“What’s going on?” Despite not seeing Ilyin in a week, Baron Arlen did not welcome her. To be honest, he seemed quite unhappy about her visit.
Ilyin looked at her father carefully. Was he a good father when I was a kid? Not at all. He cared more about the image of our family than anything else. Instead of feeling sorry for my mother, he got mad at the fact that she ruined our family’s reputation. Ilyin didn’t remember being loved by her father.
“I’ve decided where to go.”
“What?” Baron Arlen was rightly surprised. Marriage was a celebration of the aristocracy. Depending on which family one marries, what you had to show to the outside world was very important.
“Where to?” He inquired, his curiosity now peeking.
“The North.” That was all Ilyin said. Baron Arlen clicked his tongue. There was already a mistress in the Boro estate, the largest territory in the North. The other small estates around them were small families that were far less famous than the Arlen family.
I’d rather not reveal where exactly though, she thought to herself.
Barlon Arlen beckoned her to conclude, it meant he wanted her to get out. There was nothing good about declaring marriage anyway. “The reputation of the family will only be ruined further.”
“Of course.” Ilyin didn’t even think about getting a greeting and she turned her body around to leave.
Then, unexpectedly, the Barlon called out her name, “Ilyin.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. It had been more than a decade since she was called by her father. “Yes,” she replied. Without realizing it, Ilyin had answered in a soft-spoken voice. When their eyes met, Baron Arlen asked, “Have you ever had a precognitive dream about me?”
Irene smirked, even the slightest expectation of a greeting had disappeared, and she answered coldly, “None.”
Baron Arlen did not call her twice.
*
Not a single person came out of the Arlen house as she departed. Now my father will probably live a life without me, just like he did without my mother. Moving away from the window, Ilyin never once glanced back at the house. I’ll never come back!
“Biflten…” she whispered to herself whilst gazing out of the carriage as it was quickly passing by the capital and heading North. The horseman, who wore a sword engraved with the Biflten family’s seal at the end of the handle, sped up without uttering a word. The road was well-paved, so it didn’t rattle the carriage, but it remained unknown whether this would continue to Biflten.
Ilyin took out the thickest jacket she had. Biflten was notoriously known for the cold temperatures and frozen bodies were sometimes found in the landscapes. Winter weather, that Ilyin had experienced in the past, would probably be warm compared to the weather at Biflten. She noticed that the horseman didn’t wear a thick jacket, it could have been because he was accustomed to the cold weather.
Ilyin looked around the carriage. The seat was fluffy and covered with black velvet fabric. The walls were also made of velvet fabric containing soft cotton too, perhaps for wind protection, rather than for decoration, it was meticulously handmade to prevent the cold wind from seeping in, she guessed.
“What’s this?” Ilyin wondered aloud, looking at the cloth on the opposite seat. It was a pretty blue fabric that looked silk-like and glossy but felt more like cotton. The luxurious fabric was decorated with silver and was warm enough for her to wince at the touch of it. Is it something made in Biflten?
There could be no strange fabric for a noble, who always had to be informed of the latest fashion trends. As much as Ilyin did not engage in social activities, she had several experiences of greeting guests on behalf of her mother. However, despite her numerous experiences with clothing, this fabric was something she had never seen. It didn’t seem logical for someone to misplace a valuable item like this. Moreover, there didn’t seem to be a place to store the cloth in the carriage.
Is it something to cover up when cold? Ilyin carefully spread the cloth. It was close to sky blue, but it was a mysterious cloth, reflecting the violet gloss when it was illuminated by the daylight. It looked more like a veil for one’s head as opposed to a mere blanket. It was also thin enough to see through it.
Ilyin carefully put the cloth on her head. At the same time, her view was slightly tinted blue, and a warm sensation spread to her throat. She gasped in amazement. If this was a common item in Biflten, the clothing worn by people must be very different.
I am going to a completely different place. Biflten was quite an isolated place that had little to no exchange with other people. I wonder if I can adapt well? And I wonder if I can even survive there.
A strange land, but in the same empire, where there was no one to punish the Duke of Biflten for not complying with the imperial law. It seemed that Biflten itself was more of an empire on its own.
Even if the first night is held safely, no one will know what might happen next if I get on the bad side of the Duke. Especially since he is the Duke of Biflten. I should not even make any eye contact.
It was dismissed as a false rumor that the nobleman who first made eye contact with the Duke of Biflten died. Later, however, the knights under the dead man were also found dead, and the interest and attention about the Duke were suddenly silenced.
Who wanted to die of curiosity? “Never make eye contact,” she affirmed to herself loudly.
Ilyin knew in the back of her mind that it would be difficult for anyone in the Biflten family to kill her off, but at the same time, she wasn’t completely at ease. Ilyin opened the blue cloth on her head. She didn’t know how fast they were going, but she could feel her legs begin to tremble.
“It’s okay.” She comforted herself with the knowledge that her dreams had not yet foretold her death.
*
The landscape outside of the window turned white as the somewhat peculiar-shaped carriage continued to move towards the North. To ride in the blizzard, the horseman was equipped with a separate compartment, and the horse was also covered with protective gear.
Ilyin couldn’t believe it was near the end of summer. Instead of running a carriage to the North, it felt like she was running back in time and turning the calendar to winter. Riding through the white snow, they left tracks behind, each with a rough appearance.
As the temperature in the carriage plummeted, Ilyin couldn’t believe she was able to see her breath in the late summer. She rubbed her hands together and breathed into them, which seemed to warm them up momentarily as the white steam touched them, but quickly got cold again. Exhaling again, Ilyin quickly hid her hands in the blue cloth. It was the only warmth that she could find in the carriage.
Then, out of the blue, there was a loud thud.
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