Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra

Chapter 515: Driver

Aeliana let out a small, amused breath before turning back to Anne.

"Thank you for your good work," she said smoothly. "It must have been hard for you."

Anne blinked rapidly, as if unsure whether she was being praised or pitied. She quickly straightened, clearing her throat before bowing. "Th-Thank you, my lady. I am honored to serve."

Aeliana hummed, her gaze assessing.

The girl was young. Inexperienced, clearly. But she wasn't incompetent—just nervous.

But then Aeliana asked. "The carriage is outside, correct?"

Anne hesitated for a moment before glancing toward the entrance.

Lucavion hummed lazily beside her. "It should be," he drawled. "Unless something truly unfortunate has happened in the past few minutes."

Anne nodded. "Yes… but—" She paused, looking at Aeliana as if debating whether to speak further.

Then, after a brief moment of hesitation—

"M-My lady, are you going with S-Sir Lucavion too?"

Silence.

Aeliana slowly turned her full attention to Anne.

Lucavion let out a quiet chuckle under his breath, clearly entertained, but wisely said nothing.

Aeliana wasn't mad—not truly.

But she was aware of one thing: Since when does a maid dare to question the lady of the household?

Her amber eyes glinted, not unkindly, but sharply enough to make her point.

Anne stiffened, immediately realizing her mistake. "Ah—I didn't mean—"

Aeliana raised a single brow.

It wasn't that she intended to reprimand the girl. She could tolerate such slip-ups. Lucavion would brush them off.

But other nobles?

They wouldn't.

Anne was lucky that it was her standing here and not some self-important aristocrat who would take offense over the smallest slight.

And… well.

The girl did look kind of cute, all flustered and anxious like that.

It would be such a waste if she got reprimanded for something like this.

So, instead of scolding, Aeliana simply sighed and let her gaze soften—just slightly.

"A maid should be mindful of her words," she said, her tone cool but instructive.

Anne swallowed hard and quickly bowed. "I—I apologize, my lady!"

Aeliana nodded once, accepting it.

Then, without another word, she turned to Lucavion.

"I am going," she stated flatly, making sure Anne had no reason to doubt anymore.

Lucavion chuckled. "My, my. How decisive."

Aeliana shot Lucavion a glare, already irritated by the amusement in his voice.

"I am leaving with you," she repeated firmly. "And before we go, I should inform the butler."

Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel and strode toward the hallway.

Lucavion, naturally, followed.

But not before casting one last glance at Anne.

The poor girl was still standing there, stiff and unsure, eyes flicking nervously between them.

Lucavion smirked. Then, with exaggerated slowness, he winked at her and gave a subtle thumbs-up.

His lips moved silently, forming the words, "Not bad."

Anne's face turned an alarming shade of red.

Aeliana must have sensed something because, without turning back, she snapped, "What are you talking about behind my back?"

Lucavion's smirk deepened.

"Hmm… Are you getting paranoid now, dear Little Ember?"

Aeliana huffed, folding her arms as she kept walking. "Humph. It's hard not to be when it comes to someone like you."

Lucavion laughed—rich, careless, completely unbothered.

"Ahahaha… Now that sounds like a you problem."

As they stepped out of the grand estate, the crisp evening air greeted them. The carriage was already waiting, the horses shifting slightly in place, their breath visible in the cooling air. The coachman, a middle-aged man with a rugged face and sharp eyes, straightened as soon as he spotted Lucavion.

But then—

His gaze slid past Lucavion and landed on Aeliana.

And he blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then, very unsubtly, he turned to Lucavion with a look that practically screamed, Who is this woman, and why is she here?

Lucavion, of course, noticed immediately.

He smirked.

Aeliana, on the other hand, pretended not to see the driver's reaction, though she could already tell what was coming.

The man, still clearly perplexed, finally cleared his throat and said, "Sir, uh… where should I head towards?"

Lucavion stretched lazily before stepping forward, placing one foot onto the carriage's step. "Stormhaven Center," he said smoothly.

The driver nodded, though he was still very obviously sneaking glances at Aeliana, as if trying to determine who she was. He hesitated for a moment before finally blurting, "Understood, sir… but—uh—will the lady be coming with us?"

Aeliana arched a delicate brow, exhaling through her nose. "Yes. Clearly."

The driver tensed at her sharp tone, quickly straightening as if he'd just realized his mistake. "Ah—of course, my lady," he stammered.

Lucavion, of course, didn't help matters. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, propping an elbow against the edge of the carriage with a smirk. "You seem surprised," he mused, eyes glinting with amusement.

The driver hesitated, clearly unsure of how to respond. "Well…"

The driver shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat again. "Well… it's just that I wasn't informed a lady would be accompanying us, sir." His eyes flicked toward Aeliana, uncertainty flickering across his face. "The carriage may not be… suitable."

Aeliana remained unbothered, simply adjusting the cuff of her sleeve.

Lucavion, however, was far more entertained. He leaned slightly against the carriage door, his smirk deepening as he watched the driver struggle.

"Oh?" he mused, feigning concern. "And why is that? Did you forget to polish the seats today?"

The driver stiffened. "N-No, sir, of course not! It's just that, well… had I known we'd be transporting someone of—" He hesitated, stealing another glance at Aeliana, still trying to place her identity. "—ahem, a noblewoman's standing, I would have ensured that the proper arrangements were made."

Lucavion hummed, amusement still evident in his gaze.

Aeliana finally spoke, her tone cool but even. "There is nothing unsuitable about this carriage." Her amber eyes flickered toward the driver, assessing. "Or are you suggesting I should turn back?"

The driver paled slightly, shaking his head quickly. "Not at all, my lady! It's just—" He trailed off, as if realizing there was no way to finish that sentence without digging himself into a deeper hole.

Lucavion chuckled under his breath. He could see the wheels turning in the man's head. The uniform. The mannerisms. The carriage itself—it all belonged to the Thaddeus Duchy. And yet, this man had failed to recognize the heir of the very household he served.

Fascinating.

His gaze flicked toward Aeliana, expecting—something. Displeasure, irritation, maybe even amusement.

Instead, he found nothing.

She was completely indifferent.

Interesting.

If she had noticed the absurdity of the situation, she didn't react to it.

Lucavion let the moment stretch, watching her in quiet curiosity. But since she didn't seem to care, he saw no need to point it out either.

"Well," he drawled, rolling his shoulders lazily. "She's coming with me."

Simple. Direct. And final.

The driver hesitated only for a second longer before nodding quickly. "Understood, sir."

With that settled, Lucavion stepped forward, holding the carriage door open with an exaggerated flourish. "After you."

Aeliana didn't hesitate. She stepped inside, settling onto the seat with effortless composure.

Lucavion followed, sliding in across from her, one leg crossed over the other. As soon as he got comfortable, Vitaliara hopped down from his shoulder and curled up beside him, flicking her tail with mild irritation.

With the door shut, the carriage jolted forward, rolling steadily down the cobbled streets.

The sun hung low in the sky now, painting the city in warm hues of amber and gold. Long shadows stretched across the roads as the day slowly gave way to evening.