EIITAB - Chapter 54 < What Came Between Them? >
Even If It Is Trampled And Broken
'I think making comparisons is a huge disrespect and deception.'
As Angela said, it got colder the further north she went, and even the ground seemed to be frozen. The road we had passed by the carriage so far was dusty. In other words, the land was visible.
However, the direction towards Kalathi was completely white, and instead of dirt, flakes of snow were blowing.
'I never thought it would be this difficult to find a clean dirt road.'
Moreover, there were quite a few places that did not melt even when sunlight hit them. At this point, it was unclear whether people would be able to walk properly, let alone to a field. Hestia sighed.
'I didn't know it would be this serious.'
Her face suddenly became colored with worry. It occurred to her that no matter how much she lived like a marionette in temples and royal courts, she had been indifferent for too long, using that excuse as her shield. At this point, she felt that it was inevitable that the people of the North would hate the people of the South and her.
She swallowed her sleep and barely took her eyes off the scene around her. She looked up at Aslan, embracing her gloomy mood.
"But can you explain it to me properly? Why on earth do we have to change carriages?"
He shrugged his shoulders and glanced at his men who were busy carrying his luggage.
"Because if we keep riding the southern carriage, it's sure to break down."
"Is it broken?"
Hestia returned his question and focused her gaze in the direction Aslan was looking. A black carriage, slightly larger than the one she and Angela had come in, came into view. What's unusual is that the window is smaller than the carriage Hestia and Angela were riding in.
'Surely.... That way, less wind comes in. There will be less heat loss.'
The difference wasn't just the size of the window. The wheels were much thicker and had sharp spikes on the outside.
'This is my first time seeing a carriage that looks like this.'
To be honest, she felt intimidated. Hestia swallowed her sigh, tilted her head, and asked calmly.
"Why didn't we come on that from the beginning? It's more troublesome to change carriage outside like this."
Then Aslan crossed his arms around him and made a snort.
"The southerners must have seen that carriage and let it inside the castle walls."
He answered sarcastically. Only then did Hestia realize what Aslan wanted to say. Yorgos kept Kalathi in check to the extent that he seemed to have gone too far, and was reluctant to give him up. It is a simple means of transportation for them, but it is unlikely that Yorgos will accept it.
So, in case Aslan was caught in a pod and the amount of his gift was reduced, he decided to change jobs midway even if it was a little inconvenient. Although Hestia understood the situation in her head, she muttered softly in an expression of disappointment.
"I think it would have been okay if we had just removed the thorns from the wheel..."
However, Aslan answered calmly, as if telling her not to make such nonsense.
"Without that, the carriage can't move forward. Because we have to move forward by chopping the ice. If there were no thorns, the horse would just spin around in the same spot until it collapsed from exhaustion."
Oh, I see.
Hestia quietly nodded her head as if she had learned something new. At that moment, the knights, who seemed to have moved all the luggage from the carriage, came and reported to Aslan.
"Your Excellency, we are ready. Would you like to leave immediately?"
"Okay."
The royal family members who had brought the cart containing the gifts seemed to have accompanied them only this far and then returned to the inside of the castle gate. Since there were no particular regrets, Hestia did not bother to say goodbye to them.
Aslan looked back at Hestia and said.
"Follow me closely."
As he told her, she followed him, hiding her body behind his wide back. Being able to avoid the harsh wind made it easier to move around. Soon the two arrived in front of the ebony carriage. Aslan opened the carriage door with his own hands and easily lifted Hestia's body and placed it inside.
"We'll be leaving soon, so just know that."
That was when he was about to turn away without saying a short word. Hestia grabbed his hand in a hurry.
"Wait a minute, Aslan."
".... !"
Aslan looked back at her with startled eyes. Hestia asked with her eyes wide as if there was some problem.
"What's wrong?"
"......"
Aslan didn't say anything for a while, and only after a long time did he struggle to get his voice out.
"Why are you suddenly calling my name?"
"We're married, but I can't keep calling you Duke Kalathi like I do."
That is correct. However, Aslan did not like being left speechless by Hestia, so he made a grumpy expression.
"Come on in the carriage for a moment."
"Why?"
"We didn't have time to talk calmly."
He hesitated for a moment, looking anxious. To be honest, he wanted to avoid being alone with Hestia in an enclosed space. This is because he thought it was quite annoying that his breathing became heavy without his knowledge and that he kept fidgeting like a scared puppy.
Where is that? He was also concerned about the heat that kept building deep in his stomach. He doesn't know if Hestia knows the circumstances of such a man.
Hestia urged him with a calm look in her eyes that showed no trace of selfishness.
"Come on."
"Whoa......."
Aslan could not refuse. He let out a deep sigh that was boiling from the bottom up, gritted his teeth, and got into the carriage. Aslan kept the carriage door open, trying not to let go of reason while being constantly hit by the cold wind.
However, Hestia was very anxious that the story she was about to share would not be heard by outsiders, so she made a light request once again.
"Could you please close the door?"
Aslan slightly raised his dark eyebrows and gave an expression of displeasure.
"... Do we really need to do that?"
"It's cold too."
"Whoa......."
She really is a cruel woman.
Aslan sighed deeply again. This time too, his refusal could not be uttered in his mouth and he obediently followed Hestia's words. When he closed the door, the noise outside was immediately blocked. In the carriage, which suddenly became quiet, Hestia remained silent for a while longer.
Aslan's golden eyes busily scanned Hestia's face. Round forehead. Almond-shaped, large eyes. Her red cheeks and cherry-colored lips kept stealing his attention. He swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
No matter how much he sucked, his mouth watered as he remembered the sweetness that kept making him thirstier. That was when Aslan impulsively tried to reach out to Hestia. She met his gaze and opened her mouth.
"If things continue like this, I think things will go wrong, so I want to organize things accurately."
At that moment, Aslan clenched his fists tightly to hide his impure desires. He managed to keep his expression together and displayed superhuman patience. Barely able to maintain his composure, he crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall of the carriage as if to say something.
As he took a deep breath as if he was holding something back, his wide ribcage expanded even more. Then Hestia felt as if this wide carriage was full. She caught her breath and calmly opened her lips.
"Here's what I can give you. First, grains of the Southern Plains."
Aslan nodded his head slowly. It was clear that the grains from the southern Great Plains that Hestia brought as a dowry would be of great help to the Duchy of Kalathi.
Unlike before, rations would be plentiful and stable, so they could provide food to hungry northerners.
Aslan tried to express his gratitude for that. Aside from hating Hestia, it was something he was thankful for. But Hestia continued her next words faster than he could open her mouth.
"But I think that's not enough for you... I thought about the second one too."
In an instant, her voice became quieter and her pace slowed.
'I don't want to talk about it.'
But she has to do it. Hestia consoled herself internally. Although Aslan hated her, he eventually accepted her. Of course, a year later, Hestia will die.
Aslan doesn't know this, but that doesn't mean she's too uncomfortable to keep her mouth shut.
'After I die, Aslan will be able to marry again.'
But he couldn't do it while she was alive. So proper compensation for that, no. It occurred to her that providing an alternative was the right thing to do.
'Let's do what we can.'
In the end, she was the one who came between them. So, rather than letting the two meet in hiding, it was bright for her to step aside so they could confidently stand next to each other. No. That's right, she convinced herself.
'Just passing the grain from the Southern Plains is not enough!'
She was going to die soon anyway. If that happens, the plain will belong to the royal family again.
'If not, I'll take it from the temple.'
So handing over the southern plains to Kalathi was, in her own way, an act of fulfilling her royal duties.
Even if Aslan did not accept his marriage to Hestia, she still intended to get her name back in front of him somehow. If I had the power... She would have tried to come up with various ways to support the struggling North. But it was realistically impossible. Anyway.
'Since I originally intended to hand over the plains, it is right to personally compensate Aslan, who has no choice but to be tied to me for a year.'
However, Hestia, who did not have much sexual power and almost no wealth, had nothing left to give.
'But there's just one thing... There are things only she can give up.'
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