“...riya... Kariya...”
I awoke to the pleasant scent of flowers. Awakened by a hand that shook me gently, I slowly opened my eyes.
Damn, I really hit the hay. The prince woke up before I did.
White flowers clung to the youth’s dark hair, which was slightly bedraggled from sleep.
“Good morning, Your Highness. The beds in this inn are crazy awesome, aren’t they? I slept like a log.”
“Morning, big bro.” He laughed. “You must still be half asleep to call me that. But I do agree that the beds in this inn are ‘crazy awesome’—the fact that I’d been sleeping since yesterday afternoon proves as much.”
The lovely young lady—er, man—quietly chuckled. Remembering the water, I materialized it from storage.
“Oh, um... Yeah. Sorry, Wal. I forgot to get a pitcher of water. Here, drink this—I made it for you.”
“Thanks. By the way, Kariya, why was my bed covered in flowers? Was that a good luck charm or something?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said stiffly. I wasn’t about to tell him it’d been a prank. “You slept well, didn’t you?”
“Yes, very well. Thanks,” the prince said with another chuckle.
Wald then sat down on the edge of my bed—probably because his bed was still covered with flowers. He carefully cradled the cup of water with both of his hands and happily began to drink. I felt a little bad that I’d forgotten to set the water out for him before turning in; he was obviously parched.
He must’ve been hungry too, seeing as he hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.
“Could you go down to the ground floor once you’ve finished that and fetch breakfast for the both of us?” I asked.
He looked unsure. “I doubt I’d stand out or anything, but are you sure it’s okay for me to leave the room?”
“Yeah, as long as you stay inside the inn. I chose this place for its safety,” I said, reassuring him. “Oh, by the way—the staff seem to think you’re my little sister, rather than my brother. Go ahead and pretend that’s the case. While you’re down there, I’ll get changed and clean up the other bed.”
“All right. I’ll be right back then, big bro,” he said. His face was flushed with excitement as he rose from my bed.
Wald passed his empty cup to me and then left the room without even bothering to make his hair more presentable. He must’ve been thrilled to go on his very first errand—and be social to boot.
For my part, I crawled out of bed and had a realization as I got changed.
The prince had been able to create water with magic before, right? So if he was thirsty, he surely could have made his own water to drink... But I guess the fruit-infused water tasted nice. As long as he was happy with it, that was all that mattered.
After I finished getting dressed, I gave my bed a quick, simple tidy and then began to toss the dried flowers that’d been scattered about the prince’s bed into my storage.
A short while had passed when the prince finally returned to the room, carrying a basket with our breakfast. Sandwiches overflowing with filling sat neatly inside the basket along with some apples. He had brought a teapot containing warm milk tea as well.
But...something was off about Wald’s behavior. His cheeks were dusted faintly pink, and for some reason, his movements were a little less refined than normal. Instead, they were a little more awkward.
“Did another guest harass you while you were down there? Sorry, I should have gone instead,” I apologized.
“O-Oh no, no one did anything of the sort. It’s just... I’m sorry, Kariya. I think I may have worsened the misunderstanding with the innkeeper.”
Huh?
“At any rate,” he continued, not meeting my gaze, “let’s eat while the food’s still warm. The innkeeper told me the ham and omelet fillings for the sandwiches are fresh out of the oven.”
With that, we both seated ourselves at the table by the window.
The sandwiches were excellent, as expected of a top-class inn. There were three varieties—one with mouthwateringly melted cheese and seared ham, one filled with vegetables and bursting with egg, and one dessert sandwich with ample jam and creamy butter inside.
At the bottom of the basket were two covered bowls of mushroom soup, just enough for the both of us. Lastly, there were apples that were crisp, fresh, and entirely delightful.
Thank you, top-class inn.
I couldn’t wait for the day we’d have the opportunity to try the fancy dinner from last night that I’d stashed away in my Pocket Dimension.
Once we finished eating, it was my turn to go downstairs. Hooking the basket on my arm, I gathered up the food trays from last night’s dinner and brought all of them down.
The other guests appeared to be wrapping up their own breakfasts, and the innkeeper and her sister had already begun cleaning the dining hall.
“Thank you for breakfast,” I called out to them.
They both whipped around to look at me. For some reason, they seemed positively aglow. Ceasing their cleaning, they both rushed over to me.
“Goodness, you should have told us earlier!” said one.
“Well, I suppose that given the difference in your ages, it’d be best to pose as siblings while you’re traveling,” said the other.
“But don’t you think that’s a little sad for your wife? You’re on your honeymoon!”
I blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“You chose our inn for your honeymoon, right?” the two sisters exclaimed in unison.
Prince Wald... Just what did you talk about with these women?