Ignoring Sharti’s bewildered reaction, Ren nodded.

“It should look natural to receive attention. As my master, you shouldn’t find it difficult to handle people. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you need to be careful with gestures, subtle glances, and such. Sharti, you should see me as a slave before anyone in the village does.”

“That’s…”

“Just thinking won’t fix anything.”

This time, Ren firmly nodded.

“I’ll start making an effort from now on.”

Sharti responded with a clenched fist, taken aback.

But Ren stopped in his tracks, gazing at Sharti with a thoughtful look.
“Practice is needed more than effort. Starting now.”

“…What do you mean?”

Ren, clenching his fist, swallowed his hesitation, as if in deep thought. In response, Sharti rolled her head with a tense expression.

“First, .”

Ren, checking Sharti’s reaction, cleared his throat and spoke hastily.

“It’s better to start speaking informally.”

“…?”

“From now on, speak informally to me, Sharti.”

Sharti tilted her head, blinking in confusion.

‘What does that have to do with anything?’

After all, in the village, they couldn’t utter a word. It seemed unnecessary to speak informally when they could get by with minimal communication. Sharti looked at Ren with an incredulous expression.

Ren, equipped with audacity to achieve his goal, confidently raised his head with an indifferent expression.

“You don’t know anything. Even speaking itself is a practice to narrow the distance between us.”

“…….”

“It feels much more comfortable. Like how I did.”

When Sharti hesitated, Ren, taking the lead, walked ahead while making an abrupt cough.

“I’ll speak informally too. So I won’t cause trouble for you, Sharti.”

“…….”

Ren’s commitment, spoken with a firm yet gentle gaze, was resolute.

Sharti fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.

‘Speaking informally. It’s not a difficult task, but will it change the way I treat him?’

Sharti was skeptical.

She hesitated from the beginning, feeling awkward.

“If there are no objections, let’s start practicing from now on.”

“Yes? …Ack!”

Ren suddenly turned around, lifting Sharti as if catching her.

Startled by her body being lifted in the air, Sharti panicked and hugged Ren’s neck.

“Ren!”

Once again, Sharti, who was taken by surprise by Ren’s unexpected actions today as well, glared at him from under the hood.

Looking at her, Ren raised the corners of his mouth.

“Yes, my lady.”

“…!”

Sharti bit her lips tightly.

Even now, she wasn’t accustomed to being called ‘my lady’ by Ren.

Suppressing a chuckle, Ren continued to carry her, and Sharti, with a punch, hit his shoulder. However, his shoulder bell rang loudly.

“I’ll go like this.”

“I woke up already. Put me down. I can walk faster if I’m on my feet.”

“I’ll listen only to my lady’s words.”

This meant that if she didn’t let him down, he wouldn’t listen to anything else, not even the treatment of ‘my lady.’

Sharti swallowed a sigh.

If Ren was coming out like this, there was no point in arguing further.

‘If I don’t say anything, Ren will probably let me down first.’

In reality, letting Ren speak wasn’t that difficult.

However, feeling comfortable with Ren’s certainty was uncomfortable.

‘Even now, my heart flutters with this distance.’

Sharti pressed her chest around the area.

It felt strange, uncomfortable, tingling, and piercing.

‘If I don’t say anything, Ren will probably let me down first.’

Sharti, still hugging him, glanced at Ren.

‘Ren seems to have no thoughts about it.’

Sharti carefully scrutinized Ren’s facial features.
Ren, not wearing a hood, revealed his intense and distinct eyes, lips, and a stout, straight nose.

The bangs touching his eyelids slightly shook, covering the turquoise-colored irises.

“My cheek itches, my lady.”

“…!”

As their eyes met for a moment, Sharti closed her eyes tightly, bowing her head deeply.

This time, Ren chuckled quietly, making a sound.

Her face flushed when she realized she had been caught spying.

‘I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t think anything!’

Sharti desperately closed her eyes and ears, turning away from him.

Soon after, overcome by fatigue, Sharti fell into a deep sleep in an instant.

“…….”

The sound of gentle breathing reached Ren’s ears, and he carefully held her tighter in his arms.

To ensure Sharti could sleep comfortably, Ren paid attention to minimize any shaking and continued moving quickly.

Although he wished to go as slowly as possible, he didn’t want to arrive late at Ashu’s village and face criticism from others.

Ren ran silently, like fog seeping through.

As time passed, Sharti, awakened by the sounds of insects, tossed and turned in Ren’s arms.

‘Uh…….’

Rubbing her eyes with eyes still drowsy, Sharti moved her limp body.

Perhaps due to being half-asleep, everything around her was dark.

Everywhere she looked, it was pitch black.

“……Ren?”

“Are you awake?”

At Ren’s calm voice, Sharti snapped out of her drowsiness.

Checking that Sharti was still embraced in Ren’s firm arms, she urgently sat up.