After a warm, damp cloth brushed over her body a few times, Malyn finally regained full consciousness. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that Layla had tidied herself up, now dressed in fresh clothes, holding a cloth soaked in warm water as she gently cleaned Malyn’s body. Layla carefully wiped the dried traces of s*men from her stomach, and when their eyes met, Malyn gave a faint smile. In response, Layla’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“This is the first time a man has treated me like this after making love.”

“…But it’s not the first time I’ve tended to your body, is it?”

“Of course, it’s not common for a woman to treat the man she slept with like a servant or helper, is it?”

With that, Malyn leaned to the side, resting her head on her arm as she looked up at him. Layla rubbed her nose, obviously a little embarrassed.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask since earlier.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you treating me so respectfully?”

Layla paused for a moment before resuming cleaning her stomach. He carefully wiped inside her navel, causing Malyn to squirm and laugh from the tickling sensation.

“Most men start talking informally after just one night together. Don’t you feel comfortable with me now?”

At her words, Layla’s expression hardened.

“I have never once felt comfortable with you.”

“Hmm.”

As she reclined, Malyn kept her gaze on Layla, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Good. Please keep being uncomfortable with me.”

“…What?”

“You said you felt uncomfortable. Then please continue to feel that way.”

“……”

Layla would probably find this strange. Most people think it’s good to be comfortable with each other. But Malyn wasn’t like that.

“If you’re uncomfortable with me, you’ll treat me more respectfully, won’t you?”

“……”

“People tend to lower their respect for others the more comfortable they feel around them. So please continue to show me respect. Don’t get too comfortable.”

Layla laughed briefly, but Malyn was serious. She had once been a street girl, considered so low that people treated her as less than human. They thought nothing of lifting her skirt, slapping her face or ordering her around without a second thought.

She was tired of people seeing her as someone they could use as they pleased. So, Malyn thought, even if someone had taken advantage of her dozens of times, she’d prefer them to show her respect. That would at least make it bearable.

“I’ll do as you wish.”

“Good.”

Malyn waited until Layla had finished cleaning her before sitting up. She raised herself slightly and glanced down at her body. Layla had been meticulous, leaving no trace, likely aware that Malyn would soon return to the king’s bed. Not that it made much difference—even if there were a visible mark, the king paid her so little attention that he probably wouldn’t notice unless it was somewhere obvious.

Layla took out a new jacquard dress for her. It was foreign in style, with long sleeves, a high neckline reaching up to her chin, and a snug fit around her back. As Layla helped her into it, fastening the straps at the back, Malyn spoke, still facing away.

“What will you do?”

“…About what?”

“Will you leave tonight, or at dawn tomorrow?”

Layla didn’t ask, “Where to?” He just tightened the laces on Malyn’s back, then turned her around and looked into her eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“It would be better if you left in a day or two.”

Malyn started to cover her mouth to laugh, but flinched as his fingers brushed across a cut on her lip. It stung, but with Layla looking at her so seriously, it felt awkward to ask for treatment here.

“The princess has been angry since yesterday and has been throwing fits. That’s a good excuse. They’ll say that the wild princess finally trashed her room and even hit the maid she brought with her from home, scaring the poor maid so much that she ran away.”

“You…”

“Or maybe someone overheard us… Would it be better for them to think that the princess, desperate for the king’s touch, begged her maid to satisfy her, scaring the maid so much that she ran away?”

Malyn laughed as she said this.

“Then that damned king might get curious and call me back. He has a taste for strange things.”

“Please don’t.”

“Why not?”

Malyn looked at Layla, one eyebrow raised playfully.

“It’s actually a good time to go.”

“…”

“This afternoon I’ll ride out on Paradi and say that the horse has run away, so I’ll be returning on foot. Then I’ll act angry and give Anessa, Nadia and Ann a hard time. When they’re exhausted and asleep, you can slip out of the castle and meet Paradi. Then you can escape far away.”

“You!”

Layla finally raised her voice, but Malyn just shrugged, as if she’d expected this reaction.

“So are you just going to stay here and live like this?”

“…”

“It’s only a matter of time before you’re discovered. The women of Veldam may be tall and have deep voices, so you can get away with crouching and walking like that for now… but are you aware that spring is coming soon?”

Layla’s eyes flickered and Malyn grinned, a hint of amusement playing on her lips.

Looking back, it seemed absurd to have once compared him to the maiden Tristan reaching for the moon. If he were truly like Tristan, he’d have a heart cold enough to leave someone like her behind and flee without a second thought.

Layla’s body, when undressed, is unmistakably male. For now, she’s able to use the room next to Malyn’s and borrow Malyn’s bathroom, which allows her to maintain the disguise. But if she were to straighten her shoulders or stand up properly, it would be immediately obvious that her body is male. Right now, with the cold weather, everyone keeps their shoulders hunched and wrapped in thick cloaks and robes, so just by keeping her head down, people will mistake her for a woman.

But now that summer is coming in Veldam, he can’t wear a robe. It would be best if he escaped before he was caught. As Malyn had said, the timing and the excuse were perfect. Malyn had suffered under King Veldam’s attention for months, showing her hysterical state to all the maids. Though the king’s strange habits were kept secret within the castle, everyone knew about them, so it was entirely believable that a maid would run away after being mistreated by the princess.

“It may seem strange, and they may be suspicious if I don’t look for you, but what if I cut your hair a little? I could say I don’t want an ugly maid like you around, so I won’t look for you.

“Do you think I’m ugly?”

“No, I don’t mean that literally. But who wants to see a young maid with short hair?”

Layla shook her head.

“I’m not leaving.”

“…”

“You’re the one who said I am overflowing with pride. But how could I leave you?”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Malyn asked the question, somewhat irritated.

“Are you planning to get us both killed?”

Are we just going to live like this until summer? Are we just going to wait for the day we’re caught and executed, heads bowed, clinging to each other in the shadow of King Veldam, who finds pleasure in such things? Wouldn’t it be better if we parted ways, you and I, each going our own way to a happier and more dignified end? Layla looked into Malyn’s eyes as if she had heard those very words.

After a long pause, Layla sighed softly and spoke.

“I will find a way.”

“…”

“Just… please wait a little longer…”

Then Layla gently lowered her head and planted a light kiss on Malyn’s dishevelled forehead. Layla’s careful manner left Malyn speechless as she watched Layla pick up the wooden bucket of water and turn towards the bathroom.