Chapter 132: along the way

Chapter 132: Chapter 132: along the way

The title caught Damian completely off guard.

Slowly, he looked up.

"...Yes, Lady Beaumont?"

She smiled.

Not brightly.

Not mischievously.

Just...

Far too innocently.

For a moment...

She simply looked at him.

Damian waited.

"...Was there something you wished to discuss?"

She tilted her head ever so slightly.

"No."

"..."

"...No?"

"I just wanted to see if you’d answer."

...

He stared at her.

Vivienne’s smile widened by the smallest fraction.

"I see."

She turned back toward the window as though nothing unusual had happened.

Silence returned to the vehicle.

Damian remained where he was.

"..."

What...

Had that been?

--

Vivienne POV

A smile quietly tugged at the corner of her lips.

He answered.

Without hesitation.

Interesting.

She rested her chin lightly against one hand.

There had been a time...

Not so long ago...

When Damian had been the one watching her reactions with quiet amusement.

Catching her when she became flustered.

Pretending complete innocence afterward.

I suppose it’s my turn now.

The thought alone was unexpectedly satisfying.

--

A few minutes passed.

The silence returned.

Outside, stretches of green fields rolled steadily past the windows.

Then—

"Lord Blackwood."

This time he looked over almost immediately.

"...Yes, Lady Beaumont?"

She met his gaze.

Held it for a heartbeat.

Then smiled.

"I was simply checking."

"...Checking?"

"Mm."

"You’re very consistent."

Another pause.

He looked at her for a moment.

"...Was that a compliment?"

Vivienne smiled.

"I haven’t decided yet."

Then she turned back to the window.

--

A little while later...

She turned toward him again.

"Lord Blackwood."

This time, he looked up almost immediately.

"...Yes, Lady Beaumont?"

She brushed a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear.

Then another.

The cool air from the vent had coaxed several strands free again.

She looked at him expectantly.

"Does it look strange?"

Damian blinked.

"...About?"

"My hair."

She tucked another rebellious strand behind her ear before it slipped free once more.

"It keeps doing that."

For the first time since leaving the Foundation...

Damian actually studied her.

Not for long.

Just enough to follow her gaze.

His eyes lifted toward the ceiling of the Alphard.

The air vent.

Without thinking...

He leaned forward.

"May I?"

Vivienne looked at him curiously.

Before she could answer...

He reached across the narrow space between their captain’s seats.

One hand adjusted the vent, turning the airflow away from her.

"There."

"It should stop blowing toward you now."

...

He was close.

Much closer than she’d expected.

For a fleeting instant...

All she could see was the line of his jaw.

The crisp collar of his shirt.

The breadth of his shoulders as he leaned between them.

...

Since when...

Was Damian this broad?

The thought appeared so suddenly that it caught her completely off guard.

He settled back into his own seat as though nothing unusual had happened.

"Would that help?"

Vivienne blinked.

"...Ah."

"Yes."

"I think so."

"Thank you."

He gave a small nod and reached for the folder once more.

...

Vivienne turned toward the window before he could notice the faint warmth rising to her cheeks.

Well...

That wasn’t part of the plan.

She had only meant to tease him.

Somehow...

She had ended up flustered instead.

She pressed her lips together, willing the warmth to disappear.

Honestly.

How unfair.

Damian POV

...

He was almost certain...

She was teasing him.

The realization should have embarrassed him.

Instead...

To his own surprise...

The corner of his mouth lifted.

Only slightly.

There it was again.

That familiar playfulness.

The same Lady Beaumont who had laughed over cake in the Foundation dining hall.

Who had argued with him about vegetables.

Who had insisted dessert somehow counted as balance.

For just a moment...

It felt...

Normal.

Comfortable.

Almost as though the week between the Founders’ Ball and today had never happened.

His smile deepened ever so slightly.

...

Then he noticed it.

He was smiling.

The warmth faded as awareness quietly settled over him.

Anthony.

Lady Beaumont was still Anthony’s fiancée.

The reminder came as naturally as breathing.

His smile gradually disappeared.

He lowered his gaze toward the folder once more.

--

Vivienne POV

She saw it.

Not the smile itself.

The change.

For a brief moment...

He had looked exactly like the Damian she remembered.

Relaxed.

At ease.

Then...

Almost as quickly...

The careful expression returned.

...

Interesting.

So it wasn’t that he preferred being formal.

He kept reminding himself to be.

She leaned back comfortably against the seat.

Whatever the rumors had done...

They had certainly made him unusually conscientious.

It was...

Rather gentlemanly.

--

The quiet between them no longer felt strained.

It had settled into something easy.

Vivienne glanced out the window.

"We’re about halfway there, aren’t we?"

Damian looked out briefly before nodding.

"Approximately another hour."

She thought for a moment.

"What do you think our schedule should be once we arrive?"

He considered the question.

"We’ll spend the afternoon observing."

"The schedule is fairly flexible."

Vivienne nodded.

"...Mm."

Something in her voice made him look over.

"...Lady Beaumont?"

She smiled sheepishly.

"I was just thinking..."

"I might not last another hour."

His brows drew together ever so slightly.

"Are you unwell?"

She laughed.

"No."

"I’m simply hungry."

Then, almost as an afterthought—

"I skipped breakfast."

Damian looked at her.

"You skipped breakfast?"

She nodded.

"I overslept."

A faint flush crept onto her cheeks.

"There wasn’t really time after that."

His expression grew more thoughtful.

"You were the last to arrive this morning."

"Indeed."

"...Without breakfast."

She nodded again, looking almost apologetic.

"It would’ve been impolite to keep everyone waiting while I stopped for breakfast."

Damian was quiet for a moment.

She wasn’t wrong.

Still...

"...You should have eaten."

Vivienne smiled helplessly.

"I know."

"We still have about an hour before East Junction."

"If you’d like..."

"We can stop somewhere for lunch first."

Vivienne blinked.

"Oh."

She waved a hand lightly.

"No, no."

"That’s all right."

"I’ll just buy a packet of biscuits or something."

"There should be a convenience store along the way."

Damian looked at her.

"...Biscuits?"

She nodded.

"They’ll keep me going until later."

Another brief silence.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

The answer came so simply...

So matter-of-factly...

That she blinked.

"No?"

"You’ve already skipped one meal."

"A packet of biscuits isn’t a proper substitute."

"It’s nearly lunchtime anyway."

"We’ll stop."

Vivienne studied him for a quiet moment.

His expression hadn’t changed.

He seemed to think what he’d just said was perfectly ordinary.

A smile slowly found its way to her lips.

Not teasing.

Just genuinely touched.

"...You always worry."

Damian blinked.

"...Do I?"

"You do."

She laughed quietly.

"It’s rather sweet."

Damian’s POV

Sweet.

The word lingered far longer than it should have.

He looked at her.

She was still smiling out the window, seemingly unaware she’d said anything remarkable.

For reasons he couldn’t begin to explain...

His heartbeat quickened.

The corners of his mouth lifted before he realized it.

...

Anthony.

Lady Beaumont was Anthony’s fiancée.

The reminder settled over him like cold water.

Yet...

Even as he lowered his gaze...

The warmth of her smile refused to leave him.