The horse was extremely fast compared to the slow carriage, and the awkward moment passed faster than expected.
Well, she hoped so.
Theon's rough breath, which she could sometimes feel on the back of her neck, his arms and firm chest holding her body tightly, and his sweet scent that flowed along the wind.
She was conscious about all of Theon's things that she felt all over her body.
Everything about him was deadly, to the point it hurt.
Unlike Eden, who rode the horse quickly and violently due to moving around on the battlefield, Theon rode smoothly but swiftly.
She realized from this opportunity that he has a tendency to ride horses, so she made a promise to herself to learn horseback riding. She did not want to have this uncomfortable companion again.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Seeing that the huge royal palace came into view, it seemed that they had now reached their destination.
Theon, who had been continuously increasing the speed, was getting a little more relaxed.
Since the distance was quite long, the sun had already set and gave off a strong evening glow.
Theon raised an arm over Ayla's head, who frowned as if the light was too bright, to give her some cover.
"I-I'm fine."
Although she was grateful for his consideration, Ayla quickly pulled Theon's hand down, feeling somehow restless. Seeing that, Theon asked in a low voice.
"If you can't ride a horse, how did you get to Terr?"
" Eden helped me."
Perhaps because the name Eden' that came out of Ayla's mouth was unpleasant, Theon frowned and clutched the horse's reins with strength.
***
"Take a rest today."
A cold atmosphere flowed between the two people that had come up to the detached palace.
He showed a particularly sensitive reaction when it came to Eden. It was understandable, seeing Eden's behavior so far; so, she could understand Theon's harsh reaction. That didn't eliminate the feeling that he was being too excessive, though.
"Ah Yes. I will do that."
Ayla bowed her head slightly at Theon's words and walked down the dark hallway.
It was said that humans are adaptable animals, but the royal palace, which she returned to after spending just a few days as Zenia, felt unfamiliar.
Unlike Zenia's free-spirited outfit, the tight-fitting maid's uniform felt particularly frustrating today.
As if trying to sort out the complicated emotions that ran through her head, Ayla stood on the overpass and stared blankly at Arin Square.
After a while, she dusted off her skirt and stepped forward vigorously.
When she opened the door connecting the detached palace and the west palace, she could feel the eyes of the maids passing by strangely change.
Why are they looking at me like that?'
They were looking all over Ayla, with their eyes filled with suspicion.
They couldn't even imagine that Ayla was Zenia; but, somehow, she couldn't stop herself from trembling and feeling nervous.
She wondered if this was what it felt like to be terrified after doing a nonsensical job, whether it was a stakeout or a disguise, that wasn't even in her fate.
As the maids' furtive gazes grew longer, Ayla coughed in embarrassment and hurried her steps.
***
Ayla, who was standing in front of the maids' quarters, hesitated as she grabbed the doorknob and released it, unable to get inside.
The main culprit was that she couldn't ease her uncomfortable feelings, thanks to the fact that she had to pretend to be Zenia without even having a chance to solve the problem after the quarrel with Lily.
"Ugh. What do I do"
A pained sound escaped from Ayla's mouth. She felt uncomfortable thinking that her feelings might have deepened since she was away for 3 days without even telling Lily.
Although they met while living as maids, she was the only person she trusted and relied on inside the palace, and she was Ayla's only same-sex friend.
Ayla, who had been contemplating where she should start explaining, twisted the doorknob in the opposite direction as if she had made up her mind.
Click.
"Lily?"
""
Contrary to Ayla's expectations, Lily was not inside.
Looking at the neatly organized interior, she seemed to finally relax.
She was really relieved to be back.
She took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped outside again, on her way to find Lily.
She wanted to meet up with Lily quickly, talk about her daily life and spend time with her and joke around.
Because that's the real life of Ayla Serdian
***