“Feel free to use this room starting today. If you have need of anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” With that, the young maid of some twenty-odd years standing in front of the bedroom door bowed to me, then disappeared down the hall. After watching her go, I turned the doorknob, opened the door, and stepped into the room.
“Wow... It’s huge!” That was the very first thought that hit me when I entered. It was so big that my bedroom back at the Clematis manor was basically the size of a bathroom in comparison—I was pretty sure this was at least three times bigger than my own room. And on top of that, it was fully furnished. The bed felt like it was too big for just one person, and the blanket looked really nice and thick...
Yep, confirmed: It was super fluffy.
I sat down on the bed, and I sank so deeply into the mattress that it was almost funny. For a world that didn’t have modern technology, the craftsmanship was incredible. I’m sure the price tag on it was eye-popping. And considering House Lycoris could afford to set out a bed like this for guests... The upper crust of nobility who were rich enough to own an incredibly far-reaching swath of land really did have fat wallets, huh.
Dandelion hopped down from atop my head. “Chirp!” And with that, he began to roll around on the bed.
“Isn’t this just wonderful, Huey? You were given such a fancy room!” Lying down on the bed with Dandelion, I saw the three goddesses appear above me, floating down through the ceiling. Right in the middle of the group was Fouré, with a broad smile across her face—she must’ve been just as happy for me as I was for myself.
“They didn’t really give me the room, Fouré. I’m just borrowing it for a little while,” I corrected her.
“Oh, really? We didn’t want to disturb you while you were talking to the other people, so we kinda kept our distance. I don’t really have any idea what’s going on!”
“Thanks for the consideration. You too, Aruna, Cult.”
“No need to thank us. But my, aren’t things looking sunny for you? You saved some nobles and were rewarded with money,” Aruna remarked.
Cult giggled. “I was worried for you when the dragon appeared, but you defeated it without a hitch. How much of it did you manage to keep?”
“Um...” At Cult’s urging, I tugged on the drawstring of the storage bag I’d borrowed from her, opening it. I peered into it, and the three goddesses took that as a cue to lean in for a look as well.
“Wow! It’s in perfect condition!”
“You really did get most of it in there. I imagine you could sell it for far more than the basilisk.”
“Hee hee. Now, dear one, with this much material... You could do it, don’t you think?” Cult’s bloodred eyes settled on me. She didn’t exactly say what she meant, but her gaze told me all I needed to know. I’d already been thinking the same thing anyway.
“Yeah. I have a lot of money now, even if the windfall was purely by coincidence. I still have the basilisk and dragon parts to sell, I’ll be getting permanent residency in Lycoris, and Claus said I could live however I want on his lands. So basically... I can bring Armeria and Cosmos here.”
I hadn’t even been in Lycoris for a day. I’d kinda felt like dealing with the dragon was a pain in the ass while I was fighting it, but I didn’t realize it’d bring me such a stroke of good fortune. Honestly, if I could thank the dragon, I would, from the bottom of my heart.
“The marquis said he’d arrange rooms for them too. Armeria might be married off within the next two or three weeks, so let’s get back to the manor right away—I need to get the both of them out of there.” I’d already decided on this course of action from the moment Claus said that my sisters could stay at the Lycoris estate as well.
“Lord Hisui? Is the room to your liking?”
Just as I was clenching my fist in determination, a knock sounded from the bedroom door. I could hear Rose’s voice from the hall.
“Lady Rose! Thank you so much for letting me borrow such a wonderful room.” I stood up from the bed and strode over to the door, and then turned the knob to open it. There, I found Rose standing in the doorway wearing a different ensemble from earlier. She must’ve gotten a change of clothes.
Now, she was wearing a blue dress that looked a little like a nightgown, though it was also something you could wear out on the town without anyone batting an eye. White stripes ran down the left and right sides of her dress, giving it a breezy and sleek look.
“Oh, no, it was my father who arranged for the room. He did say he would let you borrow one, after all.”
“I’m thanking you for agreeing to let me stay.”
“I’m not so base a person that I would bar our savior from staying in my home. Anyway, I’ll have the maid bring you a change of clothes later.”
“I’ll handle my own clothes. Don’t worry.”
“You needn’t be so shy about accepting help. As long as you’re staying here, I promise we’ll do what we can to accommodate you!”
Her enthusiasm made me feel a little embarrassed, and I laughed. “Thanks... That does help.” The excessive hospitality made me a little uncomfortable, but insisting on refusing would be rude. Besides, I had things I needed to do, so I had to prioritize those.
“By the way, could I ask you to pass a message on to Lord Lycoris for me? I’m going to return to the Clematis estate now.”
“What?! You’re leaving already?” Rose was so shocked, she took a few wobbly steps backward. Panicking, I shook my head to allay her fears.
“It’s not what you think! I’m just going to go fetch my sisters, like we discussed earlier. I have to do it as soon as possible, or one of them might be married off to a nobleman more than three times her age.”
“Your sister’s getting married off?!”
“That’s right. It was my family’s decision; I think they must want to strengthen our family’s relationship with that viscount.”
“I suppose that’s a rather common situation among the nobility,” Rose acquiesced. “All right, I’ll pass your message on to my father. Please, be careful on your way.”
“Thank you! I’ll be off now, Lady Rose.”
“Stay safe, and I hope you’ll return soon.”
Leaving the room, I walked toward the foyer. Behind me, Rose waved, so I waved back and exited the manor.