Chapter 6: Excursions (1)

I opened my bleary eyes and saw the ceiling.

A pleasant softness and warmth enveloped me from where my back lay.

Noticing that the light wasn’t too bright, I looked out the window; rain was still falling.

It didn’t feel as intense as yesterday.

But my left hand, strangely warm, felt odd.

Something soft and plush was touching my hand.

‘Wait a minute. I definitely insisted on sleeping in the chair yesterday—’

With difficulty, I turned my stiff neck to the side and saw her, deeply asleep, holding my hand.

Her wrist, tucked between her cheek and the pillow, gripped tightly as if she wouldn’t let go, was filled with pleasant warmth.

Her neatly closed eyes and sparkling white hair tickled my arm.

And what captured my gaze most of all was her long ear, twitching in time with her quiet breathing.

Perhaps because she was asleep, it hung down loosely, but I could immediately tell that its occasional twitches and short flutters were bad for my heart.

‘Dangerous.’

‘Truly.’

I tried to pull my hand out with a little force, but it wouldn’t budge.

Rather, because my hand was held fast, I had to hold my breath for a moment.

Then came her mumble, as she hugged my hand even tighter.

“Mmm…”

Her skin, soft and plush, yet as smooth as stroking fine fabric, pressed into my firm hand.

Her figure, gradually drawing closer as if a rabbit were sulking because its owner’s touch had left, continued to pound at my heart.

‘…Ah, her ear perked up.’

Now it was even fluttering.

And at an incredible speed.

Her face, buried with my hand, wasn’t visible, but I could roughly guess from the fact that even her light, panting breaths had disappeared.

“…Did you sleep well?”

Her ear fluttered along with her nodding head—then was caught by a hand that reached out.

My hand was also incredibly red.

“Then I’ll get up first, so take your time coming out, okay?”

With a soft rustle, I slipped my hand free, quietly got up, entered the bathroom, closed the door, and slumped onto the floor.

The heartbeats pounding in my ears were painful, yet I didn’t dislike them at all.

No, I rather liked them.

A thrilling sensation coursed through my body.

Everything about such a beautiful person rubbing her face against my hand like that, making such an expression, and so clearly expressing her embarrassment, was thrilling.

Perhaps, I might have done something even more extraordinary than I thought.

The sensation of this hand, still warm!

My goodness, I was clearly touching skin, yet my hand still held the warmth and texture as if I had caressed a soft, freshly made rice cake.

But, how did I end up sleeping next to her?

Did I move in my sleep… or had she done something uncomfortable?

‘First, let’s wash.’

‘Let’s wash and then think about what’s next.’

But… the bathroom only had a drain, a toilet, a mirror, a small window letting in light, and a cabinet.

No equipment or items for washing my body were visible.

Not even a faucet.

‘Wait a minute, come to think of it, I was told I had to ask downstairs for bathwater.’

‘Come to think of it, when I lived with Paul… I largely managed with cold water rubs.’

‘Then, how does one take a normal bath here?’

I figured I had no choice but to ask her, so I pulled the doorknob.

“You mean wiping your body, don’t you?”

My heart was severely shocked once again by her appearance, covering herself with the blanket and refusing to leave the bed, but she seemed to have properly heard my question, as she answered with twitching ears.

“Did you perhaps bring water?

If you designate a time to receive water downstairs, there’s a service that brings water to your door at the reserved time every day, but… it seems you haven’t applied for it, hmph.

It seems not.”

In the end, perhaps she couldn’t resist the heat, as she lifted and folded the blanket, revealing herself with a deeply flushed face.

Still.

“Um, before that… I apologize for my rudeness.

It seemed I couldn’t possibly let Mr. Marcus sleep in the chair, so I moved you to the bed.”

‘I want to hear why she was holding my hand while sleeping… but perhaps it’s fine. Let’s not ask that. By the way… what should I do from now on, will we have to keep sleeping together in the bed?’

“Um, from now on… uh, I mean… I hope we can sleep together on the bed.

N-no other meaning!

Just so you won’t be uncomfortable!

That’s all… Ugh…”

‘…Does she even realize what she just said?’

I tried to ignore my pounding heart and, feeling that I needed an answer to my question, I urged her.

“Then. Um, could you tell me how to, um, wipe my body?”

“Ah… Yes. Hmm, so—they bring a wooden bucket filled with hot water and several long towels for wiping your body all at once.

Then you take that into the bathroom and wipe your body by wetting the towels with water.

Did you understand?”

It seemed somewhat complicated, but not too difficult.

Wiping my body with a water-soaked towel… it was an unfamiliar method, but not impossible.

“Ah, thank you. Then—”

“A-and!”

She called out to me as I turned my back to open the door and leave, then she parted her lips and made a small request.

“You can… speak informally to me… I think.”

Seeing her, I finally couldn’t help but smile.

And a very bright smile at that.

I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand, but it was no use.

She had already seen my face, her face reddening like a tomato, and pulled the blanket back over herself.

“I’ll be right back, then. Just wait a moment.”

Picking up the room key and locking the door, I walked a few steps before finally having to hold my face in my hands.

My smile hadn’t stopped since earlier.

Her shy appearance was so etched in my mind that I felt I couldn’t possibly erase it.

My facial muscles ached, and I had to constantly rub my cheekbones with my hand.

‘Speak informally, what does that even mean… Ha, seriously. She’s really driving me crazy, truly.’

After wiping myself down, I definitely felt much refreshed than before.

The warmth remaining on my body was also pleasantly rising.

However, my hair felt dry and I didn’t particularly like it.

‘Is there no soap?’

She, having just washed, was wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

I had prepared my spare clothes, but she had none.

‘This might be a bit of a problem.’

“Thanks to you, I was able to wash cleanly. Thank you.”

To her, who still adhered to formal language, I waved my hand and pulled out a chair for her.

“No, no. You don’t need to thank me for every little thing.

Um, weren’t we going to speak informally…?”

She tilted her head and asked me again.

“You are speaking informally well, but is there something wrong…?

No, surely, I don’t have to speak informally too, do I?”

‘Yes, you do.’

When I grinned, she shrieked and thrust out both hands, waving them frantically.

“No, no, no! I can’t do that! How could I do that! No way!”

To her, who had been showing serious cuteness since earlier, I decided to tease her a little.

‘Wouldn’t this be okay?’

‘And to see her reaction too.’

“Then don’t.

I don’t really like it when one person speaks formally and the other informally.

If Ms. Elli doesn’t speak informally, then I have no reason to either.”

“Th-that… I think that’s too harsh…

I’ve already received so much consideration, if I receive any more, I truly won’t know what to do.

Please, I hope you do whatever is comfortable for you.”

‘Whatever is comfortable, huh.’

‘Then, should I push a little harder?’

“Then quickly, speak informally.”

“Ugh, ugh… Th-that won’t do!

I can’t concede this.

Seriously.

I would be grateful if you would consider it my minimum courtesy.

Truly, I apologize…”

But contrary to my expected reaction, she bowed her waist and her ears drooped completely, leaving me rather flustered.

Even though this wasn’t the reaction I wanted.

Therefore, I gave up teasing early and sat her down.

It was a relief that she calmed down quickly.

First, I needed to go shopping with her.

That is—grocery shopping.

I also needed to buy her clothes, and prepare suitable weapons and armor for her, and then buy food.

It would be a good time to buy necessary items while asking her various pieces of information I needed, and exploring.

This was because I had realized from ‘the previous incident’ that dungeon exploration was not an easy task.

Thinking about that incident still sent shivers down my spine, but fortunately, unlike then, I now had at least one person I could trust.

To speak coldly, she couldn’t betray me.

As long as the contract existed, I would not harm her, and she would be loyal to me.

Therefore, through her, I would be able to learn more about this world.

Unlike that f*cking wanted criminal, I would be able to learn a lot of accurate information.

If possible, I might even learn to read and write quickly.

‘…Ah, did I space out for too long?’

When I proposed an outing to her, who was tilting her head, for the purpose of preparing for dungeon exploration, she seemed a little hesitant.

“Won’t it definitely cost a lot of money?”

“You don’t need to worry about money.

I’m not trying to brag, but we have enough money to live for a few weeks, so it will be fine.

I intend to spend without overdoing it, but I hope we can choose only the best things.”

“In that case, I will approach it as economically as possible.

I know a few good value-for-money shops.

I’ve heard about places adventurers frequent.

And, will you really not speak informally in the end?”

“…If you keep telling me to speak informally, I’ll definitely make Ms. Elli speak informally too, so know that.”

When I said that, her mouth snapped shut.

What should I do if every single one of her actions seems cute?

No, it must be because she is overwhelmingly cute.

Looking at her with a smile, her ears twitched.

But seeing her also try to smile back, I felt that the awkwardness between us had lessened somewhat.

Outside, the clouds had cleared, and sunlight was slowly entering.

Well, shall we go out?