The carriage proved surprisingly comfortable.
Surenn had taken Marin's measurements and incorporated them into every detail of the interior—the curve of the seats, the height of the cushions, the angle of the backrest.
But the Duke, tall and broad, seemed slightly cramped in the space designed for her smaller frame.
"Are you all right?"
"And you?"
Until he asked, Marin had been so absorbed in the living, breathing panorama surrounding her that she'd nearly forgotten her old injury entirely.
In truth, the diamond carriage didn't feel like a carriage at all.
It was like sitting inside a three-dimensional theater—the world projected all around her in impossible clarity.
*There's soundproofing too*, she realized. No horse hooves, no whinnying. And most importantly, none of that bone-rattling shudder that usually accompanied travel.
"Honestly, it feels like I'm lying in bed."
"I'm glad to hear it."
The Duke shifted slightly, trying to ease his stiff back.
"You seem cramped."
"We'll have to make the next carriage larger."
"What piece of jewelry will you choose next time?" Marin asked with a mischievous smile.
"Which one would you like?"
"Why are you asking *me*?"
"Because the carriage will be for you."
"What?" She blinked. "This one is more than enough."
"Consider having one built to ride *together*. This is a bit small."
Marin stared at him.
After Daya's debut, their engagement was supposed to end. And yet here he was, talking about the *future* as though it were certain.
*Strange.*
For some reason, her heart kept doing peculiar things—stopping, fluttering, behaving entirely at random.
"Marin?"
"Yes."
"Are you lost in your own thoughts again?"
"Nothing important. I'm feeling sleepy. I'll rest for a bit."
She looked away from his face and closed her eyes. The smooth sleeping pill was still tucked in her palm, but it seemed she could drift off without it.
"You can fall asleep quite well without a fairy tale."
"I'm not a child anymore."
"Neither am I."
"You're a special case."
He snorted quietly.
*If you're going to sleep, let your mouth sleep too.*
"I'm really sleeping now."
At that moment, something warm settled over her.
She squinted and saw the Duke draping a blanket across her lap.
"Close your eyes and sleep."
"How did you know I was peeking?"
"I have my methods."
A lazy smile touched his lips. Marin mentally waved her hand in surrender and closed her eyes obediently.
---
## — The Journey —
The ride remained peaceful. Marin had grown entirely accustomed to the diamond carriage.
To her mild disappointment, no bandits ever appeared to hunt for the diamonds.
*Then again*, she reasoned, *attacking a carriage flying the flag of House Vines in the western territories would be an official declaration of complete and utter stupidity.*
At each inn, the diamond carriage was covered with a white cloth to avoid drawing attention.
Daya, having climbed inside once out of curiosity, was immediately captivated by its transparent charm. She swapped places with the Duke and continued the journey in the diamond carriage alongside Marin.
Julia, meanwhile, declared that she needed to "mentally prepare" before setting foot on diamonds and retreated to the servants' carriage.
---
The Duke's black carriage, the diamond carriage, and the servants' carriage all stopped simultaneously.
"We've arrived at tonight's lodging," Olive announced, knocking on the door.
The horses' whinnying wasn't audible, but voices carried clearly from outside. Apparently, due to Marin's trauma, Zeromian had installed a device that specifically dampened hoofbeats and neighing.
*Is that man truly an alchemist, or is he actually a wizard?*
"Very well."
Marin stepped out with Daya beside her.
No matter how comfortable the interior, sitting for hours still wore on the body.
"You'll be staying at Lord Nyron's mansion tonight," Olive explained.
Marin's eyes widened.
"Nyron—isn't that where the opal mines are?"
"Yes."
"So we'll be able to see the mine?"
"Unlikely." Olive shook his head. "I'm told all the monsters have been cleared out, but some risk remains."
"Ah, yes. Of course. I understand."
Disappointment flickered through her, but she accepted the reality.
She'd never seen a monster in her life. If such an encounter occurred, she would almost certainly faint on the spot.
Setting aside her regret, she looked up.
A three-story mansion towered ahead—elegant, well-maintained, clearly prosperous.
An elderly lord and his wife already waited at the main entrance.
"Welcome, Your Grace. Lady Marin Shuvents, daughter of the Viscount. Lady Daya Adria, daughter of the Count."
"Will you take us in for the night?"
"Ah, I owe all my blessings to Your Grace." The old lord bowed deeply. "You are welcome at any time."
His wife, her silver hair neatly styled, approached Marin and Daya with a warm smile.
"You must be exhausted from the journey. We've prepared baths in advance."
"Thank you." Marin's gratitude was genuine. "That's very kind."
They ascended to the second floor, where the lady gestured to adjacent doors.
"This suite is for Lady Shuvents. The next is for Lady Adria. Please rest—we'll see you at dinner."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
Marin opened her door. Julia followed her inside.
Warm water already filled the copper tub, steam curling invitingly into the air.
Julia dipped her hand to check the temperature and smiled faintly.
"Perfect. You can bathe right now. I'll help you with your dress."
"Mm. Thank you."
With Julia's assistance, Marin slipped into the water. Her muscles, tense from days of travel, slowly began to unknot.
She ducked her head beneath the surface, emerged, and sighed with pleasure. The warmth felt indescribably good.
Leaning her head against the tub's edge, she closed her eyes. Julia came over and began carefully washing her hair.
"I want to stay here forever."
"You'll catch a cold. Time to get out."
Julia gently blotted her hair with a towel, her voice taking on a scolding edge.
She was the same age as Garnet, but seemed years older in her manner.
"Fine, fine."
Marin wrapped herself in a large towel and flopped onto the bed without bothering to dress.
"Honestly..." Julia sighed. "You'll catch your death."
She quickly straightened the blanket and tucked it around Marin's shoulders.
"I'll rest for a moment, then get dressed. You should rest too."
"Very well."
Julia covered her with a warm blanket and smiled softly before withdrawing.
---
## — After Dinner —
Marin slipped outside alone, a small notebook tucked under her arm.
She'd told Julia she needed solitude to write a story—and it was true. She'd nearly exhausted every plot from the fairy tales she remembered from her previous life. Tonight, she intended to squeeze at least *something* new from her memory.
She looked up at the sky.
It was unusually clear—a deep, endless black scattered with countless stars. They twinkled like scattered diamonds, impossibly beautiful.
Walking at random, gaze lifted to the heavens, she collided with a passing servant.
"Oh—excuse me. Tell me, where is the mine located?"
The young man seemed to recognize her as a guest of the Duke's household. He answered with careful deference:
"If you exit through the back gate and continue straight ahead, you'll reach it."
"Thank you."
The moment he disappeared, Marin turned and walked firmly in the *opposite* direction.
She hadn't the slightest intention of visiting a mine where—heaven forbid—monsters might still be lurking. One moment of curiosity could lead to disaster.
*Ha.* She refused such adventures outright. Living long and safely was the most important thing.
In the direction *away* from the back gate, a forest stretched before her.
The path was paved with stone and lined with torches, surprisingly well-lit. Clearly, people walked here often.
"I should probably head back now..."
And then—
"*LADY MARIN!*"
The shout made her whirl around.
Yubis came sprinting from the darkness, gasping for breath.
"Yubis?"
*Why is he running? Some kind of training exercise?*
"*RUN!* Right now!"
"What?"
"I said *RUN!*"
Yubis seized her wrist and yanked her forward.
Before she could process what was happening, Marin found herself sprinting alongside him down the moonlit path, legs moving on pure instinct.
"What's *happening?!*"
"*Monster!*" His voice cracked with urgency. "*There's a monster chasing us!*"
"YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT IMMEDIATELY!!!"
And then Marin ran with every ounce of strength she possessed.