Chapter 45: The Dark Shadow in the Inn

On the first floor of the Return Inn, right next to the kitchen, was a small but meticulously tidy bedroom. This was the sanctuary of Lady Basha and Lian. A simple cloth curtain divided the room, and the mother and daughter slept on single beds on either side. In the silence of the night, their steady breathing intertwined.

"Mom, are you asleep?" Lian lay flat on her back, tightly gripping the edge of her blanket. Her clear eyes stared at the blurry ceiling in the dark. Her voice was as soft as a sleep-talker's, carrying a hint of longing to confide. "Today's stew was really fragrant and piping hot. Mr. Raine ate it with great satisfaction, and even that fierce-looking Mr. Redbeard scraped his bowl perfectly clean at the end."

She paused, a touch of anticipation weaving into her voice. "Mom, do you think Dad and my brother can eat piping hot stew like this in a place as cold as the Northern Territory?