CH 17.1

As soon as she heard a rattling sound, she got up and opened her eyes.

The sunlight pouring through the carriage window stung her vision.

It turned out that the coach was still moving at a rapid pace.

It was already morning.

How many hours had already passed?

Cherryl rubbed her eyes on the pillow.

The journey will take more than ten days so they still had a long way to go to get there.

It wasn’t that the long-distance travel was unpleasant, she would rather arrive in the North as soon as possible.

Everything felt like a dream.

Enraged by the fact that her father’s debt had driven her parents to sell her to a deranged old man, she left with Cade to the North.

She had never thought about marriage seriously and it made her become a stranger’s wife overnight.

It was a slip-of-tongue to call Cade a stranger, but she just couldn’t believe she’d be marrying a man—-whom she didn’t have any emotional attachment to—-in just a few days.

Cherryl rubbed her face against the pillow.

Who’s responsible for her own life if it wasn’t her, then?

From now on, she must strive to live a brave and fruitful life.

It was her choice to get out of that tough situation so she just had to accept it.

Cherryl had slept well last night because her pillow felt good.

The soft blanket wrapped around her form also helped her sleep well.

It didn’t feel as comfortable as a bed since they’re still inside the running carriage but it was not too bad just to have a pillow, a blanket, and a place to lie.

Her eyes widened in shock just as she was about to close them again.

Was she truly sleeping on a pillow or something?

Come to think of it.

Cherryl was lying on her side with her cheek buried in a hard pillow.

Only the carriage’s wall was visible in front of her, and Cade was out of sight.

Where is he?

She didn’t want to know what she was holding onto at this moment.

Cherryl slowly turned her head and met golden eyes staring down at her.

“Oh! Oh, my!”

Cherryl scrambled to her feet in a hurry.

Her long hair strands were badly tangled, but she couldn’t afford to trim them.

She would have been less embarrassed if she had snored or woken up while talking in her sleep.

How dare she wake up with her face in a man’s thigh?

Could she get even more shameless than this?

The sound of cartwheels rolling against the ground rang out in silence.

It hadn’t been long since she had that double nosebleed and now, this embarrassing incident happened again.”

She had no desire to look pretty all the time, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to portray just basic human decency.

Cherryl pulled at her tangled hair strands and glanced sideways at Cade.

He was as stiff as a stone and he wasn’t moving at all.

Pretending nothing had happened, Cherryl greeted him with nonchalance. “Good morning, Your Grace. Did you sleep well?”

“Did I sleep well?” The response that followed was full of reproach. “You were wiggling all night so I couldn’t sleep.”

Cade stared at the carriage window in a daze and he seemed rather detached.

Somewhat, distant.

He looked like he had endured a time of persistence and anguish last night.

“What did I do?” Cherryl asked but when shame took over her, she immediately kept her mouth shut.

She was so sorry to have unintentionally kept him up all night.

Cade said she was wiggling, didn’t he?

‘Please, I hope I didn’t touch a sensitive part.’ She thought as she bit her red lip, cradling her cheeks with her hands.

He must have thought she was quite cool-headed because he hadn’t noticed how often she trembled and struggled in front of him.

It was obvious that Cherryl was embarrassed but Cade was currently thinking about something else.

She might be feeling sorry for his left thigh, but if it was the right——

Feeling like a relieved monk, Cade continued to stare into space.

“I never meant to use you as a pillow, Your Grace. I’m sorry if I kept you awake.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.” He said flatly.

“I’m really sorry. I guess I’m just not used to not sleeping in beds. I was tired because I couldn’t sleep much.”

Cade exhaled a frustrated sigh and released a couple of shirt buttons near his neck.

“You don’t have to keep making excuses, My Lady.”

Cherryl smiled awkwardly in chagrin.

“You’re uncomfortable too, aren’t you? I can’t wait to get to the North, Your Grace. When will we arrive?”

“Just hold it in for the next nine days.” Cade murmured harshly with gritted teeth.

He had no idea if that response was for Cherryl or if he was repeating that to himself.

His fist clenched his thigh, exposing blue veins on his forearm.

“Well.”

Cherryl coughed for no reason as she gave him a sideways glance.

Come to think of it.

It was the first time she had seen Cade in a place where natural light shone upon him.

‘I think I know why my heart keeps pounding, apart from sleeping on his thigh.’

His silky raven hair had a mysterious glow at night, and when those short strands fell over his forehead, the eyes underneath his eyelashes sparkled with ecstatic gold.

In the dark, Cade had an image of a strong and threatening beast prowling the wilderness.

But the way she saw him now, Cade’s sharp and chiseled jawline made him look beautiful and delicate under the sunlight.

Perhaps because he couldn’t sleep during the night, Cade’s complexion was pale.

He had light blue circles around his eyes, too.

The sight caused melancholy to touch her heart.

What was she thinking?