She briefly opened her eyes to the touch of hands groping her chest. The man who met her gaze grinned at her.

“Laura brought home another outsider… If she only brings pretty women like this, I welcome it too. Heh heh.”

No matter how much he had drunk, every time the man spoke, the nauseating smell of alcohol wafted over. She looked at Violet and felt relieved to see her sleeping quietly.

Evelyn grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him out of the bed. The drunk man couldn’t even control his own body and fell to the floor with a thud.

“Ugh…!”

Evelyn pointed the wooden sword at her waist to the man’s throat. It seemed the kind woman who had brought her here was named Laura.

“If you’re going to drink yourself stupid, sleep quietly. Why are you harassing women?”

“No, I…”

The man looked extremely troubled. When Evelyn pointed the wooden sword closer, he spoke with an aggrieved tone.

“I only came in because it’s my room…”

“What…?”

“Haha. Since I rarely come home, my sister keeps letting outsiders use my room.”

Since she couldn’t kick out the room’s original owner, Evelyn sighed and got down from the bed. However, it was still dark outside. She would be fine, but it was dangerous for Violet.

“Then we’ll sleep on the floor, so you can sleep on the bed.”

“…What? No, you even have a child, so just sleep on the bed.”

“…Then I’ll do that.”

Evelyn lay back down on the bed. After scolding him this much, the man probably wouldn’t dare approach again. The man took out a blanket from the wardrobe, spread it on the floor, and flopped down.

“Ah, but what’s your name? I’m called Mark…”

“E…”

Though the Empress Dowager had sent her, there was no guarantee Jenkins wouldn’t pursue her. She was even wearing a muffler to hide the tattoo on her neck, but what would she do in summer?

“You can call me Eden.”

“Ah… I understand. Eden.”

Evelyn closed her eyes again. She was too tired to want to pay any more attention to Mark.

The next day, her body felt light. Come to think of it, Violet hadn’t woken up even once. That couldn’t be right.

“…!”

Looking beside the bed, there was nothing where Violet should have been.

Startled, Evelyn immediately searched the floor. She searched under the bed too, but only dust came out. Her heart pounded violently and cold sweat flowed. At the thought of losing her child, she could only stamp her feet anxiously, when someone opened the door.

“Are you awake? Eden?”

Mark smiled brightly while holding Violet. Evelyn imagined hitting that face with her wooden sword and held out her hand to him. Seeing her expression wasn’t good, Mark spoke defensively.

“The child was crying so much this morning, so I took her for a little walk.”

“…”

“But it was a bit strange. The child’s hair…”

At Mark’s words, Evelyn, who had been looking at the child, raised her head. Mark slightly closed the door and approached her. Coming close, he grabbed her shoulders and whispered in her ear.

“Why is the child wearing a wig? Is it to hide that her hair is silver?”

Evelyn’s eyes widened. Mark grinned and pushed his leg up between her thighs.

“You’re wearing a wig too… Hmm, you’re being chased, aren’t you?”

“…!”

“Where is this child’s real father? Is he your master?”

“Stop…”

Just then, the door burst open and Laura entered. As soon as she came in, she hit Mark on the back of the head with the pot she was carrying.

“Ahhh!”

“Brother! Are you harassing my guest right now?”

“Wh-what are you talking about? Harassment!”

However, since Mark was grabbing Evelyn’s shoulders, there was no room for excuses.

“Cut it out! That’s why there are no women who want to marry you!”

“What are you talking about! I’m so popular!”

Mark shouted even louder, seemingly conscious of Evelyn. Laura bared her teeth and growled.

“Anyway, the guest is leaving today! She said she’s going to Pampos Village, so she’ll be going very far from here.”

“Ah… Pampos?”

Mark glanced sideways at Evelyn. Laura took Violet instead and said to Evelyn:

“Come eat.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

When Evelyn followed her out, Mark followed too. He bickered with Laura, then took the child back into his arms. Surprisingly, Mark seemed better at caring for the child than Laura. Violet also seemed to prefer his embrace, giggling happily.

While eating the food prepared by Laura’s parents, Evelyn watched Mark and Violet. Mark seemed experienced at handling children, and his parents and Laura looked at him strangely for doting on the child.

“Hmm… So, you said Eden? You’re going to Pampos Village?”

“…Yes.”

Evelyn kept her words brief. Mark beside her spoke toward her:

“There are checkpoints here and there, but I don’t know how you plan to get through them? Ah, recently there have been many cases of Astian slaves running away, so the checkpoints have become much stricter.”

“Oh my… Well, since you work at checkpoints, you’d be well-versed in such things.”

Mark was in charge of inspecting identity papers at checkpoints. As a civil servant of sorts, he shrugged his shoulders and looked at Evelyn.

“You get a lot of rewards for catching runaway slaves… Ah. Come to think of it, some woman tried to do body lobbying to get through without identity papers, you know? Haha.”

Laura scolded Mark while being conscious of Evelyn.

“Brother! Why are you saying such things when we have a guest?”

“I’m saying most Astian slaves are like that. Most. Of. Them.”

Evelyn ate casually, but her heart was pounding. She was also concerned about Violet, whom Mark was holding while cooing. Having the rare silver hair that Peshar people didn’t possess would make them get caught faster.

But even if she was discovered and returned to the harem, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t leave her alone. Violet was still young, making it even more dangerous.

Mark glanced at Evelyn and said:

“Eden. How about staying at our house permanently?”

He stroked Violet’s head. It seemed like he was threatening her about the wig, so Evelyn frowned. Mark’s parents looked at Evelyn and their son. They hadn’t noticed last night because it was dark, but Evelyn was very pretty and had some indescribable noble bearing.

Her behavior was also careful, and her dining manners were polite. Actually, Mark was very popular, but marriage was difficult because Mark kept rejecting women. The middle-aged couple made eye contact with each other.

“…That’s right. Eden. The child looks young too, so going to Pampos Village alone would be difficult. Wait until the weather gets warmer.”

“If she’s going to stay here, Mark, you’d have to give your room to Miss Eden?”

“Yesterday Eden slept in my bed and I slept on the floor. So we can use the same room. Right? Eden?”

Laura glared at Mark with an expression asking what that was supposed to mean, but Mark looked at Evelyn with a sly expression. Watching him continuously stroke Violet’s head, Evelyn sighed deeply.

‘…If I oppose this here, is he threatening to expose our identity?’

But the couple’s words were also right. The weather was still cold, so it would be better to move in spring. Most importantly, if it was revealed now that she was an Astian slave, nothing would work out.

“I’ll do that.”

At Evelyn’s words, Laura made a serious expression.

“No, how can an unmarried man and woman share a room? Eden! Just stay in my room.”

Fortunately, Laura was a person with her head screwed on straight. Mark glared at Laura and said:

“Can you take care of a baby when you stay up late? You wake up at the slightest sound!”

“I can do it! She’s my guest, so don’t worry about it, brother.”

“Hah…”

Laura practically snatched Evelyn’s child from Mark and handed her back to Evelyn.

“If my brother threatened you strangely, tell me quickly.”

“…Thank you, Laura.”

Thus Evelyn came to stay in Laura’s room for the time being. Mark grumbled, but seemed somewhat satisfied that Evelyn wasn’t leaving. Soon after Laura and Mark left for work, Evelyn was able to care for Violet in Laura’s room.

* * *

Laura said she worked at an inn in the center of the capital. Being on the public carriage that time was also on her way home after finishing work late. She said housing prices in the capital were expensive, so she lived on the outskirts, and her dream was to someday live in the center of the capital.

Evelyn had come outside to meet Laura. Violet was crying so much today that she walked around the village with the child strapped to her back to soothe her. While walking, she came upon the checkpoint she would have to pass through someday.

She worried about how to get through that checkpoint without identity papers. It seemed she could get Mark’s help, but it would be a bit difficult.

[Ah. Come to think of it, some woman tried to do body lobbying to get through without identity papers, you know? Haha.]

What he wanted was all too obvious. People were lined up long at the checkpoint, everyone showing their identity papers to the officials, and the officials either let them pass after looking at them or chased them away saying no. Among those officials was a familiar face.

Mark was yawning when he saw Evelyn in the distance and waved his hand.

“Eden…!”

He left his post and ran to Evelyn.

“What, Maya must be crying because I’m not there?”

Since he kept asking what the baby’s name was, she had said Maya instead of Violet. The baby had been fussing until just now, but stopped crying completely when Mark held her. Evelyn looked at Mark with a deflated expression.