Chapter 298 Della’s Inn
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Hiroya’s POV)
(Today, Liz… seems a bit down)
Since I’m straddling Kage in front of Liz, I glance up at her.
(Look, her eyes are puffy. Lack of sleep?)
”Hey? …What’s up, Hiroya?”
She shifts her gaze to me for a moment, then quickly looks ahead again.
”No, are you maybe a bit sleep-deprived?”
”!”
(Oh… I hit the nail on the head)
”Well, it’s not that I’m sleep-deprived. I just got back from exploring last night…”
”──No, I actually thought you’d sleep better because of that…”
”…Yeah, you’re right…”
Something feels off.
She’s not being all flirty like usual.
It’s kind of lonely.
”I’m gonna take the reins for a bit.”
I forcibly take the reins from Liz and change our course a bit west from the Southern District, Northern Part where the new guild branch is.
”Hey, where are you going?”
”I heard the ‘Zett Merchant Guild’ opened a sweets shop over here, so let’s stop by.”
”But we need to report to the guild…”
”That can wait. I already reported to Principal Milia.”
I urged Kage on.
* * *
”See, the fact that Liz only ordered one piece of cake is already strange. ──What are you hiding?”
We entered the sweets shop and sat at the back, but in front of me is a cup of tea.
In front of Liz is a teacup and one slice of cheesecake.
”Well, I just had breakfast.”
”Aren’t cakes a separate stomach?”
”…”
Liz looks down and brings the teacup to her lips.
”…Is there something you can’t tell me?”
”N-No, there’s nothing I can’t tell you, Hiroya.”
”Then what’s going on?”
I take a sip of my tea and rest my chin on my hand, and finally, Liz starts to talk little by little.
* * *
(I see…)
I dream about that ‘abduction night’…
It must have been painful and scary.
In the end, she was almost inserted by the rampaging Ansgar.
(This is… my fault)
After that, I should have held Liz right away.
”I’m sorry, Liz. I should have held you right after that. If I had, it would have just been a memory of s*x with me…”
”No, given that situation, there wasn’t even a chance.”
I haven’t touched the cheesecake in front of me at all──it’s serious.
”Liz… let’s find a place to stay. I really want to hold you right now.”
”W-what’s with the sudden change…♡”
We lean in and whisper to each other across the table.
”…I hate that there are memories of being violated by those guys in your head. I’m jealous and possessive, you know.”
”That’s true… I feel bad about it… Can Hiroya erase it for me?”
Liz looks up at me with her face slightly lifted.
”I’ll erase it with sweet, sweet s*x…”
I stretch my body and whisper in Liz’s ear.
”Ah♡… I have a friend who has a place to stay. Is that okay?”
”Let’s go right away!”
I took Liz’s hand and stood up.
Oh, I had them pack the cheesecake to take home.
* * *
(Liz’s POV)
(Kazumi and Hiroya──really sharp, huh)
After leaving the sweet shop, I headed to Della Eugen’s store, still holding onto Liz’s hand.
(Well… it just means they care enough to notice us)
Thinking that makes me happy.
Kazumi and Hiroya can sense things I can’t say out loud…
and they reach out to help me.
It’s largely thanks to them that I can stand in a position like Clan Leader, which feels undeserved.
(Now, what should I say to Della…)
* * *
Della Eugen.
I reunited with her when I came to this Razia Village with Ares and Garm.
She was a colleague 2 years older than me when we worked at the inn.
She had become the owner of an inn for budding adventurers.
And she was only 17 or 18 at the time.
Well, back then, there weren’t many competitors in Razia Village.
She probably took a gamble, anticipating the village’s development.
”‘Heroic Swordsman’ O’Brian’s village, you know? I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to do business here.”
That’s what she said.
Her inn had a dining area and tavern on the first floor.
The second and third floors were mainly for adventurers.
The 4th floor… well, it was a completely soundproof ‘love hotel’ with a lot of atmosphere.
”I’ll bring a nice guy here someday, so when that happens, take care of me.”
I remember saying that back then.
* * *
(She didn’t think I’d bring the rumored genius boy swordsman ‘swift’ Hiroya, did she?)
On top of that, Della’s crush, ‘Shinji O’Brian.
(That would surprise her, wouldn’t it?)
Thinking about Della’s reaction and being alone with Hiroya… made my previously down mood lift a bit.
* * *
A little down an alley from the central park of the village, there’s Della’s ‘Chick Gathering Inn’.
(As always, what a name…)
”I didn’t know there was an inn here… it’s an inn, right?”
Hiroya got off Kage first.
I also got off Kage and tied the reins to the stable next to the inn.
After giving a tip to the employee cleaning in front of the inn and asking them to take care of Kage, I took Hiroya’s hand and led him inside.
Once inside, there were few customers, probably because breakfast time had passed.
”Hmm. The first floor is the dining area.”
Hiroya looked around the shop.
”The reception is over here.”
I walked past the dining area to the reception on the left.
”Oh, Liz! How have you been?”
The receptionist casually spoke to me.
She had long, dark brown hair, sharp eyes, and a sultry vibe that suited her black dress well.
”Della, is business good?”
I clasped my hands together with Della over the reception counter.
”The dining area and inn are doing fine, but… the alcohol and this place…”
Saying that, she made a fist and peeked her thumb between her index and middle fingers.
It was a gesture for ‘that’.
”Well, a tavern and a brōtḥel have opened up next to the barracks… Well, there are soldiers around, and more adventurers are coming, so the income has actually increased.”
Yes, this is a ‘brōtḥel’ that has properly received permission from the lord.
At night, the dining hall that turns into a tavern has a system where you can call out to the serving girl who also works as a prostitute and engage in ‘that kind of activity’ in the rooms above.
Since the military is stationed here now, there’s no problem, but back when Razia Village was in its previous state, running a ‘brōtḥel’ would have been a bit…
So, after consulting with the lord, it became this system of serving girls who also work as prostitutes.
”Oh, you finally brought a man with you. ──Is it the room on the 4th floor? What…”
Della came out from behind the counter and froze in surprise when she saw my ‘companion’.
”Ah, I’ll take the room on the 4th floor. ──By the way, do you want this? It’s cheesecake.”
I placed the bag of cheesecake I hadn’t touched from the sweet shop on the counter.
”Thanks… wait! This kid is the… Sir Shinji’s son from the lord’s house, isn’t he?”
”He’s my boyfriend, okay? Is there a problem?”
”The landlady said you’re an old friend of Liz. I’m Hiroya. Nice to meet you.”
Della shook Hiroya’s outstretched hand, wrapping her hands around it.
”I’m Della, the landlady here… Della Eugen… I’m always grateful to Sir Shinji──your father.”
No, just because you like the lord doesn’t mean you should show a flirty face to his son, Hiroya.
”…I heard you’re the one leading the ‘Special Task Party’… or was it the clan ‘Famière’? I knew Sir Hiroya was part of it, but I never expected…”
Della’s expression returned to one of surprise as she looked at me.
”Hiroya is my man, you know?”
”No, I heard a rumor that he recently got engaged to the only daughter of the Guardian Knight?”
Della glanced at Hiroya as she said this.
”Yeah. Kazumi is an important fiancée. Liz is my precious girlfriend.”
”Mm-hmm♡.”
Seeing me twist my waist at Hiroya’s words “my important lover,” Della’s expression shifts from surprise to exasperation.
”You’re just like Sir Shinji in that way… such a man♡.”
Yet, she shows a feminine expression towards Hiroya.
”Della! Hiroya is mine, you know?”
”I know! I’m all about Sir Shinji♡.”
Saying that, she hands me a key with the room number on it.
”There’s no one else here, so I’ll give you some service until noon. After that, it’s 5 small coins per hour.”
”Thanks!”
I take the key and link my arm with Hiroya as we head up the stairs.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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