Contrary to Noah’s expectation that the mine would be revealed as soon as the door opened, beyond the gate was a tunnel. The interior looked like a cave with lanterns draped at the corners and on the ground was a metal track with a one-room freight train, which was like a huge cart, over it.
The group heading to the same area boarded the rumbling train. The supervisor then filled it with twenty miners, even though it would be dangerous for such a large number of people to ride in a wheeled wagon with only one unstable railing next to the side.
Noah was caught in the crevices of the crowd, and a hand pulled her backwards, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
The railing looks weak… Noah was anxious the wagon would collapse, glancing sideways with uneasy eyes. Not long after, the train slowly began to swerve along the tracks. Unlike outside the gate, the interior was covered only with old iron on the unpaved road, so the ride was likely to be rough. Sure enough, the train speeded up and the rattling worsened.
“…Hold on tight.”
A low voice whispered above Noah’s head, but it wasn’t directed to her. The next moment, Muell landed lightly on the railing and managed to settle down on the narrow barrier. Then, the man spoke to Noah. “Hold up your arm.”
When she raised her arms slightly, a muscular arm wound around her waist. Naturally, the back of her head met with the man’s chest, and Noah’s worries of being thrown off the train melted away as strong arms sheltered her. However, another problem arose: Noah’s back stiffened straight, nervous her body might tremble uncontrollably.
The man’s voice mumbled gently in her ears, “I’m holding on to it, so you don’t have to worry about falling. It rattles like this, but it doesn’t actually crash.”
“Yeah…”
His breath tickled Noah’s ears, and in an instant, her ears turned red. It might have been an overreaction, and Noah hoped he would not notice it. She opened her mouth to speak but stuttered. “When, when did you come?”
“Five days ago.”
“Not in Noviscosha, but since when have you been here?”
Kyle answered tiredly, his chin rested on her shoulder. “I left in the middle of my way to Edman. Why is Miss Noah here? I thought my eyes were wrong.”
“Well, somehow. I didn’t mean to be here.”
“Not on purpose… I was worried about what caused you to run away, but looking at you, I don’t think something bad happened…” His voice sounded annoyed, but there was also a hint of surprise in it. Whenever Kyle was taken aback by Noah’s eccentricity, the nagging would slowly pour out. “I sometimes get confused whether Noah is timid or not. I’m sure you snooped down in front of the mine at sunset.”
“That’s… that’s right, but… I was looking for you.” Noah looked around nervously in case anyone had seen them, but they were all crammed together in the wagon that it was hard to move, or even turn their heads. Thanks to this, they did not catch anyone’s attention.
Kyle’s breath brushed Noah’s neck as he spoke. “Now I think it’s better to follow Miss Noah than leave you on your own.”
“You don’t have to… There’s Mu.”
“It’s because I’m not at ease. I was thinking that I should have brought him down with me, but this is great for now.” Kyle lowered his head, pressing his eyes against Noah’s shoulder. She knew it was only to massage his heavy eyes, given his hands weren’t free to do so, but… Her heart kept pounding.
Kyle paused, breathed in deeply, and continued. “If it weren’t for anything, you’d have figured something out, right?”
“…Lenia.”
The throbbing beat of her chest and the rattling of the train seemed to bury her words. Eventually, Noah lifted her head to the side and looked up at Kyle, but the moment she saw his violet orbs under the shade of her hat, she froze. It had only been a week since she last saw him, but she felt like they were finally reunited after a long time.
When Noah was silent, Kyle frowned. “What about Lenia Valtalere? Did she do you any harm?”
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