As expected, Askan’s attitude towards me was extremely cold.

Knowing his cold personality well, I wanted to establish contact even by claiming damages. However, after failing to do so, approaching him became even more difficult.

“Hey, Viscount…!”

When the time for a break came, I immediately went to find Askan, but he was already far away.

Even when I intentionally asked for water or requested to pick fruits from a tree, I couldn’t have a conversation because it was another guardsman, not Askan, who brought it.

It continued like this repeatedly.

I tried to strike up a conversation somehow, but Askan was always handling tasks with the guards or kept himself so far away that approaching him was difficult.

After several days without any progress, I felt it clearly.

Askan was treating me strictly as a guest.

It felt like there was an invisible wall between him and me.

‘Oh, how can this happen?’

In fact, since my exploits in the military, many people wanted to become friends with me.

Wherever I went, people approached me to the extent that it was exhausting, but Askan seemed completely uninterested in my background.

Although I took great care not to make me uncomfortable during the journey and paid special attention to safety, he never approached me.

His not too excessive attitude might have been okay if it were someone else, but for me, burdened with malice, it was too distressing.

‘At this rate, it seems like he’s deliberately keeping his distance.’

It seemed that I might have gained hatred through the claim for damages.

Unconsciously, I looked out of the carriage window, running my hand through my hair.

The sky was tinted red as the sun was setting.

Departing in a state of staying up all night, and due to not being able to sleep for a while because of Askan, the dark circles under my eyes became even more pronounced.

Today, it was time to resolve to force myself to sleep somehow.

Tak, tak.

The sound of hoofbeats drew near, and unexpectedly, Askan appeared.

He still had a black mask on his face, but I could recognize him precisely among dozens of guards.

Askan, who spoke to me inside the carriage, turned to leave as he finished speaking.

Without realizing it, I grabbed him.

“Wait, just a moment!”

At my call, Askan turned his head slightly to look at me.

Gulp, I involuntarily swallowed dry saliva.

Leaving to go to the Kalua Empire, this was the first time he initiated a conversation with me.

I seized the opportunity, but I hadn’t thought about what to say at all.

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“No, that’s…”

Let me think. I had to come up with some reason.
Quickly rolling my mind, I blurted out something that suddenly came to me.

“The carriage is too uncomfortable. The cushions seem dead after a few days, and sitting continuously like this makes my body ache all over.”

Askan, who had been quietly listening to my story, questioned, “So?”

Even with his cold response, I didn’t back down. “So what? We need to think of a way somehow.”

I slyly opened the carriage door and, looking at Askan standing outside, spoke, “Come inside, let’s talk.”

Askan’s expression remained unchanged, but he was aware that I, who was venting various complaints, might be bothersome.

But there was no other way. I couldn’t abruptly start a personal conversation with him, and if we were to have a lengthy conversation, I had to find an opening.

Speaking quietly to the driver who was driving the carriage, Askan said, “Stop for a moment.”

At his command, the carriage stopped. Askan then got off and, just like before, fully opened the carriage door and came inside.

This was the second time we were alone inside the carriage.

The first time ended inconclusively, so I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

As soon as Askan entered the carriage, I leaned against the door, preventing him from getting off unilaterally, just as I did last time.

Whether he sensed my intention or not, Askan’s eyebrows twitched, but he didn’t say anything.

Before Askan could take the initiative from me, I opened my mouth first.

“It seems like trust will only be built if we face each other. Since you’ve already seen my face, how about we take off our masks when we’re alone like this?”

“This is more comfortable.”

It was a short response, but there was no more room for argument.

Quietly swallowing my disappointment, Askan immediately got to the point.

“Please state your desired requests clearly. What do you want me to do?”

“Can you do everything I ask?”

“I will do my best.”

It was a polite but firm attitude, never crossing any lines.

Sitting face to face with Askan like this, it felt like I was back to when I first met him.

Back then, he was a slave and followed me helplessly as I pleased. Now, the situation had changed, and it wasn’t easy for him to do as he pleased.

After observing Askan up close after several days, I asked, “Are you eating well?”

“What are you saying suddenly…”

“Do you sleep well?”

“…”

“Are you not injured anywhere?”