CHAPTER 7: Carriage Struggle

Lidia trudged toward the line of carriages, wiping sweat from her forehead and cursing the universe for making her life a disaster. The sun blazed overhead, cooking her alive in the ridiculous white uniform she was still wearing. She probably smelled like desperation and regret.

Up ahead, a balding man with a greasy mustache sat behind a wooden booth, lazily flipping through a ledger. He looked like he hated his job almost as much as she hated her life right now.

Marching up to him, she plastered on what she hoped was a polite smile. "I need a ride southeast."

The man barely glanced up, grunting as he flipped another page. "No carriages heading southeast."

Lidia frowned. "What? Why?"

He let out a slow, exaggerated sigh, like she was the dumbest person he had ever met. "Because that road is crawling with beasts, rogues, bandits, and whatever other nightmares the goddess decided to dump there. No sane driver is risking it right now."

Her stomach twisted. "I really need to go."

The man finally looked up, eyeing her like she was a cockroach that had learned to talk. "Hmm… well," he drawled, still eyeing her up and down. "There is one carriage driver who might be crazy enough to take you. But he's charging twice the usual price."

Lidia didn't have a penny to her name, but that felt like a problem for future Lidia. Present Lidia just needed to get the hell out of here. "Point me to it."

The man smirked and jerked his thumb toward a beat-up carriage at the end of the lot. "That one. Driver's name is Garrik."

She nodded. "Great. Thanks."

Lidia turned on her heel and stomped toward the carriage, already mentally preparing herself for some overpriced scam.

The closer she got, the worse the carriage looked. One of the wheels seemed slightly lopsided, and the wood had seen better days—probably about fifty years ago. The horses at least looked decent. One was brown, the other white, and both were munching on hay like they hadn't a single care in the world.

Sitting on the driver's bench was a mountain of a man with arms thicker than her waist. He had a permanent scowl etched onto his rugged face, his beard uneven like he had tried shaving once and gave up halfway through. His clothes were stained with something questionable, and his arms were thick and covered in scars, like he had lost one too many bar fights, and a long hunting knife hung from his belt.

Lidia took a deep breath. Time to work her charm.

"Hey," she called, flashing what she hoped was a winning smile. "You're Garrik, right?"

He grunted, not even bothering to look at her.

"I need a ride southeast."

Now he looked at her. "Where exactly? The Kingdom of Emphaie?

"Yes!"

"Three bronze, three silver."

Lidia choked. "That's literally 330 gold coins!"

The man shrugged. "Take it or leave it. Nine days' journey. Dangerous roads. Rogue. Bandits. Beasts. If you wanna die on the way, might as well pay for the privilege."

Lidia inhaled sharply, fighting the urge to throw something at him. "Fine. I'll do it on credit."

His expression twisted like she had just spat in his face. "Credit?"

"Yes," she huffed. "I'm Lidia, The daughter of the Diviliness family. When I get to my estate, I'll have the money."

The man outright laughed. A deep, raspy sound that made her feel like she had just told the world's dumbest joke.

"You?" he wheezed, clutching his side. "A noble? In those rags?"

Lidia clenched her jaw. "This is a saintess-in-training uniform, thank you very much."

He waved her off like that made it any better. "I don't give a rat's ass if you're the lost princess of the gods. No pay, no ride."

Lidia's nails dug into her palms. "Please. I'll die if I stay here another day."

The man remained unmoved.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

So she dropped to her knees. Right there in the middle of the road.

"PLEASE!" she wailed, loud enough to turn heads.

People turned to stare. Conversations stopped. Even the horses looked mildly concerned.

The carriage man visibly stiffened as people stared.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, his face burning with embarrassment.

Lidia clasped her hands together, her eyes wide with fake desperation. "I BEG YOU, KIND SIR!" she sobbed dramatically. "HAVE MERCY ON THIS POOR SOUL!"

Murmurs spread through the gathered crowd.

The carriage man's eye twitched violently.

"Get up," he hissed.

"Not until you agree," she shot back, voice wobbling for extra effect.

He groaned, rubbing his temples. "What kind of lunatic are you?"

"The desperate kind."

Silence stretched between them, tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, finally, the man exhaled through his nose, clearly done with her.

"…There's a knight heading in that direction," he muttered. "Knights are noble and honorable, so he won't charge you for travel."

Lidia blinked. Processing.

Wait.

Wait a damn minute.

"THERE WAS A FREE OPTION THIS WHOLE TIME?!" she roared, shooting to her feet.

The man shrugged.

Lidia resisted every urge in her soul to deck him right then and there. This smug bastard.

Through clenched teeth, she forced out a sickly sweet, "Thank you," though it came out more like a dying cat noise.

She turned on her heel, storming off before she actually committed murder.

"Good luck!"

Lidia flipped him off without looking back.

"That's if he agrees to take you!" the carriage man murmured, chuckling.

Lidia didn't wait to hear the rest. She was already stomping away, mentally stabbing Garrik with his own hunting knife.