“Go out? Where?”

When Ir questioned with her eyes, Nergal answered as if it were obvious.

“We need to prepare suitable things for you to frequent the palace from spring.”

At his answer, Ir looked toward the room where clothes were hanging.

Though they might have been hastily prepared as they didn’t fit her perfectly, this villa already had plenty of excellent clothes and accessories.

Although she hadn’t tried them on yet, anyone with eyes could see how fine they were. Even the clothes she was wearing now were unbelievably soft and light. And being beautiful on top of that, they must be quite expensive. So she had thought it would be enough to get through the spring social season.

“Don’t tell me you think what’s hanging there is sufficient?”

“…”

Does this man read minds?

As Ir quietly averted her gaze while thinking this, Nergal smiled and said.

“Those were hastily prepared and aren’t particularly good. Above all, they weren’t made with you in mind, so they can’t possibly suit you properly. So let’s go prepare properly for spring’s social season.”

“But it’s probably too late to go now.”

Thanks to her guard duties, Ir knew a thing or two about how the social scene worked. One had to prepare quite early for the spring social season. Otherwise, various workshops and dress shops would already be fully booked and not taking new orders.

Nergal stood up and moved behind the sofa where Ir sat. Then he wrapped her hair around his hand. A look of rapture passed across his face, unseen by Ir.

“Ir, you’re going to be with me now.”

Nergal bent down to kiss her hair and whispered.

“I should make sure you understand what that means.”

***

When told to prepare for going out, Seviti rushed over and sat Ir down to begin grooming her. Another quiet maid helped Seviti with her preparations.

The maid neatly brushed out her long hair before starting to tie it in an intricate braid. Seviti lightly applied fragrant powder to Ir’s face with a brush.

“You’re so beautiful, there’s hardly anything for me to do.”

She felt awkward moving her hands. Properly facing Ir this morning, Seviti was convinced. The reason her lord hadn’t had any lovers until now wasn’t due to lack of interest, but because his standards were too high.

‘According to Ishin, he brought her from Lagash…’

Seviti had worked not only in various noble houses but also in imperial villas. As such, she had seen women from Lagash several times before.

They could be divided into two types.

First were the gaudy, vulgar, and lustful ones, like flowers that bloom most brilliantly in midsummer yet contain poison. The other type were like flowers that bloomed wrongly in midwinter, pale in appearance and quietly withering away without even making loud sounds.

Ir’s appearance was closer to the latter. That’s why Seviti found it surprising.

Wasn’t Nergal’s mother also someone who had been dragged to the palace like that? Though she wasn’t a woman sold from a lawless area like Lagash but rather a daughter of a provincial noble, her father had willingly given up his daughter for the vast territory the Emperor granted. In truth, she was no different from someone who had been sold. She withered away and died after giving birth to Nergal.

Knowing this fact, Nergal wouldn’t have chosen the same tragedy…

She wasn’t disappointed. She was thoroughly a servant. She was just puzzled that her lord had made a choice different from his usual.

But this morning, after properly greeting Ir, Seviti realized she had judged only by appearances.

Though delicate in appearance, Ir was quite dignified. She neither hesitated nor watched others’ reactions. Yet she didn’t make excessive demands or shout irritably either. Above all, what stood out most to Seviti’s eyes was that there was no waste in any of her movements and her posture was correct.

Such people were one of two things. Either they had received harsh education or military training.

But if someone had received military training, traces of those vigorous times would show on their body. So Seviti thought the new lady she served must be a noble lady who had ended up in Lagash due to various circumstances.

At any rate, she was relieved that Nergal hadn’t oppressed another person.

With Seviti and the maid working together, preparations finished quickly.

“Please let us know if there’s anything not to your liking.”

When the two bowed and said this, Ir quickly shook her head. Her reflection in the mirror looked no different from the beautiful women she had often seen in the palace.

‘They all took hours to prepare!’

To be made up this perfectly in less than half an hour! Ir went outside, genuinely impressed by Seviti and the maid’s skills.

“Already finished…”

Nergal, who had been waiting in the corridor looking at documents, raised his eyes. Then the moment he saw Ir, he let out a long sigh, almost throwing down the documents he was holding before approaching her.

Nergal’s hand brushed Ir’s nape, clearly exposed with her hair tied up. Ir saw his Adam’s apple bob significantly.

She thought she had gotten used to it, but Nergal’s displays of desire always felt unfamiliar. And each time, it made her think about how extraordinary this new body, this shell she had acquired, must be.

‘He used to hate it.’

When they were young.

He had shouted that it was annoying how she looked neither male nor female.

He had said that when the Empire conquered Levant, someone like her would surely be taken as a slave.

It was the same afterward.

After being burned, Ir couldn’t see Nergal until she returned to the palace. Though he could have met her immediately if he had looked for her, he remained hidden as if avoiding her, never appearing even once.

Even after entering the palace, when they first encountered each other, he had turned away abruptly as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have. There was no greeting, of course. Ir still remembered his expression that had twisted upon seeing her then.

After Ir became the vice-captain, he would frequently summon her over issues with the 9th Knight Order, but during all that time, Nergal never once asked how she had been or if she was doing well.

Because of this, Ir learned that indifference could hurt someone more than contempt. Though it didn’t matter much anymore.

At any rate, because of their past relationship, it felt awkward now when he looked at her with such an intense gaze. Then suddenly she thought.

‘What if I return to my original appearance?’

This appearance was changed by the Holy Sword’s power. Though she didn’t know what had happened to the Holy Sword, it would eventually hide its power again. Then wouldn’t she return to her original appearance?

Just thinking about it made her dizzy. It wasn’t that she disliked her original body. It was just that if that happened, Nergal would have no more business with her, and it would be impossible for her to sneak into the palace as well.

‘I should try my best with His Highness while I have this appearance.’

Then maybe even if her appearance returned to how it was before, she might still receive a little help.

Thinking this, Ir said to Nergal.

“Should I undress now?”

This was Nergal, who hadn’t given her time to wear clothes throughout their journey to the villa. He hadn’t been beside her yesterday, so his carnal desires might have built up. Now that they were at the villa, he might want to go all the way.

Going to the dress shop probably wasn’t something he cared much about anyway.

Ir began unbuttoning her top one by one. Just as she was about to undo the third button, Nergal grabbed her hand.

“That’s enough.”

His voice wasn’t excited or unsteady. With a face that had turned cold as if he had been insulted, he rebuttoned what Ir had undone.

“Don’t rush.”

Then he immediately turned and walked away alone. Ir followed, wondering if perhaps he preferred undressing her himself rather than having her undress on her own. What’s wrong with him, really?

***

The carriage carrying the two quickly left the villa.

Looking at the receding Ishin, Ir thought. He hadn’t recognized her at all.

‘If Lord Ishin couldn’t recognize me, there won’t be any problems with others.’

After the 9th Knight Order and Nergal, Ishin was probably the person who had met with Ir most frequently. When he saw Ir being summoned, he would tell her sympathetically, “Lord Nergal isn’t in a good mood today.” Each time, Ir would reply, “Has he ever been in a good mood?”

On days when Ir had to stand for long periods, he would bring a chair in advance, and when she was seated, he would even bring tea and snacks.

Yet besides hesitating slightly when saying the name Ir, he showed no sign of recognizing her.

Having shed one worry, Ir looked out the window before turning to observe Nergal, who had been quiet since getting in the carriage.

He seemed lost in thought. He would occasionally sigh. Knowing that trying to start a conversation at times like this had never ended well, Ir remained quiet until the carriage stopped.

Perhaps because it was more comfortable than when they were coming to the villa, or because she had eaten well since morning. Sitting quietly, her eyes began to droop.

When she opened her eyes again at a bumping sound, she realized she was using Nergal’s shoulder as a pillow.

“I’m sorry!”

The moment she realized this, Ir immediately sat up. Then she remembered how things were before she fell asleep. Nergal had definitely been sitting across from her. So why was he beside her now?

Anyway, she felt a bit embarrassed. Even though she had been close to Nergal all this time, she hadn’t noticed him move, and even fell asleep using his shoulder as a pillow.

“I must have let my guard down too much.”

Even if she couldn’t revive her old instincts, how was this any different from an ordinary person?

She thought Nergal would find her pathetic too…

“It’s fine.”

Unlike his coldness before she fell asleep, now he was even wearing a soft smile. Ir looked at the documents placed in the corner. Perhaps there had been some good reports?

Meanwhile, the carriage’s swaying stopped. They had reached their destination.

The moment she looked outside, curious about where they had arrived, Ir’s eyes widened.