The dry feeling on the back of my hand was unfamiliar.
Even though this wasn't the first time Perdes had kissed the back of my hand, it felt strangely awkward.
It was awkward when Perdes dealt with Chernosser before, and it's the same this time.
I do not know why.
Perdes was the same, but I couldn't figure out why I felt like I was facing a different person.
Maybe that's why.
The time that his lips touched the back of my hand was very short, less than a few seconds, but it felt like minutes.
As his head moved, I followed his gaze and our eyes met.
Gulp-
“...”
“..."
I could hear the loud ticking of my belly clock filling the bedroom.
It was a sound coming from Perdes' ship.
“Pfft.”
“...”
“Oh, I’m sorry... Phew.”
It would have been funny even if I had heard it normally, but it was even funnier when I heard it in a serious situation.
I tried to hold back my laughter, knowing that Perdes would hate it if I continued laughing, but the laughter just kept coming out.
“...”
Perdes stared at me blankly for a moment, then let go of my hand and stood up.
You're upset again.
“I won’t laugh, so don’t be upset... Phew.”
“...Why don’t you stop laughing and talk?”
“Ahem, ah. Sorry.”
I coughed and barely managed to suppress my laughter, then grabbed Perdes' arm.
“You’ve been starving for over a day, so you must be hungry. Let’s go to the restaurant. Or should I have them bring the food here?”
“Okay. It’s almost midnight. What do you want to eat? Don’t bother the servants and leave me alone. I can wake up early tomorrow morning and eat.”
But if you're hungry, you won't be able to sleep.
I wish he had some cookies, there was nothing edible in his room.
Was it in my room?
...None. I don’t really enjoy cookies either, so I didn’t bring any to my room.
“Are you sure it’s okay if I don’t eat it?”
"Fine..."
Gulp-
“They say belly clocks aren’t okay.”
As I spoke with a smile, Perdes turned his head away, his face turning red like a tomato.
“You’re worried that it’s getting late and bothering the servants?”
I said, holding Perdes' hand.
“Then there is another better way, so follow me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Oh, you’ll know once you go there.”
I entered the secret passage holding Perdes' hand.
Although Perdes was only given the path that connected his bedroom to the common bedroom, there was also an exit leading outside the ducal residence.
“I’m telling you this in advance just in case, but don’t even think about memorizing the route before you go out.”
Perdes replied playfully.
“I hadn’t thought about it, but now that Young Lady says it, I think I should think about it.”
“I told you not to do it.”
“I heard you tell me to do it.”
It was a conversation that was repeated like a Mobius strip before, but I felt much better.
This conversation could have continued on and on.
As we were engaging in meaningless and useless conversation, we soon reached the exit.
Perdes glanced at the exit disguised as a wall and asked me.
“Who else besides Yeong Lady knows about this secret passage?”
“No. I am the only one. This is a passage known only to the blood relatives of the Duke Leopold.”
“So that means Youn Lady recently sneaked out through here.”
Oh, why is the story like that?
"Here."
Perdes pointed to the moss stuck in the gap at the exit.
“The fact that there is little moss here means that the door was recently opened and the moss was torn off.”
“...Why are you so observant?”
When I asked, swallowing the word “useless,” Perdes laughed.
“It’s not particularly good, but I think so since Young Lady said so.”
“The answer is strange.”
“Young Lady has become short-spoken.”
“Since even Mr. Perdes speaks briefly, I can also speak briefly once in a while.”
It was meant as a joke, but Perdes' expression became serious as if he took it seriously.
I said, tapping his arm.
"Just a joke."
“That’s too bad. I was going to allow you to speak informally.”
"Really?"
“No, I’m joking.”
Look, I was joking, and you're joking back.
When I rolled my eyes, Perdes laughed silently.
“So where are you going now? Maybe the store we went to before?”
“No, they don’t do it at this time.”
“Then is it a bar?”
“There’s no way I’d take a minor to a bar. If I go, you’ll follow me.”
If this place closes, it will be a big problem, so I walked briskly while holding Perdes' hand.
I walked for about twenty minutes, using the moonlight illuminating the dark street as a landmark, and stopped in front of a five-story building with a green roof.
Perdes muttered as he saw the sign slightly swaying in the wind.
"Motel?"
When I nodded, Perdes asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Do they sell food here too?”
“Yes, they sell food to the guests in the hall.”
“But we’re not staying overnight. Are you still selling it?”
“They don’t normally sell it, but they sell it to me.”
“What... Ah.”
Perdes, who understood what I was trying to say, chuckled.
“Yes, they should sell it to the girl they love and cherish.”
“The young lady they love and cherish?”
“That’s what the people of Leopold called Young Lady. A young lady they loved and cherished.”
Well, I've clearly lived longer than Perdes, but why do I feel like he knows more about the people of the land?
“Let’s go in.”
Perdes opened the wooden door, which was scratched here and there, and went in first.
That's why I think I followed him.
I shrugged and followed Perdes inside.
Perhaps because it was late, the hall was quiet. There was no one sitting down to eat.
At the counter, the son of the inn owner was dozing off.
I walked up to the counter and rang the bell used to call the waiter in the man's ear.
Tinkle, tinkle-
“Uh, come in quickly... Uh.”
The man who was startled by the sound of the bell tripped on a chair and fell over.
A single scream and a loud thud echoed through the quiet hall.
I was just trying to surprise him, but he fell over.
I was also surprised by the unexpected situation, so I leaned my upper body against the counter and checked the situation inside.
A man was lying tangled with a chair.
"Are you okay?"
“It’s okay... I’m fine, Miss.”
I guess it's okay since he recognizes me.
“Sorry. I guess I surprised you too much.”
The man who stood up touched his buttocks, as if it was sore from being hit hard, and spoke in a grunting voice.
“No. This isn’t the first time you’ve done this, young lady. It’s not a new thing.”
The man's gaze fell on Perdes next to me.
“The person next to you is...?”
“My fiancé.”
“Ah, about that rumor.”
The man who immediately recognized Perdes bowed his head in greeting.
“Welcome to Jack’s Inn.”
"Jack...?"
“Isn’t that strange? The innkeeper’s name here is also Jack.”
Perdes nodded.
“Because it’s a common name.”
“That’s true. Oh, are you eating now?”
“It is possible, but since my mother is sleeping, only simple things can be done.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just bring something that will fill our stomach.”
The man said he understood and disappeared inside.
Since all the seats were empty, I sat down in any seat that caught my eye.
Perdes, who was sitting next to me naturally, asked.
“Do you come here often?”
“I used to come here often.”
Perdes licked his lips, then fell silent.
I guess he's curious about who I came with.
“I came with my father, with Sir Aldor, and with Sir Olben.”
“Sir Olben?”
“He is the master who taught me swordsmanship. He was also the vice-captain before Aldor.”
"Ah."
Perdes looked at me again.
“If you have something to say, say it without worrying about what I think.”
“...I did that because I was afraid I might touch a sore spot.”
“It’s okay. I’m more concerned about Mr. Perdes watching me.”
I said it out of consideration, but Perdes seemed to dislike it because he tapped the table leg with his toe.
“What kind of person was Sir Olben?”
You were going to ask, so why are you feeling upset for no reason?
“Hmm, what kind of person was he?”
I rested my chin on my hand and thought for a moment before speaking.
“He was a very upright and good person. Oh, he was so upright that other knights called him a nagging old man.”
“Is he old?”
“He was the same age as my father.”
“He's not that old.”
“If you actually saw Sir Olben, you wouldn’t be able to say that?”
As we chatted and reminisced about old memories, food came out.
Soup on a sandwich with vegetables and thinly sliced ham.
It was a simple but rich composition.
The taste wasn't bad, but I wasn't sure if it would suit Perdes' taste, so I asked him as soon as he took a bite of the sandwich.
"How is it?"
“It’s okay.”
"Thank God."
Only then was I able to eat my food with peace of mind.
The sound of his belly button clock meant he was hungry, but Perdes only took one bite of his sandwich and didn't eat it.
“You don’t like the sandwich?”
Did you lie on purpose because you thought of the day you brought me here?
"No."
“But why aren’t you eating it?”
"Just."
Perdes tapped the sandwich with his index finger.
“Once you eat all this, you’ll have to go back.”
So you want to hang out with me some more?
It's past midnight.
It was too late to be playing outside.
Especially, it was not a time when young Perdes could attend.
So, as he said, I was going to go back after eating all the sandwiches.
I was going to do that... Should we just play today?
Because we never know when an opportunity like this will come again.
The day after tomorrow, no, it was past midnight so it was tomorrow now.
“Eat this and then go somewhere fun.”
I decided to digress a little bit since I had to go to the academy when the next morning came.
Even though this wasn't the first time Perdes had kissed the back of my hand, it felt strangely awkward.
It was awkward when Perdes dealt with Chernosser before, and it's the same this time.
I do not know why.
Perdes was the same, but I couldn't figure out why I felt like I was facing a different person.
Maybe that's why.
The time that his lips touched the back of my hand was very short, less than a few seconds, but it felt like minutes.
As his head moved, I followed his gaze and our eyes met.
Gulp-
“...”
“..."
I could hear the loud ticking of my belly clock filling the bedroom.
It was a sound coming from Perdes' ship.
“Pfft.”
“...”
“Oh, I’m sorry... Phew.”
It would have been funny even if I had heard it normally, but it was even funnier when I heard it in a serious situation.
I tried to hold back my laughter, knowing that Perdes would hate it if I continued laughing, but the laughter just kept coming out.
“...”
Perdes stared at me blankly for a moment, then let go of my hand and stood up.
You're upset again.
“I won’t laugh, so don’t be upset... Phew.”
“...Why don’t you stop laughing and talk?”
“Ahem, ah. Sorry.”
I coughed and barely managed to suppress my laughter, then grabbed Perdes' arm.
“You’ve been starving for over a day, so you must be hungry. Let’s go to the restaurant. Or should I have them bring the food here?”
“Okay. It’s almost midnight. What do you want to eat? Don’t bother the servants and leave me alone. I can wake up early tomorrow morning and eat.”
But if you're hungry, you won't be able to sleep.
I wish he had some cookies, there was nothing edible in his room.
Was it in my room?
...None. I don’t really enjoy cookies either, so I didn’t bring any to my room.
“Are you sure it’s okay if I don’t eat it?”
"Fine..."
Gulp-
“They say belly clocks aren’t okay.”
As I spoke with a smile, Perdes turned his head away, his face turning red like a tomato.
“You’re worried that it’s getting late and bothering the servants?”
I said, holding Perdes' hand.
“Then there is another better way, so follow me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Oh, you’ll know once you go there.”
I entered the secret passage holding Perdes' hand.
Although Perdes was only given the path that connected his bedroom to the common bedroom, there was also an exit leading outside the ducal residence.
“I’m telling you this in advance just in case, but don’t even think about memorizing the route before you go out.”
Perdes replied playfully.
“I hadn’t thought about it, but now that Young Lady says it, I think I should think about it.”
“I told you not to do it.”
“I heard you tell me to do it.”
It was a conversation that was repeated like a Mobius strip before, but I felt much better.
This conversation could have continued on and on.
As we were engaging in meaningless and useless conversation, we soon reached the exit.
Perdes glanced at the exit disguised as a wall and asked me.
“Who else besides Yeong Lady knows about this secret passage?”
“No. I am the only one. This is a passage known only to the blood relatives of the Duke Leopold.”
“So that means Youn Lady recently sneaked out through here.”
Oh, why is the story like that?
"Here."
Perdes pointed to the moss stuck in the gap at the exit.
“The fact that there is little moss here means that the door was recently opened and the moss was torn off.”
“...Why are you so observant?”
When I asked, swallowing the word “useless,” Perdes laughed.
“It’s not particularly good, but I think so since Young Lady said so.”
“The answer is strange.”
“Young Lady has become short-spoken.”
“Since even Mr. Perdes speaks briefly, I can also speak briefly once in a while.”
It was meant as a joke, but Perdes' expression became serious as if he took it seriously.
I said, tapping his arm.
"Just a joke."
“That’s too bad. I was going to allow you to speak informally.”
"Really?"
“No, I’m joking.”
Look, I was joking, and you're joking back.
When I rolled my eyes, Perdes laughed silently.
“So where are you going now? Maybe the store we went to before?”
“No, they don’t do it at this time.”
“Then is it a bar?”
“There’s no way I’d take a minor to a bar. If I go, you’ll follow me.”
If this place closes, it will be a big problem, so I walked briskly while holding Perdes' hand.
I walked for about twenty minutes, using the moonlight illuminating the dark street as a landmark, and stopped in front of a five-story building with a green roof.
Perdes muttered as he saw the sign slightly swaying in the wind.
"Motel?"
When I nodded, Perdes asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Do they sell food here too?”
“Yes, they sell food to the guests in the hall.”
“But we’re not staying overnight. Are you still selling it?”
“They don’t normally sell it, but they sell it to me.”
“What... Ah.”
Perdes, who understood what I was trying to say, chuckled.
“Yes, they should sell it to the girl they love and cherish.”
“The young lady they love and cherish?”
“That’s what the people of Leopold called Young Lady. A young lady they loved and cherished.”
Well, I've clearly lived longer than Perdes, but why do I feel like he knows more about the people of the land?
“Let’s go in.”
Perdes opened the wooden door, which was scratched here and there, and went in first.
That's why I think I followed him.
I shrugged and followed Perdes inside.
Perhaps because it was late, the hall was quiet. There was no one sitting down to eat.
At the counter, the son of the inn owner was dozing off.
I walked up to the counter and rang the bell used to call the waiter in the man's ear.
Tinkle, tinkle-
“Uh, come in quickly... Uh.”
The man who was startled by the sound of the bell tripped on a chair and fell over.
A single scream and a loud thud echoed through the quiet hall.
I was just trying to surprise him, but he fell over.
I was also surprised by the unexpected situation, so I leaned my upper body against the counter and checked the situation inside.
A man was lying tangled with a chair.
"Are you okay?"
“It’s okay... I’m fine, Miss.”
I guess it's okay since he recognizes me.
“Sorry. I guess I surprised you too much.”
The man who stood up touched his buttocks, as if it was sore from being hit hard, and spoke in a grunting voice.
“No. This isn’t the first time you’ve done this, young lady. It’s not a new thing.”
The man's gaze fell on Perdes next to me.
“The person next to you is...?”
“My fiancé.”
“Ah, about that rumor.”
The man who immediately recognized Perdes bowed his head in greeting.
“Welcome to Jack’s Inn.”
"Jack...?"
“Isn’t that strange? The innkeeper’s name here is also Jack.”
Perdes nodded.
“Because it’s a common name.”
“That’s true. Oh, are you eating now?”
“It is possible, but since my mother is sleeping, only simple things can be done.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just bring something that will fill our stomach.”
The man said he understood and disappeared inside.
Since all the seats were empty, I sat down in any seat that caught my eye.
Perdes, who was sitting next to me naturally, asked.
“Do you come here often?”
“I used to come here often.”
Perdes licked his lips, then fell silent.
I guess he's curious about who I came with.
“I came with my father, with Sir Aldor, and with Sir Olben.”
“Sir Olben?”
“He is the master who taught me swordsmanship. He was also the vice-captain before Aldor.”
"Ah."
Perdes looked at me again.
“If you have something to say, say it without worrying about what I think.”
“...I did that because I was afraid I might touch a sore spot.”
“It’s okay. I’m more concerned about Mr. Perdes watching me.”
I said it out of consideration, but Perdes seemed to dislike it because he tapped the table leg with his toe.
“What kind of person was Sir Olben?”
You were going to ask, so why are you feeling upset for no reason?
“Hmm, what kind of person was he?”
I rested my chin on my hand and thought for a moment before speaking.
“He was a very upright and good person. Oh, he was so upright that other knights called him a nagging old man.”
“Is he old?”
“He was the same age as my father.”
“He's not that old.”
“If you actually saw Sir Olben, you wouldn’t be able to say that?”
As we chatted and reminisced about old memories, food came out.
Soup on a sandwich with vegetables and thinly sliced ham.
It was a simple but rich composition.
The taste wasn't bad, but I wasn't sure if it would suit Perdes' taste, so I asked him as soon as he took a bite of the sandwich.
"How is it?"
“It’s okay.”
"Thank God."
Only then was I able to eat my food with peace of mind.
The sound of his belly button clock meant he was hungry, but Perdes only took one bite of his sandwich and didn't eat it.
“You don’t like the sandwich?”
Did you lie on purpose because you thought of the day you brought me here?
"No."
“But why aren’t you eating it?”
"Just."
Perdes tapped the sandwich with his index finger.
“Once you eat all this, you’ll have to go back.”
So you want to hang out with me some more?
It's past midnight.
It was too late to be playing outside.
Especially, it was not a time when young Perdes could attend.
So, as he said, I was going to go back after eating all the sandwiches.
I was going to do that... Should we just play today?
Because we never know when an opportunity like this will come again.
The day after tomorrow, no, it was past midnight so it was tomorrow now.
“Eat this and then go somewhere fun.”
I decided to digress a little bit since I had to go to the academy when the next morning came.
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