Author’s note:
A rare story from a viewpoint of a different person.
It’s from viewpoint of the person from the previous story (chapter).
Currently, I’m waiting for someone in the dining room of an inn called Migratory Bird.
The person I’m waiting for is a girl who came from another world twenty days ago.
The girl has an unusual hair colour, her att.i.tude doesn’t change even knowing I’m royalty, rather, there’s no feeling of respect from her att.i.tude.
Of the three days we spent together, I’ve kept thinking where her small child-like body gets the energy from, it’s very interesting to watch her being restless and always moving around.
While recalling that, I consciously feel my face loosen.
After we separated, I’ve heard some rumors by chance.
I heard she registered as an adventurer two days after we separated, also today from stopping by the Chivalric Order for business, I heard a story about that girl resolving a kidnapping incident.
With her small body that doesn’t even look 10 years old, it’s mystery how she knocked out those adult men.
There are things which must be told to that girl today, I took this opportunity since I have some personal business too so I’m waiting here.
Waiting for a little while, I see a small figure approaching from the counter.
When that figure noticed me, I decided to call out to her from here because she stiffened up with a surprised expression.
「Sakura, it’s been a while. You seem to be well.」
「Eh? Ah, yes. It’s been a while. ーWait no, what are you doing here, Prince Sedrim?」
She sure is surprised. It’s slightly enjoyable messing with her successfully.
「Hahaha. To meet Sakura of course, is what I’d like to say but, I came because of business.」
「Ha? Business with me? What is it?」
「Aa, well we’re not in a rush. We can talk during a meal.」
Perfect, it seems the meal I ordered has came.
I requested it to be a little luxurious beforehand.
「Are you eating too, Prince?」
「What? Since Sakura is hungry, you want to eat your meal in front of me as I watch?」
「No no, that’s not what I mean. What if a meal had been prepared for you in the castle, is what I mean…」
「No problem. I’ve already said I’m eating here.」
Although she has a complicated expression for some reason, I start eating the meal in front of me.
When she saw that, she began her meal with an ‘it can’t be helped’ expression, and concentrated on the meal after a short moment.
With my meal almost finished, I decide to begin the story.
「Although I said business, it’s more of a report.」
Confirming that she was listening to my voice, I continued to talk.
Around the time we finished our meal, our talk about the business I came here for had ended.
「That’s the end of the report. Though I didn’t just come to have that conversation during a meal. That and, I came to celebrate Sakura becoming an adventurer. It’s become quite late. You know, I heard from the Chivalric Order. You played quite the active part yesterday, didn’t you?」
While remembering about a story I heard by chance, I turn my focus towards it.
「That…, thank you very much. You also seem quite well, Prince. Nevertheless, you have quite the sharp ears ne. I only heard about the situation this afternoon you know?」
「Right, I had to make an appearance at the Chivalric Order’s area. I heard it at that time you see. Oh
, it seems it’s arrived.」
Perfect, a waitress has brought the wine.
This wine also, I requested it beforehand for it to be brought once our meal was over.
「Speaking of celebrations, there has to be alcohol right?」
I pour some wine into her gla.s.s while smiling.
Although she slightly hesitated, it seems she decided to drink in the end.
Because she held the gla.s.s, I quickly raise my gla.s.s and say a few words.
「Aah, to Sakura’s future as an adventurer, I wish for your objectives to come true… kanpai.」
「Kanpai.」
When she took a sip of wine into her mouth,
「It’s surprisingly easy to drink ne. Also delicious…」
she dropped those words.
It seems requesting it sweet and easy to drink was a correct decision.
While tilting my wine, I ask about a little something on my mind.
「It seems this wine is easy for women to drink. Come to think of it, doesn’t Sakura cook? Since it was very delicious, I’d like to eat it again if possible.」
「It’s impossible at an inn ne. Even at the times when I leave the town, there isn’t much time to cook.」
「Then how about a boarding house? It also depends on the room but, I hear it becomes cheaper than an inn if you think of the long term. There should be a room that meets your expectations if you search.」
Although I’ve only had it twice, I want to taste that dish she made again, so I continue to push her while yearning in my heart.
「A boarding house huh… It might be good to be able to cook for myself.」
「However, I won’t know unless I see the price and conditions of the room. Are there boarding houses formed by adventurers?」
Fumu? It seems she’s interested.
If it goes smoothly, I might be able to eat that dish again.
「I don’t know the full details but, I’ve heard from a story that there seems to be numerous boarding houses for adventurers. Especially in situations when adventurers selects a single town as a base. Since it seems it would be cheaper that way. You might understand more if you ask the guild.」
「The guild~? It might be good to ask them ne~.」
She drinks up the remaining wine in her gla.s.s and then pours her third cup.
Seeing her red face and somewhat incoherent speech feels quite amusing.
「Oi, are you all right? Your face is bright red you know?」
「Fufu. I’m fiiine. Although I’m feeling slightly fluffy, there’s no problem?」
Aa, she’s drunk… with a weak wine, in addition she’s only had two cups…
Shortly after I told her to stop drinking, I had a battle with this girl who “wasn’t drunk”, but I’ll be omitting it.1
It was pretty bad for me mentality you see…2
Finally, she suddenly rose from her seat, then sat on the floor immediately after.
「What are you doing so suddenly? Are you not getting back up?」
「It’s not that I can’t get up. I’ll wobble a little if I get up that’s aall~」
With her current situation sitting on the floor, she looks up at me with upturned eyes.
What is this drunkard…
Her flushed red face and slightly moist jet black eyes. Furthermore, firmly looking at me with her upturned eyes.
Wa! Not good, what was I thinking of just now?
「Which means you can’t get up, good grief… And? Why did you suddenly get up?」
While being aware of my slightly rough tone, I help her get up.
「Noo reason in particular? Just a little, I thought about going to the toilet that’s aall~」
「Aー, mou, you’re drunk! Not that way, it’s this way.」
While talking about going to the toilet, she staggers towards an empty wall.
I grabbed hold of her shoulders then took her to the toilet.
When we walk side by side, I realize how small she is.
Her head isn’t even up to my chest.
She probably only reaches the pit of my stomach at most.
「Ahahahaha, well then, see you laater.」
She energetically parted with me and entered the toilet.
「Haa~」
I involuntarily let out a sigh.
This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with a drunkard.
At the times I drink with those bunch from the Chivalric Order, there’ll always be some people that get wasted.
However. Is it really this difficult to deal with a female drunk…?
Although I thought about having another drink, it’ll be difficult to imagine her drunkenness settling when she leaves from the toilet. Probably, today was her first time drinking alcohol.
It’s likely she’ll bother the surroundings if I leave her as she is in her current condition, above all, the one who urged her to drink today was myself. I should at least send her to her room.
If I do that, how do I persuade that drunkard, I need to think of a way na.3
「Slow.」
A long time has pa.s.sed since she entered the toilet.
During that time, I can’t help but think the people waiting by the toilet have already left.
I’ll try to search for her presence a little.
…There’s a presence. But, it doesn’t seem to be moving.
With her unsteady legs, did she stumble and hit her head?
With that image crossing my mind, I made up my mind and entered the toilets and tried knocking on the stall’s door.
konkonkon…
There’s no reaction to the knock.
「Sakura? It’s Sedrim. Are you okay?」
I tried speaking, but there was no reaction either.
「Oi, Sakura! I’m going to enter!?」
Slightly fl.u.s.tered, I try to open the stall’s door.
gacha
Without it being locked, it easily opens.
Why wasn’t it locked?
While thinking it was strange, I open the door.
She, was, there.
Sitting on the toilet, with her, head down.
「Suu~, suu~」
A sound of a sleeper’s breathing spreads through the stall.
It seems after she sat on the toilet, she fell asleep just like that.
That’s, good. No, it’s not, but.
The problem is, she fell asleep「in the middle」of the going to toilet, is what I mean.
Right, her pants and underwear are down, she’s sitting on the toilet in that current condition and sleeping.
It’s unintentional, it’s the fault of a man’s nature to stare, it’s that kind of thing?4
「Oi, Sakura. Wake up. This isn’t the place to sleep.」
Calming down, I carefully avoid looking down there as much as possible as I call out to her and lightly tap her cheek.
「n, un… Prince…?….is it?」
For an instant, I thought she had woken up but, after leaving some ambiguous words, a sleeper’s breathing can be heard again.
「Oi hey, don’t sleep! Get up!」
Grabbing her shoulders and shaking her, she slightly opens her eyes and stares at me.
Unintentionally returning her stare, I was. .h.i.t with an unprecedented shock.
Limply would be the closest way to describe it. She displayed an enchanting smile, without any change, koten, she leaned her head onto my arm.
How long was it.
Several seconds? Or was it several minutes?
My face is most likely bright red.
And this situation.
「How do you want me to…」
After that, it was work which wore away my nerves like never before. I’ll just say it like that.
But my retribution still continued.
I carried her out from the toilet, received the key to her room from the counter, then carried her to her room.
Finally placing her on her bed, I took a breather.
「When you sleep with your mouth open like that, it’s cute…」
While speaking to myself, I was about to brush off her hair covering her face, would it be bad if I continue to reach out my hand…?5
gui dosa
All of a sudden my hand was pulled, when I noticed, I had already fallen on the bed.
「What…!?」
The instant I instinctively tried to get up, gyu, I feel something warm coiling around my body.
dokun
My heart jumped out when I realized.
Looking besides me, the girl that should’ve been sleeping was clinging onto me.
Small, but obviously a woman’s soft body was clinging to me.
What’s her intention?
I wanted to take a look and examine her face, but I couldn’t see her face from my position.
When I listened carefully, I could hear her regulated breathing from sleeping.
Is she unconscious?
Did she unconsciously aim for me to cling onto, or was it just fine to cling onto whoever…
Thinking about it, if it’s the former then my heart would be excited, but if I think of the latter, it’s an awfully unpleasant feeling.
Thinking to myself, I persuade myself that it’s probably because she’s drunk.
「Sakura, let me go.」
Oddly enough, with my gentle voice, far from her separating, she clings onto me harder and nuzzles her face against my arm.
My reasoning may drop to a dangerous level at this rate.
Sensing the warmth from the areas being clung onto, I try to separating my body from that soft feeling.
However, I can’t get away no matter how I move my body. On the contrary, each time I twist my body, I have a feeling we’re getting more entwined.
It appears that I won’t be able to escape.
From now until she wakes up, the time of my long retribution had begun.