“Wait…!”

At that moment, men who had been outside returned one by one, dragging women with them. The men whistled when they saw Evelyn.

“Lord Andrew? You’ve already found a woman? Then can we have fun with these women?”

“Do as you please.”

During his conversation with his subordinates, Evelyn had disappeared. Andrew raised one corner of his mouth in a devious smile. Now that she had caught his eye, Evelyn had nowhere to run.

When Evelyn returned to her room, the innkeeper who had been waiting immediately confronted her.

“What? Why didn’t you drive out those bandits?”

“They’re not bandits.”

“What do you mean they’re not bandits…”

He gaped in confusion. Just then, Sarah, who had borrowed the inn’s kitchen, entered the room carrying food. She placed the dishes on the table and called to Evelyn.

“Please eat.”

“Yes.”

As Evelyn sat at the table, Sarah took a seat across from her and picked up a spoon. The innkeeper spoke with a puzzled expression.

“Then what are they?”

“Mercenaries. And the man in the suit is a nobleman.”

“Ah… I see. If he’s a nobleman, it’s best not to get involved.”

The innkeeper gave up on driving them out and left the room. Sarah whispered to Evelyn as she ate.

“I heard those bandit-like men have been dragging all the village maidens to this place. It seems quite serious.”

“…They’re men who came to capture us on His Majesty’s orders.”

“What? …Really?”

“Yes.”

Since they were acting on the Emperor’s orders, no one could touch them. Doing so would be considered rebellion against the imperial family, leaving no defense against charges of treason. Sarah pushed out her lower lip.

“I wish you would run away, Lady Evelyn.”

“…”

“The Emperor doesn’t trust you, yet you’re always concerned about him.”

Evelyn smiled awkwardly. She didn’t want to speak ill of Hector, the Emperor of Astia. Though he wasn’t well-regarded by the public as an emperor, he was still her brother. And despite having every opportunity to kill her, Hector had chosen not to.

“Even if I’m the only one who cares, you shouldn’t talk like that, Sarah.”

“Oh, of course. I just think you’re sacrificing too much, Lady Evelyn…”

At that moment, the door opened and Andrew entered. He spoke with a swaggering attitude.

“Evelyn, we’ll be departing tomorrow. Make sure you join us.”

“…Going with my maid is enough for me.”

“Are you refusing His Majesty’s orders?”

“…That’s not it.”

Evelyn’s neck was in a precarious position. Her brother Hector was keeping her in check.

In truth, it would benefit him to kill her under any pretext, yet he merely squeezed her neck while biding his time.

Andrew stepped forward and firmly gripped Evelyn’s chin. He stuck out his tongue and licked her closed lips. Sarah’s eyes widened at the sight, but Evelyn stared at Andrew impassively.

“You should open your mouth, Evelyn.”

When Evelyn glared at him fiercely, Andrew released his hold. He moistened his lips with his tongue and shook his head.

“Ha… You’re so stiff. How will you satisfy a 60-year-old man like this?”

“…According to Hector, I just need to spread my legs in bed.”

Andrew burst into laughter.

“Kahahah! Kuhuhuhuh…! Our Emperor truly…! Haha.”

Sarah’s expression changed to one of disgust. She hadn’t seen Hector’s letter, so she didn’t know such content was written in it. The Emperor seemed to be even more garbage than she had thought.

When Andrew stopped laughing, his blue eyes turned cold as he looked Evelyn up and down. His gaze fixed between her thighs.

“But… you’re a virgin, right? Evelyn.”

At his words, Sarah swallowed hard. Evelyn was fundamentally incapable of lying. She was always forthright.

“…Of course not.”

“Ha…”

Andrew swept his bangs up in disbelief.

“Aren’t you afraid of the Peshar Emperor? What if he kills you for not being a virgin? Well, I don’t know if a 60-year-old man can even get it up…”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Ha, but how did you lose your virginity? Hmm? A gatekeeper? A coachman? Or did you do it yourself with a device?”

He made a circular shape with one finger and mimicked penetration with another finger. Evelyn frowned and said:

“…Now I remember you.”

At her words, Andrew’s mouth curved up wickedly. Evelyn examined him carefully. Her eyes were filled with contempt.

“Hector’s friend and the captain of the imperial guard, weren’t you?”

That explained his swordsmanship skills. His preemptive attack had been so fast she hadn’t even seen him draw his sword. If Andrew had wanted to kill her then, she wouldn’t be standing here now.

“Very close friends.”

“…Right. I heard you even brought married women to offer to Hector.”

Andrew shrugged.

“There are quite pretty women here too. If I select and bring them, the Emperor will be pleased.”

“Trash.”

Evelyn glared at him, her tone clearly condemning. But he wasn’t particularly shocked. He actually seemed to enjoy it.

“Hmm… It feels so good to hear my nickname after so long.”

What good was his swordsmanship when his character was so poor? Evelyn sighed deeply and pointed to the door.

“I’d appreciate it if you left now. I need to sleep early to join you tomorrow.”

Andrew looked disappointed but turned to leave. Though he was Hector’s close friend, even he couldn’t treat Evelyn carelessly. That was entirely due to Emperor Hector.

“I’ll try to be the one who escorts you to the Peshar Emperor. On the way, I’ll teach you in detail how to please an emperor.”

Andrew scanned Evelyn’s body with a lecherous gaze, but Evelyn remained indifferent.

“…Not necessary. It’s not my first time.”

“Ha… Fine. But it would be better not to tell His Majesty. Who knows how he might react.”

“…”

After Andrew left, Evelyn and Sarah resumed eating their now-cold stew. Sarah was itching to speak ill of the Emperor.

“I really don’t understand. His Majesty called for you because he needs you, so why does he speak that way? Marriage between spouses is sacred, but he talks about b-bed…”

Sarah couldn’t continue, finding it too vulgar. Evelyn sighed, finished her meal, and stood up.

“I think we need to sneak out tonight.”

“Lady Evelyn?”

“They won’t harm me, but you could be in danger.”

“Ah…”

Sarah had just turned 20. She was inexperienced and innocent, making her an easy target for Andrew’s deception. Though Andrew appeared gentlemanly on the surface, he was actually a terrible person. He thought nothing of sacrificing others for his own benefit.

Now Evelyn remembered.

When she met Hector, Andrew always stood beside him. Whenever she felt a sticky, unpleasant gaze, Andrew was invariably the source. Noblewomen avoided him, but women who approached him, captivated by his appearance, were typically passed from Andrew to Hector.

Occasionally, she noticed people using Andrew to gain access to Hector. Gambling, alcohol, women—Hector had learned it all from Andrew. Evelyn resented Andrew. If not for him, Hector’s reputation wouldn’t have hit rock bottom.

‘Then Hector might not have felt inferior to me.’

Without that, he might have governed well. Evelyn lay down on the bed to get some rest. Looking up at the ceiling, the old wooden beams reminded her of her night with Jenkins. It had been painful and difficult then, but now she longed for his embrace again.

She missed his skin, his scent, his warmth so much that she might not be able to sleep. Being with him had temporarily banished her loneliness.

If she hadn’t traveled so far, if she were still at the border, she might have sought out Jenkins on her own. Begging him to hold her.

Because of him, she now knew how lonely it was to sleep alone.

* * *

At midnight, the two women went to the inn’s stable. They were puzzled to find not a single horse there. Sarah looked at Evelyn with anxious eyes.

“What should we do? We don’t have money to buy another horse…”

Sarah managed their finances, and after paying for lodging and meals, they barely had anything left.

“Do you think the innkeeper stole our horse?”

Sarah whispered to Evelyn. Just then, someone emerged from behind them, clapping their hands. Even in the dark night, Andrew’s red hair stood out. His eyes gleamed maliciously, and rough mercenaries stood behind him.

Andrew walked up to Evelyn and pushed her well-shaped forehead with his index finger.

“What’s going on here, Evelyn? Surely you weren’t trying to escape, disobeying His Majesty’s orders?”

“…You hid our horse.”

Andrew shrugged. The extremely annoying gesture made Sarah frown. One of the mercenaries behind Andrew grabbed Sarah by the waist.

“Kyaak!”

Sarah struggled in surprise, but it was useless. The unshaven, bearded mercenary rubbed his face against hers. Sarah’s skin crawled with disgust.

“L-Lady Evelyn…!”

Sarah instinctively called out to Evelyn. When Evelyn tried to go to her, several mercenaries blocked her path. As Evelyn reached to draw her sword, Andrew grabbed her wrist. He raised the corner of his mouth loosely.

“…Evelyn, do you want to save your maid?”

Evelyn stared at him intently, waiting to hear what he would say. Under her gaze, the tips of Andrew’s ears turned red. He suddenly stammered and looked away.

“…It’s embarrassing when you look at me like that.”

He was a strange man. He would examine her body with a sticky, lingering gaze, but when their eyes met, Andrew would turn away. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t remembered him, Evelyn thought.

“Huu… Let the maid go.”

At Andrew’s command, the mercenary reluctantly released Sarah. The moment she was free, Sarah ran and hid behind Evelyn. Andrew stroked Evelyn’s silver hair.

“We’ll leave early tomorrow morning… Get a good night’s sleep. Don’t think about running away.”

“…I won’t.”

“Evelyn, you’ll ride on my horse.”

Hearing this, Evelyn remained silent, but Sarah behind her turned pale. This meant Sarah, who couldn’t ride, would have to share a horse with one of the mercenaries. 

Evelyn didn’t like this either, but she had no choice. They had failed in their attempt to leave secretly at night because they didn’t want to travel with these men.

In the end, Evelyn and Sarah returned to their room and had no choice but to lie down on the bed and try to sleep.