WHOOSH
A cold breeze spiraled past us as the carriage door shut behind me. The inn loomed overhead—its slate roof pitched like a crooked hat, lanterns flickering against the damp stone walls. The faint scent of moss and old rain lingered in the air.
I swallowed, gripping my cloak a little tighter.
"So… this is where I'm staying tonight?" My voice cracked just slightly, betraying my nerves. "This old, creepy inn? It looks haunted."
He didn't even grace the building with a glance. His gaze was fixed ahead, tone clipped and dismissive.
"You shouldn't be picky when you're outside."
He turned slightly, his profile sharp in the dim light. "There's no one to tend to your every need here. Get out, will you?"
"I am getting out!" I snapped, throwing my hands up. "I was just expecting more since Raul said he reserved it specially for us! I simply wanted to see what other hotels were like!"
My breath puffed in the cool air. "I wasn't being picky—I was just surprised! How dare he say that…?!"
He let out a soft, infuriating sound. A half-snicker. A huff of amusement.
"You expected something like a hotel?"
His mouth curled ever so slightly. "This isn't Wellemberg. We're outside the city."
WELLENBERG: THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE KINGDOM.
He turned fully now, meeting my eyes with a look that hovered somewhere between smug and expressionless.
"Wellenberg: the capital. Did you expect something fancy like Serenity?"
His brows lifted minutely.
"You need to be more realistic."
"Ugh, that's not what I said!" I threw my arms up. "Of course no hotel in the kingdom can match the ones in Wellenberg! I KNOW that!"
He stood there quietly, watching me unravel with the patience of someone observing a child throwing a tantrum—calm, distant, maddeningly unreadable.
"I'm just a little disappointed that it didn't live up to my expectations!!" I insisted.
"If you say so," he replied, tone flat.
A wall of indifference.
He brushed past me, cloak swaying. As he did, I caught a flicker—a tiny tug at the corner of his lips.
"…Did he just—laugh?" I froze.
My gasp came out louder than intended.
"Why… that…! He did just laugh!" My eyes narrowed. "Is he toying with me?"
RUSH
I hurried after him, boots tapping on the cobblestones.
"Why did you laugh? Hey! You must think I'm some kind of child—"
I kept pace with him, "BICKER BICKER," unable to let it go.
A small servant—possibly a stable hand or young guard—stood near the entrance, clearly tasked with greeting us.
He looked like he wanted to sink into the ground as he watched me chase after the tall figure beside me.
"Are you listening to me?" I demanded sharply.
"Yes," he answered without slowing, "so be quiet."
I sputtered, scandalized.
The poor servant was frozen, glancing between us like he'd accidentally walked into the eye of a storm.
The man beside me stopped then, abruptly—forcing me to halt before bumping into him.
He finally angled his head, eyes glinting with something unreadable.
"You're making the staff nervous," he said calmly.
"Lower your voice."
I blinked, stunned, as the servant flinched and bowed hastily.
But before I could snap back, he leaned slightly closer—just enough that only I could hear the next words.
"And you are acting like a child."
My mouth dropped open.
Heat shot up my neck.
Before I could launch into another furious retort, he straightened and gestured to the servant.
"Well? Aren't you inviting us in?"
The servant scrambled, nearly tripping over his own boots, rushing ahead to open the heavy wooden door.
And I followed, fuming, flustered…
and undeniably, maddeningly aware of the faint smile still tugging at the corner of his lips.
RUSH
I hurried after him, my steps quick and irritated.
"Why did you laugh? Hey! You must think I'm some kind of child…" I grumbled, practically jogging just to keep up with his long strides.
I continued my tirade—
"BICKER BICKER BICKER"—
while the tiny, overwhelmed driver standing nearby looked as if one more raised voice might cause him to pass out on the spot.
"Are you listening to me?" I demanded, my voice sharp enough to cut stone.
"Yes," he said flatly, still not bothering to look at me.
"Be quiet."
My jaw dropped.
My blood boiled.
I inhaled sharply, glaring at the back of his head like I could set it on fire with sheer willpower.
"And let me be very clear about this—" I began, voice slicing the air in indignation. "I have no intention of sharing a roo—"
"Of course," he interrupted, tone smooth and infuriatingly calm.
"I've already booked two separate rooms."
He finally turned just a fraction, eyes cool, expression unreadable.
"Yes, that's what I expected you to say."
The audacity.
The UNBELIEVABLE, ARROGANT—
Before I could explode, he delivered his final blow:
"Be ready by eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
He brushed past me, cloak swaying sharply. "If you're even five minutes late, I'm leaving you behind."
STRIDE. STRIDE.
He vanished up the stairs without looking back.
I stood frozen in place, feeling my eye twitch.
…
STRIDE
"Haha… ha…"
A bitter laugh escaped me—more like a broken wheeze of frustration than anything resembling amusement.
"Thanks a LOT, you arrogant bastard," I muttered under my breath.
"Who does he THINK he is?!"
My irritation radiated off me like heat under the dim lantern light. Even the moths circling the lamps seemed to avoid my direction.
A tiny voice piped up timidly beside me.
"L-Lady Serena? You… you should head inside… I'll bring your belongings to your room…"
The poor driver looked like he'd rather face a dragon than step between us again.
"Yes, I'm heading inside right now! And—uh—my apologies!" I said quickly, cheeks warming in embarrassment as I remembered I was, in fact, a noblewoman trained to behave.
Even if I wanted to strangle someone at the moment.
He bowed awkwardly and scurried away as I stepped into the inn.
The interior smelled faintly of pine and old wood—rustic, quiet, unsettlingly modest. My room door creaked open to reveal a simple space:
A wood-paneled room.
A large, slightly aged bed.
A tiny dresser.
A lonely, flickering candle.
I stood in the middle of the room, feeling the silence press in around me.
SIGH
"Do I really have to sleep alone… in here?" I whispered, staring at the shadowy corners with suspicion.
"And I have to… get up on my own? Dress myself?"
The horror.
At Serenity, I had a full team of maids ready before I even opened my eyes.
This place didn't even seem to have extra blankets.
"This trip," I muttered, rubbing my arms, "is nothing but an adventure in discomfort."
Everything creaked.
Everything smelled like trees and dust.
Everything felt foreign and unsettling.
But none of that compared to the real issue burning in my chest—
EVERY. SINGLE. THING. ABOUT HIM…
…REALLY GETS ON MY NERVES!!
I flopped onto the bed, face buried in a pillow, groaning into the fabric.
Why did he always act like he knew everything?
Why did he look down on me?
Why did he smirk like that?!
Why did he—
I stopped mid-thought, scowling into the blankets.
"Ugh… I can't believe I'm stuck traveling with him…"
And yet, as I rolled onto my back, staring at the wooden ceiling, a tiny, annoying little part of me wondered…
What would tomorrow bring?
The room was old, but at least… clean.
Neat, simple, untouched in a way that felt almost serene.
"The interior is neater than I expected," I murmured, fingertips brushing the edge of the wooden nightstand. "It may not be too bad… Maybe it's just because it's old, but I can smell the musty wood…"
The faint scent of aged timber mixed with old linen drifted around me.
Not unpleasant—just… unfamiliar.
I sat down on the edge of the creaky bed, and without meaning to, my mind drifted back to earlier.
EARLIER
His voice had been calm back then—too calm—while I had been a storm of irritation.
"I know this may be uncomfortable for you," he'd said, hands loosely folded behind his back. "But try to bear with it for a little. It wouldn't hurt to experience and accustom yourself to something like this."
I remembered scoffing at him. Loudly.
He'd continued as if I hadn't.
"When traveling for business, you will often be staying in different places. We can't always stay where you'd like. It'll be easier for you if you get used to various environments."
I had rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw the back of my skull.
But then he'd added something more… unexpected.
"Since we're the only ones staying here tonight," he said evenly, "you don't need to worry about unfamiliar footsteps or noise in the hallway while you sleep."
I had blinked.
He had also spoken to the owner before leaving. I didn't care then… but now I remembered.
"I asked the owner to remove all the clocks from your room," he'd mentioned casually.
He'd paused, glancing at me with a knowing, annoyingly perceptive look.
"So make sure you get up on time."
SERENA DISLIKES THE TICKING SOUND THAT CLOCKS MAKE.
I pulled my knees up, hugging them loosely as I processed all of this.
"…I was worried about sleeping alone in an unfamiliar place," I admitted to myself.
"I was afraid of hearing strangers walking around outside…
And I was anxious about weird noises echoing in the night…"
My foot tapped at the floorboards.
SUSPICIOUS.
Wait.
Wait a minute.
I narrowed my eyes.
Did Raul… really know my anxieties this well?
"That little rascal… did quite well," I muttered, tapping my chin thoughtfully.
JOLT.
A sudden, startling thought hit me like a stray arrow.
"…Or could it be Eiser that prepared all this…?"
I froze.
"What? Really? But why would Eiser do anything for me?"
The thought was so absurd that I nearly choked on it.
"No. No. Absolutely not. Don't be ridiculous, Serena."
I slapped my cheeks lightly.
"I should stop thinking about it."
But the idea stayed lodged in my mind like a stubborn splinter.
[Image sequence:
Serena piecing the clues together → suspecting Raul → sudden realization about Eiser → panicked denial → flustered self-scolding.]
"This all feels strange," I sighed, forcing myself to shrug it off.
"Well… that's that."
Now alone in the quiet room, I flopped backward onto the mattress, staring at the wooden ceiling beams.
"All I need to do is get used to the place and fall asleep…" I whispered, though my voice wavered.
"S-Should I try to sleep like earlier today… without Frederick or Sui…?"
The silence answered with a long creak from the walls.
My heart jumped.
"Since no one is out there, I can think of this place as the annex… Yes. Yes, that might help… Right?" I reassured myself, desperately trying to rationalize everything.
I clenched my fists.
"YES, I CAN DO THIS!!" I declared—internally, of course.
"It should be easy! Everyone else sleeps, bathes, and dresses by themselves!"
My confidence lasted exactly three seconds.
Then—
I collapsed face-first into the pillow.
"UGH, I'M SO STRESSED!"
My legs kicked weakly at the blanket.
A mix of pride, fear, resentment, and something I refused to name twisted inside me.
"Why am I like this…?"
"…And why does he have to do things that make this harder?!"
She was conflicted.
Tense.
Nervous.
Annoyed.
And—somewhere deep inside—she might have felt the faintest, tiniest sense of…
…being cared for.
Not that she'd ever admit it.
I hugged myself, trying to be optimistic.
"Yes… yes, I know it's not a big deal," I whispered, pacing in a small circle. "I'm just nervous because it's my first time. Once I actually try it, I'll probably be really good at it!"
The pep talk sounded heroic in my head.
Out loud… not so much.
I glanced at the bed, hesitating.
"Although…"
My face scrunched.
"I don't want to sleep in a bed that's been used by lots of other people."
I leaned in slightly, sniffing suspiciously.
"But I'm sure they've cleaned it," I added quickly, as if the bed could hear me and take offense.
Then—
RATTLE RATTLE
A sudden gust slammed against the windows, rattling every loose board and object in the room.
I jumped so violently I nearly tripped over my own feet.
"Everything is rattling in the wind and it feels haunted!" I squeaked. "Let me just—turn up the lights! Yes. Lights!"
I scrambled to every lamp and lantern in the room, lighting them all until the space glowed like a miniature sun. Shadows fled into corners—but still lingered just enough to make me nervous.
BABBLE BABBLE
"You just need to endure this for a few hours, Serena," I whispered to myself, pacing again. "It'll all be over once you fall asleep. You've survived worse. This is fine. Everything is fine."
CLUNK
EEEK
Two more noises struck in rapid succession—something shifting in the hallway, and a mysterious squeak from below the floorboards.
"My god… don't make such a fuss," I muttered aloud—
knowing full well I was the one most likely to scream first.
[Image sequence:
Serena's nervous pacing → rattling windows → exaggerated reaction → powering on all the lights → startled freeze at the clunk & squeak.]
Meanwhile, in the next room…
The walls were old, thin, and terribly honest.
They carried sound like gossip.
CHUCKLE.
He leaned back in his chair, hearing every bit of my muffled panic through the shared wall.
"Everything," he thought, amused.
"Every rustle, every squeak, every tiny little gasp."
SLIDE
He was stripping off his shirt, preparing for bed in absolute calm—his nightly routine unaffected by my dramatics next door.
"The princess is trying," he mused.
A faint smirk played at his lips.
Back in my room…
DROOP.
My shoulders sagged as I finally forced myself through washing up, brushing my hair, and preparing the room to feel as un-haunted as possible.
"I feel like I've aged in a short space of time," I groaned, collapsing onto the bed.
My nerves were barely calm.
But I was finally ready for sleep.
Or so I thought.
"Let's finish this before bed," I said, sitting up again. "This is the information about President Harold that Sui gave me."
I pulled out the small folder—thin, worn, last-minute—but reliable.
"She prepared it quickly, so it's not much," I whispered. "But it will do."
FLIP
Pages rustled as I scanned them.
"I remember seeing him with Grandmother a few times when I was little…"
A faint, almost nostalgic memory flickered.
The next page detailed his rise.
"When the kingdom entered a new era… with the construction and manufacture of steam locomotives, automobiles, stations, railroads, and everything else… the steel industry expanded, and that must be how he gained his wealth."
My eyes sharpened.
It made sense.
Steel was the backbone of the new era.
Which meant—
"Our hotel started growing when trains were introduced," I murmured. "They brought travelers… merchants… diplomats… A diverse crowd that needed places to stay."
A faint realization warmed my chest.
His story and mine…
His business and my family's…
They ran parallel.
[Image sequence:
Serena reading → steel industry growth charts → trains being built → the rise of her family's hotel business.]
The report might have been short, but its implications were anything but.
This trip wasn't just personal hardship or emotional chaos.
No…
It was turning into something much larger.
Business intelligence. Insight. Strategy.
Sleepiness tugged at my eyelids, but my thoughts continued racing.
This overnight stay…
This journey…
This man beside me…
…might all be tied to something more important than I realized.
I continued reading the file, no longer out of duty, but out of genuine curiosity.
My earlier panic over the creaking room felt distant—like it had been swallowed by the weight of history in my hands.
"As the kingdom entered a new era," I read quietly, "with demand rising for steam locomotives, automobiles, stations, railroads, and other sectors… the steel industry expanded alongside them. And that must be how he gained his wealth."
The rhythmic flick of the candle flame reflected off the paper, casting moving shadows across the text.
I murmured, "This new era… it shaped everything."
And then it hit me.
"This era wasn't only crucial for him," I whispered, touching the page with a thoughtful frown. "It was vital for my family too."
I leaned back against the headboard, letting the thoughts align in my mind.
"Our hotel grew with the rise of trains as well. Because trains brought merchants… diplomats… artists… adventurers. People who needed a place to stay. Both his business and ours expanded thanks to this economic boom."
[Image sequence:
Steam trains rolling out of factories → steel pouring into molds → bustling stations → Serenity Hotel filled with travelers → the parallel rise of Harold's steel empire.]
My heart stirred with something I hadn't felt all day—anticipation.
"I wonder why Eiser tried so hard… and waited so long… to arrange this meeting," I murmured. "Maybe tomorrow is more important than I thought."
For the first time that night, instead of dread, I felt curious.
FLAP
I turned the next page.
"Let's see… his business seems stable… and he's currently focused on philanthropy."
My brows lifted slightly.
The list was impressive.
"He's established several charities and provides them with steady funding. On top of that, he's brought together entrepreneurs to build positive relationships, strengthening the influence of his foundations."
I nodded slowly.
"He really does seem like a great man. No wonder they call him 'President'."
[
Harold shaking hands with leaders → visiting a children's hospital → standing before a steel plant → entrepreneurs meeting at his charity foundation.]
For the first time since I arrived, a warm sense of pride settled over me.
"This must be why Mother and Grandmother valued him. They both cared deeply about charities. They must've had a lot in common."
FLOP.
I let the papers fall onto the bed beside me as I collapsed onto my back, staring up at the ceiling beams.
"I'm suddenly realizing again… just how incredible Grandmother was."
The memory of her—standing proud beneath the tall Serenity flags—rose vividly in my mind.
"Back in the days when there were only small inns like this," I whispered, running my fingertips over the quilt beneath me, "she planned and built an entire hotel business alone. A grand one. A lasting one."
The loneliness of that journey struck me, sharp and quiet.
"Though the hotel was her life's work," I thought, closing my eyes, "it must have been a lonely battle."
[Image sequence:
Young Grandmother standing before a tiny wooden inn → blueprint sketches → the first Serenity Hotel under construction → fluttering flags bearing the Serenity crest.]
The inn's stillness wrapped around me, no longer frightening—just quiet.
A different kind of quiet.
An honest one.
Then, softly—
I remembered someone else.
"Eiser was right about what he said that day…"
A vague image of him speaking, serious-faced, flashed in my mind.
His words had bothered me then.
Now they made sense.
With the meeting tomorrow, with Harold's history, with my grandmother's legacy…
Everything suddenly connected.
This uncomfortable trip…
This haunted-feeling room…
This night of rattling noises and nervous muttering…
…was leading me somewhere significant.
Somewhere I needed to be.
And for once, I didn't push away the thought that Eiser might have known that long before I did.
The sun had only just settled comfortably over the horizon when the first sounds of morning filtered into the room—soft chirping, rustling leaves, the gentle hum of a countryside morning so unlike the capital.
But inside the room, serenity didn't last long.
Lingering Thoughts in Sleep
Even as you drifted off, your thoughts hadn't fully left the world of legacy and responsibility.
"I feel like there might be something… more to it…"
Your grandmother's strength, your mother's perseverance, Eiser's hidden intentions—they all swirled inside your dreams like shadows overlapping.
You finally understood the weight of your position.
"Grandmother and mother worked so hard for this… I've been taking it lightly…"
D