Chapter 3

As Astrid stood absentmindedly on the platform, the departure time drew near.  

The train that crossed the kingdom boasted its grandeur and bustled with countless people.  

Astrid, feeling oddly blank, remained rooted in place, unable to climb the train’s steps. Her breath broke white in the biting cold.

She needed to hurry and get on.

Suddenly, she remembered the day Kaiden had sent her off as she returned to her hometown.  

It had already been three years, yet she wondered why she was still lingering in regret.  

She found herself pathetic for this, but strangely, her movements were sluggish.

“The train will be departing soon. You should board now.”

“Yes.”

The conductor, who had approached without her noticing, politely urged her. Astrid collected herself and boarded the train, with the conductor following behind. The heavy train gave a great jolt and then slowly began to move forward.

She felt a bit dizzy, but didn’t stop walking. If she could just get to her sleeper car and rest her eyes for a bit, she would feel better.

“This way.”

With an exaggerated gesture, the conductor showed her the splendid bedroom and neatly arranged luggage. It hurt her heart to have spent so much on booking a first-class room, but it was worth the price.

The journey from Duddingston to Tate was long, and she needed to rest well in order to deal with the aftermath of the accident upon arrival.

At that moment, the conductor extended his hand, hinting at something. Astrid smiled gently and handed him a folded bill.

“Thank you. I’ll keep your ticket for you, Madam.”

The conductor offered his kindness, but for Astrid, who had only ever ridden second-class since joining the Mason Merchant Guild, his words felt unfamiliar.

It felt bitter, as if she had forgotten the world she had lived in all her life after just a few years.

After entrusting her ticket to the conductor, Astrid locked her door securely.

Looking out the window, she saw the sky was heavily overcast. She drew the curtains tightly and lay down on the bed, soon falling asleep.

When she woke, it was 9 o’clock.

Astrid wore a travel dress suitable for the well-heated train. She wished she had some luxurious attire befitting first class, but everything she owned was plain.

Letting out a small sigh, she straightened her outfit and headed to the dining car. She thought that drinking some hot coffee while looking out the window might soothe her restless heart a little.

Astrid sat in a seat with a good view of the scenery. In the distance, she could see snow-covered mountain ranges. The sleet that had been falling since she woke had turned into thick snowflakes, drifting down like white cotton balls.

Gazing endlessly out the window, Astrid called over a waiter and ordered eggs and coffee.

She calmly checked the newspaper, but there was still no article about the landslide in the western region. It seemed Declan had been quicker than the reporters.

How extensive was the damage?

While Astrid considered the possibilities, her cup was emptied. Just as she was about to ask for more coffee, the conductor rushed into the dining car.

He, who had worn a composed smile, now looked flustered for some reason.

“Is there any passenger who can perform first aid? A child can’t breathe properly!”

At those words, Astrid reflexively stood up. She immediately followed the conductor and ran to the general car.

The place was in chaos. The child, who looked as if he might stop breathing at any moment, was gasping, and his mother had lost her composure, sobbing uncontrollably.

“My child ate a candy and can’t breathe!”

Astrid quickly rushed over to check the child. She realized she couldn’t remove the blockage from the airway with her hand, so she immediately turned the child’s head down and struck his back several times.

“Cough!”

“Oh my goodness.”

In that instant, the candy popped out of the small mouth. The child, after vomiting up everything he’d eaten earlier, slowly began to breathe, then burst into a loud wail.

A doctor arrived belatedly, checked the child, and said the crisis had passed.

Only then did Astrid and those around her breathe a sigh of relief.

The doctor beamed and greeted her.

“That was excellent first aid. Are you a medical professional?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just glad my amateur help was useful.”

She never imagined what she had learned as a general education at the Academy would be used like this. Astrid was elated at the joy of saving a life.

At that moment, someone gently tugged at her hem.

“Excuse me, but I think you should change your clothes.”

“What? Oh…….”

A stranger who appeared to be a noble young lady had her blonde hair down, wore an elegant dress, and had a milky-white pearl necklace around her neck. In its center, a locket pendant shone brilliantly.

Her cheeks were flushed, likely from being startled by the incident. Behind her stood a noblewoman with a stern expression.

“Ahem.”

When the noblewoman cleared her throat, Astrid suddenly realized she had been staring at them.

Following the young lady’s gaze downward, Astrid noticed vomit and footprints on her own skirt.

Blushing, Astrid gave a slight bow to the young lady who had pointed it out. As she tried to pass the two, a slender voice rang out.

“Would it be alright if I lent you some clothes?”

“Lady Selinger, that’s too generous.”

“Viscountess, the lady is in trouble because of her skirt.”

Astrid was flustered by the unexpected offer, but under the Viscountess’s sharp gaze behind the young lady, she couldn’t find anything to say.

Astrid looked from the young lady to the Viscountess, then gazed past them to the compartment.

The corridor was chaotic, and the child’s mother was still loudly explaining the situation to others. The floor was as dirty as Astrid’s skirt.

Would it be alright?

She was hesitant to follow a stranger, but her damp skirt was starting to smell bad.

“Please, don’t refuse.”

The young lady gripped Astrid’s hand tightly. There was no malice in those clear green eyes. However, the Viscountess’s eyes quivered as if displeased that the young lady wasn’t following her wishes.

What was the relationship between these two? Did the young lady need her help

She wasn’t really in a position to help anyone, yet she kept getting entangled with others. But Astrid’s nature wouldn’t allow her to ignore someone in need.

Her mother had always complained that she wasn’t noble enough, but Astrid had never been able to change her temperament, and because of it, her life had been swept into rough waves.

Still, this was who she was.

Once again, she couldn’t turn away someone asking for help. Astrid made up her mind and followed the young lady over the threshold into the deluxe compartment.

Entering a space so familiar from her whole life, Astrid’s chest tightened without her realizing it.

Her wistful gaze lingered over the velvet seats and thick curtains. Even the snowstorm raging outside the window seemed elegant.

“I’ll go meet the conductor for a moment.”

The Viscountess glared at Astrid, then gave instructions to the maid waiting nearby. Then she left the deluxe compartment, as if intending to find out more about Astrid.

Taking advantage of the Viscountess’s absence, the young lady sat right next to Astrid.

“Phew, now I can breathe. I was so stifled, I wanted to talk to someone my age, even for a moment.”

With her voice lowered, the young lady smiled bashfully, and Astrid’s guard softened in turn.

“Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant, but I was so scared that something might happen to that child earlier. When you came, I thought an angel had descended from the sky.”

“……An angel? Please, call me As. But weren’t you startled, being pregnant?”

“Thanks to you, I’m alright. My name is Brielle.”

Brielle smiled brightly and told her maid to bring Astrid a dress.

The maid obediently took care of the soiled clothes and tried to help Astrid change.

“It’s alright.”

Astrid gently declined and went behind the screen alone.

After putting on the dress, she came out, tied the elaborate ribbon with practiced hands, and put on her gloves. Brielle let out a small exclamation.

“It suits you so well. It looks like it was yours all along.”

“……It’s such expensive fabric, I’m nervous.”

She hadn’t noticed when Brielle was standing, but now that she was seated, her slightly rounded belly was visible.