No Other Way (3)
The morning sunlight slipping through a gap in the curtains tickled my eyelids, and my eyes opened on their own. A warm, comforting weight pressed against me. For some reason, Claire was lying right beside me, fast asleep. Whether she felt cold or was trapped in a nightmare, the moment I shifted, her fingers clenched my shirt.
Claire’s face was troubled. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her slender shoulders carried a strange, heavy sorrow. “…Reyan,” she murmured in her sleep, voice laced with sadness and fear.
I carefully rested a hand on her shoulder. At that instant, she woke with a sharp cry.
“Hwaak—!”
Claire looked at me first, then suddenly threw her arms around me, clinging tight. Her eyes darted around as if searching for someone. All that met her gaze was the rumpled bed, faint sunlight leaking past the half-drawn curtains, and a small table—yet she scanned the room for a long time.
“Sorry… I had a nightmare.”
“It’s okay.”
Ever since she’d spoken alone with Heste, I’d sensed something had changed in her. If a simple hug could ease her mind, I had no reason to refuse. I would do far more. Every time I saw her like this, my chest tightened with worry.
Her skin was soft, her body heat feverish, and her hair carried a sweet scent. When I stroked her head in playful comfort, she let out a strange little “…ugh.”
“Still scared?”
“…No. You’re right here, Reyan.”
“Guess you won’t be able to sleep alone anymore, huh? Too scary?”
I’d only meant to tease her, but she didn’t deny it. In a tiny, shrinking voice she admitted, “…Yeah. I… I don’t think I can.”
Then, watching me carefully, she moved her lips. “…After training with Heste at the training grounds, could you… stay with me from now on?”
The deep flush on her cheeks, the crimson tips of her ears—they told me how much courage it had taken her to ask. My own neck grew hot. A cough slipped out. Just as she had gathered her bravery, I was about to do the same.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A steady knocking sounded at the front door. Looking outside, I saw an elegant, old-fashioned carriage waiting. Claire seemed to guess who it was; she pushed me away from the window and yanked the curtains shut with sharp, nervous movements.
“…Claire, it’s me—Heste. Your friend.”
The moment Heste’s voice reached us, I wondered if she was the one Claire had been desperately searching for after waking from her nightmare.
“…Did something happen while you two were talking?” I asked, unease rising.
Claire gave a small hiccup, then forced out, “N-no, nothing at all. I’m really fine, Reyan. I’ll… I’ll just change my clothes. I’ll be out soon.”
She managed a smile and stepped out of the bedroom. Only after she called that she was dressed did I follow.
“Claire, I’ve been waiting so long…”
When I opened the door, Heste stood there dressed beautifully, as if heading to a picnic, waving with a bright smile. The instant our eyes met, her expression chilled for a split second. Then it vanished. She flashed the kind of sunny grin any man would fall for, gently took Claire’s hand, and led her toward the carriage.
“…It’s been a while since you’ve ridden in a carriage, hasn’t it, Claire?”
I’d expected Claire to look uncomfortable, but she neither showed it nor pushed Heste away.
“…Thank you, Heste.”
With a surprisingly ordinary show of gratitude, Claire climbed in first. Heste then turned to me. Smiling at the Meliard family coachman, she said, “Coachman, we’d like to drive the carriage ourselves today.”
“Pardon? Lady Heste, the head of the house specifically instructed—”
Heste kept smiling, but the coachman’s face darkened by degrees.
“Please do as she asks.”
I couldn’t begin to guess why. Nor could I understand why she had suddenly sent the coachman away. As far as I knew, neither Claire nor Heste could ride a horse.
“Hey, Reyan.”
“Yes?”
Heste glanced at Claire, then stepped close—too close—and took my hand. She placed both palms on her hips, clearly asking to be lifted.
“Please help me up. I’ve always wanted to try riding at least once.”
She leaned into me. No matter how strong I was, lifting someone onto a horse required contact. I tried to push her away gently. At the very least, I didn’t want to do this where Claire could see. I could almost feel her gaze piercing through the carriage window and into my back.
“…If the young lady of House Meliard rides alone, it would tarnish the duke’s honor. I’ll take the reins.”
Yet Heste kept smiling as she asked, “Is it because you’re worried about Claire?” She stayed close, voice soft. “She looks so exhausted. I wanted to give her some time alone, even if I had to force it. You know how she feels about me, Reyan. You know how hard it must be for her when we’re all together…”
The smile disappeared. She looked down at the ground, shoulders trembling with quiet sobs.
In the end, I had no choice but to do as she asked. I tried not to touch her more than necessary, but the soft curve of her body still filled my palms. The moment I lifted her, she lost her balance and leaned heavily against me.
A rich wave of lavender washed over me. White hair brushed my cheek. For the briefest instant, her chest pressed against my shoulder before she pulled back. I turned to look inside the carriage. The curtains were open; beyond the dark silhouette, I could clearly see Claire sitting perfectly still, watching us.
“Reyan, hurry and get on too. This is all for Claire, remember?”
Once I was mounted, Heste wrapped her arms around my waist to keep from falling.
“…Where are we headed?”
“The Fairy Tail Guild.”
“…Why there?”
“We’ll need help with the subjugation training. House Meliard has hired them.”
Of all places, it was the adventurer guild where I worked.
The ride to the Fairy Tail Guild didn’t take long. What would have been an hour or two on foot took only thirty minutes by carriage.
“Oh, Reyan!”
At the entrance stood Runyang, the cat-beastkin Silver-rank adventurer and guild master, waving enthusiastically. She darted over in a flash, reached up, and helped Heste down from the horse.
Heste smiled, placed a hand over her heart, and gave a small bow. “It’s been a while, Lady Meliard.”
“It’s been a while, Runyang.”
I dismounted as well. While Runyang spoke with Heste, I went straight to the carriage and helped Claire down.
“You okay?”
Runyang strode over, having finished her greetings. I’d been worried she might dislike Claire too, but thankfully that fear proved groundless. Instead, Runyang gave us a sly smile, glancing back and forth between me and Claire before letting out a mischievous giggle.
“…Reyan gives you a hard time, doesn’t he?”
She kept looking between us, chuckling as if the idea amused her endlessly.
“…Reyan isn’t the kind of person who makes things hard for anyone,” Claire replied.
“I’ve heard so much about you from Reyan. I’m Runyang.”
“…I’m Claire.”
“Oh, and how did you like the gift? Did it suit you?”
“…What gift?”
“The dress and cardigan! Reyan and I spent forever picking them out. Wait—don’t tell me you haven’t received them yet?”
Claire stayed silent for a long moment. Soon Heste approached, took Runyang by the arm, and led her into the guild first, saying that as the young head of House Meliard she had matters to discuss with the guild master.
So I walked beside Claire.
“…Reyan, that gift. It was chosen by someone named Runyang?”
“Yeah. It was my first time buying a present for a girl, so I asked for help…”
“…I see.”
“…Did you not like it?”
Claire remained quiet for a while before answering in a small voice.
“…Yeah. It was the worst.”
I had been sure she liked it. Had her asking if it was pretty only been politeness?
“…So you didn’t like the gift.”
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t hurt. My mouth fell open; my heart sank. The memory of Claire teasingly asking if it looked pretty floated clearly before my eyes.
…Claire covered her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say it like that. The words had slipped out before she could stop them—calling the gift Reyan gave her “the worst.”
She knew the truth. Reyan had only asked Runyang for help; the sincere heart behind the gift had never changed. To her, those clothes were more wonderful and beautiful than any dress in the world.
But she couldn’t say any of that. Not after watching Heste lean against him on purpose, flaunting every touch, leaving her trapped in the carriage while the two of them laughed and rode together.
Because of her victim complex and fractured mind, even Runyang’s playful teasing had looked like a female showing off her claim on Reyan. Heste had declared her feelings and now acted as though she would steal him away. Runyang kept glancing at him, blushing. It all sounded like they were both mocking her—reminding her that compared to their “us,” her bond with him was nothing. As if they were laughing at how much fun they’d had choosing his gift for her together.
Claire saw the ground rise up, the sky turn yellow, the green trees bleed black. She had been forced to watch Heste’s filthy hands use Reyan’s life as leverage to dirty him. She had been forced to endure Runyang destroying the precious memories contained in that gift—the memories that belonged only to the two of them.
“…So you didn’t like the gift.”
But she had never wanted Reyan to look hurt because of it. She didn’t hate the gift. She simply couldn’t bear the fact that another woman had intruded on their memories. She couldn’t stand that Heste was trying to take him away…
“I’m sorry, Claire. I only wanted to make you happy…”
The moment Reyan apologized, Claire tugged at his sleeve. Yet no words came. In silence, the two of them followed Heste and Runyang into the guild.