CHAPTER 131: A SERENE RIDE

They booked a carriage for the County, which was about six hours away from the island where the Goblet of Honor was supposed to take place... but due to unfortunate circumstances, it had been cancelled.

Well, Emma wasn’t that disappointed, given she was never very inclined to showcase her strength to the world.

She actually wanted to live a life out of the spotlight, but her blessing dragged her to the center of attention right after the enrollment assessment—and that was exactly what gained the Protagonist’s interest as well.

There was no point crying over spilled milk, which was why she focused on her present instead.

A present so beautiful that she could live in this moment for an eternity.

Before her slept the man she has recently got obsessed with before she could realise or even think of stopping herself.

William was sleeping comfortably despite the stiff seat, with Nana sprawled on top of him. Her mouth hung slightly open, a thin line of drool sliding onto William’s shirt, but the man was far too tired to notice.

They both looked exhausted, and understandably so. From what she heard from Natalie, William hadn’t moved from the infirmary the entire time she was still recovering.

To notice someone’s love, they don’t need to gift something flashy or shout their devotion to the world. It’s the small things that matter.

’I never thought there would come a day when a guy four years younger than me would make my heart race like this.’

Mentally, she was older than him, and yet whenever he looked at her with those blood-red eyes... she couldn’t stop herself from getting shy and worked up. It felt as if she had been meant to fall for this boy—maybe that was why she had never dated anyone in the past.

Thud

The carriage jolted as the wheel rolled over a large stone.

The driver called from outside, "Are you three okay? I didn’t see that big one."

Emma sighed when she saw the two sleeping figures frowning and slowly opening their eyes.

Shaking her head, she responded, "Yeah, we’re fine. Please continue."

The carriage began rolling again.

William slowly sat up from his slumber, Nana still cradled in his arms.

The little girl wasn’t quite awake yet; she curled deeper into his lap and, while clutching his shirt in her tiny fist, drifted back to sleep.

Rubbing his eyes, William asked, "How long was I out?"

Emma smiled as she offered him water. "Just an hour. If you want, I can create a barrier around the carriage—it’ll prevent another disturbance."

William gave a wry smile. "I know you have a well of aether, but don’t waste it on trivial things. I’m rested enough." With that, he took a sip from the pouch.

Emma leaned back, her elbow resting on her knee, chin propped against her knuckles. "So? Did you let your father know you’re returning home... with me?"

William chuckled lightly. "Well, not recently. But knowing that man, he definitely already received the news."

He exhaled slowly, appearing hesitant. "Emma... do you mind telling him about your real background?"

Emma’s brows rose. "Was Gizel right about the social-standing thing? Does he mind that I’m not from a prominent family?"

William shook his head. "No. As I said, he doesn’t care about anyone’s family. And once I tell him I want you in my life, he won’t care about anything else. It’s just... there’s a high chance he’s already looked into your background. And if we lie... things might get a little complicated."

Emma blinked as she realized her oversight. With a sigh, she admitted, "If it were anyone else, I’d doubt they could trace my connection to the East Wing. But your father... he’s quite an influential man. So yes, there’s a high chance he already has my full report."

Without thinking too much, Emma said, "I’m fine with it."

William chewed his lip. "Are you sure?"

Emma nodded. "The truth is, my secret won’t last long anyway. After graduation, I’ll probably start working for the Tower, so the world will eventually find out about my connection to them... and my father. So for the sake of starting things right with your family, I’d rather not lie about something so basic."

William let out a quiet breath. "I promise the secret will stay between me and my old man. He won’t tell anyone."

Emma giggled softly. "You really don’t have to worry so much, Will. I’m not overly concerned about my identity anymore, to be honest."

William reached forward and held her hand. "I believe there must be a reason you hid your family name... I just want you to know, if the burden of your legacy ever feels too heavy, you can always come to me."

Emma raised a brow, smiling. "Hmm~ you don’t need to tell me that. I already shamelessly depend on you—and I always will, even if you think I’m a troublesome woman."

William chuckled. "Well, you are troublesome sometimes."

Emma’s eyes widened in offense. "Hey! You were supposed to say something nice there!"

William chuckled as he pulled the girl toward his side.

Emma sat beside him, her arm entangling with his.

Leaning her head on his shoulder she glanced at the sleeping figure in his lap.

Seeing the serenity on her face, Emma heaved a sigh, "It feels so nice...seeing her being this peaceful."

William lowered his gaze and softly caressed Nana’s head, "The moment I saw her I knew I had to do something."

Exhaling a sigh, he said, "There are so many children like her in this world who are abandoned because of those shitty bastards."

Emma added, "But we can’t save all of them."

William nodded, "Yeah...the only thing we could do is to take care of the one we have taken responsibility of."

Their fingers interwined as they fell in a serene silence, basking in each other’s presence.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. I hope the story is still enjoyable? Please let me know your thoughts.