The fireplace was full of firewood burning with a pleasant sound. But Yerena, sitting near the fireplace, trembled with a pale face. Seeing this, Jane brought a blanket and asked in a worried voice.

“Princess…… no, Lady Yerena. Are you cold? Should I brew some warm tea?”

“No, Jane. It’s too much trouble.”

“Not at all. Please wait a moment.”

Jane stood up and went to a small cabinet with various items on it. She took out a small brazier and well-dried tea leaves, then stole embers from the fireplace and put them in the brazier. Soon the sound of boiling water was heard, followed by a subtle tea fragrance that filled the room.

‘Like my room, the inside is quite well-furnished, unlike the outside.’

Jane looked around the room and marveled anew as she placed teacups on a small tray. She had felt it when she first entered, but to her as a commoner, this room seemed quite elegant.

‘Well, even though her country has fallen, she’s still a princess. In a way, it’s natural.’

Yerena’s quarters were quite cozy despite the worn exterior. In the innermost part of the space was a bedroom with a bed, desk, and various living furniture, and next to it was a small but private bathroom. And in the outer space, separated from the bedroom by an open arch doorway, there was a rest area centered around the fireplace, practically arranged to also serve as a reception room. It couldn’t be compared to where she stayed in the kingdom, but it was a space more than sufficiently—even excessively—well-equipped for a mere prisoner.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Thank you. And Jane, please sit down. Don’t keep standing.”

“Yes.”

Moreover, the furniture, including the couch where Yerena was sitting, though plain at first glance, was all high quality. Jane couldn’t help but exclaim as soon as she sat down on the couch that offered immediate comfort.

“Wow……”

Yerena, sitting across from Jane, raised her head at the sound. Though Jane knew Yerena couldn’t see her, she still blushed, feeling embarrassed. Noticing Jane’s awkwardness, Yerena naturally lowered her head and sipped her tea.

A brief moment passed like that. After drinking half her tea, Yerena, with a serious face, pondered something before speaking.

“Um…… Jane. I have something to ask.”

“Feel free to speak.”

Jane promptly answered. Yerena hesitated momentarily at Jane’s voice, which was no different from usual, then asked.

“……How long have you been here?”

“Since yesterday. Specifically, in the next room.”

“The next room?”

“Yes. Come to think of it, I haven’t told you yet. I heard from the priestess who brought you here that from now on, I’ll be staying in the next room to serve you.”

After separating from Yerena right after arriving at the imperial palace, Jane didn’t go to her home outside the palace. Instead, she met someone and arrived at the tower before Yerena.

“Why……”

“Pardon?”

“You said before that when we reached the capital, you’d return home and stay with your family.”

“Ah……”

For a moment, guilt flashed across Jane’s face. But she soon answered in a cheerful voice.

“The priestess asked if I’d like to work here. She said that you need to lead a religious life, and since your official status hasn’t been determined, you can’t have palace servants. Anyway, she said it would be difficult to assign a palace maid directly to you, so she made me an offer.”

“……”

“At first I was going to refuse, but the pay is quite good…… Plus, she said she’d write a recommendation letter when the job ends. With a recommendation from a high-ranking priestess, I could find work at a temple later, so I quickly agreed.”

With Jane’s explanation, the slight suspicion on Yerena’s face disappeared, replaced by sympathy. Jane was a woman who had followed her to the battlefield to earn money. Moreover, though she hadn’t heard in detail, Yerena had guessed from conversations with Jane that her family wasn’t very well-off.

“Still…… Don’t you miss your family?”

“Of course I miss them. But even if I were home, I’d still need to work to make a living.”

“……”

“Don’t make that face, my lady. She said I’d get a vacation once every few months. During the war, I couldn’t see them for half a year, so these are very good conditions. And above all……”

“……”

“……I would have been sad to part with you like this.”

Sincerity was embedded in those affectionate words. Yerena felt something welling up in her chest. She barely held back her tears and said to Jane.

“Thank you.”

In the imperial palace, Jane’s influence as a mere commoner was negligible. However, Yerena, who had been brought in as a blind prisoner and had recently endured severe violence for the first time, found comfort simply by having a familiar person by her side.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, would you like another cup of……”

Knock knock.

Just as Jane was waving her hands and trying to shake off the embarrassment, the sound of knocking cut through the warm atmosphere. Both women’s heads turned almost simultaneously toward the source of the sound.

“It’s Alicia. May I come in?”

When Alicia’s voice was heard from outside the door, Yerena nodded. Jane immediately stood up and approached the door.

“Excuse me.”

The door opened, and with a polite voice, Alicia with her snow-white hair appeared. But she wasn’t alone.

‘Ah……’

Jane’s face stiffened and she drew her shoulders together at the sight of the man in guard attire standing behind Alicia. Unlike Jane, who was extremely tense, the man showed no expression. He looked at Jane indifferently before turning his gaze to the room, specifically to Yerena.

Jane briefly hardened her face when she saw where the man’s gaze landed. But she soon stepped aside with her head bowed to let Alicia and the man enter.

‘Who?’

Alicia and the man entered the room. She heard the faint but distinct sound of heavy footsteps. Yerena noticed that someone other than Alicia had entered and her face tensed. Alicia noticed this and quickly spoke to reassure her.

“I have someone to introduce to you, Lady Yerena. This way……”

Alicia and the stranger felt closer. Yerena tightly gripped the blanket wrapped around her body at the cool scent permeating the air.

‘……I hate this.’

The hair all over her body stood on end. It felt like being dominated by a strange sense of déjà vu. Yerena trembled, barely restraining herself from telling them to stop approaching by biting her lower lip.

While Yerena was doing this, Alicia and the stranger had moved even closer to her. Alicia, who had come right in front of the couch where Yerena was sitting, bowed to the blind princess and introduced the person behind her.

“This is Sir Kian, who will guard you from today, Lady Yerena.”

“……Pleased to meet you. I am Kian of House Modre.”

At Alicia’s introduction, the strange man bowed and greeted her. As he lowered his upper body, the distance between them grew even smaller, making his low voice all the more distinct.

‘Ah……?’

Yerena’s blind eyes, as she grew pale with inexplicable aversion, widened when she heard the man’s voice. Though she had heard just a few words, it was a voice she remembered clearly. Yerena’s body relaxed slightly and she raised her head toward the man, opening her mouth.

“You’re the man from that time……”

“Do you two know each other?”

Alicia asked in a puzzled voice. However, neither Yerena, who had first shown signs of recognition, nor the man answered her question, maintaining silence for a moment.

“……I received help from him before.”

Then Yerena hesitantly opened her mouth. The day she was attacked by those disguised as Sedas resistance fighters. Yerena was certain the man was the one who had saved her that day. Though quite some time had passed, the man’s voice had remained unforgettable since that day.

“When I was attacked in the forest…… You’re that knight, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

She heard the same voice as that day from the man’s brief answer. It was moderately low and concise, feeling somewhat cold, but rather than a flaw, it was a voice where the person’s unique charm was well expressed. But something was strange. Every time the man spoke, inexplicable chills ran down her spine. At the same time, she felt the urge to run away.

Yerena unconsciously leaned her upper body backward, seemingly trying to avoid the man. Then, belatedly realizing how her attitude might appear, she stiffened.

“My thanks are late. Thank you for saving me then.”

Hiding her inexplicable aversion with effort, Yerena bowed her head to the man, conveying her belated gratitude. The man answered a bit late.

“……It was what I had to do.”

Once again, a feeling of awkwardness pierced through her head. Instantly, the nape of her neck felt cold, and a chill entered her body. Unable to endure any longer, Yerena called out to Alicia.

“Alicia.”

“Yes, Lady Yerena.”

Alicia, who had been silently observing the situation, immediately responded to Yerena’s call. Yerena turned her head away from the man and muttered in a small voice.

“……I’m not feeling well. I’m sorry, but could you leave for today?”

It was behavior that violated etiquette, like chasing away someone who had just come to greet her. But Alicia, without showing any displeasure, obediently rose from her seat.

“You seem very tired. Sir Kian. Let’s withdraw. Lady Yerena. Rest well.”

“I shall take my leave.”

The man briefly greeted her one last time. Yerena, with a pale face, just nodded slightly in response.

Not long after, there was a thud as the door closed. As the man moved away, the chill gradually subsided. Only then could Yerena relax her body, feeling the warmth of the fireplace.

* * *