The Journey of Exile Disguised as Recuperation

It was supposed to be a recuperative journey after her broken engagement. At least, that’s what they called it. In truth, she was being exiled.

She had already been riding in the carriage for three days.

“I’m back.”

As the door opened, Lilline climbed inside the carriage. Heavy rain poured in behind her. After closing the door, she took off her raincoat. Water dripped from it in steady streams. Even the dress she was wearing underneath was completely soaked through.

When she rolled up her wet clothes and wrung them out, water pooled on the floor of the carriage. She looked as though she had been submerged in water and pulled right back out.

“You went somewhere in this rain?”

“Ah, I went to ask the coachman. We’ve been on the road for twelve hours already. He said we’d be stopping at a village, so I went to ask if we were still far away.”

“What did the coachman say?”

“He said we’re almost there. Apparently, the village is just a little farther ahead. He said we’ll find an inn there and rest for the night.”

They had already been riding in the carriage for three days. Whenever it jolted and rumbled along the road, her stomach churned with nausea. “

How’s your motion sickness?”

“Hmm. It feels like I drank five bottles of wine and then got into a carriage.”

“Oh, no. That motion sickness is going to be the death of you.”

At least the inside of the carriage was better than the outside. The road was full of deep potholes, and whenever the carriage bounced over them, muddy water splashed everywhere. Even the soldiers’ faces were covered in mud.

To make matters worse, the wheels kept slipping on the wet leaves scattered across the road. As Amel pressed a hand against her chest to ease her nausea, Lilline looked at her with concern.

“It must be terribly suffocating in here, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I want to open the window, but it’s raining too hard.”

“That’s true, but… What a miserable ordeal, especially right after having your engagement broken.”

“Why? Do you feel sorry for me, too?”

“No, please don’t say that, my lady. Why would anyone feel sorry for you? Isn’t it actually a relief that you finally broke off the engagement?”

“Then why do you look so pouty?”

Lilline stuck out her lips in a sulky pout. She always did that whenever she was upset. They looked like a carp’s.

“Because I’m upset.”

“Why?”

“Doesn’t this upset you, my lady? Breaking off the engagement wasn’t even your fault…”

“What can we do about it now?”

“My lady…”

“It’s fine. Breaking off an engagement isn’t such a big deal.”

“But it’s unfair! If you had been the one to ask to break off the engagement, you wouldn’t feel this wronged… You’re the one who’s had to suffer through all of this.”

“Regardless, the engagement is over now.”

In truth, she was relieved that the engagement had finally come to an end, even if it had taken so long.

Daniel had been indecisive and reluctant to take the initiative, even when it came to calling off the engagement. Despite loving his mistress, he had hesitated to end things. Meanwhile, Amel had become embroiled in a scandalous affair.

It was only when Lady Liz became pregnant that he finally called off the engagement. Had that not happened, Amel might have ended up marrying him anyway.

He was so determined not to be seen as the bad guy that he kept avoiding making the decision. This was why he was beyond saving. His indecisive nature caused endless trouble for everyone involved right up until the very end.

“Still, aren’t you glad he at least brought up breaking off the engagement first? It’s such a relief, isn’t it?”

Amel shrugged and replied in a bored tone.

“That’s true. How dare he look at another woman when he had you? It’s a good thing he broke off the engagement, even if it had to happen this way. You did the right thing by ending it!”

Lilline chattered away as she peered around outside the carriage.

“By the way, my lady, I think we’re almost there!”

The carriage gradually slowed down. After one final jolt and a loud rattle, it came to a complete stop.

“My lady, we’ve arrived!”

They had reached the village. Someone opened the carriage door from outside and held an umbrella over the opening. Amel leaned out of the carriage and looked around.

The rain was pouring down relentlessly.

“Please watch your step when you get down, my lady! The ground is quite slippery from the rain.”

“Ah!”

While looking around, she placed her foot incorrectly and slipped. Fortunately, a soldier caught her by the arm, preventing her from falling.

“Careful! Are you all right?”

“I-I’m fine.”

Amel nodded and carefully climbed down from the carriage.

They had stopped in front of an inn.

“Is this the place?”

Amel looked up at the inn they had arrived at, which was hidden under an umbrella.

It was an old, three-storey wooden building. The sign hanging outside was so faded that all the lettering had disappeared. Thick fog obscured the upper floors, making it difficult to see beyond the ground floor.

“My lady, the wind is strong! Let’s get out of the rain first!”

Lilline called out as she followed behind her.

Just then, a raindrop fell into Amel’s eye. She decided it was best to get inside first.

Splash, splash.

With every step she took, her shoes quickly became soaked through.

As soon as they entered the inn, they saw that a fire was burning in the fireplace. Amel removed her shawl and glanced around the dining room.

Steam rose from the kitchen, accompanied by the gentle bubbling of boiling water. There were no other guests in sight. The only sound came from the kitchen, where the water continued to boil.

“The dining room is rather empty.”

Lilline took off her raincoat and looked around the dining room alongside Amel.

“I think we’re the only guests here, my lady.”

“Indeed. I wonder if there are usually no guests.”

Just then, a soldier from the advance party approached them.

“I’m afraid there are more guests besides us.”

“Is that so?”

“We’ve been told there’s one other guest staying here. My lady, please don’t stand around. Go ahead and sit somewhere comfortable.”

Amel took a seat, and Lilline sat across from her.

“My lady, have some water.”

As she drank the water Lilline poured for her, Amel asked the soldier.

“Did you secure our rooms?”

“Yes. We’ve rented the entire third floor.”

“The entire floor?”

“Even so, there are only two rooms. You can share one with your maid. We’ve rented a shared dormitory for ourselves. It’s over there on the first floor.”

The first floor had inexpensive shared dormitories, while the rooms from the second floor upward were private.

“You should eat first, shouldn’t you? It’s mealtime, so I already ordered our food. I ordered chicken soup, but if you’d prefer something else, I can have them prepare a different meal.”

“No, that’s fine. It’s more than enough. The food is already coming out, too.”

She was tired and only planned to eat a little before going straight to bed.

As if on cue, the innkeeper brought the soup out from the kitchen.

There was hardly any meat in it, just potatoes and carrots mostly. However, the vegetables had been cut into large chunks, so she quickly began to feel full after just a few spoonfuls.

“My lady, you’re already finished?”

“Mm.”

Amel nodded and wiped her mouth.

Having suffered from motion sickness just moments earlier, she wasn’t particularly hungry, and her mouth felt dry and stale.

She waved to indicate that she had finished, then tidied up her place.

“I ate quite a lot.”

“That? You call that eating?”

“You eat some more.”

“What about you, my lady?”

“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to rest first.”

“Oh, then I’ll escort you!”

Lilline stopped eating and began to rise from her seat, as though she intended to follow. Amel waved her off and gently pushed her back down.

“You said you were hungry. Finish your meal and come up afterward.”

“You’re going upstairs alone, my lady? Then who’s going to look after you?”

“Would you like me to escort her?”

The innkeeper, who had been keeping an eye on them, approached. She had just brought the last bowl of soup to the soldiers.

“Are you heading straight to your room?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll escort you there!”

“I’d appreciate that.”

As Amel followed the innkeeper, she glanced back at the group still eating.

“I’ll head upstairs first. Go ahead and finish your meals.”

“Are you going upstairs alone, my lady?”

“The innkeeper said she’d look after me. I’m tired and planning to go straight to sleep, so don’t follow me. Madam, which way is it?”

“This way, my lady.”

Amel nodded and followed the innkeeper up the stairs.

The staircase was a spiral staircase. However, the innkeeper, who had been leading the way, suddenly came to a stop.

“Madam?”

“Ah, uh… Where did I put it?”

Amel sighed. She had a bad feeling about this.

The innkeeper frantically patted down her apron, looking flustered. Then she turned toward Amel with a troubled expression.

“What am I going to do? I’m so sorry.”

Amel stared at her without saying a word.

The innkeeper looked deeply apologetic as she pleaded for understanding.

“I’m afraid I left the shared key to the guest rooms behind.”

“Where did you leave it?”

“It should be at the reception desk on the first floor.”

“…Go get it.”

“I’m terribly sorry, my lady. Please go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

The innkeeper apologized once more before turning around and heading back downstairs.

Amel had never expected to be treated like a noblewoman here in the first place. The walls and floors were old and every surface showed signs of wear and tear. Judging by the wear and tear, countless people had passed through this place. That was why she didn’t complain.

She was tired. Her head felt foggy, and her body was heavy with exhaustion.

Her whole body ached from spending so long in the carriage.

Wait, which floor am I on?

She had followed the innkeeper without giving it much thought and had forgotten which floor they were on.

There weren’t even any room numbers.

She had parted ways with the innkeeper here though, so surely this must be her destination? Hadn’t the innkeeper told her to go ahead?

Just then, she came across a pair of rooms.

There were two of them.

Hadn’t they said they had rented the entire floor?

Yet one of the doors was already open.

Amel drifted towards it, drawn by something she couldn’t explain.

Was someone inside?

There was already someone in the room.

Amel stood there, momentarily dazed.

Who is that?

A man dressed entirely in black.

His short black hair was darker than a shadow. Amel stared at him, completely transfixed.

The warm glow of the fire illuminated his body, revealing a perfectly formed physique with an air of primal strength.

As he rubbed his shoulder, the veins along his neck stood out sharply.

He sat at an angle in the chair, his spine dipping inwards and his back curving smoothly like a valley. The firelight cast shifting shadows across his back.

With his legs spread apart, he repeatedly thr*st something upwards in a firm, rhythmic motion.