Malyn finished fastening her undergarment, covering her shoulders, br*ast and stomach, then pulled the laces tightly across her br*ast and tied them securely. Looking at Layla, Malyn was slightly surprised. She had assumed Layla would be looking down, but unexpectedly Layla was staring right at her – at her br*ast in particular.

Layla’s forehead was slightly furrowed, her pale face slightly flushed, with an expression that Malyn couldn’t quite decipher; it was hard to tell if Layla was upset or embarrassed. Tilting her head, Malyn asked as she tied the last knot.

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

Layla seemed to snap out of her thoughts, looking startled before shaking her head quickly.

“No, nothing.”

“A bit bland.”

Not that she could blame her.

Talking about matters of the br*ast could easily come across as indecent to the princess. Still, Malyn wondered what had caught Layla’s attention so thoroughly, especially since there were no marks on her br*ast after she’d carefully cleaned it.

“Have you found a man to run away with?”

After slipping into a soft robe and wrapping herself in a fur cloak, she finally felt a little warmer. But her fingertips and toes were still cold, so she crouched down in front of the fireplace, warmed her hands and feet, and asked. Layla frowned slightly before answering slowly.

“…If I leave, I’ll leave alone.”

“Oh my. That would be difficult.”

She could see out of the corner of her eye that Layla’s face hadn’t softened, so she continued.

“As you may have learned in the mountains, it’s very hard for a woman to survive on her own out there. Especially for someone like you who doesn’t know the ways of the world.

It would be much easier for Layla to charm some naive man inside the castle and build a life with him outside than to try to make it on her own. That’s what Malyn thought, and today, for some reason, she felt like giving Layla some real advice. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to see the princess, who had once declared that she would rather be a maid than share a bed without love, end up the way she had.

Did that woman who sang in the theatre think that she would have to endure all those long, hard years just for singing?

But instead, Layla countered Malyn.

“…I have enough strength to protect myself.”

“I envy your innocent perspective. I thought I needed to learn more about how to live like you, but it seems that to become a princess, I don’t need to learn more – I just need to be a bit more foolish.”

Malyn had intended to be kind, but in response to Layla’s words she ended up responding with biting sarcasm. See, this isn’t my fault, she thought, raising her eyes in anticipation of Layla snapping back at her. She was prepared for an argument – but Layla’s reaction was not what Malyn had expected.

For once, Layla simply gave a bitter smile.

And then…

“…Maybe you’re right.”

“….”

“I thought that to live as a princess, I had to be sharper, more vigilant.”

Layla looked at Malyn with eyes that seemed to hold a deep pity, as if witnessing something unbearably sad.

“Perhaps… I’ve just been foolish all along.”

There was nothing Malyn could say. She couldn’t agree with Layla’s words wholeheartedly, but she couldn’t deny them either. In the end, Malyn stood in silence until Layla, after gathering her towel and underwear, turned and left the room.

Her fingertips remained cold.

***

Horse riding was harder than she expected. Keeping her balance on the horse was difficult, and wearing the trousers was just as challenging. The first time Malyn tried them on, she wobbled a little – which was understandable, as it was the first time she had worn such tight trousers. The men of Dion wore loose trousers that puffed out at the bottom, but the men of Veldam wore much slimmer ones.

It was also the first time she wore trousers instead of underpants in Veldam.

“These trousers are so tight, it feels weird. How do you even fasten them?”

She muttered as she struggled to get them on. When she finally managed, the waist was too big. If she adjusted them to her hips, the waist was too loose; if she adjusted them to her waist, she couldn’t breathe. Malyn tucked her fist into the waistband and spoke to Layla.

“I’ll need to get a belt. Look at this—I can fit my whole fist in here.”

Of course, Layla was the last person to have that kind of practical sense. So Malyn asked Anessa to bring her a belt. When Anessa heard that Malyn was going to ride a horse, she offered to accompany her, but once again Malyn turned her away, leaving Anessa with a disappointed look on her face.

“I know Your Highness cherishes the maid you brought from your home, but you’re so harsh with us.”

‘As if you were the only one disappointed? Thinking of Nadia, who still looked half asleep, and Anne, who hadn’t come at all.’

Malyn swallowed the words she wanted to say to Anessa.

However, the trousers that hugged her hips still felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed – she was a girl who had wandered the streets, after all. It wasn’t like she’d never worn trousers before. As she clumsily mounted Paradi, the horse responded with an exasperated, “Oh, heavens!”

“Look at how clumsy this girl is! Could you maybe loosen up a bit?”

Malyn replied indifferently, whispering so no one else could hear.

“If anyone overheard, they’d think I was a crazy girl doing naughty things with a horse. Your back isn’t going to break just because I grab my legs a bit tighter, is it?”

“Oh, you crazy girl! Is there anything you won’t say?”

“Well, even if no one else hears, you make me out to be a crazy girl. Either way, it’s a shame you have to carry a madwoman. Now let’s go.”

At Malyn’s playful remarks, Layla, who was holding Paradi’s reins, chuckled slightly. It had been so long since Malyn had seen her smile that she raised her eyebrows in surprise. She’d almost thought the princess had forgotten how to smile, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Mounted on Paradi, Malyn rode slowly out of the inner castle, swaying gently as she went, just as she had when she first arrived at Veldam Castle through the mountains. Back then, she’d been more like a cargo strapped to Paradi’s back than an actual rider, so this was really her first real ride.

Paradi squealed in protest the whole way and Malyn did her best not to fall off. By the end of the morning’s ride, she was sore all over. Not from falling, but from gripping the reins so tightly that her palms were scraped raw and her legs cramped from too much tension. The headache from clenching her jaw was an extra burden. She managed to relieve the cramps by massaging her legs, but her raw palms wouldn’t heal just from rubbing them.