“…Hmm. Five silver coins. Yes.”

Alice nodded.

“I’ll take this place.”

Zachary smiled brightly and handed over the contract.

“Excellent! Please sign this contract, and we’ll exchange the silver coins for the keys! If you need to find another house after a year, please contact me!”

“I will.”

Alice read Zachary’s contract carefully. Since some commoners couldn’t read, Zachary found this somewhat interesting.

Mariam’s lips were protruding in disappointment.

“Brother Zachary. Wasn’t there a better house?”

“…This is the best option. Do you think houses for rent at this price are common in the city? If she were buying, maybe.”

“Hmm…. Maybe buying would be better….”

“Well, everyone has their reasons.”

Zachary had been eyeing Alice’s silver necklace.

It bore the seal of a noble family, typically worn by slaves with owners. Zachary decided it wasn’t his business. There were many runaway slaves, and all he cared about was receiving the payment for a year’s rent.

Unlike most runaway slaves who had no money, Alice took silver coins from her pouch and handed them to Zachary. Seeing the heavy money pouch, Zachary’s eyes sparkled.

“If you change your mind and decide to buy a house, please contact me then too. I’ll let you know about affordable properties!”

“…I will.”

After Zachary gave her the keys and left, Alice bought groceries with Mariam at the market. She purchased plenty of food that wouldn’t spoil easily.

“What’s this? Why are you buying so much? You can just buy what you need when you need it.”

“…I won’t be going out for a while.”

“What? Why not? You’ve come all the way to the capital and you’re not going out? There’s so much more to see here than in the countryside.”

“Ah…. Well. I’ll tell you at my house tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“…Yes.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow then!”

“Yes. Thanks for helping me find a house.”

After sending Mariam off, she stocked the house with groceries and necessary items. Unlike the inn, the house had no heating, so it was a bit cold, and she wrapped herself tightly in a blanket.

‘I should visit the physician tomorrow.’

The capital surprisingly showed little difference between commoners and nobles. It seemed anyone could be treated well regardless of title if they had enough money. Of course, this might be because she hadn’t gone near the imperial palace where many nobles resided.

Alice closed her eyes. Having spent the entire day with Mariam, she hadn’t thought about Khalid, but now that she was alone, she was consumed by longing.

‘I miss you….’

She hugged the innocent blanket for no reason. But the blanket couldn’t replace Khalid’s warm body temperature.

The physician’s house, which she found using the map, was bustling with customers. Since nobles had their own doctors, physicians mainly examined commoners. The examination fee wasn’t very expensive, but medicine was costly. She thought this was inevitable due to the different costs of herbs.

‘I’m just here for a diagnosis.’

After 10 people waiting ahead of her had their turn, it was Alice’s time.

“Alice! Please come in.”

“Yes.”

Alice stood up quickly. She couldn’t use a pseudonym at the hospital. Without revealing her gender and name, she couldn’t receive treatment.

She entered the physician’s room and sat on a small chair. The physician was an elderly man with graying hair.

“Your hand.”

“Yes….”

Alice extended her wrist. The doctor closed his eyes and slowly measured her pulse. He turned over an hourglass while taking her pulse.

“…”

After a quiet moment passed, the physician said matter-of-factly:

“You’re pregnant. Would you like medicine to alleviate morning sickness?”

“…I’m pregnant?”

“Yes.”

Alice stiffened for a while. Then suddenly tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn’t even ready to become a mother yet, and she was already pregnant. She felt suddenly afraid.

‘I thought I might be pregnant, but having it confirmed by the physician, I really am….’

What should she do?

Although she should leave after receiving the diagnosis, Alice couldn’t move.

If Khalid were here now, what would he say?

‘Would he be happy since he wanted children? Or would he say it’s not acceptable because the child would be illegitimate?’

Seeing Alice crying, the physician sighed.

“…Is this an unwanted pregnancy?”

“Pardon?”

“…It’s not even two months along yet. The sooner you decide, the better. It’s expensive, but we also sell that kind of medicine. Medicine that prevents unwanted pregnancies.”

Hearing the physician’s words, Alice snapped to attention. She wrapped her arms around her still-flat stomach.

“No, no. I’m happy about this child! It’s the child of someone very precious to me.”

“…Is that so?”

The physician smiled warmly.

Alice paid the consultation fee and left the physician’s house. While walking through the market, she stopped at a fruit shop and bought some fruits. Since she couldn’t eat well due to morning sickness, she planned to make do with fruits.

‘Yes. Whether Khalid likes it or not, this child is mine. My precious child.’

She missed Khalid terribly. But if she went to Khalid, this child would follow its mother and become a slave. If she lived pretending to be a commoner like this, perhaps the child could also live freely as a commoner.

This might be better than continuing an unstable life as a concubine.

When evening came, Mariam stopped by Alice’s house. Mariam complained about back pain and how hard work was.

“With an employee suddenly quitting, wouldn’t there be more work? I don’t understand why new employees aren’t coming in. It’s driving me crazy! I know our inn has many difficult customers, but still.”

Alice poured inexpensive black tea into cups. She placed one in front of Mariam, who gulped it down, seemingly parched.

“Ouch, it’s hot!”

“…You should drink slowly. I just brewed it, so it’s hot.”

“Ugh. But it tastes good.”

“Right?”

Still, it wasn’t quite the same as the tea she had with Khalid.

‘Of course nobles would use premium tea leaves.’

While Alice was lost in thought looking at the tea, Mariam firmly grasped her hand.

“Noel!”

“…Yes?”

“Would you work at our inn instead?”

Mariam looked very desperate. Alice opened and closed her mouth awkwardly.

“Well…. Um, I….”

“The monthly salary is four silver coins! Despite appearances, our inn pays the highest wages in this area. Oh, of course, since it’s the best inn, we do have some difficult customers…. The downside is that our motto is kindness, so we can’t openly scold them.”

“Four silver coins?”

It cost five silver coins to rent this house for a year. And the monthly salary was four silver coins? Alice’s eyes widened. Just a year ago, she had been struggling to earn twenty silver coins, and now she couldn’t tell if commoners had high wages or if salaries were good because it was the capital.

‘But I’m pregnant. And Khalid might be looking for me.’

He might have the guild track her whereabouts. Mariam thought Alice had been freed from slavery, but Alice had become Khalid’s slave again. And a bed slave at that.

“Um…. Well, I’m pregnant so it might be difficult….”

“What?”

Mariam was shocked. Her lips twitched.

“Really?”

Alice nodded with a reddened face. Mariam’s jaw dropped.

“Who’s the father? Could it be Tom? Or… Count Steven?”

“…”

She couldn’t understand why everyone thought of Count Steven Walsh rather than Khalid. Alice hesitated, unsure what to say.

“…Neither of them.”

“Then who? Is it someone I know?”

Alice wasn’t sure if it was alright to tell Mariam. But she didn’t think the outcome would change even if Mariam knew.

“…It’s Lord Khalid’s child.”

“Whaat? That cold, arrogant Lord Khalid? The young master of the Walsh Count family?”

Mariam couldn’t believe it. Almost all the maids working at the Walsh Count’s household admired Khalid. But unlike other nobles, Khalid never touched any maid. Unlike his father who chased women, wasn’t he respected for being so proper despite his young age?

“Lord Khalid must have made a mistake! Ah!”

Mariam quickly covered her mouth. She thought he must have touched Alice while drunk and didn’t remember it.

“Oh no! What will you do…! And he’s not even married yet! This is a big problem. Even if it’s his child, he’ll deny it. Nobles are like that!”

“…”

‘…If I tell him about the baby, Khalid might say sleeping with me was a mistake. I just thought he would be happy, but that might have been my naive thinking.’

Alice suddenly felt foggy in her head. Too many problems stood between her and Khalid.

‘Yes. Lord Khalid is not married yet.’

Since a concubine shouldn’t bear a child before the legal wife, Alice would face severe opposition even if she became Khalid’s concubine. Although she was a slave, the first child was special by law.

Mariam looked at Alice’s flat stomach.

“How far along are you?”

“…Not even three months. …I suspected it, but I got confirmation from the physician yesterday.”

“Noel. It’s not too late even now!”

Alice shook her head.

“Mariam. I… love him. So I’ll raise the child on my own.”

“…I understand.”

Mariam looked at Alice with an anxious face.

“Noel. Actually, I wanted to ask you something. You paid off your debt and left for your hometown, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did you end up meeting Lord Khalid after that?”