It was early the next morning.
Usher woke up before the sun rose.
Had he slept poorly? To some extent, that would be true.
It was because of what had happened at the tavern the day before.
The gloomy and unsettling gaze, that smile—it flashed in his mind just as he was about to fall into a deep sleep, preventing him from resting properly.
He entered the bathroom and immersed himself in the bathtub.
As he soaked, he reflected on the events of the previous day.
At first, it was a feeling of discomfort.
But as time passed, a chilling sensation crept up the back of his neck.
Usher didn’t know what emotions were conveyed through that look.
But the feeling crawling across his skin at that moment—
‘…No, don’t think about it.’
It was a baseless assumption.
He rubbed his forearm to erase the goosebumps that had risen.
He convinced himself that it was simply an aversion to being subjected to someone’s unpleasant gaze.
Perhaps she had spoken in such a way out of consideration for him.
After all, wasn’t it the same for him?
He disliked her using her body to engage in vulgar behavior.
In the same way, it might have been that Bersia disliked being touched carelessly by others.
Of course, the thoughts that had lingered all night wouldn’t be so easily shaken off now.
Bersia’s words had confused Usher in other ways as well.
“Only for me.”
Splash. Usher’s nose dipped into the water.
His eyes narrowed, and air bubbles rose to the surface, fizzing and popping.
Even his earlobes turned red. As he replayed her words, thoughts like, ‘Then is it okay if I touch her?’ crept into his mind.
Hugging his knees, he sat lost in thought for a while before shaking his head vigorously.
‘What a ridiculous thought.’
It was a notion fit for someone overly self-conscious.
He finished his bath and stepped out of the bathroom.
After drying himself off, he donned a robe and sat before the mirror, drying his hair with a towel.
By now, he had learned to manage his grooming alone without much difficulty.
Though he was still clumsy with makeup, his natural beauty made it unnecessary.
He combed his hair as Darlin used to.
Then he dressed himself, starting with his undergarments and moving on to his outerwear.
It was a different outfit than the day before.
Wearing the same clothes every day would surely invite ridicule.
‘This should do, right?’
Today’s choice was a navy dress.
Since it was sleeveless, he layered a thin black cardigan over it and added a shawl.
It was an effort to conceal the contours of his body as much as possible.
A wave of self-deprecation washed over him.
He felt absurd knowing more about how to wear women’s clothing than he did about men’s, limited as he was to shirts and trousers.
If only his body could return to normal before he became too accustomed to this.
With yet another round of futile worries, he stepped outside.
The dawn was just breaking, the twilight barely receding.
There were still about two hours until the appointed meeting time with his companions, so Usher decided to take a walk through the streets.
Though it was an undercover mission, he thought it would be fine to enjoy the city’s morning atmosphere for a while.
Puread’s mornings started early.
Laborers heading to the mines moved through the streets, and street vendors selling sandwiches and similar items raised their voices to attract customers.
The bustling streets filled Usher’s heart with a light sense of excitement.
His faintly smiling face as he walked caught the attention of even more men than it had the previous day.
Of course, none dared approach him.
Few were foolish enough to covet a tree they couldn’t climb.
A peaceful morning, refreshing air—everything was perfect.
But, unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long.
“There she is! That wench!”
A rough shout reached his ears.
Usher turned his head and furrowed his brows.
‘Ah, those men from yesterday.’
A group of angry, panting men appeared—the same ones who had caused trouble at the tavern the night before.
Had they been searching for him all night?
Just how little did they have to occupy their time?
‘I suppose I’ll have to move.’
The growing attention of onlookers was unavoidable.
If he caused a scene here, it would only stir up unnecessary rumors.
Usher hardened his expression.
He addressed the approaching group.
“You! We’ve got you now, you—”
“Shall we move elsewhere?”
“…What?”
“If you block the path like this, other people won’t be able to pass. So, um…”
Usher glanced around and soon found a suitable spot.
“That alley over there looks perfect.”
He extended his finger to point, and the man’s expression turned blank for a moment.
However, upon confirming the narrow, dark alley, his demeanor changed.
“…Ha, yeah, that’s perfect.”
The man’s gaze glinted with lewd intent.
Usher could feel his eyes roving over his entire body.
It was unpleasant and repulsive, causing him to furrow his brows.
“Follow me.”
The kind of man who would intimidate a foreign woman.
Usher had no intention of leaving such men be.
Daren was a young miner in Puread.
He wasn’t particularly handsome or wealthy, but he had a bit of skill to his name.
His days were always ordinary.
He would wake up early, gather his tools, buy a sandwich on the way, and head to the mines to work.
Today seemed no different.
But then, as if fate itself had decided to toy with him—
‘Isn’t this… dangerous?’
While staring for far too long at a stunning beauty walking down the street, his mouth hung open in a foolish grin, and he started entertaining thoughts about his lucky day.
Then, something unexpected happened.
The Palman gang.
Notorious in Puread for their brutality, these thugs were escorting the woman into an alley.
He could have ignored it.
However, as Daren tried to turn away, he hesitated, wrestling with his thoughts.
‘Could this… be my chance?’
Men in their prime often live consumed by passion and foolish fantasies, and Daren was no exception.
What if he rescued the woman from this situation?
He probably couldn’t win in a fight, but if he picked her up and ran, maybe they could escape.
After all, he had the strength built from his years of mining.
And as they fled, their eyes might meet, sparking mutual affection, which would lead to marriage, children, and a peaceful life growing old together—laughing until their final breaths.
His plan for the future was perfect.
His heart pounded like mad.
And so, Daren acted.
“Hey! You scumbags over there!”
He followed them into the alley, provoking the Palman gang.
He added a confident smile for good measure, pointing dramatically at them.
And then, Daren came face-to-face with reality.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“Hey! Go deal with him!”
“Wait! Wait! I’m sorry! I made a mistake!!!”
He was surrounded and subjected to a flurry of kicks.
Curled up on the ground, Daren could only let out strained cries, tears, and snot streaming down his face.
From a distance, he heard a low sigh.
The woman’s sigh cut deeper into his heart than the pain from his injuries.
‘Daren! You idiot!’
He should have known when to step in and when to back off!
“This bastard!”
“Hey! Hit him harder!”
The harsh sounds of blows filled the alley.
Daren squeezed his eyes shut, praying for this moment to end.
Then, suddenly—
“Stop it! Gah!”
“Argh!”
“Gyaaah!!!”
The sound of his own cries was joined by the screams of others.
At some point, the sound of heavy thuds began to echo, and it was only later that Daren realized something strange had occurred.
He cracked his eyes open slightly, and what he saw made his jaw drop.
“Wha—?”
The entire Palman gang lay sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain.
Looking closer, he noticed that parts of their bodies were grotesquely twisted. Their leader, Palman, was bawling like a child, tears streaming down his face.
Daren was utterly dumbfounded.
The one thing he could be sure of was that the beautiful woman—so stunning it left him speechless—had caused this scene.
She dusted off her hands and adjusted her shawl.
Then, she approached Daren.
In that moment, his body flinched, but it was only for an instant.
“Are you hurt?”
“A-ah…”
As he raised his head, his heart nearly stopped.
Daren gasped audibly.
The woman’s gentle smile, laced with worry and a sense of pride, as she extended a hand toward him—
“Goddess…?”
She was the very image of the goddess from his dreams.
“You’re quite amusing. But the only god of this land is our Holy Father.”
Her response was slightly off-kilter but charming nonetheless.
Daren clutched his chest with a thud! as if his heart might burst.
Bersia woke up a little later than usual.
Lying in bed, she dry-washed her face and let out a breath tinged with irritation.
The events of the previous day lingered in her mind.
‘Why did I do that?’
It had been irrational.
Under normal circumstances, she never would have acted that way.
Usher’s intentions had been logical.
Despite being intoxicated and surrounded by miners, he was working to glean information about the rumors at the worksite.
Moreover, Usher wasn’t the type to allow anyone to touch him casually.
Nothing bad had happened.
Yet, in that moment, she had punched the miner in the face and stormed off.
She had done it simply because she was disgusted.
The man’s very presence had filled her with unbearable irritation, to the point of nausea.
And in that moment, a thought had crossed her mind.
‘Mine…’
He had dared to touch what was hers.
She had to remove him.
She couldn’t deny that she had referred to Usher—not her own body—as “hers.”
What an absurd thought.
Usher belonged to himself.
And yet, she hadn’t been able to suppress that feeling and had acted on it.
She didn’t recall her thoughts spiraling like this before—had her male body’s temperament affected her personality?
Eventually, Bersia shook off the thoughts.
‘It’s just an excuse.’
No rationale could justify her actions.
Any attempt to explain it would be illogical and irrational.
Dwelling on it would only twist her possessiveness into an even more selfish and horrifying emotion.
Why had she felt that way toward Usher?
She hadn’t even spent that much time with him.
Bersia couldn’t find a reason.
There was no justification for her actions.
Ultimately, she concluded that this feeling was one she had to discard.
Illogical possessiveness was a trait she despised in someone else she knew.
To calm herself, she washed her body with cold water.
Finally, her mind cleared.
‘That’s right.’
She decided she would blame her behavior on fatigue and apologize.
Usher would surely believe her and look at her with concern.
His innocence would once again warm her heart in a comforting way.
She donned a shirt and pants, threw on a coat, and slipped a small dagger into an inner pocket.
Then, she left the room.
But Bersia—
“Oh, there you are!”
—couldn’t hold onto that resolution for long.
Standing at the inn’s entrance was Usher, accompanied by a battered and bruised man of unknown origin.
Where had he gone sticking his nose into things this time?
…No, that wasn’t important.
Thud.
Her chest tightened painfully.
It felt as though something dark and sticky had risen to the back of her throat.
Her mouth went dry.
Even so, Usher approached her with a bright smile, his eyes gleaming as he whispered,
“I brought a miner! It’s a long story, but… I think he can help us dig into the worksite rumors!”
He seemed to be expecting praise, his demeanor radiating pride.
That look of satisfaction stung her heart.
‘Ah, what am I going to do with this man?’
Bersia felt suffocated.