August sunlight pierced the clouds, sweeping away the gloom of the past several days.
The sticky dampness was gone, and the air carried the dry, fresh scent of sunbaked earth.
A convoy bearing no insignia sped along a trade road in northern Coastal Province. Although only a handful of people knew about Veylin and his companions' mission to the Evergreen Council, they had deliberately chosen this remote old road through neutral nobles' territories to avoid trouble.
The wheels rattled and creaked over the gravel.
Caroline sat in the carriage, her chin resting on one hand as she watched the scenery slide past the window.
The waves of golden wheat were sparse, but at least the plants were alive. Distant mountains shimmered in the heat, and a few wild eagles occasionally appeared overhead.
Did this count as... a date?
They had twenty fully armed guards and several servants accompanying them, with ten wagonloads of silk, spices, and potions trailing behind as gifts, but this was still the first time she had traveled so far with Veylin.
There was no prince playing third wheel, no endless accounts to settle, and none of those nobles who gave her a headache just looking at them-as for Xiao Lan, Caroline had yet to consider her an evenly matched rival.
So, on this trip, it was just the two of them.
She stole a glance at the man sitting opposite her.
Veylin leaned against the carriage wall, holding a thick parchment notebook while a quill spun rapidly between his fingers. Sunlight fell across his profile, illuminating even the fine hairs on his face.
Even at a time like this, all this fellow had in his head were schemes.
"Keep staring and I'll have to charge you."
Without looking up, Veylin crossed out a line on the