Thud.
The carriage rattled as it went over the rough ground. She had lost count of how many times it had happened.
Santia’s words that the journey would be difficult were indeed true. The carriage lurched violently as it plowed through the badly churned-up ground.
Every time the seat moved up and down, she felt a churning in her stomach. Yulania discreetly covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Vanessa, sitting next to her, gave her a worried look.
The queasiness had started as soon as they left the well-paved capital. She had always thought she wasn’t prone to motion sickness, so this was an unexpected obstacle.
‘We still have a long way to go.’
Yulania breathed slowly, trying to calm her stomach. But she must have looked very uneasy to Vanessa, who tilted her head and examined her.
“Princess, are you alright?”
“…I’m fine. I think I’m getting motion sickness.”
“Shall I open a window?”
Yulania quietly shook her head. The servants had taken the trouble to prepare the carriage since dawn. If she opened a window, the inside would get soaked.
Her body must have been surprised by the long carriage ride after so long.
‘If I bear with it a little, I’ll be alright.’
She straightened her back and tried to focus her attention elsewhere. Yulania, thinking of the sunny afternoon light, recalled sitting by the sunny window in her studio, weaving tapestries. The rocking chair in the studio was one of the places where she felt most comfortable. Burying herself in the soft chair and feeling the swaying sensation with the gentle breeze.
Yulania squeezed her eyes shut again. It was definitely a feeling she liked, but thinking of that swaying sensation made her feel sick. Her attention quickly returned to the swaying of the carriage.
She couldn’t control her thoughts at all.
Clunk.
Then, the carriage shook violently once more. Her bottom lifted slightly off the seat and then came down. And as her body landed again, the impact went deep into her stomach.
“Ugh…! Hiss.”
“Princess!”
Vanessa shrieked as Yulania gagged and covered her mouth. This time, she couldn’t bring herself to say she was alright. If she opened her mouth, vomit would come out before words.
“This won’t do. Just bear with it a little longer!”
Vanessa, looking horrified, moved to the window. Yulania pressed her lips with the back of her hand, trying to focus on her breathing. Once her stomach had turned, an unbearable nausea washed over her.
Meanwhile, Vanessa hurriedly opened the window and leaned out as if she were about to fall out, looking for Santia. Raindrops quickly poured inside.
“Duke, Duke!”
Santia, who had been riding his horse near the carriage, approached immediately. He must have sensed the urgency in Vanessa’s voice, as his face was grim.
“What’s wrong?”
“The Princess is feeling very unwell. I think we need to rest for a while.”
“What?”
Santia’s face hardened at those words and he peered into the carriage. She could feel the anger in his voice. But Yulania couldn’t even face him.
Seeing Yulania with her eyes closed and her head bowed in distress, Santia cursed under his breath. He immediately knocked on the carriage and gave instructions.
“Stop immediately! We’re taking a break!”
His harsh voice echoed through the sound of the pattering rain.
The carriage quickly slowed down and came to a halt. Yulania slowly opened her eyes and took a long breath, but her stomach, once turned, didn’t easily return to normal. Even though the carriage wasn’t moving, the feeling of swaying didn’t disappear.
“Princess, come outside. You’ll feel better if you get some fresh air.”
Vanessa helped her out. Without a word, the carriage door opened, and a gust of damp wind rushed in. Two knights were standing outside, each holding a large umbrella. Santia leaned in under them.
“Are you feeling very bad?”
“…A little.”
Yulania managed to speak. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would throw up. Santia quickly came over and supported her, taking Vanessa’s place.
“Come out for a while.”
His large hand wrapped around her waist. Yulania bit her lip, trying not to lean on him and walked on her own two feet. The muddy ground quickly dirtied her shoes.
Still, she definitely felt better getting some fresh air. She placed a hand on her stomach and gently stroked it, turning her gaze to the surrounding scenery. They had stopped suddenly on the road, so there was only a dense forest on either side.
Santia led her to a tree a little away from the carriage. At his direction, one of the knights quickly prepared a place to sit.
Yulania let Santia guide her and slowly sat down. She still felt nauseous. Her head was throbbing. She leaned back in the chair, looking pale as if she were about to collapse.
“Was there tea?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Bring it.”
Seeing her like that, Santia ordered the waiting knight.
Soon, the knight returned with a leather canteen. It was a specially treated canteen to keep the contents warm for a long time. The servants must have packed it because the weather was getting chilly.
“Here.”
Santia opened the canteen and handed it to her. Steam rose from the opening. She took it silently and brought it close to her nose. The warm moisture on her face brought a sense of calm.
“Mmm…”
“Drink some. To warm your stomach.”
Santia stood with his arms crossed, urging her as Yulania just held the canteen.
“…Yes.”
She gave a barely audible answer and carefully put the canteen to her lips, tilting it. The warm tea entered her mouth, and a warmth spread through her. For a moment, her body relaxed.
But as soon as she swallowed that warmth, her stomach churned madly. It was a strange thing to say, but the water tasted foul.
“Ugh, hiss…!”
Yulania quickly bent over, looking at the ground. And in the end, she threw up. Santia glared sharply and the knights holding the umbrellas turned away.
He stroked her back with his palm and sighed.
“Why didn’t you say anything until you got to this point?”
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
Her body trembled with a chill that penetrated to her bones and she couldn’t speak properly. She had lost even the warmth she had left. She barely managed to grab the chair with her trembling hands and raised herself up.
She glanced at the carriage and saw dozens of people waiting for her in the rain. Her presence was delaying them in this harsh place.
Sure enough, Santia sighed deeply, touching his forehead. It was still early afternoon, though it was hard to tell with the dark clouds. That meant there was still a long way to go today.
“Haa, we can’t spend the night here because of the rain. You’ll have to bear with it a little longer…”
“I’m, I’m alright. I can do it.”
Santia’s tone was full of displeasure. Although the dark clouds obscured it, it was still early afternoon. That meant there was still a long distance to travel today.
“If we detour a little, there’s a small village. Just bear with it for two hours.”
“…I understand.”
She nodded firmly. She didn’t want to be a burden to him any longer.
After resting for a while, she returned to the carriage with Santia’s support. But as she stepped on the footrest and tried to get back into the carriage, she gagged again.
“Ugh.”
Seeing the carriage reminded her of the swaying. Yulania slowly closed and opened her eyes, feeling like she hated herself. Her husband’s hand, which was holding her arm, tightened.
He soon pulled her back down to the ground.
“Diego!”
“Yes, Captain.”
At Santia’s call, Diego, a knight with dark brown hair, approached. Yulania knew him well; he was the vice-captain of the Makari Knights.
“I’ll have to go ahead with my wife. You take charge and lead them. Just come to Sorvil.”
“Yes, I understand. Don’t worry and go ahead.”
Diego received the order as a matter of course. It was natural for Santia, who loved his wife, to take care of her so devotedly.
Yulania would have scoffed at this under normal circumstances, but now she had no choice but to lean on him weakly. Her pride and stubbornness couldn’t sustain her in her current physical condition.
“Bring a blanket and a cloak.”
When Santia ordered another knight next to him, he quickly brought the items.
“Her body temperature has dropped too much.”
Santia wrapped the trembling her in a blanket. A few quick-witted knights held umbrellas over Santia’s horse. He lifted Yulania up and placed her on the horse first, then smoothly jumped up behind her.
“Cloak.”
Santia pulled Yulania into his arms and covered them both with a wide cloak. Only after putting on a raincoat coated with tree sap did, he move out from under the umbrellas.
“Hold on tight. It won’t take even an hour if we ride fast.”
“Yes.”
Yulania, sitting sideways, obediently put her arms around his waist. His body, which was touching her cold body, felt particularly warm. The slow heartbeat calmed her stomach like a tranquilizer.
“If you feel sick… just throw up.”
“…”
Hesitant words fell over the top of her head. Yulania nodded with her face against his chest. He then held her even tighter.
“Then, let’s go. Diego, I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, please go safely.”
With those brief farewells, Santia tapped the horse’s flank.
Soon, the horse began to move and quickly gained speed.
The rapidly running horse shook violently, but the warmth of his body made her feel much better. It was much less nauseating than the subtly swaying carriage.
Yulania leaned against his solid chest in the dark cloak, focusing on her breathing.
A heavy scent mixed with the damp smell of rain.
