When she awoke after what felt like a lapse into unconsciousness, sunlight streamed through the small cracks in the hut’s window. The fireplace still gave off a soft, lingering glow from the embers. 

It seemed that Kallian had tended the fire all night to keep it from going out. 

Proof of this was the low chair that had originally been placed in the corner of the hut, but was now placed between the fireplace and the fur-wrapped Elliope. 

He must have sat there watching the fire. 

“My lord?” 

But the chair was empty now. Only the still warm poker was propped against it, as if it had been left there after tending to the flames. 

“……” 

A sudden wave of fear gripped Elliope’s shoulders. 

‘Has he left?’ 

It would make sense if he had. 

A woman sent by the royal family to marry his lord had pressured him to betray his master and demanded that he take her as his own. 

‘And that’s not all…’ 

She had worked so hard to set the mood, only for her own impatience to ruin everything. In her rush to force something to happen, all she managed to do was hurt herself and cry. All the tension and passion she had built up was gone. 

‘He must think I’m a strange woman.’ 

From Kallian’s point of view, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to think that. 

‘If only…’ 

If only he really thought she was a strange woman and left her here, it might be better. 

Then she wouldn’t have to go to the Grand Duke’s estate. If Kallian told Theodor that the royal family had sent a madwoman, Theodor would probably confront the palace and eventually secure Princess Leanne instead. He’d lose all interest in her and leave her alone. 

And yet the memory of how Kallian had looked at her yesterday remained vivid in her mind. 

Elliope curled deeper into the fur blanket. A wave of inexplicable grief washed over her, leaving her feeling helpless and overwhelmed. 

She wished he had left her here, but the thought of him actually leaving her brought a pang of pain to her heart. 

A sudden realisation hit her – he was the first to desire her so passionately, even when her own future husband had no interest in her. 

Even if the first time had been due to the *phrodisiac and the second time had been a result of being caught up in the atmosphere, the way he had looked at her… that look… 

“…Hah.” 

But Kallian wasn’t there now. A late chill crept over her exposed body. The heat from the fireplace and the fur blanket that enveloped her like a cave could not dispel the piercing cold that seeped into her bones. 

Elliope curled up into a ball, her arms wrapped tightly around her body as if trying to retreat inward. 

Break. 

“…!” 

The sound of the hut door opening reached her ears. Instinctively, Elliope poked her face out from under the fur. 

Carrying a large wooden barrel he had obviously found somewhere, Kallian stepped inside. Their eyes met. 

“……” 

Kallian’s gaze had returned to its calm, impassive state. Elliope felt a wave of relief wash over her at the realisation that he hadn’t left, but it was quickly followed by a sinking feeling as he looked at her with such emotionless eyes. 

‘I…’ 

As she tried to read his expression, to see if her plans had truly fallen apart, the sound of a heavy thud interrupted her thoughts. 

Thud. 

It was the sound of something solid hitting the wooden floor – Kallian setting the barrel down in a corner of the hut. 

He paused for a moment, as if considering something, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a thin rope and tied it around the barrel, securing it in place. 

Various tools emerged from the pouches attached to the harness and holster Kallian always wore across his chest and thighs, as if they had always been there. It seemed that the strong alcohol he had used to disinfect her wounds the day before had also come from one of these pouches. 

Once the rope was satisfactorily secured, Kallian draped his cloak and the rest of the furs over it, letting them hang down in long folds. 

‘What is he trying to do?’ 

Moments later Kallian stepped out again, only to return with a basin of steaming water. The hot water was poured directly into the wooden barrel. 

Splash, splash. 

He repeated the process several times, going back and forth until the barrel was filled with warm water. 

Even as she watched, Elliope couldn’t quite grasp the purpose of his actions. Instead, she could only focus on the warmth that radiated from him every time he passed near her, brushing against her as he moved. 

“……” 

He paused, as if considering something, his expression pensive. 

Finally, Kallian seemed to come to a decision. He took something from his cloak and poured it into the warm water in the barrel. The soft sound of the liquid trickling and mixing with the water filled the room. 

Then he stepped back to the entrance of the hut and turned to look at her, his expression calm and unreadable. 

“…?” 

Still wrapped in the fur, Elliope looked at him with a confused expression, completely unsure of his intentions. 

Kallian’s face had settled into the sharp, restrained composure of a knight – his usual cold, rational demeanour as the Dog of Ilmos. It was as if he had regained complete control over himself, and the sight only made Elliope feel more uneasy. 

That face, so impassive and distant, made her even more tense. It was as if he was going to chastise her at any moment, warning her to stop entertaining foolish thoughts. 

The silence dragged on and the atmosphere grew more and more awkward, the tension between them heavy. 

After what seemed like an eternity of standing there, staring at each other in tense silence, Kallian finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate. 

“Do I really… have to bathe you myself?” 

His tone was, as always, slightly mocking, even if it wasn’t intended. 

At this, Elliope shivered slightly, finally realising his intention, and replied hastily. 

“The water… it’s for a bath.” 

“If you leave it like that, it’ll get cold.” 

“Ah.” 

“Do I really… have to bathe you myself?” 

The words sank in, and Elliope’s face turned crimson as she finally understood the situation. 

“It’s fine.” 

Of course, showing her body to Kallian was no longer something unfamiliar or shocking. But the thought of doing it in this context – a calm, everyday activity like bathing – made her heart race in a completely different way. 

Kallian already had a clear picture of her torso from the events of the previous night. The memory of his mouth repeatedly nipping at her br*asts and claiming them still made her toes curl. 

As for the rest of her body, while he hadn’t explicitly examined her, he had touched her bare skin with his hands, tracing it over and over again. Though he hadn’t penetrated her as he had in her previous life… 

‘…he probably knows well enough.’ 

She couldn’t shake the feeling that even if she were fully clothed, Kallian would somehow ‘see’ through the layers, as if he already knew every inch of her body underneath. 

But being bathed by him was another matter entirely. 

It occurred to her that perhaps during the bath she could find a way to seduce him again. But the weight of her failed attempt last night, so deliberate and desperate, weighed heavily upon her. 

More than anything, Kallian’s gaze had returned to a detached indifference that made her feel small under his scrutiny. 

“I’ll… do it myself.” 

The memory of last night left her at a loss for words, her voice low and uncertain as she avoided meeting his eyes. 

For a fleeting moment, Elliope felt the urge to grab Kallian and pour out everything she wanted to say. But just as quickly, a wave of shame washed over her, leaving her unable to meet his gaze. 

She thought she didn’t have to worry about his judgement, but the thought of being criticised by him made her feel like she was sinking further into despair. 

Elliope couldn’t quite make sense of her own feelings. 

“I’ll wait outside.” 

Kallian replied curtly before stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Inside, the air was now heavy with the steam rising from the warm water, saturating the room with humidity. 

“Ouch.” 

It took her some time to remove her torn and tattered clothes. For a moment she regretted not asking Kallian for help, if only to get out of her clothes. 

Although the wound on her thigh had healed considerably overnight, it still burned whenever she touched it. 

“It hurts.” 

Aware of all these thoughts, her movements slowed even further. 

‘The water will cool.’ 

With this thought driving her, she finally hurried to immerse herself in the tub. To her surprise, the water was still warm. 

It seemed that Kallian, contrary to his earlier urging for her to bathe quickly before the water got cold, had deliberately brought boiling water, knowing that it would cool to the right temperature by the time she entered. The now perfectly warm water enveloped her lower body. 

“Hah…” 

Her always beautiful upper br*ast bore faint marks where Kallian had bitten and sucked it the night before. Elliope’s gaze lingered on them for a moment before she plunged further into the water, her entire body sinking below the surface. 

Though she avoided looking too closely, she could feel a slight swelling in her lower body, a reminder of her failed attempt to hold him. The sensation, faintly throbbing and unfamiliar, carried a dull ache that resonated deep within her. 

With only her nose, eyes and the top of her head poking out of the steaming water, Elliope let out a muffled sigh, the weight of her thoughts weighing heavily on her. 

Suddenly a scent wafted into her nose – a mixture of cinnamon and the faint, smoky aroma of wood. 

‘This is…’ 

Elliope recognised the scent at once. 

It was the scent she had noticed when Kallian had covered her body as they raced through the gorge, when he had carried or supported her as they climbed the mountain path, and even when he had bitten and kissed her the night before. 

It was Kallian’s scent. 

It came from the bathwater. Whatever Kallian had thought of and poured into the tub earlier seemed to be the oil he had used himself. 

“……” 

Embarrassed, Elliope closed her eyes and hurried to finish washing. 

As she splashed water over herself and cleaned her skin, the scent seemed to seep into her completely. As she climbed out of the wooden tub, her wet body dripping, she realised that the same scent was now all over her. 

Her entire body bore the unmistakable scent of Kallian. 

Pulling back the makeshift curtain of furs and coats, she found a towel neatly laid out on a low chair. Next to it, to her surprise, was a pair of women’s underwear and a dress. 

It seemed that the torn and soiled underwear from the previous night had been discarded. 

“……” 

The dress, made of soft pink silk, looked like it would fit her perfectly. It had an air of thoughtfulness about it, as if whoever had chosen it had carefully considered what would flatter her most. 

Oddly enough, it reminded her of the dress she had worn when she first entered the Grand Duke’s mansion in her previous life. 

Elliope tilted her head slightly, finding the situation puzzling. 

‘How curious.’ 

He must have acquired it in a hurry. But where and how had he managed to find such a thing? 

“But…” 

Her voice trailed off as she reached out hesitantly, her thoughts swirling with questions and faint unease. 

In this life, she had decided not to wear such a dress when she entered the Grand Duke’s mansion, a decision she had made only yesterday. She had even felt a pang of regret at not being able to wear the black dress she had chosen specifically to provoke Theodor. 

Knock, knock. 

The sound of a knock on the hut door startled Elliope and made her jump as she turned to face it. 

“I’m not coming in.”

Came Kallian’s voice, still devoid of emotion. 

The door creaked slightly, just enough to allow something to be placed inside – a small box. 

“……” 

Thud. 

The door closed again as soon as the box was put down. 

Elliope approached it cautiously, her curiosity piqued. As she opened the box, her breath caught and her lips parted slightly. 

“Ah.” 

Inside the box was a black dress, remarkably similar to the one she had worn the day before.