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Chapter 18
“Irina.”
“Our relationship ends here. You’ve taken care of me—no, you’ve kept me alive, so I’ll at least thank you for that. But I don’t know how I’m supposed to treat someone who works under the person trying to kill me. I’ll make my own way to the village, so don’t follow me.”
“…Liar.”
I couldn’t hear what Gio mumbled under his breath, so I asked again.
“What?”
“Liar. You just said we’d go together.”
The gentle smile on Gio’s face disappeared. The tightly clenched fist in his hand trembled slightly.
“That’s because you—!”
Before I could finish my sentence, Gio pulled my arm and yanked me into his arms.
An instant later, an arrow sliced through the air and buried itself exactly where I’d been standing. It was shot with such force that the fletching still quivered in the ground.
“Gio…”
My face turned pale as I realized I’d almost died just now.
Gio exhaled a low sigh, then took my hand, opened my palm, and placed the amber necklace he’d been holding back onto it. He closed my fingers tightly over it so it wouldn’t fall and smiled.
“Wait for me where I told you. All right?”
“Gio…”
“You have to wait.”
He lifted a hand to cup my cheek, then turned his body away, sword drawn in his left hand.
“Go!”
The bushes rustled, and eight men with swords appeared.
The murderous-looking men exchanged silent signals and slowly advanced toward Gio. The tension in his back was palpable. Gio tightened his grip on his sword, turned his head slightly toward me, and said,
“Run. I’ll catch up soon.”
I started running. I couldn’t even properly hold a sword—staying there would’ve only been a hindrance. I knew that much.
“Staying behind to be loyal, only to end up captured—that would cause more harm than good.”
The sound of clashing steel and groans filled the forest. I bit my lip and ran, refusing to look back.
“Haa… haa…”
I didn’t know how long I ran. I walked, wiping the sweat from my face, then ran again once the wind cooled me off. When I glanced back, no one seemed to be chasing me. After repeating that several times, I finally reached the entrance of a village.
“As expected.”
My guess had been right—it was a border village between the Maximilian Empire and the Osk Empire. More precisely, it belonged to Osk.
“Come this way! This is the largest inn in the border town. Big rooms, great meals too!”
Dodging the large carriages entering the village gates, I went inside and met a man advertising the inn. I told him it was my first time here and asked for directions to the port.
Following his directions, I carefully avoided the people splashing fruit-washing water on the dusty road and stopped in front of a green-doored inn.
Knock, knock.
I tapped the door lightly with my knuckles. A well-dressed man lifted a small viewing window above the door to see who was there. Apparently, this inn checked visitors before opening.
He looked me up and down—my dress was covered in dust—and asked,
“What brings you here, miss?”
“I’d like to stay here. I’m waiting for a friend.”
“I’m sorry, but all rooms are fully booked. Perhaps you could try the inn by the village gate? I can have someone guide you there.”
At his polite refusal, I tucked my hair behind my ear and pulled out the amber necklace hidden in my sleeve, fiddling with it between my fingers.
“My… friend said if I showed this, you’d understand.”
The man’s eyes widened as he saw the necklace in my palm through the little window. A moment later, he slammed it shut in panic.
I sighed, thinking that was quite a harsh rejection, and turned to leave—but then came a loud thud, and the door swung open. The man appeared, slightly flushed, and bowed deeply.
“You should’ve said so sooner, miss. Please, come in!”
“Thank you.”
“Do you have any luggage? Any companions?”
“No. My companion… will come later.”
“I see. Allow me to show you your room.”
He didn’t question why I had no servant or luggage despite staying at such an inn. He silently led me upstairs and opened a door.
“This is our largest room. If you need anything, pull this cord. Someone will come immediately.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, have a good rest.”
As he was about to leave, I called out quickly.
“Um, could you bring me some hot water?”
His gaze flicked over my dust-covered state.
“Of course. I’ll have it sent up right away.”
“And one more thing.”
I whispered another request, and he nodded, saying he understood before closing the door.
Relieved, I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the soft, inviting bed. My calves cramped from walking so long that even standing made my thighs ache.
“If I lie down now, I’ll never get up. Don’t lie down.”
I wanted desperately to wash off the sticky sweat and grime. Still, I felt reassured knowing I’d made it safely to the village.
While waiting for the hot water, I idly wandered the room.
“For a room near the harbor, I expected something rougher and simpler.”
From the wallpaper to the lamps and candleholders—everything looked expensive. I turned the amber necklace Gio had given me in the sunlight streaming through the window.
“Gio… who exactly are you?”
The maids who brought the hot water left after I said I didn’t need help. I locked the door firmly and eased myself into the tub full of steaming water.
“This feels like heaven.”
A sigh escaped my lips. I washed away the dirt, pulled my knees up, and hugged them. Outside, the night had fallen over the village; the only sounds came from loud voices at the harbor. Strangely enough, that noisy bustle comforted me more than silence.
“He’ll be fine, right? Making me worry like this…”
My clean hair clung damply to my shoulders. Resting my forehead on my knees, I silently prayed Gio was safe.
“At least… I hope he didn’t get hurt because of me…”
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the closed window. I turned toward the sound and saw a dark silhouette outside.
I couldn’t see the face, but my heart began to race.
Could it be…?
“Leandro? Is that you?”
My hands trembled. As I rose to see who it was, water splashed out of the tub.
But it wasn’t him.
It was Gio, dressed all in black, slipping inside through the window.
He quickly latched it shut.
“Did you miss me?”
A wave of disappointment crossed my chest. I’d been thinking of someone else—so much that embarrassment over my exposed body hadn’t even set in.
Gio took a few quick steps toward me, then froze, blushing furiously as he turned away.
Thankfully, he seemed completely unharmed.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were… bathing…”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
I grabbed the neatly folded robe beside the tub and wrapped it around myself. The sound of water droplets hitting the floor and fabric brushing together filled the room.
Gio rubbed his jaw nervously.
“Just… give me a moment.”
He didn’t look back, only nodded.
I slipped behind the screen and changed into the clean clothes I’d asked the servant to bring earlier—a soft, pale blue dress. I tied the ribbon once around my waist.
“All done.”
Wearing fresh clothes lifted my spirits. Gio turned around slowly; even his ears were red. Keeping a little distance, he said,
“You made it all the way here without getting lost, huh?”
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
He shrugged casually, then asked, in a voice barely above a whisper,
“Were you worried about me?”
“Yes. I was.”
Of course I was. Gio had drawn his sword to protect me. Even if he had once kidnapped and watched over me, this time, he risked his life for my sake. How could I not worry?
Besides, I knew nothing about the Osk Empire. I hadn’t exchanged my jewels for money yet, had no local currency, and didn’t even know how things worked here. In short—Gio was the only person I could rely on right now.
“I’m glad,” he said.
“What?”
“I’m glad you worried about me.”
Why was that something to be glad about? Yet he smiled, looking genuinely pleased.
“Ah-choo!”
I sneezed, probably because my hair wasn’t fully dry. Gio grabbed a few logs from the pile near the fireplace and threw them into the hearth.
Crackle, crackle.
As the dry wood burned, the room quickly filled with warmth. Familiar with the place, Gio pulled a large towel from the shelf and began gently drying my hair. He rubbed softly, pressing out the moisture at the ends.
His hands were so gentle that drowsiness crept over me.
“I’m sleepy…”
When I murmured that and nodded off slightly, Gio said quietly,
“You can’t sleep yet—your hair’s still wet. You’ll catch a cold.”
“Mmh… I’m not sleeping…”
Even with my eyes half closed, I insisted I wasn’t asleep. Gio gave me a helpless look. The fire’s warmth on my back and the cool air on my face made me even sleepier.
“Irina.”
Before I knew it, my body tilted forward—but I never hit the floor.
“Tsk.”
Gio caught my shoulders with one arm and sighed. He lifted me gently and laid me on the bed. Even as sleep pulled me under, the soft mattress against my back felt blissfully comfortable.
How many days had it been since I’d lain on such a bed? Dressed in clean clothes and covered by fluffy blankets—it felt like a dream.
The last thing I saw was Gio pulling the blanket up to my shoulders.
“Sweet dreams, Irina.”
