A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch.61

Bianca's heart was pounding. She tried to stay calm. When was the last time she kissed Zachary in her previous life? In the past, the couple had only reluctantly kissed in bed, and the kisses were very sporadic.

Now that she thinks about it, she had never kissed him before his return. How will he react when their lips touch? Will he be disappointed if she seems aggressive? It would be nice if it ended with a cute reaction that wasn't one of disappointment.

Bianca's eyelashes trembled with tension. It felt like Zachary's lips were about to touch hers. Just as Bianca was getting anxious, an unexpected voice crossed the silent carriage.

"I brought the food... Oh, Madam."

The moment Yvonne's voice was heard, the breath and body temperature of the fingertips that had touched Bianca's face disappeared at the same time. It was an instant. When Bianca blinked in surprise, it was already too late.

What caught Bianca's gaze was the darkness of the night that landed in the carriage, and by then Zachary was far away. They seemed so close a moment ago, but it was startling how far they had separated.

Zachary's face revealed his agitation. An absurd and bewildered expression that couldn't hide his surprise. As if his steel reason, his logic, and his stubbornness should never have allowed him to fall into the current situation.

Bianca turned to Yvonne, who brought the food. She also seemed dismayed at realizing she had made a grave mistake. Being ignorant is a great sin as a servant. As if understanding Bianca's displeasure, she trembled with a determined expression on her face.

But how could Bianca say anything to Yvonne? Bianca sighed softly and gestured to Yvonne.

"It's fine. Bring it here."

"... Then I'll leave."

As if Yvonne's appearance was an opportunity, Zachary hastily ran out of the carriage as soon as Bianca turned her head towards Yvonne. The sight of his back as he escaped looked perplexed. As if he had almost made a mistake, even the sense of relief was evident in his steps.

Yvonne, who observed the situation holding her breath, asked cautiously.

"Was I too careless...?"

"No. You came at the right moment. I was hungry."

Bianca replied with a straight back.

She said it was the right moment, but it was a blatant lie. It couldn't have been more careless than this, but she also gave up quickly because her day hadn't been going well.

Today is not the only day, anyway.

Bianca decided to relax, pulling the food Yvonne had brought her, taking a casual bite of the bread, but the crumbly bread in her mouth was exceptionally dry.

----

About 10 days after leaving Arno's estate, the capital was just around the corner. The servants looked at each other's faces as if they couldn't believe they had arrived in the capital so quickly.

From Arno's estate to the capital, it takes three days on horseback. One week on foot. And it takes about 10 days for more than 50 people to mobilize.

It was a normal speed, neither slow nor fast, but the servants couldn't hide their embarrassment.

They had set out for this journey two and a half weeks ago.

Why was such a long journey planned? It was because of the variable called Bianca.

It was not uncommon for young noblewomen to complain that they couldn't bear the arduous journey. During the journey, there was no choice but to eat poorly, and as comfortable as the carriage was, it was not as good as the castle. It was common to cry after three days, and they had heard of the significant disruption to the schedule that this could cause.