Now, in my familiar spot, cradled in Edwin's arms, I gazed up at him thoughtfully. I thought I knew Edwin well, having read the original story, but... 

'Do I really know him?' 

None of those were mentioned in the original story, such as the curse and his pain, just as this gentle side of him wasn't. How much more of him do I not know, the parts that weren't written in the original? 

Lately, with each unexpected glimpse of his true self, my fear of Edwin seemed to be fading bit by bit. 

"Thank you... for the anklet." 

I hesitated but expressed my gratitude softly. Edwin, who had been walking, stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. 

"Sorry, it's too quiet. I didn't quite hear you." 

Of course, he heard. I saw how his eyes widened. When I glared at him, Edwin lightly tapped my temple. 

"How did that tiny little heart of yours grow so much?" 

"T-That's not it." 

"Then say it again. I didn’t hear you the first time." 

"...Thank you for the anklet." 

I blurted it out quickly and buried my face in his shoulder. A moment later, the shoulder I leaned on began to tremble with laughter. 

As Edwin resumed walking, the scenery in the hallway quickly passed by. Seth was there to send us off as we approached the carriage. 

"Keep a close watch on Raven." 

"Don't worry about the West. Have a safe trip. And my lady, I wish you a healthy and pleasant journey." 

I smiled and bid him farewell as well, and Seth returned the gesture with a faint smile. 

Edwin, as he had during our previous outing, sat me by the window and settled close beside me. 

Soon, with a slight jolt, the carriage began to move. Outside, members of the Wolf Knights rode alongside us, escorting the carriage. Behind us, another carriage followed, carrying Jenny and the other servants. 

"It takes about two weeks to reach the imperial capital, right?" 

The Aserian Empire had Warp Gates in the central, eastern, and southern regions. However, there were none in the northern and western regions. The northern gates had been closed ever since Grand Duke Haisen became the regional ruler. 

The original story didn't mention the exact reason, but it seemed it had something to do with the grand duke’s reclusiveness. As for the western region, the Crawford family had refused the installation of a gate due to their wariness of the imperial family and other regional houses. 

Thinking back now, I suspected it might have had more to do with Jueri and the family’s curse. 

Therefore, there were two options to travel from Crawford’s territory to the imperial capital: One was by crossing the northeastern border by carriage, and the other was by using the gate in the southern region. 

The first option took longer, so we chose the second. 

"We’re giving ourselves plenty of time. I can’t have you collapsing on the way." 

"I’m not that weak. You’re just unusually strong. I’m average compared to you." 

"You?" 

Edwin looked me up and down as if he found it hard to believe. 

"How many times have you fainted again?" 

"T-Those were all special circumstances. I’m not that frail." 

I had even started exercising regularly to build up my stamina. Feeling wronged by how I was treated like a fragile paper doll, I tried to stand my ground, but Edwin just snorted in amusement. 

Annoyed, I turned to the window, only for Edwin to wrap his arms around me from behind. 

"Don’t be disappointed. You might have the stamina of a grain of sand now, but one day, you’ll be as strong as anyone else." 

Is he teasing me? A grain of sand? 

Though I was offended, I didn’t show it. Instead, I pouted at the window. As I sulked, Edwin spoke again. 

"Before we head to Midoren, where the gate is, I thought we’d stop by the sea." 

"The sea?" 

Surprised by this unexpected news, I turned to face him, and Edwin lightly tapped my nose. 

"Look at that; you’re finally paying attention to me again." 

Realising he had caught on to my sulking, I shyly averted my eyes. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I looked back at him. 

"Are we really going to the sea?" 

"I thought you might not have seen it before. You can’t see it from the West, after all." 

It turns out that choosing to travel via the southern gate was entirely for my sake. 

--- 

Edwin gently smiled and continued, “I figured you haven’t seen the sea before since it's not visible from the west.” 

In truth, the decision to travel through the southern region gate was entirely for my sake. 

“I’ve never seen the sea,” I replied, surprised but excited by the idea of finally seeing it. 

Edwin nodded and wrapped his arm around me tighter, his touch warm and reassuring. “I thought you’d like that. We’ll stop by before we head to the capital.” 

“Thank you,” I whispered, though my voice was quiet as I gazed out of the window. My thoughts wandered as the carriage steadily moved forward. 

After all, it wasn’t often that someone cared enough about my wishes. The ocean — something I had only ever read about in books — was now just a few days away.