Because of the torrential downpour, their clothes were already completely soaked.

“It’s raining so hard.”

Upon hearing Lea’s voice, Count Heidern’s eyes met hers. Lea wrung out her wet, limp hem and muttered.

It was just a meaningless action, yet.

In the pitchblack darkness, her silhouette, illuminated by moonlight, captivated Count Heidern.

The raindrops tracing down her slender neck, the silhouette starkly visible through her soaked white dress.

Count Heidern’s eyes slowly scanned Lea. Did she even realize how she looked?

Lea, who was reaching out into the void, looked innocently childlike.

And he, watching her, unaware of his own thoughts.

His adam’s apple rose slowly as he continued to gaze at her.

Whether because of the rain or the shimmering moonlight, today, he found it impossible to look away from Lea’s red hair.

Count Heidern extended his hand toward Lea’s red hair, scattered like red paint on a white canvas.

“Can the carriage be fixed today? It seems to be quite stuck.”

His hand retracted swiftly at the sudden voice. Lea had turned to look at him.

Face to face with her, Lea’s body contours were more exposed than he had expected. They say wet fabric sticks, after all.

“This is crazy.”

“Excuse me? What did you say?”

His stifled voice was swallowed by the rain. And then.

A heavy jacket was placed over Lea’s shoulders. When she looked up, she saw Count Heidern looking away.

“Why the jacket…”

“Do you need to see yourself to ask that?”

“Myself?”

Realizing what Count Heidern implied, Lea quickly covered her chest.

‘Oh my God…’

Why did she have to wear a white dress today? Realizing this uncomfortable truth, her face flushed.

Embarrassed, Lea changed the subject.

“Thank you. But aren’t you cold?”

Wet from the rain, Lea began to shiver.

Dressed in a thin silk shirt and a vest, Count Heidern must be even colder.

Worried that he might catch a cold for giving her his jacket, Lea looked at him.

“…”
Akkia quickly turned her gaze away from Lea, who was making eye contact with her. Despite being in the cold downpour, the Count felt as if he were running a fever.

Unknowingly feeling a deep thirst, he loosened a few buttons on his constricting shirt.

“It’s not cold.”

“……That’s good.”

Just then, the coachman who had been at a distance approached them.

“How should we proceed? This seems to take a while.”

The coachman said to them with a distressed look. The Count glanced at Lea and blocked her way.

As Lea was looking at the Count’s broad back that completely obstructed her view, his soft voice came through.

“How is it going?”

“It seems the carriage is more stuck than we thought.”

Lea, who had been listening to their conversation, peeked out from behind the Count and then asked the coachman,

“Shall we go and push the carriage together?”

“What?”

“But it would be better if we do it together……”

“That’s nonsense.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Count firmly rejected Lea’s suggestion. Sensing an odd tension between the two, the coachman waved at Lea.

“Never mind, there’s a village down the road. It might be best to spend the night there.”

“That sounds good. Go on ahead.”

Before Lea could reply, the Count had already agreed with the coachman’s suggestion.

“Yes. I’ll come to pick you up from the inn tomorrow morning. The pharmacist too……”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

The moment the coachman tried to greet Lea who was blocked from his view by the Count, he had no choice but to turn away from the two.

As the coachman moved away, the Count adjusted the jacket draped over Lea’s shoulders. He began buttoning up all the buttons with a stern face.

“I knew you were careless, but.”

“Huh?”

There was a hint of discontent in the Count’s voice that seemed to be directed at me.

“The fact that you would offer to help in your condition.”

He buttoned up every button, fearing someone might see, and met Lea’s eyes. Then, he took her hand.

“You should be more cautious.”

Unaware that her hand was being held by the Count, Lea began to be led by him down to the village.