Although his pronunciation was still slightly inaccurate, his demeanor was impeccable enough that there was nothing to criticize.

Since they didn’t have a separate etiquette teacher, it seemed he had successfully revived the memories of Duke Ansagar he had swallowed.

Margaret nodded and descended from the carriage. Before disappearing, she hesitated and added.

“Lady Adele seems to have weak stamina. Please don’t excessively tire her out. Please.”

Margaret, who had recently begun to feel attached to Adele, even left a request, showing concern for Lady Adele’s fatigue.

Adele, blushing at Margaret’s excessiveness, asked once again.

“Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no. Uh, I came to say that it might be difficult to rest in this village…”

“If that’s what you’re saying, you don’t have to send a servant.”

“Because you seemed disappointed.”

He smiled slightly in the darkness. His golden eyes, illuminated by the soft light from the inn, sparkled beautifully.

Adele turned her gaze away from his face and said, “Actually, I heard the story from Margaret. She said there’s a shortage of rooms in the inn. Are you planning to depart for the next village right away?”

“That seems to be necessary. Still, we rented a room so that soldiers can rest while having a meal… Even though it’s a bit cramped.”

“A room?”

“There should be prepared bathwater. Go up, take a bath, and rest a bit. We’ll depart again in three hours.”

Bathwater!

Adele let out a small sigh. Due to the bumpy forest road, her whole body was stiff, and she felt sticky from not bathing for three days. Moreover, the temperature dropped significantly at night, so even with a shawl and fur coat, it was insufficient to drive away the chill.

She gladly took Valentin’s outstretched hand and got off the carriage.

“I’ll send up a meal to lift your spirits. Please follow the maid.”

“It’s an honor to serve you, Lady Adele. This way, please.”

Following Valentin’s gesture, a woman standing behind him greeted Adele gracefully.

Adele walked into the inn with the maid. As Klaus assured, the inn was relatively large compared to the size of the village and seemed to be run relatively cleanly.

It was thanks to the geographical advantage of being located at the starting point of the Taliyah Road.

Soldiers and knights were already sitting around the round table, freely enjoying deer stew.

The sound of stomachs growling at the delicious smell was audible, but above all, bathing took precedence.

“The threshold is high, be careful.”

Following the guidance of the maid holding a candle, as Adele entered the room, clean new clothes, towels, and bathwater with rising steam were prepared.

“Shall I draw the bath for you? If it’s uncomfortable, I can call a lady-in-waiting to assist you.”

“It’s okay. I can do it alone.”

At Adele’s words, the maid’s face seemed contemplative. It was surprising and awkward for her to hear that she received a degree from the Duchess of Ansagar.

The maid seemed to hesitate whether to cautiously point out the fact or not, then firmly closed her lips and hastily left the room. She seemed afraid that there might be unnecessary trouble.

As soon as she closed the door, Adele quickly undressed and slipped into the water.

“Ah…”

When the hot water touched her cold skin, it was initially unbearably hot.

However, soon her stiffened body began to melt, turning a reddish hue, and a pleasant warmth enveloped her.
She thoroughly warmed her body, meticulously washing her hair and entire body with soap, producing abundant foam.

Then, with her cheeks tinged pink, she happily emerged from the bathtub.

After wiping off the moisture with a towel and changing into clean new clothes, she heard a knocking sound when she was about to open the door.

It seemed to be the promised meal from Valentin.

“Come in.”

Adele turned towards the open door while drying her hair with a towel.

However, the one entering the room was not a maid or Margaret but Valentin himself.

Adele, surprised and flustered, stiffened and blinked her eyes.

“…….”

Even though she was fully dressed, it felt embarrassing to be caught in a vulnerable state.

Was it because of the hazy steam lingering in the room? However, he paid no mind to her confusion, confidently striding across the room and placing the tray he brought on the table.

“Need some help with drying your body?”