there was no one passing through the corridor.
‘…Is it someone’s remaining pheromones?’
Since that scent disappeared quickly, I also thought nothing of it and entered my room. After simply washing and preparing for bed, Cedric came over to my room.
“Whew, Eddie. You smell good.”
That’s what he says as soon as he comes and hugs me.
This guy says I smell good every time – right after I wash, outside, on days I haven’t washed, on days when I’m soaked with rain.
I, who had now come to accept this as something like a greeting, half-listened and lay down on the bed with him, turning off the oil lamp. Cedric held me tightly in his arms and fidgeted before adding.
“It’s a bit different from usual.”
“Hm? Really?”
I put my nose to my body and sniffed. But I couldn’t feel the difference that Cedric seemed to be sensing.
I could only faintly smell the bathing agent fragrance I had just used and come out with.
“Mm. Maybe it’s the smell of this inn’s bathing agent?”
“…Maybe.”
Cedric muttered with a somewhat suspicious nuance. But as if he wasn’t confident enough to continue the conversation further, he soon pressed his lips to my nape.
That touch was ticklish, making me unconsciously shrink and laugh. Eventually Cedric faced me and said gently.
“You must be tired from walking around today, so let’s sleep now. Lionel also said we’d return early tomorrow morning.”
“Right. Good night, Cedy.”
I briefly raised my upper body and left a light kiss on Cedric’s earlobe.
At that, when Cedric let out a pleased, soft laugh, I felt the pheromones faintly flowing from him.
Somehow I also felt better than before. And it might be my imagination, but Cedric’s pheromones seemed to reach me as a better fragrance than usual.
‘What is this?’
It’s a subtle change, but there’s a feeling that something is different from usual. But I’m not sure exactly what kind of change it is.
‘Hmm.’
Well, it might just be a temporary mood change. Like how my heart sometimes swells when I look at Cedric.
I pushed the question aside and burrowed into Cedric’s warm embrace. Since I have to wake up early tomorrow.
Soon I slowly closed my eyes, feeling the arms firmly holding my body and the cozy breath settling down.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
