Ruby finally touched Matthew's hand in annoyance. She was used to being seen as laughing stock by people whenever she had to write down her thoughts, but she didn't expect Matthew to do the same as them.
Matthew's smile did make the man look more attractive, but Ruby didn't like it when she was the object of a joke.
"Sorry, Your Majesty. In the future, I will always carry a notebook with me so as not to trouble you."
Matthew laughed. "Milady, wouldn't it be more practical if you just wrote your thoughts on my hand?"
Ruby pouted, then wrote. "But I'm not just talking to you, Your Majesty. When I want to talk, I can't possibly write in everyone's hands."
Matthew was silent for a moment before finally nodding. "Yeah, you should bring a notebook next time. Not everyone likes to have their hands touched by someone else."
The orange color suddenly appeared, indicating that Matthew was upset for no reason. Or did Matthew get annoyed when his hands were touched for too long?
This time, Ruby couldn't completely stabilize Matthew's feelings because stabilizing the man's feelings just once was already draining Ruby's spiritual energy.
Therefore, the colors around Matthew's body didn't turn white but only slightly faded.
"I'll keep that in mind, Your Majesty." Ruby wrote before she let go of Matthew's hand.
After that, there was no more foreword between them. Ruby didn't want to talk about Matthew's wounds anymore because she was already upset. They ended up both silent and busy with their thoughts. After all, they had just met that day, so they weren't close enough to talk much.
Ruby then glanced at Helena, who had been sleeping since earlier. Since Helena was always locked in her room, the woman was used to sitting and lying down all day, so going out would be very tiring for her.
Ruby rubbed her mother's hand gently, brushing off the dust stuck to Helena's hands when she fell before this.
After ensuring that her mother was comfortable, Ruby immediately leaned back against the carriage seat and took a short breath. She didn't get enough sleep last night, so today, she felt more tired than usual in her body and mind. Plus, earlier, he had to deal with Marquess Barnette's rampage.
Subconsciously, Ruby began to close her eyes and fell asleep in the carriage, ignoring Matthew, who was quietly watching Ruby, who was sleeping.
As soon as Matthew confirmed that Ruby was asleep, he whispered. "I wish you have sweet dreams, Milady."
• • •
Ruby slowly opened her eyes as the carriage she was riding in continued to shake violently as if they were passing through a cobblestoned road. Even sometimes, Ruby's head hits the carriage wall, so she can't sleep comfortably.
When Ruby woke up fully, she saw a thick and warm blanket covering her and Helena's bodies. Then she lifted her face and accidentally met Matthew's eyes.
"Are you awake, Milady?"
Ruby suddenly straightened her back and tidied up her messy appearance. Then she nodded shyly in reply.
[Stupid! How can I sleep soundly in front of the king?! He might think I behaved rudely and feel disgusted with me.] thought Ruby.
However, Matthew didn't mention Ruby's behavior at all. The man gave Ruby his coat and said, "Put this on. It's colder in Veritas than Wridal, so you might catch a cold if you wear your thin clothes."
Ruby was not allowed to refuse because Matthew had already put the coat on Ruby's lap, making the woman inevitably have to wear the coat that Matthew gave.
Reluctantly, Ruby finally put on the coat and gave the blanket she was wearing to Helena. The warm temperature suddenly enveloped Ruby's body, making the woman feel comfortable and subconsciously hugging the coat.
"Feeling warm?" asked Matthew.
Ruby hastily adjusted her position again and nodded quickly.
[This coat is perfect! I've never had clothes this warm while living in the Barnette Family.]
"Soon, we will arrive at the Royal Palace. The roads aren't that great since the palace is on a hill. I hope you don't feel nauseous."
Matthew then opened the window curtains so that Ruby could see the scenery outside the carriage. Ruby was suddenly amazed by the view in Veritas, even subconsciously opening her mouth because she was too stunned by the beauty of Veritas.
Unlike other kingdoms that stood on a lowland, the Veritas Kingdom was the only kingdom in the Raeludin Empire that stood on a highland, so the buildings in Veritas were built on a contoured site and gave the impression that they formed a giant staircase.
High mountains also surround the Veritas area, making the Veritas area shadowed by the hills and often surrounded by thick fog at night.
When Ruby opened the carriage window, a cool breeze hit her face, providing comfort that made Ruby immediately take her hand out of the window as if she wanted to touch the wind.
A wide smile formed on Ruby's face, not the kind of smile that was stiff or merely polite. That smile came from the bottom of her heart, a manifestation of the joy that filled Ruby's heart.
"What do you think, Milady? Did Veritas manage to impress you?" Matthew asked while pointing his palm in front of Ruby.
Ruby wrote. "Your Majesty, your kingdom is so beautiful. I'm impressed."
Matthew smiled. "I'm glad this kingdom can make you smile, Milady. However, don't be too impressed by its beauty during the day because Veritas can be very deadly at night."
Ruby looked at Matthew curiously as if asking about the deadly thing Matthew meant.
As if he could read Ruby's mind, Matthew said, "I don't want to scare you now, so let you experience it for yourself later."
Since Matthew didn't want to explain, Ruby didn't ask anymore.
Their carriage finally entered the palace gate at the top of the hill a while later. Unexpectedly, it turns out that the temperature in the palace is very different from the temperature in the city.
The temperature was so cold that it even made Ruby shiver to the bone.
When Alger opened the carriage door, the coldness Ruby felt was getting worse. Even she felt reluctant to get out of the carriage.
"Wait a minute, Milady. My servant is bringing warmer coats for you and your mother," said Matthew as Ruby was about to step outside.
While waiting for the servant to arrive, Matthew closed the carriage door so the cold wind wouldn't hit Ruby. That little behavior accidentally managed to flatter Ruby.
[I didn't know he could be this gentle. I don't think he was pretending to be a good man. Maybe I should give him a chance.]
As soon as the servant came and brought a thick coat for Ruby and Helena. They immediately got out of the horse carriage, then stepped on foot towards Veritas Palace.
The Royal palace was very high, resembling a tower that wanted to touch the clouds. The exterior walls use white natural stone, making the Veritas Royal Palace look sparkling when viewed from below the hill.
"We salute Your Majesty the King. May Your Majesty bless Veritas and us!"
The shouts from the soldiers startled Ruby so much that she almost jumped backward. Dozens of soldiers lined the path leading to the steps of the palace stairs. They all bowed their heads in respect to Matthew.
At first, neither of them spoke, but it didn't last long as, one by one, they began to notice Ruby's presence.
"Who is she? I've never seen her before," whispered one of the soldiers to his comrade.
"Who knows? This morning His Majesty left in a hurry, I thought he had an urgent royal business, but I didn't think he would bring a woman here."
"Perhaps that woman wants to be a servant here."
"How could it be! She can't be in the same carriage as His Majesty if she wants to work as a servant."
"In that case, that woman must be an important person!"
"Shut your mouths!" Matthew's screams boomed in the soldiers' ears. His face had an expression of annoyance and anger at the same time.
After Ruby's magic had had not affected and stabilized his emotions, Matthew's emotional colors were again jumbled and overlapped like tangled threads. So it's only natural that he gets annoyed easily when he sees something annoying.
"How can you talk about a lady in front of her? Where are your manners?" Matthew asked, annoyed.
The soldiers immediately locked their mouths tightly and stopped talking about Ruby. However, a soldier boldly asked a question without fear of getting a flare-up from Matthew.
"So who is this Lady, Your Majesty?"
Matthew gritted his teeth. "Don't you guys have the patience to let me announce her identity without being asked?!"
Instead of feeling scared, the soldier laughed. "This is the first time we've seen you bring a woman, so it's only natural that we're curious."
Ruby looked at their interaction in amazement. Why did the soldiers seem unafraid when they heard Matthew's anger? as if Matthew's anger was just a small breeze for them.
Even though Ruby had been away from Matthew for a long time, the soldiers still dared to talk to Matthew.
[Aren't they afraid of being beheaded?!]
"Her name is Ruby Barnette." Matthew tried to soften his voice as he said Ruby's name. "From tomorrow, she will be my mate and the queen of Veritas."
All the soldiers suddenly opened their eyes widely, and so did Ruby.
[We're getting married tomorrow?! Isn't that too soon?!]
"Your Majesty! You want to get married tomorrow?!" asked some soldiers.
"Does this mean the queen's throne will be filled after ten years of being empty?"
"There is a woman who wants to marry His Majesty? How did it possible?!"
"Aargghhh!! Is the world coming to an end soon?!"
Matthew's face turned red with anger. He took a deep breath before shouting. "Are you all deaf?! Instead of gossiping about my bride, you better move your feet and start preparing the party for my wedding tomorrow!"
In the blink of an eye, the noisy crowd scatters like ants, who are afraid of being stepped on by humans.
• • • • • • • • • •
[Mini Theater]
Ruby: I can't possibly touch the king's hand for too long! It's inappropriate!
Also Ruby: *Always touch Matthew's hand every time the man offers his hand*