“H-How can I sit facing forward? I’ll sit facing backward.”

“It’s fine. Since you’re tired, you might get motion sickness if you go backward. Sit properly and comfortably.”

“Even if you’re uncomfortable, how can I sit comfortably when milady is uncomfortable?”

Feeling sorry for making Tyler feel uncomfortable with my words, I gestured to let him sit as he pleased.

Although Mild Kyeong seemed very tired, he undoubtedly pushed himself for my sake.

“Have I become too familiar?”

I clenched my fist and crossed my legs, narrowing my eyes to look as unwelcoming as possible.

“Does it sound like a joke?”

“No, not at all. It’s just that milady seems uncomfortable…”

“Oh.”

At my pointed words, Mild Kyeong immediately sat in the forward-facing seat and lowered his head.

“I apologize, milady. I will follow your instructions.”

I opened the small window in front of the carriage and instructed the coachman to start.

Not forgetting, I had prepared enough snacks to feed the employees in the bamboo forest during the journey.
Sure enough, about 30 minutes after departure, fatigue settled in Mild Kyeong’s eyes.

Pretending to look out the window, I discreetly observed his condition.

His eyelids drooped heavily and barely lifted again. It seemed like he was trying hard to endure the pouring sleepiness caused by fatigue.

A twisted brow, sporadic cold sweat, and a still-pale complexion.

Seeing that, I regretted the decision to travel. At least it’s not in the coach seat but inside the carriage; that’s fortunate.

“Mild Kyeong, lean comfortably on the cushion there and get some rest. Even if you can’t stretch your legs fully, you can lie down somewhat, right?”

“It’s okay.”

“Doesn’t look okay.”

“It’s okay.”

Even though it’s evident that he’s in pain, he insists that he’s okay.

‘He won’t listen even if I tell him with words.’

I got up and placed the cushion against the carriage’s sidewall.

Then, I gently pressed Mild Kyeong’s shoulders with both hands. I was trying to make him lie down as quickly as possible.

Surprised, Mild Kyeong’s face turned red like a tomato, and his voice got louder.

“Ah, Mi-Milady! If you do this…”

“If I do this, what? Stop unnecessary thoughts and quickly lean on the cushion. Lie down.”

However, Mild Kyeong adjusted his posture even more properly. His sturdy shoulders didn’t yield to my strength.

“Am I too familiar, after all?”

His body relaxed to an astonishing extent. He moved as I directed, looking like he was pushed as he stared blankly with a resigned face.

Mild Kyeong’s head settled on the cushion.

“Sleep a bit. If you’re not sleepy, at least close your eyes.”

I covered his eyes with my hand. His face touching my palm was warm.

“Huh? You have a fever.”

Surprised, Mild Kyeong pulled up his cloak to cover his face.

“I’m sorry. Since Milady has never done this to me…”

“Ah…”

It meant it was too close. At those words, I recalled that Mild Kyeong originally liked Ellen.

I also like Mild Kyeong, but that feeling is different from the feeling I get when I see Philip.

There’s a line not to be crossed.

“If you don’t keep following orders like this, I’ll send you back to your home country.”

Mild Kyeong’s voice, confused by my firm response, leaked out from outside the cloak.

“I apologize, Milady. I will do as you instruct.”

Now it’s done. Quietly looking out the window, I contemplated how to fulfill the king’s request while allowing Mild Kyeong to rest well.

‘Since it was said to be a candle with the symbol of the royal family…’

It shouldn’t be difficult to make it just by simple thinking. However, it seemed that it needed to be differentiated from ordinary candles.

Setting high quality and price… and preserving something that could be a catalyst between the king and Marboro?

But I don’t know what that catalyst is.

‘Right, and he asked for the scent to be like the rainbow-colored candles, didn’t he?’

After a while, the coachman parked the carriage near the bamboo forest where the employees were logging, at the layover I specified, accompanied by several laborers.

Mild Kyeong tried to get up immediately.

“Don’t move, just lie down.”

“What if Milady is in danger?”

His concern felt oddly troubling, and a small laugh escaped me.
“There are workers, so what dangerous thing could happen?”

“Considering the previous attack, we can’t be completely at ease, can we?”

“Only if such a situation really arises. Mild Kyeong wouldn’t be able to handle it, would he?”

“…….”

“Don’t worry, it won’t happen. Even if it does, Mild Kyeong will defend, just follow the instructions.”

Mild Kyeong reluctantly agreed with a gloomy expression.

After instructing the coachman to bring out a snack basket, as soon as I opened the door, I heard people talking and the fast-paced violin music coming from the site.

“Is Terry here?”

The coachman, holding the snack basket heavily in both hands, heard my muttering and asked.

“Yes? Terry?”

“The musician who played at the square.”

Only then did the coachman nod.

“Oh, I know who you mean now. But is that friend here?”

“I said so because I heard the violin. We need to check who’s playing.”

I approached the site where workers were actively cutting and carrying long bamboo logs. Terry was indeed playing the violin joyfully.

Perhaps he came to play labor songs at someone’s suggestion.

And right next to a stack of bamboo, Hade was sitting.

Hade, along with a new laborer, was holding a short bamboo tube and a carving knife, doing something.

Approaching closer, Terry added a short ad-lib to my tune.

At the variation that the high-pitched strings seemed to convey something, the attention of Hade and the workers, including Terry, turned to Terry.

Terry, who stopped playing, waved the violin bow like a greeting. It was to acknowledge me. Then, the eyes that were on Terry also turned to me.

Startled, Hade stood up from his seat and greeted me.

“Oh! Milady!”

Then, several familiar faces popped up from the forest here and there.

“Hey! Milady is here!”

“Milady! Did you come!”

I unpacked the snack basket, allowing them to take a short break.

“I didn’t expect Terry to be here.”

Terry, smiling, bit into a fruit. It was Hade who answered instead of Terry.

“A few days ago, this friend and I drank together, and we became like brothers.”

“Brothers?”

Facing each other, Hade and Terry smiled playfully without one taking the lead.

“Yes, since I came here, he said he’d come and play the violin together.”

Terry nodded, and Hade concurred with his words. In the few days I hadn’t seen them, it seemed like their relationship had become very close.

“Also, we found an important commonality. So, we decided to eat together, sleep together, and work together for the future.”

“An important commonality…”

I looked alternately at the two. Then, both of them twinkled their eyes.

“Milady, do you see it? The commonality between the two of us.”