The wheels rolled over the gravel, making a monotonous and continuous sound.
The road leading to town was not level, and the carriage swayed gently with the rise and fall of the terrain, like a small boat drifting on the water.
Klein's gaze drifted across the fields outside the window, inadvertently scanning the person sitting opposite him.
Ophelia sat upright, her back as straight as a meticulously carved statue, perfectly still.
The swaying of the carriage seemed to have no effect on her at all.
Her gaze fell upon her folded hands, but Klein noticed that her eyes were actually moving slightly—observing the terrain passing outside the window, memorizing every intersection and building along the way.
This habitual alertness reminded Klein of retired mercenaries.
In the narrow space, the silence felt almost physical, filling the gap between them and sounding clearer than the noise of the wheels.
Klein wanted to say something about the tailor shop in town or the upcoming wedding, but when the words reached his lips, they felt out of place in this atmosphere.
He even considered saying something trivial like "The weather is nice," but immediately rejected the idea—that would only make the atmosphere more awkward.
Ultimately, it was the rhythm of the rolling wheels that broke the silence first.
The monotonous sound gradually faded, the carriage gave a slight jolt, and then it came to a complete stop.
"We have arrived, Master."
Raymond's voice came from the driver's seat, steady, though there was a very subtle pause when he addressed Ophelia.
"You and... Madam can go look around first; I will stay here and wait for you."
Klein pushed open the door and stepped down first.
The sunlight was a bit glaring, and he squinted instinctively before turning around to stand naturally by the carriage door.
Just like their first meeting, the first thing he saw was the hand she extended.
Her knuckles were well-defined as she steadily braced herself against the door frame.
There was a very faint scar on her wrist that glinted silver-white in the sunlight—a mark left by a blade or some sharp weapon.
Next came the tips of her shoes.
Her black leather boots were of a simple style; the surface was worn and had lost its luster, and several irreparable scratches were visible on the toes.
'She really needs a new pair,' Klein thought. Perhaps he could look for a suitable shoe shop in town later.
She bent down to exit the carriage, and the hem of her clearly ill-fitting skirt rode up, revealing a portion of her calf.
The sunlight fell on her fair skin, outlining tight and smooth muscle lines.
It was a sense of strength that could only be achieved through years of training, yet it didn't diminish the slender elegance of her leg.
On the inner side of her calf was a faded old scar, about three fingers wide, looking like a wound that had nearly been fatal in some past battle.
Klein's gaze lingered on it for a split second before he looked away as if nothing had happened.
He did not try to help Ophelia down.
Because she did not need it.
Ophelia braced one hand against the door frame and slightly lifted the cumbersome hem with the other; with a slight tilt of her body, she emerged from the carriage and landed lightly on the ground.
The entire movement was clean and efficient.
Her feet stood firm upon landing, barely even kicking up any dust.
That silent way of landing was more characteristic of a professionally trained assassin than an ordinary noble lady.
She stood straight and let go of the skirt, and the ridiculous maid uniform swayed slightly with her movement.
She reached out to straighten her slightly crooked collar, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Clearly, these clothes made her very uncomfortable.
Klein cleared his throat, breaking the slightly awkward silence between them.
"The tailor shop in town is just ahead; we can just walk there," he paused and then added, "It's about a ten-minute walk."
"Mm," Ophelia's response was as brief as ever, her golden eyes looking toward the street as if assessing the surrounding environment.
Klein took the lead, walking a couple of steps before feeling that it wasn't right to leave her behind, so he slowed his pace to walk side-by-side with her.
He could feel the gazes of the pedestrians along the road, scanning back and forth between the two of them with curiosity and inquiry.
A local minor noble accompanied by a tall beauty dressed in a maid uniform but with a temperament that didn't match it at all.
It was a combination that couldn't help but draw attention.
Klein could even hear the hushed whispers of two women not far away.
"Hey, look, isn't that Master Klein?"
"It is! Who's that girl next to him? A new maid? She doesn't look like one..."
Klein felt his cheeks flush slightly.
He turned his head and lowered his voice to Ophelia: "Um... most of the people in town know me, they might be... a bit enthusiastic."
Ophelia's gaze swept over the whispering townsfolk, her expression calm and unruffled.
"They are curious about me," she stated, her tone devoid of any emotion.
"Cough," Klein was momentarily choked by her bluntness.
Ophelia didn't seem to care much about the stares of others, but Klein could hardly bear it anymore.
So he quickened his pace.
"Let's hurry up and get your clothes changed first."
He had to end this public execution as quickly as possible.
...
Klein practically dragged her through half the town.
On both sides of the stone-paved road, shop signs were lined up in neat rows.
The sweet scent of freshly baked bread drifted from a bakery, and the rhythmic clanging of hammers came from a blacksmith shop, mixing with the shouts of street vendors and the bustle of pedestrians to form a vivid and noisy picture of city life.
He only wanted to reach his destination as quickly as possible and escape those gazes that felt like needles on his back.
Ophelia's pace remained steady, following unhurriedly at his side.
In spite of the ill-fitting maid uniform, her upright posture and calm temperament created a strange sense of dissonance.
Her gaze swept over butcher shops hanging dried sausages and general stores piled with various fabrics, as if she were silently memorizing the layout of the place.
Normally, Klein might have been interested in heading to the street that sold alchemical materials to see if there were any unusual minerals or herbs.
But today, he only wanted to be faster, just a little bit faster.
He stopped at a corner, confirmed the direction, and then turned into a relatively quiet alley.
The noise was suddenly left behind, and the air seemed much clearer.
At the end of the alley stood a quiet two-story building, its walls covered in lush green vines.
A small wooden sign hung by the door, with "Lillian's Sewing House" carved on it in elegant flowery script.
This was the place.
Klein stood still in front of the door and turned to look at Ophelia.
She was also looking at the sign, the flowery letters reflected in her golden eyes, her thoughts unreadable.
He reached out and pushed open the wooden door equipped with wind chimes, which jingled crisply.
Inside it was warm and dry, and a scent of fabric, incense, and sunlight greeted them.
It was a small and tidy shop.
Sunlight filtered through the street-facing window, cutting bright paths through the air where tiny dust motes danced up and down.
On the shelves against the walls, rolls of fabric of various colors were neatly stacked, and several mannequins wearing semi-finished dresses stood quietly in the corners.
Behind the counter, a girl with flaxen hair who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen was holding a book.
The cover of the book was printed with intricate patterns, looking like some kind of knight novel.
The crisp sound of the chimes startled her, her shoulders shrinking slightly as the book nearly slipped from her hands.
She hurriedly steadied the book and looked up, her face carrying a trace of daze and the embarrassment of getting caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing.
When she saw that the visitor was Klein, she let out a small "Ah" and quickly stood up.
Her movements were somewhat frantic, nearly knocking over a sewing box beside her.
"Master Klein?" Her voice was soft and thin, as if she were afraid of disturbing the peace in the room.
Promptly, her gaze moved past Klein and landed on the tall Ophelia.
The girl's eyes widened, her light brown eyes first flashing with admiration, then confusion, and finally turning into undisguised curiosity.
Her gaze scanned back and forth between the clearly ill-fitting maid uniform and Ophelia's face that was as calm as water, before lingering on those rare golden eyes for several seconds.
She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something, but ultimately swallowed the words and simply clasped her hands somewhat formally in front of her.
"Welcome," she looked back at Klein and added a greeting, her voice carrying excitement and curiosity she couldn't hide, "May I... help you with something?"
Rate on N.U.
