I Wish I Could Predict Love, Not Fall Into It - Chapter 23

After sending Flip away, we immediately left in the carriage, heading to the island where the priestess was said to be.

The inside of the small carriage was cozier and more comfortable than I expected. But since it was narrow, I had to sit face-to-face with the emperor. That part felt a little awkward and uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

I don’t know how long it had been since the coachman started driving. A faint squeaking sound began to reach my ears. I perked up and pressed my ear against the carriage window.

Creak, creak.

It sounded like it was coming from the carriage wheel. I asked the emperor, who was sitting across from me with his arms crossed.

“What’s that sound?”

“What sound?”

The emperor yawned, clearly tired, and gently rubbed his eyes with his hand. I glanced at him and then focused again on the strange noise.

The carriage was moving steadily, though a little unsteady. But clearly, now and then, there were uncomfortable squeaking noises.

“Don’t you hear that creaking sound?”

“I hear it. It’s just the carriage wheels.”

The emperor replied indifferently with his eyes closed. I could sense that he didn’t want to talk, but I couldn’t let it go.

“Listen carefully. It’s not just the wheel sound. There’s something strange mixed in.”

The emperor sighed, opened his eyes, and stared at me. His blue eyes showed annoyance.

“Let me sleep.”

“Did you not sleep last night?”

“I never sleep well.”

“Why not?”

I was too curious and kept asking. The emperor uncrossed his arms and rubbed the back of his neck lightly.

“I have bad insomnia.”

“I sleep well.”

I mumbled that without thinking, like talking to myself. The emperor gave a soft, deflated laugh.

“Must be nice.”

I suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly added,

“But I couldn’t sleep well when I was a kid. That’s why I didn’t even realize I was having prophetic dreams.”

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

This time, the emperor asked me.

“My parents mostly argued at night. To me, it felt like a war.”

“Sounds like you’ve never been through a real war.”

His sharp comment made me close my mouth and bite my lips.

But then the emperor slowly nodded.

“Well, I’ve been through that too.”

“What?”

“When my parents fought, it felt like the world was ending.”

It was unexpected. To think that even the emperor, who had everything, had gone through something just like I had.

Maybe he felt lonely like I did.

That familiar pain in my chest came back again.

I placed my hand over my chest and let out a deep sigh.

“Then why did they get married in the first place?”

“They must have loved each other.”

His answer was so unexpected that my eyes widened. The emperor looked out the window and continued.

“My father and mother first met at a masquerade ball. My father fell in love with her at first sight, even though she wore a mask.”

“Wow, really?”

“He said he fell for her eyes, lips, and voice. And after she took off the mask…”

I was getting completely drawn into this romantic love story when suddenly, the carriage shook violently with a loud crash.

“Ah!”

The carriage body slammed hard, making the emperor and me tumble all over the place.

“Ugh…”

When the shaking finally stopped, I found myself lying against the carriage window, which was now touching the ground. The emperor was lying on top of me.

Soon, the emperor pushed against the floor and lifted his upper body.

“…!”

We made eye contact, but neither of us could say anything.

The same was true for him.

“Your Majesty!”

At that moment, I heard Clark’s alarmed voice from outside. As far as I knew, he was following us on horseback.

“Are you all right, Your Majesty?”

Startled by his voice, I looked up. The opposite window was shaking, like someone was trying to open it.

“Ahem.”

The emperor cleared his throat and got up. I quickly followed.

But I moved too fast and ended up hitting my head on the carriage wall.

“Ouch!”

I held my throbbing forehead. Just then, the carriage tilted and slowly returned to its original upright position.

Soon the carriage door opened, and Clark stuck in his square-jawed face. His gray eyes were full of concern.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Instead of answering, the emperor pushed him aside and got out of the carriage. I tried to follow, but he slammed the door shut. I stared blankly at the closed door.

“See? I told you there was a strange sound.”

I muttered quietly and opened the door myself.

We hadn’t even fully left the forest near the imperial palace, but the carriage was already a wreck. All four wheels had fallen off, and the connecting parts were badly rusted.

“I’m really sorry. I should have checked more carefully…”

The coachman looked completely crushed and watched the emperor nervously. Clark, standing next to the emperor with tightly pressed lips, drew his sword.

“That’s your excuse?”

“Stop it, Clark.”

The emperor stretched out his arm to block Clark.

“This is just a case of an old carriage losing its wheels. I’m the one who chose it.”

In the end, Clark quietly sheathed his sword. He looked at both of us and gave instructions to the coachman on how to clean up the accident.

“We can’t continue by carriage anymore. So, Your Majesty, please ride the white horse, and Miss Anier, ride behind me.”

At Clark’s suggestion, I glanced at the white and black horses standing at the front and back of the carriage. Of course, riding behind Clark would be more comfortable than riding behind the emperor, so I had no complaints. But there was something important I had to point out.

“Wait a minute.”

As I spoke, both the emperor and Clark turned to look at me.

“Since His Majesty is traveling in secret, shouldn’t we stop calling him ‘Your Majesty’ all the time?”

I spoke firmly. This was a very important detail for the journey.

“But even if we stop calling him that, I don’t think it’ll make this a perfect secret trip. Because of his blond hair and blue eyes.”

The emperor brushed his golden hair, a symbol of the Gardener bloodline and looked me straight in the eye with his blue ones.

“Even your father recognized me right away. And I was wearing a knight’s uniform.”

“Well, yes. Blond hair and blue eyes might make people think he’s the emperor. But if we also call him ‘Your Majesty,’ then everyone will know for sure.”

Blond hair, blue eyes, and being called ‘Your Majesty’ it was basically a public announcement. Since the priestess we were going to see might be a witch, she could run away if she caught on. I wanted to stay quiet until we arrived.

“So, let’s call him ‘Louis’ instead.”

“What?”

“Huh?!”

Both the emperor and Clark looked at me like I’d said something shocking.

“That sounds too much like a nickname.”

Clark’s tanned face turned slightly red. I started to wonder if I had made a mistake, but then the emperor suddenly turned his back on me.

“Clark.”

“Yes.”

“Put Anier on my horse.”

I couldn’t accept how quickly things changed. I stepped back to avoid Clark as he approached.

“I’ll show you how Louis rides a horse.”

Before the emperor even finished speaking, Clark grabbed my arm. His grip was so strong that I fluttered like a paper doll as he dragged me over.

As soon as the emperor got on the white horse, Clark lifted me up and sat me behind him. I was still in shock from Clark’s brute strength when the emperor grabbed the reins tightly.

“Hyah!”

The white horse started to run. It moved so fast from the start that I had no choice but to hold tightly onto the emperor’s waist with both arms.

But the emperor seemed determined to go even faster. The scenery around us flew by with the wind.

All I could do was hold on to the emperor even tighter.

❖ ❖ ❖

Guests had arrived at Grand Duke Jefferson’s castle. Marquis Blake, the head of the ministers, and Count Rissen, a young man in his thirties.

They visited Grand Duke Jefferson every other day, and he always treated them to a grand meal.

“So you’re saying His Majesty gave all that gold and jewels to someone?”

Marquis Blake was shocked after hearing from Count Rissen who had many connections about what had happened in the palace that day.

“Yes. He gave it to Flip, the father of the imperial prophet. As a reward for keeping his daughter with him.”

“Pfft—”

Marquis Blake scoffed in disbelief. Grand Duke Jefferson said nothing and quietly drank his water.

“They must have given so much that it had to be carried by carriage.”

Count Rissen, who sat across from them, sighed and emptied his glass of wine.

“With that money, we could tear down and rebuild this whole castle and still have plenty left!”

“Stop drinking already.”

Marquis Blake tried to stop Count Rissen from pouring more wine, worried he might say something reckless while drunk.

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