Chapter 158

Maxi's face clouded with confusion. "Is it… not a bathhouse?"

"It is, but…" the knight hesitated, briefly appearing troubled before forcing a smile. "It is no place for a lady such as yourself."

Frowning, Maxi scrutinized the long row of tents enclosed by the fence. Though somewhat worn, they did not look disreputable. Laborers navigated between the rows, balancing buckets on shoulder yokes, while maidservants carried laundry hampers toward a small stream. Beyond the tents, a stable housed horses and donkeys. A wooden structure, which she assumed was a tavern, stood beside it, filled with soldiers enjoying food and drink around outdoor tables.

Maxi's brows knitted together. Certainly, a place teeming with rowdy men was no place for a woman of noble birth. But had she not spent the last few months mingling with thousands of soldiers? Pretending to be prim and proper now would be absurd.

She turned to Elliot, her eyes filled with longing. "But one can bathe there, yes?"