Tight. The suit he wore was tight around the waistline, and his shoes made his heels ache. The trip to the next town was about four hours on foot, three hours when using a carriage, and two if the road wasn’t bustling with merchants. It was quite a long ride just to visit the Museum of Peculiar owned by a suitor named Mr. Castriel. And if Briar Solentine were, to be honest, it was such a boring name to give to a museum.

What was the owner thinking when he gave that name to his own museum? Wasn’t he sorry for himself? Well, I guess he is consistent in making barely any effort—with seeing me and with naming his museum.

“How much longer for us to arrive? My back and butt hurt…”

Enduring a three-hour ride was already torture for the nineteen-year-old. Yet, his aunt was quite full of spirit as she sat across him with a proud smile plastered on her face. After protesting in front of Briar’s room, the man finally agreed to come with her to visit the suitor.

“We’re almost there. Just a few more minutes.”

“Forget love, I might just die right here. Right now.” Stretching his back, Briar yawned. “I’m so hungry, I could eat the horse pulling this carriage.”

“I apologize. If I knew how busy the roads were, I would have asked the butler to prepare a meal for us,” Lady Margareth responded, lips settled in a pout. “Don’t worry, as soon as we arrive, we shall have some lunch first.”

Fisting his glove-covered hands, Briar bit his lip, then sighed out of disappointment towards himself. “Aunt Marge, I’m the one who should be sorry. You’re making an effort to find me a partner so I wouldn’t have to die, but here I am complaining so much as if I’ve done everything I can to escape my fate. You’re right, I should not give up. I’ll try and make an effort today, I promise.”

At her nephew’s words, Lady Margareth nodded eagerly with unshed tears. “Don’t be sorry, Briar. It’s all right to feel as if you’re lost and ready to give up. Everyone feels that way at some point. If I could, I would turn back time and give the Lir family’s head a piece of my mind when he started spreading rumors about us. Maybe I shouldn't have moved to that town and gone here instead. And don’t fret, my child. If Mr. Castriel is indeed a perverted old man, I shall turn down his request to court you immediately.”

Somehow, this made Briar feel better.

Thirty minutes went by like a flash and soon, a town greeted their sights. The merchants yelled out words of praise for their products, urging passers-by to buy their goods. Seeing a couple selling apples, Briar gestured to them as he held out coins. Needless to say, the apples paired well with their lunch at a small cafe by the town’s library.

“So… this is his museum?” Briar gawked at the large, intimidating building that greeted him. Despite the funny name, it appeared to be a respectable museum and one that seemed to have cost a fortune to build. Swallowing his anxiety down, he held his aunt’s hand as they walked up the stairs to the entrance. As soon as they gave their tickets and went in, Briar has been silent the whole time compared to his aunt, who was buzzing with energy.

“Oh my, I’ve never seen a pixie’s wing before! I heard they were a mighty race who helped toil the lands along with humans before the great war occurred. How did he get his hands on such a valuable item?”

“Good afternoon, Lady Margareth and Sir Briar.” A lady approached them, all smiles, and wearing the same uniform as the staff at the ticket booth. “I was told that you wanted to see Mr. Castriel. Would you please follow me? He is in the artifacts section.”

“Oh my. That would be lovely, dear.” Lady Margareth and Briar followed the woman closely as they maneuvered past other guests to wherever Mr. Castriel might be. As they ventured further into the building, Briar found his heart racing. His suit slowly seemed to suffocate him. His feet felt like they were walking on glass. His hair, which he neatly braided, seems to aggravate his headache.

Why am I so anxious? Hold on, is this even because of my nervousness? Or is this because I lack sleep?

Taking deep breaths, Briar fought back a pained groan as he finally caught up with his aunt and the staff member. In front of them was indeed an old, skinny man wearing thin glasses. His silver hair brushed back that complemented his own suit. His aunt instantly turned to Briar, alarmed.

I knew it. He IS an old man—

Losing his footing, Briar made a grab for the nearest object which was an exoskeleton of an exotic mammal but failed to do so. He was ready to humiliate himself in front of a suitor the first time when a hand grabbed him from behind, steadying his balance. Briar did not hesitate to hang on to the person who saved him from making another embarrassment of himself, clutching to the person’s arm as he stood up straight.

“Are you all right?”

Cobalt blue eyes—bluer than the ocean he has come to love and despise at the same time—met his own pair of blue hues. For once, Briar was blown away.