Episode 105

“Ha…”

Yvonne was annoyed at how she couldn’t afford even a moment’s relaxation. She dipped her body into the water briefly, then got out and wrapped herself loosely in a towel. Spotting a small pair of scissors nearby, she picked them up and held them firmly.

“Who’s there?”

“Oh, it’s me! Ma’am! The errand boy!”

“Who told you to come in uninvited?”

“I didn’t enter! I slid a basket under the door!”

“…Ah.”

Yvonne opened the bathroom door slightly and peeked outside. Sure enough, a small basket had been pushed through a pet door-like slot near the bottom of the door.

“I figured you wouldn’t have anything to wear while I ran the errand! It’s shabby, but it should do for now!”

“…Thanks.”

“I’ll be back soon!”

“Wait, hold on!”

“Yes?”

“Make sure it’s commoner clothing.”

Yvonne listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps before returning to the bathroom. The water she’d left running had filled the tub considerably in that short time. She unwrapped her towel and stepped into the bath slowly.

“Ha…”

A sense of warmth and relief washed over her. The tension from earlier eased slightly, though not completely.

She reached for a sponge nearby. Back in the palace, Ebony often washed her hair and even gave her massages.

Oddly enough, while Yvonne didn’t fully trust Ebony, she had always found her presence comforting.

Come to think of it…

“Did Ebony really go to Yurian’s estate?”

Yvonne couldn’t quite make sense of it.

“Surely not…”

She wondered if her escape from the imperial palace had caused Ebony to lose her position as her maid. After all, Yvonne knew Ebony had become her personal maid because Yvonne’s mother had passed away.

Not to mention, Ebony had lost her own daughter and husband, leaving her entirely alone.

“I miss her.”

A pang of longing for Ebony hit her unexpectedly. Despite Ebony’s professional demeanor, her actions had always been warm and caring.

“Or maybe I just hate bathing alone.”

Murmuring to herself, Yvonne squeezed soap onto the sponge and began scrubbing her body.

Trust me, Yvonne.

The memory of Yurian’s words surfaced again, making her sigh. Without thinking, she sank her head underwater, submerging herself completely.

* * *

“Excuse me, errand boy.”

“My name is Chris, ma’am!”

“Can you get me a knife too?”

“A knife? What kind of knife?”

“A dagger, something small.”

“Hmm…”

Chris seemed to think for a moment, then smacked his palm with his fist as if struck by an idea.

“A self-defense dagger? I can get one of those!”

“Good, thank you.”

“Would you like me to return the remaining money?”

“No, keep it.”

“Thank you so much!”

Although the remaining amount was quite large, Yvonne didn’t mind. She figured she was making good use of him and was grateful she had stashed some money in her bracelet just in case.

“Alright, I’ll be off now!”

“Go ahead.”

Once Chris left, Yvonne turned her attention to the clothes he had brought. They were of decent quality, and she noted that Chris had done well in his selection. She unwrapped the towel around her hair, letting her long, damp locks fall down to her waist.

As she grasped a handful of her wet hair, she felt a twinge of regret. Still, dressing as a man would be safer.

Yurian wouldn’t give up on her.

Never.

The thought left her feeling conflicted. Even if he found her, he had never truly forced her into anything, despite his determination.

He might find me, pester me, but not drag me back forcibly…

“My heart feels strange.”

The uncomfortable pounding in her chest made her wonder if something was wrong.

Sigh.

She exhaled deeply, feeling the tension ease a little.

To distract herself, she focused on changing clothes. The fabric wasn’t as soft as she was used to, feeling slightly rough against her skin. Though it reminded her of what she might have worn in her previous life, she pushed those thoughts away and continued dressing.

She took the bandages Chris had provided and tightly bound her chest. Years of wearing corsets had accustomed her to the constriction, so it didn’t feel too uncomfortable.

Her figure was naturally curvy, making it challenging to completely disguise her form, but the bandages managed to flatten her chest enough. Yvonne decided it was satisfactory.

After donning undergarments, a man’s shirt, and trousers, she noted how strange it felt. In her past life, she had worn pants daily, but here, aside from riding, she rarely had.

The feeling of the snug fabric around her legs was both unfamiliar and liberating.

The weight of guilt over the Marquess and Yurian lifted slightly.

Hopefully… they can live well without me. And if I’m caught, let it be by Yurian.

She finished dressing, grabbed the small scissors from the bathroom, and began cutting her hair.

Snip, snip, snip.

Chunks of hair fell around her, and her chest tightened, as if she had done something forbidden.

“But I don’t want to be caught.”

She reassured herself and resumed cutting, ignoring the unsettling sound of scissors so close to her ears. She kept going until her hair was very short. The result was messy, but with a bit of smoothing and adjustment, it looked better. The back was harder to fix, but by touch, it seemed fine.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

“It’s Chris!”

“Alright.”

Chris entered and handed her a small dagger. It had been less than 30 minutes since he left.

“There’s a weapon shop nearby!”

“That explains it. Chris.”

“Yes?”

“How does the back of my hair look?”

“Uh… the length is uneven in one spot.”

“Really? Can you fix it?”

Though hesitant, Chris took the dagger back, carefully evening out the back of her hair.

“By the way, ma’am…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve never seen such beautiful golden hair before.”

“Is that so?”

“Do you really need to dye it? Are you hiding your identity as a priest?”

“…”

“I know priests sometimes travel to experience the secular world before completing their training!”

Chris had noticed her slender neck, which seemed too delicate for a man, her ample funds, and the priestly robe she had been wearing earlier. The dyeing and cutting of her hair added to his suspicion that she might be a novice priest in disguise.

“If I’ve caused trouble, I’m sorry.”

“No. Just pretend you didn’t notice anything.”

“I’ll see nothing and say nothing!”

Chris finished evening out her hair, and Yvonne found his work satisfactory. Even with her hair short, her beauty was undeniable, her features elegant enough to arouse suspicion of her gender.

“Well then, I’ll leave you now!”

“Thanks.”

“Oh! You can come downstairs for your meal later!”

“Got it.”

After Chris left, Yvonne attached the dagger to her belt and started dyeing her hair. The result wasn’t the black she had hoped for but a dark brown, which was good enough.

She decided to stay the night and plan her next move in the morning. Heading downstairs for her meal, she briefly regretted not asking for room service but thought it wouldn’t hurt to observe her surroundings.

Chris had even brought her a hooded cloak, a thoughtful addition. As she descended the stairs, she spotted him waving her over.

“This way, ma’am!”

“Alright.”

“What would you like to eat?”

The inn’s dining area was surprisingly large, with all of the upper floors dedicated to rooms.

“Anything with meat would be nice.”

“How about veal?”

“Do you have fish?”

“Yes, we have salmon and trout! Which would you like?”

“Salmon.”

“Got it! I’ll prepare a salmon steak for you!”

“Thanks.”

Chris’ cheerful demeanor made Yvonne relax slightly.

Creak.

The sound of the door opening drew her attention. Though she was wearing a hood, she instinctively glanced toward the entrance.

“Ha.”

Yurian stood there, smiling brightly at her, a group of his knights behind him.

 

 

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