Chapter 548:
The Bear Goes to Seleiyu’s House
IN THE END, I was unable to refuse Seleiyu’s invitation. If I were alone, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but Noa was with me, and she was a noble. The nobility probably had their own complicated relationships to consider, and I was just Noa’s “student” guard. Seleiyu was inviting Noa to stay, noble to noble. If I said the wrong thing, this could become a political scandal or something.
Well, what to do...
I thought for a while, then decided to leave it up to Noa’s judgment—her being a noble and all.
“What do you think, Noa?”
“Me?”
“I’m just here as your guard, after all. It’s your choice.”
“In that case, why not stay with Lady Seleiyu for one night?”
“You’re welcome to stay at my house until you leave, not just for one day.”
“We couldn’t possibly impose that much.”
“It’s no imposition at all.”
“We don’t want to seem ungrateful for your favor, so we’ll stay with you for one day. If you host us for too long, I won’t know whether to cheer for you or Shia during the competition.”
Noa gently suggested that she didn’t want to stay for long. Maybe she’d compromised after getting a sense of what both Seleiyu and I wanted, and had come up with the one-day proposal? Was this how nobles dealt with each other?
Even though she was young, she was a real noble too.
“All right. In that case, I will be happy to host you for the day.”
Seleiyu seemed to have accepted the compromise. I thought it was a pretty good middle ground to reach too.
“As I interrupted your walk through town, please allow me to show you around to make up for it.”
We started strolling through the streets, with Seleiyu as our guide. We peeked into stores and picked up snacks at stalls. Seleiyu paid for us. I wasn’t used to this feeling... Normally I was the one footing the bill for everything, so it felt new to be treated like this.
We told the inn we wouldn’t be back that night. Seleiyu was there, so the inn tried to return the money, but I asked for them to keep the money and add another night to our reservation. We’d only paid up until the day after the gathering was over, so I thought we could stay another day and relax after the gathering was over.
After we had our fill strolling around town with Seleiyu as our guide, the sun started to set so we headed to her house.
“I wish we could have seen more.”
“It’s too late to stay out.”
Noa looked at me with pleading eyes, but I had to agree with Seleiyu.
“We should turn in for the day.”
After that, Noa dropped the issue.
“She listens to you,” Seleiyu commented.
“If Yuna tells Mother or Father, then I won’t be allowed out again,” Noa said. The only thing she generally was stubborn about was bears.
Throwing Noa a bone, Seleiyu took us on a different path as we walked to her house.
Her family ruled over the town, so naturally her house was huge.
“You must be tired from all that walking. I will draw you a bath, so please rest in your room.”
Once we entered the manor, Seleiyu called over a servant to show us to our room. We left Seleiyu and followed the maid.
“It’s big.”
There were two large beds in the room. Noa had wanted to stay in the same room as me.
“I’m sorry, Yuna.”
“What’s for?”
“I knew you didn’t want to stay with Lady Seleiyu.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just felt a little stressed about staying over at someone’s house when I’ve barely met them.”
I’d never really had friends, so I didn’t know what it was like to have a sleepover at someone else’s house. I felt the most at home in my own place. When I was in my bear house, I was in my element.
“Yes, I feel the same. But I know how Lady Seleiyu feels too, which is why I asked just to stay for one night. It’s true that if Lady Seleiyu came to visit Crimonia, I would want her to stay at our manor rather than an inn.”
Yeah, that made sense. Of course, nobles would invite a visiting noble over to their own home turf.
Noa looked around the room and opened the window.
“Is that Lady Seleiyu?”
I headed over to the window and looked outside. Seleiyu was swinging her sword around.