“What are you doing right now…!”

Cervel looked up at her from below the bed.

“Relax your leg.”

He gently took hold of her leg and gave it a shake. As Amel watched him, Cervel poured water over her leg, dampening her right calf.

“What are you doing?”

“Your skin is sensitive, so I’m washing it off.”

Cervel pressed a towel to her calf and finished rinsing it.

“Hold your dress properly.”

“Ah!”

“Miss Amel, pay attention.”

Cervel gestured for her to pull her dress back up. Amel gathered her dress and looked down.

No wonder her leg felt like it was burning; red dots were scattered across her right calf.

“What are all these?”

Amel asked, pointing at the spots. There were four small dots running in a straight line down her calf.

“A spider bit you.”

“Spiders have mouths?”

“Of course. You’re stating the obvious.”

“No, I mean…”

What Amel meant was whether spiders were always this dangerous.

“…It won’t leave a scar, right?”

“Yeah. Probably.”

“Probably?”

“Usually, it doesn’t leave a scar. But if you scratch it because it’s itchy, it will.”

Amel was unconsciously touching her leg. Cervel looked down at her and scolded her with his eyes.

“Don’t touch it.”

“Ah, yes? Yes.”

“Your skin is thin, so touching it could make it worse.”

Cervel reached into the pocket of the coat he was wearing and pulled out an ointment. It was a yellow, semisolid ointment.

“……What is that?”

“Medicine for insect bites. Lift your dress.”

This time, Amel obeyed without a word. She lifted her dress as he instructed, and Cervel scooped up some of the ointment with his index finger and applied it to her leg.

“Ah!”

“Don’t be such a baby.”

Amel flinched at the ticklish sensation. The moment his hand touched her skin, the tips of her toes tingled as though she were being tickled.

He applied the ointment all the way up the inside of her thigh.

‘So I was bitten five times, even up to my thigh.’

She had been bitten quite a lot in such a short span of time.

“It’s not too bad, though.”

Cervel continued applying the ointment to the bites as he spoke.

“Your skin is sensitive, but since it was a baby spider, it should settle down quickly without causing inflammation.”

“Really?”

“If you’re lucky, it’ll go down within an hour. At the latest, it should be gone by the end of today.”

Once he had finished applying the medicine, Cervel closed the lid of the ointment. He slipped it back into his coat pocket.

‘Is it just my imagination?’

Her skin did seem less itchy.

“Stay like that for a moment.”

“……Do I have to keep sitting like this?”

“Until the medicine dries.”

Cervel tidied up the things around him, turning his back to Amel.

Amel asked, looking at his back.

“It doesn’t have poison or anything, right?”

“Poison?”

Cervel didn’t even turn to look at her.

“No poison.”

‘Thank goodness. It isn’t poisonous.’

Cervel brushed off her concern as though it were nothing, easily putting her mind at ease.

“Where did you get the medicine?”

“I happened to have it.”

Amel awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her dress, watching him cautiously.

He gave her a pointed look.

“Now you’re worried about propriety?”

“It’s just that I seem to show this side of myself so often in front of Your Grace.”

“This side of yourself?”

His lips moved as though he were repeating her words.

“I mean, an undignified side.”

“Bit late for that.”

‘It was rather late to start worrying about appearances now. After behaving so shamelessly and having her fill of fun, she suddenly wanted to preserve her dignity……’

“My face is burning.”

“At least you’re not bored.”

“Pardon?”

“Your dress is slipping. I went to all the trouble of applying the ointment, and you’re about to smear it all over your clothes.”

Cervel pointed toward the fabric sliding down her legs. Since her skirt was long, it had gradually slipped down on its own.

Amel fiddled with the hem of her dress and glanced around the room.

“Why are you looking around like that?”

“Because the room looks exactly like ours.”

“An inn room is an inn room.”

Cervel dropped into the chair at the desk. The chairback creaked loudly beneath his weight.

“Any other discomfort?”

“Pardon? Ah, no.”

“Good. Don’t scratch your legs. Leave them alone, and go once the ointment has dried completely.”

Amel left her legs exposed and rolled her eyes restlessly. Feeling awkward just sitting there, she gently swung her legs.

‘The ointment should be dry by now……’

She tentatively touched her skin and found that it had dried completely.

After carefully checking Cervel’s reaction, Amel quietly lowered her dress and climbed off the bed.

The springs creaked beneath her.

Amel carefully brushed her skirt off with a few light pats.

She thought Cervel might turn around and say something, but fortunately he remained silent.

“Um……”

Amel cautiously called out to him from behind.

“Leaving?”

Cervel turned around and asked. He only turned his head halfway.

Amel gave a small nod.

“Yes. I’ll head back to my room now.”

“Go ahead.”

Cervel casually waved her off.

“Thank you for everything today.”

“You’re welcome.”

Amel closed the door behind her and left.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but her steps felt lighter as she walked away from his room.

***

Fortunately, the reddish spots on her leg had completely disappeared by the next day.

However, she was so shocked by the memory of a bug crawling inside her dress that she stayed in her room for a while and didn’t venture outside.

Not that she could have gone anywhere anyway. It was still raining.

She ran into Cervel from time to time, of course. But even calling it a ‘meeting’ seemed like an exaggeration.

Whenever they crossed paths in the inn, they simply exchanged greetings and ate together at mealtimes.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

“Are you here to eat?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s eat together.”

“All right.”

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Yes. Are you going to eat?”

“Yes. I had a late lunch.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

Before long, they had naturally fallen into the habit of looking out for each other at mealtimes.

He suggested they meet casually whenever they crossed paths, and that’s exactly what they did — nothing more.

As a result, they ended up seeing each other only at mealtimes, much like siblings.

In fact, Amel grew closer to the soldiers than she did to Cervel.

Whenever they met at the inn, she naturally ended up eating and drinking with the knights of the Grand Ducal House.

Since it was raining and they couldn’t go anywhere anyway, she let them relax and enjoy themselves.

Naturally, the idea of travelling together came up.

“Your Grace happens to be heading the same way as well. Yes, understood.”

Since they were all headed in the same direction anyway, no one found it strange.

And just like that, two weeks had already passed since they arrived at the inn.

“We’re finally leaving. Ah, the rain really did stop.”

The sky had cleared. The morning air was crisp and clear, though it was still rather chilly.

“My lady?”

Lilline called out to Amel.

“Hmm? What?”

“You’ve been staring into space. I’ve been calling you, but you didn’t hear me.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Amel shook her head and turned toward Lilline.

“Why did you call me?”

“My lady, I brought you some motion sickness medicine.”

Lilline held out the medicine.

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

Amel took the medicine and stretched.

“By the way, how’s your cold?”

“It’s completely gone. I’m perfectly fine!”

“That’s a relief. I was worried because it seemed to be lasting so long.”

“I rested for two whole weeks. I’m completely recovered.”

Lilline took her motion sickness medicine as well.

“Come to think of it, I’m more worried about getting motion sick than anything else.”

“At least the rain has stopped, so we can keep the windows open on the way.”

“That’s a relief.”

“We should look on the bright side. It’s a trip, isn’t it? Let’s think of it as a trip.”

The rain had actually stopped a week ago. However, they hadn’t been able to leave immediately because of the risk of landslides, so they waited another week after the rain stopped.

In the end, they had stayed at the inn for about two weeks.

“You’re leaving now?”

The madam happened to come out of the inn just then.

“Yes, madam. The weather has cleared up, so we should get going.”

“Why don’t you have lunch before you leave? You’re in such a hurry this early in the morning.”

It was seven in the morning, and the sun had only just risen, leaving the surroundings dim.

“We’ve already been delayed too long, so we need to go.”

“That’s true. You’ve been delayed for quite a while, haven’t you? Then take care, my lady.”

The madam went back inside the inn, and Lilline whispered softly beside Amel.

“She’s humming to herself.”

“I know. She must be happy.”

“She made thirty gold coins from two weeks of business. Of course she’s thrilled.”

Perhaps the madam was so pleased to have received the gold that she even packed them lunch, despite Amel never having asked for it.

“Oh my, my lady. I can see your breath!”

Amel let out a small laugh, and a puff of white vapor escaped her lips.