Chapter 48: The Unsettling Calm of Xina

“Stay away from me.”

Chloe moved to the other side of the carriage. Her brow furrowed, and she glared with evident distaste at Bloen, who had drawn closer.

“Oh dear,” Bloen drawled, “do you intend for me to sit with Lady Xina?”

“Go sit with your younger brother,” Chloe retorted.

Chloe took Xina’s hand, gently pulling her into the carriage.

Xina’s small hand felt cold, and her eyes were dull, utterly devoid of their usual sparkle. It was clear the recent confrontation had completely drained her energy.

Bloa sat properly, his legs together and hands resting on his lap. His brother, however, had one thigh propped ungracefully on the seat.

“Can’t you sit properly?” Chloe snapped, her brow furrowing further. Since her transmigration to this world, she had never encountered anyone so brazen, especially a captive, not a guest of honor.

“Alright, alright.”

Bloen settled cross-legged on the carriage seat, propping his chin with one hand. His sharp, small eyes gleamed with amusement.

“Instead of me, perhaps you should be more concerned about Lady Xina. It looks like she’s about to cry.”

“Eh?”

Xina wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. She looked up, her gaze helpless as she turned to Chloe.

“Xina, what’s wrong…?”

Chloe pulled a handkerchief from the folds of her skirt and offered it to Xina, but Xina refused it.

“I was thinking of Norria.”

‘Huh? You’re joking, right?’ This answer completely stunned Chloe. How long had Xina and Norria even known each other? It felt as if they were already intimately involved.

To still be pining for him now, even as a woman, Chloe couldn’t shake the unpleasant sensation of being cuckolded.

“You’ll see him again someday. It’s alright,” Chloe said, suppressing the surge of indignation within her. She gently stroked Xina’s hair.

“Oh, how touching,” Bloen mocked, pinching his nose to adopt a theatrical, sarcastic tone. Chloe glared at him, her eyes blazing with fury.

Just as Chloe was about to unleash the fire within her, she strode forward and fiercely pinched Bloen’s cheek. His skin was dry and unremarkable, as uninteresting as his appearance.

Bloa clearly wanted to rescue his brother, but with a girl as his opponent, he was at a loss for how to intervene.

“I don’t think it’s longing,” Bloen said, wriggling free from Chloe’s grip and shrinking into Bloa’s embrace. He chuckled to himself, “I think it’s jealousy.”

“Less than half a month ago, Norria was an inconspicuous guard by your side. Now he’s a prince, while you’re still a mere countess from the countryside. The disparity must be quite jarring, wouldn’t you say?”

Xina sat silently on the seat, her eyes clouded with a misty glaze. She stared intently at Bloen, not uttering a single word.

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense.”

Chloe rushed back to Xina’s side. However, Xina suddenly stood up, walked over to Bloa, and effortlessly lifted Bloen from his embrace. She gripped Bloen’s neck, refusing to loosen her hold no matter how much he struggled.

Seeing this, Bloa quickly grabbed Xina’s arm, trying to make her let go, but it was utterly useless.

Bloen kicked his legs wildly, his eyes fixed on Xina’s delicate, charming face. A faint smile graced her lips.

“You’re right,” she said.

She pulled open the carriage window and, without hesitation, hurled Bloen out. Bloa attempted to follow, but Chloe swiftly restrained him.

Chloe peered out the window. Fortunately, the coachman was passing by just then and managed to catch Bloen. However, the sheer impact sent both of them tumbling several times in the muddy ground.

Chloe watched Xina anxiously. A lock of dark hair obscured half of Xina’s eye, yet, strangely, her face was no longer clouded by frenzy. It was as calm as still water, bearing only a faint, placid smile.

Bloa huddled on the floor, clutching his head defensively, fearing Xina might devour him whole. Xina paid no mind to Bloa; she simply returned to her seat.

“Little Chloe, where were we?” Xina asked, a fervent smile gracing her lips. However, Chloe found this smile utterly chilling.

“Are you… Xina?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? Of course, I’m Xina,” she replied, her brows slightly raised in apparent confusion.

Xina’s condition was worsening, and they needed Carloman’s blood as soon as possible. Traveling to the unfamiliar Eledis Empire right now seemed impractical.

Another option was to attend Cliff’s wedding, where Carloman would also be present. However, Cliff had consistently sabotaged Chloe, so the idea of attending his wedding had been continuously shelved.

Should she risk being undermined by Cliff at his wedding, or journey to Eledis? Both options presented significant difficulties. Perhaps discussing it with Lucia would be best.

Fortunately, the carriage was parked in a relatively secluded spot. Otherwise, all the guards would have witnessed this frantic scene, and the entire town of Linber would know their future lord was as mad as her father.

The coachman slowly carried Bloen back into the carriage. Bloen’s injured eyes stared at Xina, who was now chatting and laughing with Chloe, as if nothing had happened.

“It seems the people of Linber were right.”

“Don’t you dare speak of this to anyone, or else…” Chloe threatened, clenching her fist at the Bloen brothers. Bloa waved his hands frantically in fright, while Xina looked at Chloe with a bewildered expression.

“Speak of what?”

Chloe was about to reply, but Bloen interjected, answering for her: “About Norria marrying the Eledis princess.”

“What?!” Chloe nearly choked on her own blood. What kind of development was this? She turned to Xina, relieved to see that Xina still appeared somewhat rational.

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know. I just guessed.”

Bloen rubbed his nose with his calloused hand, nearly infuriating Chloe to death.

“Haven’t you learned your lesson? Do you still dare to speak carelessly?”

“No, no, Lady Chloe. If you wanted to secure Lord Norria’s succession, what would you do?”

If Chloe were Carloman, she would indeed marry Norria to her own child. This was a logical thought, but if Bloen provoked Xina further, his life might truly be forfeit.

“Shut your mouth. The carriage is about to move.”

Chloe hinted at Bloen, and he immediately understood, snapping his mouth shut.

What did it feel like to be thrown from a speeding carriage? Bloen, surely, would not want to experience that again.

****

The sound of a carriage speeding away echoed from outside the fortress.

Lucia was at her dressing table, applying makeup, when someone abruptly pushed open her door. Lucia’s hand trembled, smearing lipstick crookedly across her face, leaving a red mark.

Chloe leaned against the wall, panting, her beautiful eyes anxiously fixed on Lucia.

Lucia was about to erupt in anger, but seeing Chloe, she swallowed her curses. She quickly went to support the distraught Chloe.

“Lady Chloe, what’s wrong?”

“Xina… she fainted!”

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