I leaned against the door while trying to control my shallow breaths.

What did I just do? I'm going to have to share a coach back with him...

"Ugh!" I groaned out loud, letting my hair fall free from its updo.

Evelyn, how are you ever going to live this down?

The mirror hanging on the other side of the bedroom caught my eye. I examined my reflection, astonished by the amount of red that tinged my cheeks. My hands went up to cover them, only to feel the warmth radiating from that area. I hated to admit it, but this was the effect that he had on me.

Soft knocks on the door broke my dazed state.

"Who is it?" I called out, even though I already knew.

"Ev, it's me. Can I come in?" His voice rang through the wooden barrier.

I realized he suddenly felt the urge to use a pet name for me.

"O-one second!" I answered, rushing towards my vanity.

He can't see how hard I'm blushing. He can't know that this was the effect he had on me. In a rushed manner, I opened my drawers to find the powder that I usually used on my nose. It was a ghastly white that seemed to be fashionable these days. Hoping it would offset the red, I ran the powder puff across my cheeks.

"Ev?" He called again.

"One second!" I repeated.

Oh no, now I look ashen. Maybe if I just add a little bit more...

"I'm coming in."

I could hear the knob turn.

"No! I-I'm not decent!" I stuttered.

I could see his smirk reflected in the mirror as he leaned against the doorframe.

"You thought that would stop me?" He teased, "I'm a little disappointed that you lied though."

He closed the door behind him and practically fell on my bed with his hands tucked under his head. He turned to face me, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Are you fine? You look rather... pale."

I nodded, pushing the drawer back in to hide the powder.

"So, were you planning on avoiding me after what happened?" He pressed.

I turned away from him. I could hear his weight on the bed shift as he sat up to face me.

"Ev—"

"I was caught in the moment." I interrupted him.

There was a pause as I internally fought with my own subconscious train of thought. Was it really just spontaneous?

"Do you think that moment could ever become our marriage?" He murmured more to himself than anyone else.

Before I could say anything, he rose up from my bed and cleared his throat to declare, "We're leaving in half an hour. Be ready by then."

I was left in a dazed silence as he shut the door behind him. What did he even mean by that? He seemed disappointed. Genuinely disappointed. Ash was hardly ever genuinely disappointed. Could it be that he was expecting something more from me?

Not a chance. If anything, all of this is superficial. I simply need to stop this talk of war, and I'm this close to reaching my goal. I can't upset him now.

With that resolve, I bid farewell to my family and got into the carriage—directly across from Ash. I felt nostalgic thinking back to the very first carriage ride we shared, I threw such a tantrum. We sat in silence throughout the bumpy ride, but I couldn't deduce whether it was uncomfortable or not. I preferred the term quiet. I shifted my gaze from the night scenery visible through the window to Ash, who was looking straight at me. I cocked an eyebrow, how long has this been happening?

When he noticed that I caught his gaze, he looked away.

"You were staring." I stated, not willing to let this go.

"Yes." He admitted, and then hesitated to explain, "I'm too scared to fall asleep."

I shot him a playful look, "You think I'll hurt you?"

He looked offended, "No! It's not that, not that at all! It's just... I don't want you leaving while I'm asleep. It seems like something you would do..."

I remembered how I stubbornly walked out during our honeymoon and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I won't do that again. Last time, what I did was reckless. I admit that. I've learned my lesson. Besides, even if I left, there would be nowhere for me to go." I answered.

He didn't seem convinced, so I placed my hand over his.

"Sleep! You'll be too tired to carry out duties tomorrow." I persuaded.

He simply nodded and gave me small smile before leaning back and resting his eyes.

He looked so vulnerable. In fact, he seemed so out of character throughout the entire day. Could it be that he was really falling for me? I mean, he's scared of losing me!

Maybe... this is love.