R 08

Chapter 8

“Ah, I’m all done. I’ll be out soon.”

Startled back to her senses, Ellie answered and put on the robe provided in the bathroom.

She tied the sash tightly around her waist so the robe wouldn’t come undone, then ran a towel through her damp hair again.

Her hair, still slightly wet, now looked clean and fresh.

She gathered up the laundry and opened the door. Lus was waiting right outside the bathroom with his arms crossed.

“Why are you standing here?”

“……!”

Lus’s eyes widened when he saw her. Ellie followed his gaze and looked over her clothes again.

“Why? Is there still somewhere that’s dirty?”

Instead of answering, Lus fixed his gaze on the bundle in her hands.

She knew what he was curious about without having to ask, so she held up the laundry and smiled.

“My dirty clothes and your cloak. I only gave mine a rough wash, but I washed yours properly. I hope they’ll dry before we leave. Where should I hang them?”

“……”

Lus looked utterly dumbfounded. He abruptly snatched the bundle of laundry from her hands and tossed it into the trash can in the corner of the room.

“Throw it all away. You go to way too much trouble. You don’t need to do things like this from now on.”

His tone was firm, as though he had seen something he shouldn’t have. Ellie, meanwhile, was extremely flustered. She had gone to all that trouble to wash her clothes, only for them to end up in the trash.

“But they’re torn.”

“Even so, those are the only clothes I have.”

“I’ll get you new ones.”

Lus turned his gaze back to her, and his expression soon hardened. His brow furrowed as well.

Ellie realized why when she followed his gaze and awkwardly touched the back of her neck.

It was probably because the dark, finger-shaped bruises were still visible on her neck.

Lus clenched his teeth slightly. He seemed extremely displeased by the bruises.

Ellie was the one who had suffered the ordeal, yet for some reason, she felt as though she should be the one comforting Lus instead.

“I’m fine. The bruises will disappear after a few days.”

“Phew.”

Lus quietly sighed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light pat.

Then his gaze stopped somewhere else again.

“……”

At the same time, Ellie instinctively held her breath.

Her lips.

Lus was definitely looking at her lips. Without saying anything, he alternated his gaze between her eyes and lips before lightly biting his lower lip.

Gulp.

His Adam’s apple bobbed at the same time. A brief silence fell between them.

At his subtle reaction, the thought of a kiss suddenly crossed Ellie’s mind.

She reflexively began studying his face again.

She had noticed it from the beginning, but Lus had exceptionally beautiful features.

His ruby-colored eyes seemed to contain a brilliant light. There was something stubborn in his gaze, yet it also possessed an irresistible charm that drew people in deeply. His neat lips were equally captivating.

As Ellie continued studying Lus, who became more attractive the longer she looked at him, she unconsciously swallowed. An urge arose to press her lips against those enticing lips of his.

Of course, they weren’t close enough to have reached the point of kissing.

But what if Lus impulsively kissed me?

Would she accept it, pretending she couldn’t resist?

The truth was, Lus was a man attractive enough to make her think that way.

Once they became accustomed to kissing, Lus’s hands would naturally move from the back of her neck toward her chest.

She wasn’t exactly sure, but she had heard that it felt good. She had also heard that if you allowed someone of the opposite sex to have a little more of your body, you could experience a pleasure that felt almost otherworldly.

“……!”

The moment Ellie’s eyes met Lus’s again, her cheeks grew hotter and hotter.

Wow, am I really this kind of person?!

She had suddenly realized what she had been imagining.

Come to think of it, it was really strange.

There’s no way Lus would want to kiss a woman he met for the first time today!

Ellie desperately tried to drive those impulses out of her mind and regain her composure.

Then she cautiously watched Lus’s reaction.

She wondered if he had noticed her completely irrational thoughts.

Fortunately, Lus merely took a step back and didn’t make any further move.

Should I really consider this a good thing…?

A strange sense of disappointment welled up inside her.

It is a good thing… right?

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked from outside.

“Come in.”

At Lus’s permission, hotel staff entered while pushing a trolley. They first bowed politely to Lus and Ellie, then neatly arranged the food on the table before leaving.

“Wow.”

Another gasp of admiration escaped Ellie.

The food laid out on the table was on an entirely different level from what she had seen in the secluded village.

Meals in the secluded village consisted of nothing more than hard bread, soup, and a simple salad. Other than soup, all the food was served on a single plate.

But even the presentation here was completely different. Each dish was served separately and beautifully arranged on plates decorated with charming floral patterns.

This is closer to art than food, isn’t it?

The spread was so elegant and magnificent that it almost seemed like a shame to eat it. On top of that, steam was still rising from the freshly prepared dishes.

Ellie instinctively swallowed hungrily.

So this is how Lus eats. He’s lucky.

At the same time, she found herself watching Lus’s expression.

There seemed to be too much food for one person, so she wondered if he might share some with her.

Lus frowned as he looked at her.

I guess I must look terribly rustic to him.

But despite his brief sigh, Lus said nothing more.

He merely gestured for her to eat.

Joy welled up from the depths of her heart.

Lus! He’s so considerate!

Ellie quickly sat down opposite him and picked up a fork. But the moment she looked at the food again, she hesitated.

She wondered if she really was allowed to eat it. The dishes were so beautiful that it almost felt wrong to simply dig into them.

Did I misunderstand his gesture?

She looked at Lus’s expression again.

He was watching her without touching the food himself.

If I wasn’t supposed to eat, wouldn’t he have said something as soon as I picked up the fork?

Ellie awkwardly reached out and picked up a piece of bread.

Gasp.

The unexpected texture against her fingers made her mouth fall open.

“What’s wrong?”

Naturally, Lus asked. But Ellie was so amazed that she burst out laughing.

“The bread is so soft and fluffy. Oh my goodness! And it’s even warm!”

One of Lus’s eyebrows rose.

“Why are you so moved by something like that? You sound as though this is your first time eating bread like that.”

Ellie nodded. Because it really was her first time eating bread like this.

“In the village where I lived, bread was always hard. But am I really allowed to eat this?”

Lus’s expression instantly hardened. It became as stiff as the bread in the secluded village.

“Didn’t the village chief provide decent food and clothing?”

“Yes. We had to be self-sufficient within the village, so there were limits. Still, the village chief was a very good person.”

“……”

Lus rubbed his forehead for a moment before speaking.

“I see. Anyway, eat as much as you want. If it isn’t enough, I’ll have them bring more.”

“Really?”

She smiled brightly with genuine delight. When she took a large bite of the bread, its warm, fluffy texture melted gently in her mouth.

Ahh, so this is what freshly baked bread tastes like.

It was so delicious she could have cried.

Suddenly, her hunger surged. She began reaching for the other dishes with her fork as well.

Only then did Lus begin eating too.

“My goodness, there’s meat that doesn’t have that gamey smell! And it’s still hot.”

With delicious food in her mouth, Ellie felt incredibly happy. She chattered excitedly as she ate.

Anyone watching her might have found it hard to believe that she was the same person who had been on the brink of life and death only a short while ago.

Lus’s knife stopped.

“Meat that doesn’t have a gamey smell?”

“Yes. Doesn’t meat normally smell gamey? Oh! So you can make salad dressing this way, too. How did they make the sauce?”

“……”

“This is so delicious. I’d only ever heard about cities, but now that I’ve experienced one, they’re really wonderful places.”

Lus stopped eating and stared at her with a blank expression. Ellie didn’t care in the slightest. What was wrong with saying delicious food was delicious?

Ahh, that was a good meal.

After finishing her filling meal, Ellie leaned comfortably back against the sofa.

With her back warm and her stomach full, what had happened in the village felt almost like a lie. The comfortable atmosphere made her eyes close naturally.

“If you’re going to sleep, go to the bed.”

At Lus’s words, Ellie staggered to her feet.

She fell backward onto the bed, which was filled with soft, cushy padding. The mattress gently bounced beneath her, enveloping her entire body in softness. It felt so comfortable and pleasant.

“Hehe.”

Hugging the pillow, she turned onto her side. The drowsiness that immediately washed over her soon carried her into a sweet sleep.

But how long had she been asleep?

The sound of Lus quietly talking with someone stirred her from her sleep, waking her just slightly.

Who is he talking to?

She forced open her sleep-heavy eyes.

A blurry view revealed Lus and Sir Scone, the knight with a brown ponytail.

Lus spoke through clenched teeth in a low voice.

“That bastard. Even if I restricted the information, considering how much funding was provided……”

It was obvious that he was angry.

“Judging by what you said, it seems the embezzlement was practically abuse. The women we brought along also went crazy when they saw the food.”

When Sir Scone agreed, Lus issued a firm, icy order.

“Go immediately. Seize all the wealth he accumulated and execute him.”

Execute him? Execute whom?

Shocked by Lus’s horrifying command, Ellie forced her still-tired body upright.

“Lus? What are you talking about?”

Lus and Sir Scone both turned their eyes toward her. Sir Scone merely rolled his eyes as he anxiously gauged Lus’s reaction.

Lus, on the other hand, didn’t change his expression at all as he asked in return,

“What are you talking about? What?”

“Who are you going to execute…? Are you talking about my friends?”

“No. That’s not what we’re talking about right now.”

Lus approached her and gently stroked her hair. Then he carefully laid her back down and pulled the blanket over her.

“You must have misheard. You’re tired, so get some sleep.”

His voice sounded incredibly gentle. Somehow reassured, Ellie buried her face in the soft pillow and fell deeply asleep again.

The reason she woke again was because a clear, melodious sound rang beside her ears.

Ah, I know what this is. It’s the sound of a music box.

It was another familiar melody. She hummed along with the notes in her head, and when she took a deep breath, she noticed the scent of peppermint coming from somewhere.

It was refreshing.

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Ah……”

As her consciousness cleared, she remembered where she was. She sat up and looked around.

There was no one else in the room. Only the music box beside her pillow was producing its clear, delicate melody.

Ellie picked up the music box and examined it, discovering a small button.

“……”

Without thinking much of it, she pressed the button.

The music box stopped, and silence descended.

For some reason, she felt disappointed, so she pressed the button again. The music box began playing once more, its clear melody filling the room.

She felt strangely unsettled.

“What song was this again?”

It was definitely a melody she knew well, but when she heard it again, she couldn’t remember what it was.

Tilting her head in confusion, she got out of bed. A set of women’s clothes had been placed on the bedside table.

Remembering that Lus had said he would bring her new clothes, she picked them up and examined them from various angles.

The long skirt had a slit on the left side. The sleeveless top had a high neckline that covered her neck. It was black and simply designed, but the material looked high-quality.

Even the underwear was complete.

After washing her face, she changed clothes and stood in front of the full-length mirror.

Looking again, she saw that the swelling on her left cheek had almost completely gone down—far more than she had expected.

Could it be because the bathwater was different?

After marveling at this inwardly, she examined how the clothes looked on her.

The new clothes fit her perfectly, as though they had been specially tailored for her. She was also pleased that the high neckline concealed the finger-shaped bruises on her neck.

However, the top was a little short.

It ended just beneath her chest, leaving the straight line of her abdominal muscles, her navel, and her hourglass-shaped waist fully exposed.

“……”

The slit on the left side of the long skirt was also much higher than she had expected, making her self-conscious whenever she moved. Even simply walking revealed her left thigh quite easily.

“I suppose it’s pretty… but isn’t it a little too revealing?”

She turned this way and that, checking whether her underwear might show, then finally relaxed.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be visible despite what she had thought.

Still, she would have to move carefully because her thigh showed whenever she walked.

Having finished checking her outfit, Ellie picked up a hairbrush.

Her tangerine-colored hair bounced and swayed with elasticity every time she brushed it, and she loved it no matter how many times she saw it.

She didn’t know who her parents were, but at least they had passed down some incredible hair.

After finishing brushing her long hair, Ellie gave herself a bright smile in the mirror.

Then, just as she turned her gaze toward her shoes, she froze.

“…Huh?”

The shoes she had neatly taken off were nowhere to be seen. In their place was another pair of dress shoes.

She picked them up.

They were pretty, but the heels were extremely high.

“About eight centimeters?”

She estimated the height of the heels by eye, then stared in disbelief.

“…Were these really made for someone to wear?”

Just then, she heard the door opening.

Ellie hurriedly put the shoes down and turned toward the door.

It was Lus.

Lus entered carrying a small container and looked over her outfit. Soon, a satisfied expression spread across his face.

“…Don’t you knock?”

“I thought you’d still be asleep.”

Lus answered indifferently and handed her the small container he was carrying.

“What is this?”

“I picked it up on the way here. I asked a staff member what it was, and they said it helps bruises fade quickly… Don’t you need it? Your face is swollen.”

What is he talking about, Lus?

Suppressing a laugh, Ellie opened the container.

The moment she twisted off the lid, a refreshing peppermint scent filled the air.

It was the same scent she had smelled half-awake that morning. Inside the container was a white cream.

“This……”

She stared at him in disbelief.

Lus avoided her gaze, but she could tell.

While she had been asleep, Lus must have personally applied the cream to her face.

“Ahem. I’m done getting ready to leave.”

He meant that it was time to go.

When Ellie merely continued staring at him, Lus looked puzzled.

“Why?”

“Is there another pair of shoes?”

“They’re right there.”

“These heels are too high. And……”

She was about to say that she had never worn anything like this before. But she felt as though she was constantly revealing how much of a country girl she was, so she came up with another excuse.

“They’re uncomfortable. I don’t like them.”

Lus gave a faint, amused laugh.

“Have you even tried them on?”

“Well… not yet.”

The moment she answered, she felt embarrassed. Had she already given away the fact that she had never worn shoes like these?

Lus picked up the new shoes. Then he had Ellie sit on the bed and knelt down on one knee.

Right in front of her?

“Ah! Wait a moment……”

“Just stay still.”

With a calm expression, Lus gently cupped Ellie’s right heel in one hand and carefully put the shoe on her.

Then he did the same with her other foot……

The completely unexpected action sent heat rushing all the way to the top of Ellie’s head.

No one had ever touched her feet like this before. And in her opinion, she wasn’t some extraordinary woman worthy of being treated this way.

Because of Lus’s excessive courtesy, she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Moreover, there was something in his touch that made her feel as though he was treating her precious.

Because of that, her heart began beating strangely fast and refused to calm down.

Ahh, what am I going to do……

Just as Ellie was at a loss while staring at Lus’s bowed back, he straightened up and stood.

“Now walk.”

What?

Ellie looked up at him with only her eyes before barely managing to speak.

“The heels are too high……”

Lus let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“That’s impossible. Just try walking.”

“……”

She had no choice.

After hesitating for a moment, Ellie carefully stood up.

Huh?

She felt a strong stretch through her waist. When their eyes met, Lus gestured with his chin as though telling her to hurry up and walk.

Following his instruction, she took a step.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

“Huh?”

This was definitely her first time wearing heels this high. Yet they felt more natural and were easier to walk in than the shoes she normally wore.

How is this possible? Are these shoes equipped with some kind of new function?

She was beyond surprised. It was almost fascinating.

When Ellie’s eyes met Lus’s, he raised one corner of his mouth, as though to say, See?

Lus immediately walked over to one wall and touched something.

Then something completely unexpected happened in the wall.

The wall opened from both sides, revealing a huge glass wall.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass was the emblem of a red firebird.

“……Ah!”

Ellie immediately realized what was floating outside.

It was a gigantic airship bearing the emblem of King Ruklus.

Lus touched another device, and the glass wall opened wide.

Vrrr—Vrrr—

Along with the rumbling of the airship, a powerful gust of wind rushed inside. Lus’s ruby-blond hair and cloak fluttered wildly in the wind.

Soon, a rectangular passageway extended from the airship, creating a path that connected directly to the room.

Lus extended one hand toward Ellie and said calmly,

“Let’s go. To Ruklus’s Tower.”

Still dazed, Ellie followed Lus as he led the way.

When they boarded the airship, people in uniforms stood in formation on both sides to welcome them.

They remained bowed respectfully until Lus and Ellie had completely passed through.

Ellie remembered seeing this behavior in a book before.

It was the way noble households’ butlers or maids greeted someone of high status.

I’m not an important person… Is it because Lus is their commander?

To Lus, this seemed completely natural, and he simply walked through them without a second thought.

But Ellie felt extremely awkward receiving the same greeting alongside him.

Once they passed the line of people, the interior of the airship came into view.

Small windows, walls made of wooden panels, and a luxurious-looking carpet covered the floor. The red firebird emblem of King Ruklus was engraved here and there.

Even as she followed behind Lus, Ellie couldn’t keep her eyes from wandering over the magnificent interior of the airship.

She almost let out another gasp of admiration. But she held it back, afraid Lus would once again call her a primitive or a country bumpkin.

I don’t want to hear Lus call me a country bumpkin anymore.

But her resolve collapsed completely not long afterward.

“Wooooow!”

A vast view of the enormous city spread out beyond the huge windows.

Ellie pressed herself against the glass, completely captivated by the view outside. At this point, there was nothing she could do even if Lus called her a country bumpkin.

“Even ordinary people don’t often get to see the city from this height.”

This time, Lus sounded as though he genuinely understood her reaction.

Soon, the airship began to move slowly.

Ellie stared absently at the hotel growing smaller in the distance, then suddenly felt as though she had forgotten something.

……What was it?