Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 57
A rough manner of speaking
The journey back from Deneb to Arcturus was the same as the journey there.
After crossing the small mountain, the familiar plains appeared. However, the appearance of the mountain had changed slightly over the past fortnight.
“It seems difficult to proceed by carriage now, Madam!”
The undergrowth had grown denser since her first visit, making it quite difficult for Freesia’s carriage to move forward.
‘What should we do?’
Freesia looked around, feeling perplexed.
Thea, who had heard about the situation from Sir Dike, chirped in,
“The carriage can be driven around by the coachman on a longer route… You and I will have to ride horses along with the knights, Madam.”
“Yes, that does seem faster.”
Not that she was particularly eager to see Electra any sooner.
As Freesia stepped out of the carriage, Sir Van naturally approached her.
“Then, Madam, I will assist you.”
“I appreciate the help…”
“Come this way.”
But at that moment, an irritated command interrupted them.
“Do you want us to be delayed even further?”
Izar rebuked from atop his horse, visibly annoyed.
Van had intended to help Freesia onto a horse and then walk himself.
But that would indeed slow them down.
“Then, Milord, if the Madam and I could ride together…”
“Don’t waste time with unnecessary words. Come here.”
Izar coldly beckoned Freesia towards his saddle with an icy glare.
Although there was room for one more…
Freesia did not say a word as she took her place, not leaning comfortably against Izar, but slightly bending forward to maintain distance.
The deliberately maintained distance made Izar’s head throb again.
His nerves had been on edge since earlier.
‘Damn it.’
That handshake… he could have endured it if he really tried.
But the shepherdess, who easily smiled over a simple plate of fruit, was grinning foolishly over that handshake. What was so great about it?
Above all, seeing Albireo Deneb’s dumbstruck face at her smile infuriated him to the point of heating up his neck.
‘Foolish over a woman.’
Being indebted to that family, he couldn’t act as he pleased, only seething inside.
‘If we meet in the capital…’
He wondered if there would be a chance to beat him down properly.
As Izar was irritably imagining crushing Albireo in his mind, Freesia discreetly adjusted her necklace to keep it out of sight.
“……”
Day by day, life dwindles down to its most essential elements. And in that prioritization, pride no longer had a place.
‘Remember what happened when you stood up for your pride.’
Like the one time she dared to confront Elder Madam Electra by bringing a thornbush branch.
“……Duke.”
Now that the days of her lifespan had dwindled down to the mere 200s, had she not wasted too much time?
Freesia swallowed dryly and whispered with difficulty.
“About receiving the fruit, and earlier… I sincerely apologize.”
“……”
“I was thoughtless. I didn’t consider the dignity of the ducal house… I truly apologize.”
At the moment she finished speaking, a gentle flame flickered in Freesia’s heart.
That flame turned into a tumultuous wave surging in her chest.
In truth, she did not want to say sorry.
‘Have I really done something so against etiquette?’
Although she had been a laughingstock throughout her past life for three years, she wasn’t completely ignorant of the behavior of noble ladies in high society.
Chastity was a basic virtue even in aristocratic society. Yet, if one couldn’t engage in a somewhat witty conversation with the opposite sex, they were deemed unsophisticated.
And as for the raspberries, she especially did not want to apologize for that.
All the more because it was evidence of one of the few happy memories with her ‘husband’.
At that time, as Freesia’s belly was already starting to show, she eagerly received the fruit from his arms. However, when he fed her a bit too quickly, she gathered the courage to whimper,
<I can’t eat that fast…>
<……>
<Please, just a bit slower.>
Then, her ‘husband’ momentarily fell silent, avoiding Freesia’s gaze before muttering,
<…So, something like this needs to be learned as well.>
Still, he stayed with her throughout that night.
That was her husband at twenty-six.
Even if his tenderness was due to her carrying his child, it was undoubtedly affection.
It was one of the few precious memories in her barren life.
And Izar at twenty-three knows nothing of it.
‘In this life, with less than a year left, that will never happen.’
Thinking this brought a sting to her eyes, but no tears formed.
Instead, her head ached slightly, so Freesia silently bowed her head.
Izar bit his lip upon seeing her bowed neck.
‘Damn it. This woman really knows how to spoil someone’s mood.’
The shepherdess had acknowledged her mistake.
He thought he wanted to hear that, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Instead, he felt further adrift.
‘And now, even though she pretends otherwise…’
It was so evidently clear that she was feeling hurt, so much that it made anyone seeing her like this feel suffocated.
From her slumped shoulders.
From her neck, drooped like a broken flower.
From her polite yet powerless voice.
It was no longer just a feeling of suffocation; there was a painful sting in the throat.
