Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 136
“The dogs are good at pulling the sled, but they do have their limits. To reduce weight, the dog sled doesn’t have a roof.”
And what of it? Irene blinked, looking at him, and Burt smiled faintly.
“If it gets too much, just close your eyes.”
With those words, the sled began to glide smoothly. At the same time, something small and white, something she had never seen before, started to fall from the sky. Snow.
“Let’s go!”
With a loud shout, the sled picked up speed. And Irene quickly realized why Burt had wrapped her up so thoroughly.
The roofless sled raced through the cold wind, which soon stung her face. It felt like her eyes might freeze over.
Yet, the driver and the others seemed perfectly fine, which she found quite remarkable.
“Aren’t your eyes hurting?”
“I’m used to it, so I’m fine. Besides, knights at that level can use mana to protect parts of their body.”
In a way, that was quite impressive. Without realizing it, Irene clapped her hands inside the cloak. The sled continued its exhilarating ride.
By the time the next mealtime approached, Irene decided she had enough of the dog sled.
“I’ll take the carriage.”
“Go ahead. Still, wasn’t the sled fun?”
“It was fun.”
The dogs running eagerly, the scenery speeding by, everything about it was enjoyable.
“But I think I’ll reconsider riding it again.”
With those words, Irene got into the carriage.
“How did you find the dog sled?”
“Well, it was fun.”
“And?”
“It was cold.”
“Very cold?”
“Do you want to try it?”
“May I?”
Lani asked, her eyes sparkling.
“If Noah wants to try it too, I’ll let him know.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Noah politely declined.
“Then I’ll go ride it by myself!”
Lani, who had eagerly gone out, returned completely exhausted at the next village.
“The people here are incredible. I thought I was going to freeze to death even with my coat on. Carriages, carriages are the best.”
Lani repeated herself several times as she followed Irene into the inn.
“Once we pass a few more villages, the royal palace should start to come into view,”
Burt said lightly, but as they passed through each village, the cold became more intense, and everyone else gradually grew weary. Even though Irene used her holy power to help them from time to time, they still shivered.
“This is bad,”
Lani said, looking distressed.
“Why?”
“I’m worried about how we’re going to survive in the northern lands later.”
“Why are you worried about that?”
“Well, because…”
Her eyes rolled around nervously.
“Well, because I like the north?”
A lie. She had said she hated the cold, and now she was lying.
But Irene didn’t press further. She had already noticed where Lani’s gaze had landed.
‘What does Burt living in the north have to do with me?’
She couldn’t understand. The two of them had only joined hands for revenge.
Or rather, perhaps it was more accurate to say that Burt was in it for amusement.
‘What more could there be between us?’
There was no rule forbidding the Saintess from marrying, but she never thought anything would happen with Burt. Once this pilgrimage was over and the issues in the capital were resolved, the two would likely part ways.
Burt would return to his old life in the northern country, while Irene would fulfill her duties at the central temple.
‘Who would want a woman marked by such an ominous symbol in the first place?’
So she didn’t hold any expectations. She didn’t entertain any illusions.
Irene firmly closed the door to her heart.
* * *
“Bella, have you heard about this?”
“Heard about what?”
“That Sir Burt is escorting the Saintess.”
“If that’s what you mean, then yes, I’ve heard.”
“Do you think the Saintess is truly in a deep relationship with Sir Burt?”
At the maid’s question, Bella furrowed her brows and replied,
“You know you shouldn’t speak carelessly like that.”
“But still, I’m curious.”
“Well, I won’t deny there’s some hope, but considering it’s Sir Burt… Even though I raised him, I can’t say I know everything about him, so how could I possibly know?”
“Hm, I see. But what if Sir Burt truly loves the Saintess? What will you do?”
“What else can I do? I’d support him, of course.”
“Even though this Saintess carries an ominous symbol?”
“What does that matter? As long as Sir Burt can get married, I’d welcome anyone!”
Bella declared confidently.
“More importantly, get moving faster! The preparations for the welcome party aren’t even done yet, so why are you hanging around here?”
At that, the maid pouted her lips.
“Can’t we rest for a bit?”
“Luna, rules exist to be followed. You’re a maid, and you have duties to fulfill. Otherwise, you’ll be kicked out of the palace.”
“That’s too harsh!”
“No matter how high-ranking a noble’s daughter you are, I can’t overlook it any longer. Get back to your post immediately.”
“Alright, I’m going, I’m going. But who’s going to attend to the Saintess?”
“It certainly won’t be you.”
Luna was a bright and kind girl, but she was too fixated on Burt.
It wasn’t that Bella couldn’t understand, but one had to learn to let go if the other party didn’t reciprocate. That’s why Bella spoke sharply to Luna.
“Now, move quickly!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Only then did Luna leave Bella’s side.
