* * *

This is not the time for me to be worrying about such things…

Once we reach Haftis, I’ll be busy running around again, so it would be better to rest my mind now.

But, when something gets stuck in your head, you can’t help but keep thinking about it.

Where and when have I smelled this scent before?

The question lingered in a corner of my mind.

‘Sigh.’

Rather than agonizing over this by myself, I might as well just ask.

Finally, I opened my eyes wide and spoke up.

“Please don’t get the wrong idea. I’m really just asking out of curiosity.”

Hernan, ever the one not to let a single word slip by, smirked and responded.

“You can ask me anything, whether it’s out of curiosity or for any other reason.”

I quickly declined.

“That won’t be necessary.”

I almost got caught up in this guy’s pace again. I resolved to stick to what I was curious about and nothing more, and looked at him determinedly.

“Have we, by any chance, met after reaching adulthood?”

Not personally, but maybe at a social gathering, or perhaps during a visit to the royal palace…

Or maybe you came to Ever Paradise as a guest without revealing your identity…

I tried to recall various scenarios in my mind where it wouldn’t be strange for an Alpha to be emitting pheromones… but I couldn’t think of any situation where I would have been present.

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem familiar at all.

I furrowed my brow and asked, but the answer that came back was absurd.

“I’m not sure?”

“What?”

It’s either yes or no, what do you mean you’re not sure? I raised an eyebrow and asked again.

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?”

When I asked with a slight hint of displeasure, Hernan’s eyes softened into a smile.

“Think carefully. That’s all I can say.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

Just as I was about to cross my arms and demand a more detailed explanation, the carriage began to slow down and then came to a sudden stop with the sound of hooves digging into the dirt.

I cautiously pulled back the curtain covering the window and looked outside.

We were already close enough that crossing one more hill would bring us to the castle walls.

Hernan, who also checked outside, spoke leisurely.

“We’ve arrived. I’ll go out and take the reins from here.”

Our outward roles were that of a young lady traveling with her attendants, so it was out of the question for the lady to be seated in the coachman’s position.

Hernan, with his face hidden under a deep hood, took the reins, and Irina, who covered the armor she was wearing with a cloak, entered the carriage.

Without a word, Irina bowed her head slightly and sat down stiffly, like a well-carved soldier doll.

‘This is uncomfortable in its own way…’

It might even be more awkward than being with Hernan.

Sharing a small, cramped space with a stoic stranger wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

Should I say something…?

Just as I was considering it, Irina unexpectedly spoke first.

“I’ve heard a lot about your younger sibling.”

“Oh, yes.”

Of all the topics, why that one?

I assumed her next words would be something like “It must be hard dealing with a step-sibling who’s not even blood-related,” so I raised my hand to dismiss it.

“Well… It won’t change anything to speak ill of someone who’s not here.”

I was about to express that I didn’t intend to join in on any badmouthing about my sibling, especially not in front of someone who isn’t family, when Irina lifted her eyes to check my expression, then said something surprising.

“No, it’s not that. I meant I would have liked to meet her at least once.”

“What?”

What’s going on here?

After squinting my eyes slightly and exchanging a few more words, I realized that Irina had heard about Berta before.

I knew Berta was famous, but I didn’t realize that even knights from such a distant territory, far removed from the academy, knew of her.

‘Was she really that famous?’

‘At least among those I know, there aren’t many who don’t know her.’

I see… As we awkwardly continued our small talk, the carriage crossed the hill and soon arrived in front of the castle gate.

While Hernan dealt with the gatekeeper and inspection outside, I prepared to disembark. Since I had only brought the bare essentials, I had just one small bag.

‘If I wear my usual clothes, it would be obvious that I’m an outsider, so I’ve already received clothes that Northern commoners wear…’

The rough texture of the unfamiliar fabric felt awkward and uncomfortable, but I couldn’t afford to complain like a spoiled child.

Hernan was also wearing unfamiliar clothes, but he seemed completely at ease.

Maybe because he grew up rough, such clothes didn’t bother him at all.

Even his manner of driving the carriage into the castle after finishing the brief conversation with the gatekeeper was so natural that it would be hard to guess he was a high-ranking noble.

‘I really can’t figure out what he’s thinking.’

If he were to make me do such a thing, using my status as an excuse…

No, thinking about it, I’ve been raised so delicately that if I were to do something like that, I’d probably mess it up and get caught.

As I tried to clear my mind of the strange atmosphere from earlier by distracting myself with random thoughts, the carriage arrived in front of an old inn near the castle walls.

“……”

The inn had a sign that looked like it would fall off with a single punch, a roof covered in cobwebs, and window sills stained with pigeon droppings.

The stable where the horses were supposed to be tied smelled awful, making me wonder when it was last cleaned.

If I had been a pampered horse raised in a grand duchy, I might have protested that I couldn’t possibly stay in such a place.

‘No… let’s not judge by appearances. Even if the exterior is like this, the inside might be well-kept and managed with care…’

I shook my head, trying to stay hopeful.

Soon, Hernan approached and knocked on the window.

“It seems this is the only inn worth staying at. There are only two inns in this village, and the other one is in worse condition than this.”

If this place looks like it’s about to collapse, what state is the other one in?

I felt dizzy even without having seen it.

No wonder tourists don’t come here!

Even if there are eight famous scenic spots, special products, and hot springs in the area, who would visit if there’s nowhere to spend money?

I sighed and replied.

“Alright, let’s get down and check in, then have a look around.”

In a place like this, can you even expect any kind of check-in service…? Or even a choice of rooms?

The inn was a small building, with a dining area on the first floor and rooms from the second to the fourth floors.

Feeling uneasy, I climbed the dusty stairs leading to the counter on the second floor, but there was no one at the counter, which looked as though it would fall apart at any moment.

“Is anyone there?”

I tried calling the owner as calmly as possible, but even after waiting for over ten minutes, there was no response.

“They’re probably in the dining area downstairs…”

Hernan muttered, listening to the noisy sounds coming from the first floor.

“I’ll go check.”

“No, let’s go together.”

I had neither the energy nor the will to argue, so I nodded slowly.

Irina looked at us, seeming to ask whether she should accompany us, but I shook my head.

There was no need for all of us to move around together.

“It would be better for you to wait here. Someone might come out while we’re gone.”

Would someone… really come? I suppressed another sigh and started walking.

*

“Was this your plan all along?”

I glared sharply at Hernan and gripped the key tightly.

Hernan shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

“No, of course, I’d prefer a comfortable place to sleep. Who would want to stay in such poor conditions?”

But from the look on his face, it seemed like he was enjoying it.

When we left the grand duchy…

“Ah, so I had to hide my identity because of other people’s gazes. I had assumed that was the case. But it wasn’t until I received the room key at the inn that I saw through this trick clearly.

There were only two rooms left at the inn.

A young lady dressed in elegant clothes and two men who seemed to be her attendants.

Anyone would think the same way when considering how to allocate the two rooms among the three: the young lady would get a private room, and the two men would share the other room.

It seemed quite suspicious to give the same private room to the young lady and her attendants, so without further ado, it was decided that I would share a room with Hernan.

‘Ugh…’

This time, I really need to stay sharp.

Determined, I opened the door, only to stifle a silent scream at the sight of the bedclothes stained with what appeared to be an unidentifiable, shocking mess.

‘……!!!’

According to modern hygiene standards, it was at a level that would warrant shutting down the place entirely.

The yellowed stains might have been from sweat, which I tried to rationalize, but the dark brown, almost blackened spots could only be interpreted as failed attempts to clean up bloodstains.

* * *