5
Eating together, resting together, sleeping together. He wanted to share every single part of his day with me. Anyone watching would have mistaken us for a married couple. Out of all the men I had been with so far, his obsession was truly in a league of its own, to the point that it left me slightly bewildered.
To Felix, the inn was a place of rest, but to me, it was a workplace. Just because Yumir was a generous employer didn’t mean I could act however I pleased. Even if it was just a disguise to blend in, I still had my position as an employee to maintain.
“I’ll try talking to him about it later.”
“Just don’t press him too harshly.”
“Yes, of course.”
Because of that, even when I wanted to scold him for getting in the way of my work, I couldn’t be too forceful since Felix was currently a guest staying at the inn. Yumir seemed to have a headache over this as well, which only made me feel guiltier. Especially since it was a slow season with few guests. If there had been a lot of people, his behavior might have been buried under the lively atmosphere, but the timing was simply bad.
“Hey, Fel.”
“Is it your break time?”
“No, not quite, um…”
“What is it?”
“Listen, I’d really appreciate it if you kept your distance a bit more while I’m working.”
“What? More than this?”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you being too strict?”
“You think this is strict? I’m on the clock, remember.”
“Am I in your way?”
“…A little.”
“That hurts.”
“I’m not saying I dislike you, so don’t be like that. Really, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to focus on other things during this time. Like exercising, or reading.”
“But then I can’t look at you. I want to see you.”
“You see me at night.”
“We spend half of that time sleeping, so it doesn’t really count. It’s way too short.”
Just how was this guy raised to be so damn possessive? I was at a loss for words for a moment and simply stared at him, prompting Fel to click his tongue and speak.
“Tch. Fine, I get it.”
“Yeah, thanks for understanding.”
“I didn’t understand. I just let you win. …I wish you didn’t have to work and could just stay with me.”
If this had been my actual livelihood, his words would have been quite irritating, but fortunately, it was just a cover, so I could tolerate it.
“Don’t say things like that.”
“No. I’ll at least say whatever I want.”
Given the nature of the tasks the Master assigned me, I was fairly used to workplace affairs. However, I had never found myself in such a perplexing situation before. The men I had met prior to this were all free spirits who had no intention of developing a serious relationship. For the most part, they never clung to me unless they wanted to have sex.
Of course, that was precisely why I only hooked up with drifters. The meetings and partings were simple. Although I stayed a bit longer than them, I was ultimately a drifter too, meaning my end was already set in stone. Because of that, I had never even considered a serious romance with a settler.
Perhaps that was why I found it particularly difficult to adjust to Felix’s behavior, but as time passed, I eventually managed to handle his type reasonably well.
“Fel.”
“What. You said you’re on the clock. Go away.”
I secretly pressed a kiss to the cheek of the sulking, blunt Felix and whispered in his ear.
“Let’s have more fun tonight to make up for it. I’ll put in a little extra effort today.”
I would do my absolute best to send him to heaven. As I made the promise while lightly biting down on the shell of his ear, Felix glared at me, though there was no real heat behind the look. It seemed his mood had lifted.
Relationships with a clear trajectory meant there was no need to harbor grand expectations of the other person, so even if things got a bit tricky, I had emotional leeway to spare. He’s going to leave soon anyway, so let him express himself to his heart’s content, I figured. And truthfully, while it was a bit excessive, I didn’t actually mind his displays of affection.
But after about two months of staying here, it was finally time for even someone like Felix to pack his bags. He had stayed by my side the longest, yet in the end, he was nothing more than just another drifter like all the rest.
He dropped the news on me while I was lying on top of him, basking in the afterglow.
“Yiel.”
“Yeah?”
“There’s somewhere I need to go for a bit.”
“Oh? When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I see.”
In my mind, his words about going somewhere ‘for a bit’ naturally translated to him leaving for good. I knew by now that promises made by a drifter held absolutely no meaning. Drifters weren’t the type to return. They were simply passing through.
There were occasional instances where I coincidentally reunited with someone after a considerable amount of time had passed, but even then, I never tried to piece a finished relationship back together. That held true even if the other person wanted me again. Rather than developing unnecessary attachments and doing something foolish, it was much better for my mental health to draw a firm line, treating any connection that had already departed as permanently over.
Because Felix had stayed the longest, I had grown somewhat fond of him in my own way. Therefore, it wasn’t as if I didn’t feel a pang of regret, but it was around the time I expected him to leave anyway. He had stuck around a little longer even after fully recovering, so it actually felt a bit overdue.
I see. He’s really leaving now. I tried to swallow my disappointment so that his steps wouldn’t feel heavy, but it soon slipped out as a long sigh. His hand stroked my back soothingly.
“It’s really just for a short while.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Is there anything you want, by any chance?”
“Not really?”
“Then think about it while I’m gone.”
“Alright.”
It was just another meaningless promise anyway. Thus, I didn’t place any importance on it either and gave a hollow response.
Felix left the inn early the next morning. Sharing a brief kiss before his departure and waving to each other until he was out of sight, we parted ways on a cheerful note, as if we really were going to see each other again in no time.
For the first few days, I felt quite empty inside. But as always, regret was only fleeting, so I endured it with practiced ease. By the time about half a month had passed, my emotional state had mostly recovered, and I no longer felt an aching void even in his absence.
Around that time, a group of guests arrived at the inn, mentioning they planned to stay for about two nights and three days. Several of them expressed their loneliness and openly flirted with me.
So, after contemplating it for a moment, I started feeling like it might be about time for me to sleep with a new man. Once the urge struck me, no matter how faint, I immediately weeded out anyone whose approach was excessively barbaric or crude. I tried to find someone among the rest who fit my tastes, but my enthusiasm waned when evening rolled around and no one truly caught my eye.
Let’s just drop it. I felt a bit pathetic, as if I were forcing myself to find a partner. Ultimately, I turned down all the one-night stand offers and was about to get off work when one person followed me out, refusing to give up until the very end.
“It’s because I genuinely like you.”
I quietly scrutinized his good-natured, smiling face.
Was he shady? Hard to say. It was a wicked world, sure, but the chances of this man having any intent to harm me were exceptionally low. If someone did something like that to an employee at the very inn they were staying at, they would naturally be the first suspect. Furthermore, individuals in groups like this were easy to identify, making them quick to be caught once a bounty was placed on their heads. Unless, of course, they were completely brainless.
Therefore, my current scrutiny was less about suspicion and more of a deliberation—admiring his persistent spirit and considering whether to give him an opening. Doing it wasn’t the issue, but…
Even after a second look, I still felt entirely on the fence. In the end, I had no choice but to ask him directly.
“Are you good at it?”
“…Huh? What did you say?”
Right then, a large hand suddenly shot out from behind and clamped down on my shoulder. Startled, I let out a shriek and spun around, only to see Felix glaring fiercely at me, the whites of his eyes fully exposed.
My mind went blank for a second at the unexpected situation. Drawing both hands to my chest in a defensive crouch, I let out a cracked squeak.
“Why are… you here?!”
“Hah.”
Felix scoffed in sheer disbelief. He shot me a chilling glare before shifting his gaze to the guest who might have become my one-night stand.
“Sorry, but she already has plans with me.”
Instead of answering, the guest raised an eyebrow and looked at me. He seemed to be checking if I was in a difficult situation and needed his help. Only then did the sudden realization hit me that, if handled poorly, an incredibly tacky brawl might break out right here. I hastily opened my mouth.
“I was just startled because he showed up so suddenly. Uh, he’s my boyfriend… so you really don’t have to worry.”
Earlier, when I was on the fence about being interested, I had unknowingly slipped into casual speech, but now that I was completely sobered up, I regretted it immensely. I tried to act as if that slip-up had never happened, but I was dying of embarrassment inside.
“Ah… I see.”
Fortunately, the guest didn’t seem to care about that part. However, he did look a little crestfallen.
“I wouldn’t have bothered you if you had told me you had a boyfriend from the start. I’m sorry. I apologize to you as well. It was an honest mistake on my part, so please forgive me.”
