Valerie paused. She knew Sera was right. With reluctant acceptance, she nodded and waded out of the water.
Lira and Sera helped her dry off and tidy her hair as best they could. Valerie glanced back at the river one last time, this little place that had given her a rare moment of peace in a world that demanded too much from her.
"All right… let's go back," Valerie said softly.
The three of them began walking toward the Duke's barracks, with Noel following closely behind, keeping vigilant watch over them.
It became obvious the moment they returned, they were late.
By the time Valerie, Lira, and Sera stepped onto the path leading back toward the barracks, most of the knights had already finished their morning drills. They were returning in groups, boots striking the ground with force, armor clinking under the rising sunlight.
The instant Valerie appeared, conversations faltered. Heads turned. Footsteps slowed.
Her presence, no, the collar around her neck, pulled every gaze toward her like gravity itself.
Valerie felt their eyes prick at her skin, as if each stare carried its own blade. Still, she lifted her chin and walked with quiet composure. But her pace quickened, driven by an unspoken urgency to reach the Duke's barracks before the whispers grew sharper.
But they already had.
They began as soft murmurs drifting through the morning air.
"Is that the Duke's mistress?"
"That's her, the one he brought last night."
"She really is more beautiful than Lady Kosler…"
"What will Lady Kosler do once she hears?"
Their gazes traveled over her, assessing, judging, dismissing.
"Isn't she just a plaything?"
"Of course. Women like her don't last long."
"Once she's discovered, she'll disappear like the others."
"But I heard the Duke actually favors her."
"Please. He's a man, what man wouldn't favor someone like that?"
Some voices dropped lower, but not low enough.
"It's not like she's his first woman…"
"But this is the first time he's brought someone here, to the barracks."
"Shut up. If the Duke hears you, you'll lose your head."
Every word struck Valerie harder than she expected. She kept her eyes forward, pretending not to hear, but every sentence slipped under her skin, heavy and humiliating.
She hadn't asked for this attention. She hadn't wanted to become the subject of idle gossip from men who didn't know a thing about her.
But still…she understood.
She shouldn't have gone out. She shouldn't have placed herself where everyone could see her. She shouldn't have given them anything to talk about.
It wasn't entirely their fault. It was partly hers, for stepping outside and becoming an easy target for rumors.
Even so, the sting was real. Their judgment weighed on her chest, their lingering stares hotter than the morning sun. And underneath it all, one truth pressed painfully:
She was alone here. A stranger in a place that had already decided what she was before she spoke a single word.
Valerie inhaled deeply, steadying herself. All she could do now was reach the Duke's barracks, before their whispers followed her inside like a shadow she couldn't outrun.
"It's alright, my Lady," Sera whispered softly beside her, trying to offer comfort.
"Please don't mind them," Lira added, her voice trembling slightly, as if she herself was frightened by the harsh comments thrown around by the soldiers.
Valerie didn't answer.She kept walking, her heart pounding harder and harder, each beat echoing painfully in her chest.
Then finally, the Duke's barrack came into view.
The only place here that felt remotely safe.The only space where the eyes of the world couldn't strip her bare and judge every breath she took.
Valerie quickened her steps, almost rushing now, desperate to slip inside before another whisper, another assumption, another cruel tongue carved itself into her back.
But the murmurs followed her anyway, chasing her right up to the very second she slipped behind the heavy curtain of the Duke's tent.
And when the curtain fell closed behind her, she let out a long, shaky breath, a breath she had been holding since the moment all those eyes had turned to her.
Relief washed over her, but only barely.Shame and anger still coiled hot and tight inside her chest.
Her eyes stung.Her throat tightened.
Because even though she was finally out of sight,their voices still echoed in her head, pulling her down, wounding her, hollowing her from the inside.
"How was it, bathing in the river?"
The voice, deep, calm, unmistakably his, froze Valerie on the spot.The tears that had been threatening to fall retreated instantly as she turned her head.
Demian was there.Standing tall, composed, but with eyes that immediately searched her face as if he could read every emotion she tried to hide.
He stepped toward her, his movements steady and deliberate.
"Fresher," Valerie replied quickly, forcing a smile even though her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Demian stopped right in front of her.A faint crease formed between his brows.
"Did something happen? You look… displeased," he asked softly, yet with a sharpness that told her he sensed the truth.
"No," Valerie shook her head too quickly. "I'm just… embarrassed. There were so many knights outside."
Demian let out a short breath, as if the concern was trivial.
"Why be embarrassed?" he said while closing the distance between them even more. "You belong to me. Don't bother with anyone else."
Valerie lowered her gaze.Those words… they weren't enough to erase the sting from the whispers she'd heard.Of course someone like Demian would never understand what it felt like to be judged, gossiped about, reduced to nothing more than a rumor.
So she said nothing.
Demian watched her silence for a moment, then spoke again, this time with a tone so low it shifted the entire air inside the tent:
"Right now… I want you."
Valerie's head snapped up, startled by how bluntly, how confidently he voiced his desire.
And before she could respond, Demian extended his hand.
With a swift but controlled motion, he pulled at the fabric of her nightgown.The soft rustle echoed as the gown slipped from her shoulders, sliding down her body, falling away as if surrendering to Duke Morvex himself.
Valerie froze for a heartbeat.Demian's gaze never left her, intense, burning, and filled with a possessiveness that nearly made her knees give out.