mountain."
Alex: "I heard the same about the North."
Anne: "We're not even supposed to talk! What if someone saw us? What if they tell the king?!" (panicking)
Alex (gently): "Anne, relax. There's no one around. Nothing will happen. People meet here all the time. And if someone asks, I'll just say I'm from the North. It's easy."
(He gives her a calming smile.)
Anne: "You're right… No one will know."
Alex (climbing onto his horse): "I can't take you all the way home, but… what if we meet again tomorrow?"
(He flashes a hopeful, puppy-eyed smile.)
Anne (looking into his eyes, heart melting): "Okay~"
Alex: "Then I'll see you tomorrow." (He rides away, the lion tied securely to his horse.)
As dawn broke, Anne returned home after handing over the villagers' sheep and collecting her payment. It wasn't much—just enough for a single meal—but it would get her through the day.
Her home was barely livable. The roof had holes that leaked when it rained, and the wooden floor creaked with every step. There was little furniture—just a bed, a table with a flickering lantern, and a chair.