At Hendrik’s subtle nod, indicating that he should open the door, the agent bowed instinctively and walked past him.

When he lit two wall lamps, the inside of the small house was immediately visible — compact, but clean.

“There are two bedrooms, while I wouldn’t quite call this an actual reception room, there’s a space where you could receive guests. Overall, it should be liveable.”

As he said, there was a decent-sized room that could serve as a dining and reception area. The house, which had once been home to a newlywed couple, still seemed to hold a lingering warmth.

“What do you think?”

Henrietta, who had been busy looking around the house, froze at the sudden question.

It seemed the agent had decided that selling the house depended more on Hendrik than on her. Leaning a little further towards Hendrik, the agent continued his explanation eagerly.

“The house gets great sunlight during the day. As you can see, it’s been thoroughly cleaned — you could move in right now.”

‘Move in right now?’

Henrietta quickly turned her head towards the agent.

“I really like it.”

Hendrik gave a faint smile, as if her sudden declaration had caught him a little off guard.

When he asked, ‘You really… like it that much?’, his voice held a strange, unreadable emotion.

“I feel the same, If you’ve made up your mind, the sooner the better.”

Seeing signs that the deal might close, the agent beamed.

“Excellent choice. If the owner hadn’t needed to leave for the countryside so urgently, this house would never have been listed at such a low price.”

As if afraid his clients might change their minds, he quickly laid out the documents he had brought with him onto the wooden table.

Henrietta picked them up and began examining them carefully.

“Is it really possible to move in today?”

Worried that her question might sound odd, she quickly added an explanation.

“Not that I plan to move in right this moment. I just have to head back to the station tomorrow, and I don’t really have much time to prepare for the move.”

“As you can see, the place is vacant, so I can hand over the keys today if you’d like to start using it right away. Of course, you’ll need to pay the remaining balance.”

“I can’t pay the full amount yet, but I can give you about half right now.”

The agent hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Hendrik, who was standing beside her, and nodded.

“In that case, please sign here. The paperwork will take about a week to finalise, but you’re free to start using the house today.”

He tapped the contract lying on the wooden table with his finger.

Henrietta stepped closer, ready to sign.

However, the moment she faced the contract, she felt a sense of hesitation creep up from somewhere deep in her chest.

At the same time, she could see Robert’s hardened face in her mind’s eye, his hand gripping her chin in the office.

Still, she shook her head, brushing away the last traces of doubt.

The duke’s anger would pass soon enough. Even a newborn foal eventually yields to his voice.

With that thought, Henrietta gripped the pen as though it were a sword.

It was only a small house rental, yet her heart beat unevenly, as though she were taking her first step towards something much larger.

Scratch, scratch

The old pen moved briskly across the coarse paper.

When she handed over the money she had brought just in case, the agent retrieved a bundle of keys from his worn bag and handed them to her.

With everything settled swiftly and decisively, a faint smile finally found its way to Henrietta’s face.

“For the next year, Miss, this house is yours.”

With a clinking sound, the bundle of keys landed heavily in her palm. The cold metal pressed against her skin, as if warning her of the harsh world she was about to face.

After the agent left, the two of them were alone inside the house. Henrietta decided it was time to send Hendrik on his way.

“Let’s go.”

But once again, he was quicker.

“Pardon?”

“A carriage will be here soon to pick me up.”

In truth, Hendrik was due to meet William at a casino on the outskirts of the city that evening. They had both left their luggage in the guest rooms at the Schutzman estate, but neither of them intended to stay long in what felt like enemy territory.

William had left early that morning, supposedly to survey the political climate in the capital, and Hendrik had planned to spend the night relaxing in a hotel.

That was until he encountered a would-be assassin who turned out to be a runaway.

“You’re not seriously thinking of sleeping here tonight, are you?”

He glanced around. Though the place was said to be ready to move into, nothing about it suggested that it was habitable just yet.

“William probably reserved a hotel for me. I’m sure it’s not far from here…”

Then his eyes met hers directly.

She looked stunned, her lips slightly parted in surprise, her expression dazed.

Hendrik couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle. He could almost hear her thoughts.

“I think I know what you’re imagining.”

“…”

“But don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t suggesting we share a room. I don’t have the nerve to sleep in the same room as an assassin.”

Her pupils narrowed slightly, and her parted lips pressed tightly together.

Then, as if the flustered exchange had never happened, she straightened her back and composed her expression.

She would probably decline now.

“No, I plan to stay here tonight. But thank you for the offer — truly.”

Hendrik had always disliked sharing a space with anyone. In fact, he had never even used the same room as William.

However, tonight he decided that he wouldn’t mind giving up his own space for this woman.

It was a gesture of respect for her courage in taking the first step towards a new life.

“It’s already far too late anyway.”

He looked into her ash-grey eyes for a moment, then gave a small shrug.

It wasn’t his concern anymore.

Whether it was this improbable little house or a hotel, either place would probably be equally uncomfortable for her.

“Do as you wish.”

***

After Hendrik left, Henrietta remained seated on the parlour floor for quite a while, staring blankly into space.

This was partly because she hadn’t made any concrete plans for what to do next. But mostly, everything had happened so fast — it was all a whirlwind.

Eventually, she pulled herself together, pushed herself up from the floor, and walked towards the window.

Outside, the streets were swallowed by darkness.

The starless, pitch-black sky above her reminded her of Hendrik: distant, cool and impenetrable.

Only then did she realise that she hadn’t thanked him properly for accompanying her to find the house.

Would she ever get the chance to see him again?

She knew she was expected to return to the Schutzman estate that night, no matter how late.

But she didn’t want to go back.

Robert would certainly call for her.

If she refused again, he might come to her room himself.

And if he did come looking for her, would she be able to turn him away if he looked angry?

That was why she didn’t want to see him.

At least not tonight.

Still, she couldn’t just stay out all night without telling anyone.

Caught between obligation and dread, Henrietta absently ran her fingers along her wrist out of habit.

“Huh?”

The bracelet that should have been there was gone.

It was the very first gift she had received from Robert.

Because of that, it held special meaning for her.

Where had she lost it?

No matter how much she retraced her steps in her mind, she couldn’t remember anything happening.

If it had broken off due to a hard impact, that was probably what had happened.

It must have happened when she fell from the boat.

Why had she only just now noticed it was gone?

She moved instinctively towards the door, but then froze.

If she had truly lost it when she fell into the lake…

Then the cherished bracelet would be at the bottom of the lake’s deep, dark waters.

‘So that’s what it meant—to let go. The bracelet, and perhaps… her feelings for him as well.’

“Well, I was planning to sell it anyway, so…”

She spoke the quiet words as if to fend off the regret that was welling up inside her. Then she shook her head.

She tried to reassure herself that the only thing she truly regretted was losing the money that could have covered a year’s tuition fees for a student she had hoped to sponsor at Hangderhood.

After staring blankly out of the window for a while, Henrietta put on her coat, ready to head out again.

There was a general store nearby that stayed open late; she planned to buy some candles there and perhaps find a child willing to deliver a letter to the Schutzman estate.

She had just finished writing a letter to say that she wouldn’t be returning to the estate that night with the pen and paper that the agent had given her when…

Thud! Thud!
There was a loud knock on the door.

Henrietta froze, unable to respond.

“Is anyone there?”

The deep voice of a man made her shrink back instinctively.

“Who is it?”

“I’ve come on behalf of Sir Hendrik.”

Hearing his name alone was enough to make the tension drain from her body.

Henrietta quietly opened the door.

Standing outside was a boy who looked much younger than she had expected.

“I’m a messenger from the Zahert Hotel.”

He stepped inside, carrying a large bundle, and immediately began scanning the room before springing into action.

He lit the candles in the empty wall sconces, brightening the parlour. Then he moved to the fireplace, where he efficiently arranged the kindling before lighting a fire.

The chilly room quickly warmed up.

“May I go into the bedroom?”

He pulled a complete bedding set out of the bundle he had brought with him.

Henrietta’s eyes widened in surprise at how thoroughly prepared he was — he had even brought pillows!

After neatly setting out the food on the table and giving the room a final once-over, the boy turned to her.