NOVEL WEB Chapter 47
Chapter: 47
One thing is for sure… Air Conditioning Magic is godlike, and Ashley is invincible.
It was so comfortable that I couldn’t help but sit still and chuckle.
“Haha… Hehe…”
“Camelia, what’s so funny?”
“It’s just so cool. Lately, my mother hasn’t let me have any shaved ice… it’s been really hot in many ways. But now, I’m just loving this coolness.”
“You were laughing because of that?”
“Yup.”
I was genuinely just laughing because it felt so refreshing.
It might be odd to laugh so much over something so simple, but the inside of the carriage was indeed cool.
Given that it was a luxurious carriage, it also had minimal bumps and was less prone to causing motion sickness, adding to the refreshing experience.
The comfort level was off the charts, completely incomparable to the usual carriages I rode in; it was, quite literally, paradise.
“Isn’t it so different from the usual carriage?”
“That’s true. But I’m not really the type to get hot easily, you know?”
“…I am, though.”
“Hehe, got it. We still have quite a way to go until we arrive, right?”
“Yeah. I think… we’ll probably just keep driving straight through today?”
We had to drive nearly all the way to a place close to the capital.
Not all the way to the capital, but pretty close…
“Everyone in the back is just sleeping… should we keep driving like this?”
“I’m fine. And seeing everyone sleep better than I expected, maybe it’s best to just leave them be.”
“…True.”
In the front seat were Rosalyn, Rize, and me, with Rize driving the carriage.
I was planning to have someone else take over, but Rize volunteered first, so somehow, she was driving.
Unlike regular carriages, this high-end carriage allowed Rize to easily move between the inside and the driver’s seat, and the most critical part was…
“Rize, how are the horses?”
“They’re definitely… really intelligent. They’re reading the road and just running straight ahead without any specific commands.”
“That’s worth the price.”
The horses were expensive.
Seriously… the price of one horse we bought this time was easily four times that of a normal horse.
Not just any horse, though; these were bred through mana-enhanced modifications during their growth, so to speak.
Their intelligence was way above that of regular horses, and they could replenish their energy not just from food but also through mana, making them highly versatile for various purposes.
That’s precisely why nobles often used them, and I thought I was very fortunate that we found these…
“It’s the most satisfying purchase among the recent expenditures.”
“I agree.”
“Rize, you’ve been watching over the horses and driving, so it must be tiring, right?”
“…Not at all.”
“What do you mean ‘not at all’? Isn’t that right, Mother?”
Since Rize kept denying my remarks, I had no choice but to ask Rosalyn.
Even though Rize continuously insisted that she was fine, she still showed proper respect toward adults.
“That’s true. While all the kids were sleeping in the back, you were going in and out alone. You should take it easy.”
“…Yes.”
“Hehe…”
“…Young Lady, you’re being mischievous.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
Anyway, we were having a really cool time inside the carriage.
The sky outside had grown dark, and a considerable amount of time had passed—it was already evening.
The original plan was to stop at a nearby village and stay in an inn, but it was more comfortable than expected.
Inside the carriage was cooler than outside, and thanks to the first-class carriage, it was also comfortable enough to sleep.
…Honestly, it felt like vacationing in the carriage wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“Camelia, we’ll arrive tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, if we keep this pace… we should be able to arrive by tomorrow morning. We’re not stopping either.”
“But are you okay not sleeping, Camelia?”
“I think I’ll just watch outside for a bit longer before I sleep. How about you, Mother?”
I had taken a short nap, but Rosalyn hadn’t, so I figured she might want to chat with our other friends on the carriage.
I thought she must be fairly tired.
“Um… I should sleep too.”
“Then go ahead and sleep. Everyone in the back is already sleeping anyway.”
“That’s true. Everyone is sleeping so comfortably that it feels sorry to wake them up!”
“Maybe they’ll just sleep until tomorrow morning?”
They really were sleeping comfortably.
Ella, who had been chatting away earlier, now seemed silent as if she had worn herself out, and Karen also dozed off, likely due to Ella’s exhaustion.
As for Ashley…
“Go ahead and sleep. Rize?”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“Let’s take a look at the horses outside.”
“Understood.”
Leaving a slightly tired Rosalyn to rest, I moved to the front seat with Rize.
Rosalyn didn’t say it explicitly, but her tiredness was evident in her expression.
I thought I’d just give her a moment of peace.
Given Rosalyn’s personality, she would probably feel bad sleeping first while I was still awake next to her.
So, I sat in the front, the spot where the coachman would usually sit.
In contrast to when I was in the back, the sound of the horses running was much clearer, and it felt certainly different from being inside.
“Rize, thanks for today.”
“Not at all, Young Lady. It’s just my duty…”
“No, I really appreciate it.”
Though Rize continued to shy away from compliments and thanks, I interrupted her words like that.
I was genuinely grateful to Rize today.
After all, we were all nobles, and people not accustomed to driving carriages or carrying luggage.
So, it was only natural that Rize had a lot on her plate.
Starting with driving the carriage and in various other ways.
“Still, there’ll be maids at the villa too, so once we arrive there, you can rest easy.”
“…Really?”
“You’re here to have fun too, so you should be able to take a proper break.”
I originally planned to allow Rize some well-deserved rest.
She hadn’t had a proper vacation until now.
This time, I ensured that the maids were prepped to allow her a genuine chance to relax.
Among the maids working in the mansion, I selected some who hadn’t taken a vacation to take on extra tasks, and I even sought help for short-term work.
To be honest, while it was a bit of an expense, it was necessary regardless of whether it was for Rize or not.
After all, with six people, Rize couldn’t do everything by herself, right?
Bringing in other maids was practically not a choice but a necessity.
“…Then I’ll go and…”
“You can just rest, okay?”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. You can really take it easy on this trip.”
“…Understood.”
However, Rize’s expression was somehow not what I expected.
I thought she would be glad to have the opportunity to rest comfortably, but instead, Rize looked a bit… disappointed.
“…?”
Why was she making that face?
“Rize, do you dislike it?”
“…Not at all. I’ve always been your maid, so it feels strange to be told I can suddenly take a break…”
“…Is that the reason?”
“…Yeah.”
As she nodded slightly, her face was… just a bit flushed.
Was she embarrassed?
“Hmm…”
What should I say to her?
In truth, I had no idea Rize would be thinking like that.
“I’m just thanking you for your hard work. This is a break I’m giving you because I appreciate you; it’s not because I dislike you.”
“………”
“And when have I said I’d play without you?”
“That’s…”
“Of course, I’ll bring you along while having fun!”
I smiled and assured Rize like that.
I genuinely intended to keep Rize by my side throughout the trip.
Although I was saying Rize could take a break, she could still help a little bit—after all, the others were all individuals who had never gotten their hands dirty.
I could probably handle a bit of the tougher work, but they wouldn’t be able to.
“So, stop worrying about strange things. Got it?”
“Understood…”
Anyway, I managed to clear up Rize’s unusual worries.
As I resolved her concerns, I charged the horses with mana again and confirmed they were running smoothly.
After ensuring everything was fine, I returned to the refreshing air-conditioned back seat.
“Mother’s sleeping.”
“She’s been chatting with others since morning. She must be exhausted.”
“True. It’s alright for her to rest a bit.”
After all, she hadn’t been able to take a breather amidst talking with the children in the back.
It was only natural for her to fall asleep like that.
“…Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I mean, it’s not anything bad, but… it feels a bit sorry for her to be sleeping while sitting.”
The reality was that it would have been easier just to wake everyone up and find an inn.
But they were all sleeping so soundly, and it felt rude to wake them… so I was stuck sitting while drowsy.
In reality, it didn’t matter much if Karen and Ella were sleeping while sitting, but seeing Rosalyn sleep in that position made me feel slightly bad.
So, I decided to help her lie down comfortably.
“Rize, do you have a blanket?”
“Shall I pull one out for you?”
“Yes.”
After receiving a blanket from Rize, I laid it over Rosalyn’s legs.
Then, I slowly leaned Rosalyn’s body, who was seated, toward me.
I had to do it gently to avoid waking her up.
“This should be more comfortable, right?”
“I think so.”
I propped Rosalyn’s head so she could use my thigh as a pillow.
I aimed to make her as comfortable as possible.
I did that for Rosalyn, but looking at her from below, I realized just how beautiful she was, causing my gaze to unintentionally rise.
Continuously staring at Rosalyn, who was resting on my thigh, felt strangely odd.
It shouldn’t have been, but it was incredibly strange.