DGCBYH 36

Chapter 36. Sirlennia Town (1)

“Where are you rushing off to?”

Escallion took a long stride and was suddenly right in front of Belladonna, even though she’d barely taken a few steps.

Belladonna flinched and lowered her head, feeling awkward meeting his eyes.

“Why won’t my wife look me in the eye? Are you up to something suspicious without telling me, hmm?”

He leaned down, catching her gaze. His golden eyes were full of mischief.

Belladonna bit her lower lip and frowned, worried he’d see through her feelings.

“Are you upset about something?”

Still bent over, Escallion asked again.

Belladonna shifted uncomfortably and stepped back.

He stared at her silently, surprised.

“Where are you going, Bella?”

He turned to Cindy, who’d hurried after them.

Cindy hesitated under his gaze, glancing nervously at Belladonna.

“W-we were just going to buy some envelopes!” she blurted out.

“Envelopes?”

“Yes! A letter from Astanya arrived this morning, and Madam wanted to buy new stationery to reply to the Pope. So I thought we’d visit the market together…”

Thank you, Cindy… Belladonna silently thanked her for the quick excuse.

“The market?” Escallion eyed Cindy suspiciously, making both women tense up.

“Yes, Madam seemed curious about Sirlennia’s town, and honestly, so am I…”

Belladonna nodded in agreement, even though she’d hoped to go alone. Now that Escallion had found out, she figured she might as well go with Cindy.

After a long moment, Escallion looked back at Belladonna.

“Should I come with you?”

“What?”

“I’m curious about Sirlennia too.”

His eyes were sharp, almost predatory. Belladonna’s body tensed.

She met his eyes, then firmly shook her head.

“You don’t want me to come?”

She nodded.

The clear rejection left Escallion visibly shocked.

Ah, maybe that was too harsh… Belladonna thought, watching him.

Hesitantly, she grabbed his hand and wrote on his palm:

‘You’re busy.’

“I’m not busy. Let’s go right now. Would you prepare the carriage?”

He squeezed her hand and turned away.

Wait…! Caught off guard, Belladonna scrambled after him, barely keeping up with his long steps.

On the stairs, she grabbed the railing to stop herself and quickly wrote on his hand again:

‘I just want to go out alone for a bit today.’

Escallion read her words, looked at her for a long moment, then finally let out a low sigh and let go of her hand.

As his warm palm pulled away, Belladonna felt both relief and a strange emptiness.

He smiled gently.

“Alright. You look like you need a break. Have fun, and I hope you’ll smile for me later.”

In the rattling carriage, Cindy spoke first, watching Belladonna closely.

“Um… Madam… Forgive me for saying this, but… did you and the lord have a fight? You seem a little down.”

Belladonna shook her head with a smile, trying to reassure her.

But Cindy still looked worried.

After a long, tense silence, Cindy took a deep breath and declared,

“Let’s have a real outing today! We’ll eat something tasty, look at pretty things, and buy whatever you want!”

Belladonna smiled and nodded more brightly than before, making Cindy finally relax.

She was grateful for Cindy’s effort, even though she hadn’t explained anything.

Their carriage rolled quietly along the country road, hooves muffled by the soft dirt.

“Wow, what a peaceful place,” Cindy said, looking out the window.

Belladonna pressed her face to the glass. The empty fields were brown and bare—most crops had already been harvested, since even Sirlennia, warmer than Griblata, was still in winter.

This kind of peaceful countryside feels more familiar to me than a busy city… Belladonna thought.

The scenery outside was a lot like her old hometown, yet just different enough to feel new and interesting.

She blinked quietly, feeling like she’d come home after a long time away.

Suddenly, Cindy pointed outside.

“What are those people making?”

Belladonna saw farmers sitting in the empty fields, working busily on something.

She smiled, remembering her past life.

They’re making winter feed for the animals, drying leftover grass after the harvest. I used to do that too…

It was hard work, but also satisfying to see it piled up in the barn.

And whenever you did simple work like that, there was always…

Before she finished her thought, one of the farmers began to sing, and soon others joined in.

Yes! Work songs are a must when you’re laboring!

“Ha~ in the sky…”

A smile crept onto Belladonna’s face as she listened.

The melody and words were familiar but slightly different—a local twist, perhaps.

“Wow, the work song is nice,” Cindy said, gently swaying along with the music.

Belladonna listened and let her mood lighten.

Just sitting and listening to the workers’ song made everything feel a little better.

After a long ride, they reached town.

“Um… where are we? Is Sirlennia’s town always this confusing?” Cindy looked around with a puzzled face.

Yeah… I feel like we’ve gone in circles, Belladonna thought, recognizing the streets.

“Didn’t we just pass here? Maybe we should try left this time?”

Belladonna nodded, and they turned down a side street.

But just then, a wagon full of milk bottles rolled between them, blocking Belladonna’s view of Cindy.

“Excuse me, coming through! Careful, don’t get your clothes wet!” shouted one of the men with heavy buckets, making Belladonna wait even longer.

She watched anxiously as Cindy disappeared down the street.

She’s so fast! I’m going to lose her…

Finally, the way cleared. Belladonna hurried after her, turning left.

But—

…She was gone.

Belladonna looked around the alley, blinking in dismay.

Cindy… you’re quicker than I thought…