The night enveloped the forest with its dark cover, and only twinkling stars illuminated the path along which we had to make our way. Eventually, we managed to find a small clearing where we built a campfire. Its warm light created a cozy atmosphere, contrasting with the chill of the autumn night. The flames crackled, and smoke rose high into the sky.
Sitting on the ground and trying to keep warm, Yufil and I did not talk to each other, and at that moment we both experienced similar feelings, full of fatigue and anxiety. The duke's heir, with his tousled wet hair and tired face, looked gloomy now.
After all that we'd been through in just one night, I wasn't even sure where I should start the conversation first. Obviously, I have a lot of questions.
So I decided to start with the most important topic for us at the moment:
— Are you going to tell me exactly how you made the deal with the Empress?
Yufil, looking at the fire, was gloomy and did not even look in my direction:
