“With so many merchants and mercenaries crossing the border recently, all the rooms are taken. There’s only one small room left. What should we do?”

“Come on, innkeeper! We’ve known each other for ages. Don’t do this to me. I’ll pay double—no, triple! We absolutely need two rooms.”

“There’s nothing I can do about rooms that are already occupied. Three men sharing one room shouldn’t be a problem, should it? It’s a bit small, but—”

“What are you saying, innkeeper? Three men? Have you lost your mind?”

Cradoc, who had previously mistaken Astrid for a boy himself, now bristled at the innkeeper’s words.

“Fine. We’ll take the one room.”

“Cal—uh, Kyle!”

Barely catching himself from calling Caleb by his real name, Cradoc let out a sigh of relief.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

Caleb’s composed question left Cradoc momentarily speechless, his face twisting into a grimace.

This was unacceptable. It was bad enough that the future duchess had to endure such humble accommodations, but now she was expected to share a cramped room with men? If Matilda found out, Cradoc was certain he wouldn’t live to see another day.

“What do you mean, is there a problem? Of course there’s a problem! How can three people possibly fit in such a tiny room?”

Cradoc’s eyes widened as he began to argue, but Caleb’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

“I… I don’t mind…”

Feeling uneasy as the tension between the two men escalated, Astrid tried to intervene. But Caleb placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

“Ah!”

As if she were a powerless scarecrow, Astrid was drawn toward Caleb, and their bodies pressed tightly together, leaving no space between them.

“Astrid and I will share a room. A small room, of course. No issue there, right?”

“Ka—Kyle, sir, that’s—!”

“So, I’d appreciate it if you would step aside. You could always sleep under the stars for another night, or join the horses in the stable. Your choice.”

“That’s not the issue—!”

Before Cradoc could finish his protest, the innkeeper interjected.

“Shall I arrange a spot in the stable? Some guests occasionally sleep there. I wouldn’t charge full price—just an extra five coppers.”

“What? Five coppers? Do you take me for a fool?”

“Let’s go.”

While Cradoc continued to squabble with the innkeeper, Caleb led Astrid upstairs. His movements were sure, as though he was familiar with the layout of the inn.

***

In their room, Caleb casually tossed their belongings into a corner. Shedding his cloak, gloves, and weapons, he stripped down to a light shirt and pants, visibly relieved.

“…Ha.”

Caleb sat on the bed, leaned back, and let out a long sigh.

“Um…”

A faint, almost inaudible voice drifted into his ears. Caleb’s eyes snapped open, locking onto Astrid, who stood uncertainly in the room. His gaze was slightly crooked, as if he found something displeasing.

“…Hic.”

“Listen, I—”

“Hic!”

“Damn it.”

“Hic! Hic!”

“…Sigh.”

With a hand pressed against his forehead, Caleb let out another deep sigh, as though at a loss. Astrid, already tense and anxious, couldn’t stop her hiccups from escaping.

“Hic! Hic… Huff!”

But her hiccups abruptly stopped. Caleb had swiftly closed the distance, his firm hands gripping her small shoulders.

He didn’t use much force, but the strength in his touch was evident. Meeting Caleb’s piercing gaze, Astrid froze in place like prey caught by a predator.

“Good. The hiccups are gone. Now, breathe.”

“…Hoo.”

“Deeper. Slower.”

“Hooo…”

“Do I have to teach you how to breathe now? Honestly, all this fuss about sharing a room with a little girl… What could possibly happen?”

His words were muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her. But the remark made Astrid’s crescent-shaped eyebrows droop, her expression wilting like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

Seeing her face, a chuckle escaped Caleb’s lips.

“At least it won’t be boring having you around.”

Whatever he meant by that, the words quickly restored Astrid’s spirits. Her drooping brows snapped back to their original shape.

“Don’t overthink. Just rest. I’ll have some food and bathwater brought up. Eat, relax, and sleep. See you in the morning, my lady.”

Before Astrid could respond, Caleb ruffled her hair lightly and left the room without another word.

Left behind, Astrid stared blankly at the closed door, her face a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. The room, which had felt full with Caleb’s presence, now seemed overwhelmingly empty.

‘What were you expecting, you fool?’

Astrid bit the inside of her lip and shook her head lightly, baffled by her own emotional turmoil.

Fluttering heartbeats, unbidden excitement, fleeting hopes, and sudden disappointments—a whirlwind of feelings churned within her. It was only much later that she realized this moment marked the beginning of a profound, unrequited love.

***

That night, for the first time in a while, Astrid dreamed.

“It’s hot. I’m so thirsty. Someone, please bring me water…”

She found herself back in the attic of the Count’s estate, where she had suffered a severe fever three years ago after completing her penance ritual.

The memories came flooding back: her first night alone in the monastery, the day she was locked in the underground prayer room without a single sip of water. These were unforgettable moments of her life, and whenever she felt utterly isolated and lonely, they returned to haunt her in her dreams.

At the end of that dream, a man always appeared. The one who had swept away the agonizing pain dragging her toward death in a single instant. The voice of the nameless savior echoed softly in Astrid’s ears.

“…Little one. No, perhaps I should call you my former fiancée…”

“Hah!”

Astrid shot upright from where she had been curled up, asleep on a hard wooden cot. For the first time, the faint, fragmented memories that had always flickered uncertainly were fully restored.

The owner of that deep, resonant voice. There was only one person in the world who could call her his former fiancée.

‘Lord Caleb, was it you?’

The man who had breathed life back into her frail body on the day of that dreadful ritual, when she had collapsed with a fever. Realizing that the nameless savior was Caleb, an overwhelming surge of emotion welled up from deep within her chest.

“Let’s call it the price of the show.”

As the scattered fragments of memory returned, the remaining pieces began to fall into place.

‘He said that and handed back the ring. Could it be… Did he witness the penance ritual?’

Back then, Astrid had stood at the lowest point of her life, at the bottom of an unfathomable abyss. The thought that Caleb might have seen her stripped bare, exposing every part of her shame and suffering, made a searing sense of humiliation prick at her tender heart.

The joy of realizing that her savior was Caleb clashed with the self-reproach of having shown him her most vulnerable side. While she wrestled with those emotions, the half-rotted wooden door creaked open with an eerie sound.

“…Lord Caleb?”

She called out, wondering if it might be Caleb, but no response came.

As curiosity took over and Astrid began to rise, a shadow darted in through the door and lunged at her.

“Mmph!”

It all happened in an instant. Too shocked to breathe, Astrid trembled violently.

“Shh. Little miss. Don’t make a sound, or you’ll get hurt. You wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty white skin of yours, now would you? Promise me you’ll stay quiet.”

The man whispered into her ear as he clamped a hand over her mouth. His damp, hot breath brushed against her ear, and it felt as if a scream would force its way out of her throat. But Astrid stifled it, the icy sensation pressing against her neck keeping her in check.

‘…A dagger?’

The man was holding a blade to her throat. Not daring to provoke him, Astrid could only blink her eyes silently.

“Good. I’ll trust you not to cause trouble. This is for everyone’s benefit, right? You don’t want to see blood, do you, little miss?”

When she blinked again, the man let out a satisfied chuckle. His white teeth gleamed eerily in the dark. As Astrid obeyed, he methodically went about tying her hands with cloth and gagging her eyes and mouth.

“Mmph, mmph!”

“Shh. Stay still, alright? It seems your companions went for a nice long walk under the night sky. They won’t be back, so don’t worry. This won’t take long.”

“…”

“Judging by how they dressed you up as a boy and left you in a cozy room, they must be quite fond of you. You wouldn’t want to cause them trouble, would you? Just keep quiet, and everything will be fine. Right?”

“Mmm…”

“That’s better. Everyone else might be fooled, but not me. I’m the sharpest man in Hestian, after all. I wouldn’t miss a scent like this.”

Disgusted by the man’s foul breath brushing against her nape, Astrid instinctively kicked at him with all her strength.

“Ugh…!”

Unlike her bound wrists, her legs were still free. But her kick didn’t carry much force.

“You feisty little thing. Quite the spirited one, aren’t you?”

The man growled, clutching his stomach where she had struck him. Then, with a snarl, he raised his hand, and a stinging pain erupted across Astrid’s cheek.

“Mmph!”

The pain wasn’t just in her cheek—it felt like her entire head was splitting apart. Astrid’s mind, which she had desperately tried to keep calm, went blank under the agony.

“Mmph, mmph! Mmph, mmph!”

She thrashed about desperately, calling silently for Caleb.

“Oh, you little brat…”

The man sneered as he watched her struggle like a helpless caterpillar, then raised his hand to strike again.

Bang!

The door, which he had carefully locked after entering, burst open with a thunderous crash.

“W-Who…?”

“…Tch. It seems even vermin like you are drawn to me now.”

The familiar voice pierced through Astrid’s terror. It was Caleb.

“Lord Caleb! What on earth is going on…!”

Cradoc, who had followed closely behind, gasped, his eyes wide as saucers.

“The owner mentioned that only men had checked into the room next door. I found it suspicious, so I came back to check. And of course, just as I suspected. What a filthy act. Tch.”

His tone was calm, devoid of any excitement, yet the pressure he exerted made it hard for the intruder to breathe. It felt as if his body would be torn apart if this continued any longer.

Thud.

Unconsciously, the man fell to his knees on the floor and began pleading with Caleb, bowing his head.

“F-Forgive me! Please, my lord…!”