Chapter 45

“Drinking on an empty stomach will upset you all.”  

“If you need more bread, just let us know.”  

The servants, who had brought beer in both hands, soon followed with steaming wheat bread, placing baskets of it on each table with precision and skill. Their movements were systematic and impressively adept.  

Was it because Rodellver was a much larger territory than Eldorff? Or perhaps because this wasn’t a remote village like Oedel but the main castle? Or was it simply because this was the largest inn in the area? The inn’s servants were all tidily groomed and stylishly adorned. Despite wearing identical servant uniforms, each had a unique flair to their appearance.  

Thinking of how she used to clumsily hide her face behind her unkempt bangs back in Selmane, Shati shrank into herself. Even their deft movements made her feel inadequate.  

And, above all else…  

“Captain, your hair has grown longer. It suits you.”  

“Hey, is the Captain the only guest here? We’ve all been wandering through the Gray Mountain Range without even shaving properly.”  

“Sir Knight has such a distinctive face that he looks the same with or without a beard.”

Could it be her?  

“Oh my, Captain, your complexion looks better. Is it because you’re on your way back to the capital?”  

Or her?  

Seeing the servants interact familiarly with the expedition, despite their brief stay in Rodellver, Shati couldn’t help but wonder who among them might have been the woman Karel had been with.  

There must have been many women like me for Sir Knight.

Among the women he met, none would have been with him longer than she had. After all, the expedition had stayed the longest in Oedel.  

‘But, if not for that incident…’  

Shati thought that if it weren’t for that horrifying incident—killing the lord’s son—Karel wouldn’t have taken her with him. Being the woman he spent the most time with on this journey wasn’t anything special. He must have had countless others like her to keep him warm at night.  

Some were likely charming conversationalists, others had sweet, coquettish voices, and still others possessed sensual figures even Shati couldn’t deny. Imagining the women Karel may have been with, Shati’s spirits sank further. Her lips felt parched.  

Before she realized it, her beer mug was already a third empty.  

“Oh, Miss, you’re quite the drinker!”  

“Drinking without even a toast, all by yourself?”  

“Take it slow; pace yourself.”  

The knights, noticing this, began teasing her jovially. As their attention turned to her, Shati’s face flushed red. Perhaps it wasn’t just embarrassment but also the alcohol she had unknowingly consumed. Having only ever sipped a few mouthfuls of beer before, Shati didn’t even know her own tolerance.  

Feeling flustered, her eyes darted nervously. The knights, who used to treat her dismissively back in Selmane, now smiled warmly and laughed at her. She had thought they didn’t care about her at all… But come to think of it, ever since that day she first rode Karel’s horse, or perhaps after their return from the Gray Mountain Range, the knights had started speaking to her more kindly.  

Realizing this, Shati felt even more overwhelmed and awkward, shrinking further into herself.  

“Miss, why don’t you take off your hood?”  

“No one’s going to tease you about your hair being messy.”  

“Come on, you’ve worked hard all day. Relax a little.”  

Was it impolite to wear a hood at the dining table? 

Shati cautiously glanced around before slowly pulling back the hood of her robe.  

As her pale blonde hair spilled out and her face, previously hidden in the hood’s shadow, was fully revealed, an almost imperceptible wave seemed to sweep through the hall.  

A hush fell over the room.  

The movements of the Rodellver locals, who had been sneaking glances at her, came to an abrupt halt. All those eyes were clearly fixed on Shati.  

Was it because my bangs, which used to cover my eyes, had been cut short? 

The sensation of their gazes pouring over her face felt unbearably raw. With nothing to do about the hood she had already removed, Shati could only shrink her neck and lower her head.  

They must think, “What’s a country girl like her doing with knights from the royal capital?”  

Though the truth was far from that, her already shrunken confidence only made her sink deeper into such thoughts. With nothing to hide her face, she buried herself in her beer mug. She couldn’t tell how this beer differed from what she had sipped in Selmane, but it tasted particularly bitter now.  

The persistent stares felt like needles prickling her, and the murmurs from afar sounded like they were all gossiping about her. To drown out the anxiety tightening her chest, Shati continued to sip her beer.  

“Go upstairs.”  

“…Pardon?”  

Startled by the sudden voice, Shati looked up in surprise. Beside her, as if he had never spoken, Karel sat with his arms crossed, glaring only at the beer mug in front of her.  

Just as in Selmane, it seemed the beer here didn’t suit his taste; he had barely sipped it. His tightly closed lips made it hard to believe he had said anything.  

Yet, the icy aura emanating from him was palpable. It was clear the command was directed at her, but his coldness in ignoring her question was almost tangible. Was he embarrassed to be seen with her? Shati’s heart sank.  

Or perhaps… tonight, it’s someone else, not me…  

Shati’s trembling eyes filled with shock. 

Ah, that… 

So many words rose to her throat but were swallowed back down.  

Perhaps noticing her expression, Karel glanced at her face briefly before his voice rang out even harsher.  

“Go upstairs.”  

“Ah, Captain, but Miss hasn’t eaten yet.”  

“She hasn’t had a proper meal all day.”  

“We’re used to skipping meals while traveling, but still…”  

“Then send her up with someone.”  

Karel’s tone was resolute, leaving no room for argument. The knights, who had tried to add their own comments, fell silent, looking sheepish.  

What, is he afraid her face will wear out?  

He’s stingy to the core.  

The mercenaries, who had relatively less respect for Karel, grumbled openly. Even the knights from the Montferdia Order, though silent, exchanged knowing smirks, clearly sharing similar thoughts.  

“Excuse me, innkeeper.”  

Winden, who had been observing the scene, raised his hand to bring order. The innkeeper, who had been meticulously supervising the servants, hurried over.  

“Please escort this young lady to His Grace’s room and serve her meal separately.”  

“Oh, understood.”

The innkeeper’s courteous response was accompanied by a subtle glance at Shati. Though it was merely the gaze of a merchant assessing how best to serve a customer, Shati, who had been feeling overwhelmed all along, interpreted it as a form of reproach.  

How dare someone like you accompany such an esteemed person.  

It seemed to her that the innkeeper’s unspoken thoughts echoed in her ears. Perhaps he was displeased that she was attached to Karel like an unwanted burden, despite having attendants ready to serve him. After all, the mercenaries’ tales she overheard while working in Selmane often included stories of women selected from villages being sent to the beds of those who returned victorious after slaying magical beasts. While many of those stories were exaggerated or embellished, Shati couldn’t discern the truth.  

She didn’t want to leave things as they were.  

Moreover, while it was easier to blend in among the knights for now, she would have to endure the innkeeper’s gaze alone as she was guided to the guest room. Couldn’t she just stay here?  

“But, um…”  

“Shall we prepare warm bathwater for you as well?”  

“That would be appreciated.”  

Before the innkeeper even noticed Shati’s timid objection, he eagerly complied with Winden’s orders. Shati was left on the verge of tears.  

* * *

Karel entered the room while Shati was sitting on the windowsill, sniffling.  

Her flushed face, heated from the alcohol, was streaked with faintly shimmering tears she had wiped away numerous times. Her damp hair hung loosely, and her bathrobe, tied clumsily, gaped open to reveal her navel. Through the loose neckline, the curve of her chest and the soft flesh of her inner thighs peeked out.  

Karel’s gaze, scanning the scene, grew visibly tense.  

The innkeeper’s judgment had been the issue. Determined to treat Shati well as Karel’s woman, the innkeeper had sent beer along with her meal, assuming she enjoyed it since she had been sipping beer throughout her time in the hall.  

As for Shati, unable to enjoy the meal, she had only finished the beer.  

Fiddling with the wool shawl Selma had tied around her neck, Shati gazed down at the bustling night view of Rodellver, far more vibrant than Oedel’s, while continuously wiping her cheeks.  

It was a delayed sorrow. Despite appearing composed while bidding farewell to the people of Oedel, Shati had merely been too overwhelmed by the experience of her first goodbye. She had almost cried when receiving Selma’s gift but mounted her horse immediately afterward, quickly leaving Selmane and the outskirts of Oedel behind.  

Everything that had surrounded her life flashed by like the bare trees of the brown forest, reduced to mere remnants of the past in an instant.  

At the end of such a whirlwind journey, Shati found herself in a luxurious inn room within a grand castle, with no trace of her life from just half a day ago.  

The room, silent and empty after a day of constant movement, felt starkly quiet and desolate. Though she had soaked in a bathtub far larger and more opulent than the one in Selmane, she didn’t feel inclined to enjoy the luxury for long. The meal, far superior to anything she had eaten in Selmane, remained mostly untouched.  

The realization that her life had been entirely uprooted left a bitter taste. Only after receiving Selma’s final gift and being dropped into this unfamiliar place did the reality truly sink in.