'This is embarrassing, but I guess it's a lucky save since I don't know how to reply to him.'
'He just said if I had a change of heart, I beg of you not to involve my… hmm, probably the woman and the baby inside?'
'If I had a change of heart, huh… and nothing has yet been uttered…'
'With the direction his lines are heading, there's a high likelihood that I would have to make a decision or say something important that might affect his life and the people inside and I don't want to do that yet because I know nothing about what is going on except for the clues from the lines he uttered, his expressions, and the actions he showed.'
'Besides, he seems to be talking about a secret, so it's not convenient to ask about it here.'
Lydia looked at Ahmad, who had just glanced at her stomach.
He was about to ignore the sound and pretend he hadn't heard it. However, when he recalled the slip of tongue she said earlier about wanting food, he unclasped his hands.
"Your Highness must be on a strict diet, but if you would like a light meal, I would be honored to make the arrangements for you."
Lydia's eyes brightened as the edges of her lips curved upwards slightly. 'Yay, finally, a meal.'
'A meal, hihi. Even my ears wanted to clap. He asked me too, so I don't have to be troubled anymore.'
"Ahem… yes, I would like a meal, medium-sized, not light, thank you."
"Very well, Your Highness," Ahmad said as his gaze shifted to the brick house nearby.
There's a smoke coming from the chimney and some windows were slightly opened, so he turned to Lydia and picked up the firewood.
"Your Highness, the inn nearby serves good food. It might not be up to your standards, but it will keep you warm and nourished. If you wish to dine there, I will fetch a cloak to ensure your identity remains hidden."
'Oh, it's an inn. Of course I would like to dine there, but the problem is I don't have money.'
'Right, I have diamond-like jewels in my hoodie. Maybe they are real.'
Lydia pointed to her hood. "Can I pay with these?"
Ahmad glanced at the jewels before searching for a pouch beside her waist. When he did not see one, he nodded.
"I'll be back quickly, Your Highness."
"Alright," Lydia said before looking around. There was no one outside except for her. There were barely any footprints in the spaces between the houses, too, so she turned to Ahmad's house.
The hushed voices inside were getting louder, so she couldn't help but listen in.
However, she could only hear snippets of their conversation.
"Ahmad, you lost your job …"
"..."
"... understand … guide her to the inn and come back …"
"...," this time, Lydia heard Ahmad, but his voice was so deep and low she couldn't make up any words.
When the woman spoke again, Lydia moved closer to the house slowly, so she was able to pick up more.
"... she even doing here? … should have shame. She did nothing for the … I do not like seeing you bow … after what happened. You did nothing wrong, you were just trying to do your job, but she… mph"
Lydia stayed still, but heard no more, so she hurried back to her original position.
When she saw her footprints in the snow, she hastily walked back and forth, then forward to override the evidence that she eavesdropped on them.
After that, she stood still and faced the brick house.
When the door creaked, she turned around, acting like she had been standing there all along.
However, when their eyes met, Ahmad stared at her for several seconds before glazing over the scattered footsteps. "I apologize for taking so long, Your Highness," he said while offering the cloak. "It seemed you walked around a lot to keep yourself warm."
"Indeed, thank you for this," Lydia said as she unfolded the cloak.
The fabric was thick and rough, but it smelled like lavender.
After wearing it, she glanced at Ahmad before pulling the hood forward.
'He knows what I did for sure. He's just trying to be polite.'
'Besides, the woman inside seems to be referring to me, so maybe the original owner of this body fired him or something?'
'He's still treating me well, though. Probably because of my status?' Lydia asked as she followed behind him.
Once they reached the inn, Ahmad guided her inside.
There was a middle-aged man drinking beer behind the counter. When he noticed them, he gave Ahmad a quick glance before eyeing Lydia from head to toe.
"It seems you've brought a guest, young lad. Is the guest here for a meal or accommodation?"
"A meal. The private dining room, if possible."
The middle-aged man chuckled as he placed the beer down. "That's tough, young lad. There's rarely any guest who would require that for dining alone."
"We will pay double," he said, so Lydia couldn't help but press her lips together.
'He did say I can pay with the jewels in my hood, but his confidence in saying that scares me.'
'What if I can't pull the diamonds off?'
'Sheesh, more importantly, there are no other customers, but he still asked for a private room. Of course someone else might come later, but is this body really that important? Maybe she's a princess or something.'
Lydia looked up a bit, but because of the hood, she could only see the middle-aged man's hairy hand on top of the counter.
"Double?" he said in a gruff voice. "The private room the chief requested ain't done yet, but we can close the house for an hour or more if you quadruple the amount and order the best dishes."
"Fair enough, we'll take that," Ahmad said before he guided Lydia to a chair and barred the door close.
'Oh my gosh, quadruple…,' Lydia thought as she placed her hand on top of her chest.
'My heart is beating so fast… whoo… calm down, we have jewels, so it's okay. I hiked a hill too, survived a blizzard and thin ice, and I didn't freeze to death, so let's just consider this meal as a celebratory reward.'