◆ Staying at a Luxurious Inn on Faisal’s Dime
LAYLA showed me to a store where I was able to purchase two souvenirs for Ms. Roxy and Mr. Robert. I also bought some materials and alchemy items that weren’t sold in Astria. Rasheed’s diet was composed primarily of meat, beans, and other grains that were easy to grow. In the old days, meat was difficult to preserve for prolonged periods of time, and dried meat often made it to the dinner table. Nowadays, thanks to metallic boxes that could retain heat and freezing stones made of alchemy, materials and ingredients could be kept cool and fresh for quite a while.
Though Astria sold dried meat as well, with a bit more money, fresh meat could be acquired whenever I wished. The same went for vegetables, and while I had to go to the port to acquire seafood, it wasn’t much trouble. But being able to keep ingredients cool is an excellent idea, I thought.
I bought a freezing stone to use for reference. The store owner told me that the stone’s effects lasted for only a few months and needed to be periodically replaced. After touring several stores, I finished my shopping. Layla and Prince Faisal took us to a district where the most luxurious inns within the city were. They decided to take this opportunity to spend the night as well.
I thought that they’d be staying in the same inn as us, but Layla winked and said, “You guys can’t…relax if we’re close by, don’t you agree?”
Prince Faisal was grinning from ear to ear—it was clear that he very much enjoyed his shopping date with Layla. She had apparently been repeatedly telling the prince about King Shesif’s odd behavior; before this entire affair occurred, there might’ve been some distance between the couple. But now, they looked very close, as though they were always very affectionate towards each other.
Faisal told me to drop by the Holy Palace tomorrow for preparations for the banquet. I nodded in response. Once the celebrations were over, we could return to Astria, where our daily life would resume. I felt a bit relieved knowing that I could go home soon.
Faisal had taken care of checking into an inn for us, and I guessed that it must’ve been very expensive, but shockingly, we were allowed to stay, free of charge.
The inn’s employee guided us up a massive, white staircase to our room. When they asked for our belongings and we replied that we didn’t have any, they seemed a bit surprised, but asked nothing more. The staff here were likely told not to pry into the affairs of their guests.
While this inn wasn’t as grand as a castle, it was still large enough to serve as a manor for nobles. Our room was located on the highest floor. The walls were white, making the room look clean and spacious. A lamp made from various colorful shards of glass—an item commonly seen within this kingdom—looked vibrant and added a splash of vivid hues to the white background.
“Mr. Julius, this place has got five bedrooms and three baths!” I exclaimed.
“Calm down,” he replied.
“We’ll never be able to stay in an inn this luxurious! I’d love to look around and enjoy this place to my heart’s content. This is totally different from the loud, creaking wooden beds that were in the lodgings that I stayed in. That one bed took up most of the room, and you practically had to live on top of your bed. I only used the place to sleep in, though.”
Mr. Julius sat on a black sofa in the middle of the wide living room as he shot me a weary look. I was restlessly wandering around our spacious area. Since we’ve got the opportunity, why not explore every nook and cranny? Where should I sleep? Each bed had a canopy. I spotted one with a vibrant, elegant floral pattern, while another was just black, making it seem calm and inviting. There was even a bed that was white and pink, exuding feminine charm. I only had one body, and naturally, that meant I could only use one bed. It feels like a waste.
“Have you ever stayed in an inn?” Mr. Julius asked.
“Of course I have,” I replied. “I had to traverse long distances when I went to defeat monsters. Thanks to you and Helios, we can now return within the day, but before you guys were around, I needed a few days to make the journey. I traveled by myself.”
“In Dystiana, it’s dangerous for a woman to be traveling alone. Because of the lengthy war, we never had enough guards or knights to keep watch. If the strength of a nation declines, crime rates will soar. This was especially so for towns near the border—you can say that the law didn’t even apply there.”
“I don’t think Astria’s that dangerous, but our cities by the border are also living in poverty. I can’t say the situation there is good. Henri said that he was born in a town by the border; I’m guessing that he’s had a rough past.”
“And what about you? Were you in any danger?” Mr. Julius asked.
“Well, I was at first. I’d never been in combat before. I remember running around from monsters while screaming for dear life. That really takes me back…”
I continued to wander around the various rooms as we conversed. In the depths of the living room was a kitchen fully equipped with plates and cups. There was even a chest to store ingredients—an item that I’d seen multiple times while I was shopping in Rasheed. When I opened the lid, there was a freezing stone inside, keeping the chest cool.
I took out the bottles of liquor that I’d purchased for Mr. Julius from my infinite storage bag and placed them inside the chest. In Astria, we mostly kept drinks cool by burying them in ice, and I was grateful to find a cool box to store these bottles. I didn’t have to worry about the ice melting, either.
“I see…” My. Julius mulled.
“I think you’ve had a much rougher past than me,” I said.
“You’re a woman. We’ve got different issues.”
“Men and women can both suffer and have a rough time. But I’m fine now. Thank you for worrying about me. I suppose Astria might not be as hazardous as Dystiana. I wasn’t in any particular danger.”
“I understand that you don’t want to use much money, but don’t stay in cheap inns. At least don’t stay by yourself.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I gave an obedient nod. He’s right, though. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. I was able to feel a bit more confident and at ease because Mr. Julius was by my side, but it was important to defend myself.
“I think I’m going to go take a bath,” I said. “There are plenty to choose from, so if you want, why don’t you clean yourself off too? I’ll leave your change of clothes here.”
“All right.”
I felt a bit awkward to see that he was so worried about me, and I hastily took out a change of clothes, placed them on the sofa, and headed straight for the bath as though I was fleeing from him.
Mr. Roge had also been worried about me traveling alone, but I never gave his advice much thought. Back then, I had nothing to lose. This didn’t mean that I wanted to die, but I didn’t particularly have a reason to live either. I was just desperate. I wasn’t too bothered about protecting myself or taking good care of my body. Things were different now.
That realization made me very happy, and I hoped that Mr. Julius felt the same. I think…we’re fine. He’s given me a promise about the future. Our promise to get a haircut together in a year glimmered like a hopeful star within my heart.
The bathtub was too big for me to use alone. Rose petals were lavishly floating on the water. The white-walled bathroom was thick with the scent of roses, and when I sank into the warm water, I felt like a noble once more. I slowly stretched my creaking body within the tub while filling my lungs with the scent of roses.
“This is amazing!” I said to myself with a sigh.
This inn clearly must’ve cost quite a bit, but I was able to stay here for free. I looked up at the ceiling and grinned. As I was enjoying the full experience of one of the most expensive places in this city, the clouded glass door of the bathroom opened.
Startled, I instinctively sat up with a loud splash. Mr. Julius had entered the bathroom. Honestly, if it was anyone else, they would’ve been an intruder. No, wait… A young maiden here is in the middle of a bath, and he’s entering without permission as though it’s only natural. He’s an intruder too, isn’t he?
He stepped in so casually that it was easy to forget that we did usually bathe together, for whatever reason. Is this…normal for us? I tilted my head to one side in confusion.
While there were shared baths within this city, in general, men and women bathed separately. I wondered if it was normal for both sexes to bathe together in Dystiana. But Mr. Julius was formerly a duke. I’m pretty sure he had a bath to himself. In fact, he was of such high birth that he kept mocking Astria for being the countryside.