Chapter 36
Calliope narrowed her brows and glanced at Lerazie.
“What should we do?”
“Should we try another inn?”
“It’ll probably be the same at other inns. We were lucky enough that our inn is big, so we happened to have a room left.”
The innkeeper cut in on their conversation. Lerazie asked, sounding genuinely puzzled,
“Do you get a lot of guests?”
“These days, business is booming! This is the gateway to the Verdi Count’s territory, after all.”
The innkeeper, now a little excited, began offering unsolicited information.
“We’ve been hearing that the Count’s territory is a nice place to live and has plenty of work, so people have been flocking in from everywhere. But you can’t just enter the territory right away, so they stay here at the inn for several days while waiting for their turn to go in.”
Of course, the innkeeper had no idea that the owner of Verdi County himself was currently struggling because he couldn’t even secure a room for the night.
Lerazie scratched at his temple and said to Calliope,
“Looks like we’ll have to stay here after all.”
Calliope, who had reached the same conclusion, nodded.
“Alright, give us that room then.”
“Yes! Right away!”
After paying, the two of them were soon shown to their room.
It turned out the innkeeper’s claim of it being a “nice room” wasn’t entirely wrong — it was in better condition than they had expected.
“It’s quite spacious and clean.”
Lerazie was satisfied enough.
As someone who sometimes wandered all over the Empire like a carefree vagabond — and often had to sleep outdoors — a room like this was practically luxurious by comparison.
“……”
But when there was no reply, Lerazie turned his head.
Her expression was slightly stiff.
And her hand — clutching the small pouch she’d been holding earlier — was trembling.
“Calliope Verdi?”
“… Only one.”
“What?”
Not even a Sword Master’s hearing could fully catch it this time.
When Lerazie asked again, Calliope looked at him with a dazed expression.
“There’s only one.”
“Only one what?”
By now, Calliope’s face was almost on the verge of tears.
“Bed.”
“……”
“……”
Lerazie’s deep amber eyes flickered like a stormy sea. He, too, confirmed the piece of furniture placed squarely in the middle of the room.
Yes — the one and only bed.
People in society usually know how to get along. Even if they dislike something, they say polite things; even if they want something, they give it up for the other person.
So in a situation where there’s only one bed, the usual social rule is to offer it to the other person.
But there are always exceptions. And one of those exceptions was right here.
Calliope confidently proposed,
“You sleep on the sofa. I’ll take the bed.”
Her tone made it sound as if she were saying, ‘I’ll generously let you have the bed.’
The problem was that what she was “giving up” was the sofa — and it was only a one-seater.
Of course, Lerazie was exactly the same as Calliope.
He firmly believed he was the one entitled to the bed.
“Is that something a noble should say to a royal? And not just any royal — the heir to a border duchy that defends the Empire?”
“What’s the point of that sturdy body of yours then? And you said you’ve slept outdoors plenty of times.”
“Who told you that?”
Could there be a spy in his own household?
Lerazie briefly suspected the aide who was probably busy earning his keep at the 7th Prince’s palace, then shook it off.
“Anyway, I’m not giving up the bed.”
“Same here.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“What else can we do?”
Lerazie ran a hand through his hair.
“We’ll just have to share the bed.”
This lunatic…!
Calliope almost blurted it out loud.
Thankfully, her ever-useful rationality kicked in just in time, sparing her from committing lèse-majesté.
“Mah be dah-mad. Hoo cuh we jus shur a bed? (Make sense when you speak. How are we supposed to share a bed?)”
She gritted her teeth as she spoke, but Lerazie simply plopped down on the one-seater sofa, leaning back comfortably, and replied,
“Then you can sleep on the sofa. It’s actually not bad — pretty comfy.”
This damn guy.
You think I don’t see through you? You’re counting on me giving up the bed if you push hard enough…
As if she’d let it happen.
If I can’t have it, neither can you.
Fueled solely by the desire to spite him, Calliope’s eyes curved like crescent moons.
“Fine. Let’s share the bed.”
“Wait, what?”
Caught completely off guard, Lerazie shot up from the sofa.
“Are you insane? How can a man and a woman share a bed?”
“We’re not just a man and a woman, are we?”
Calliope crossed her arms and tilted her head.
Her long red hair spilled to the side in soft waves.
“We’re engaged-to-be, remember?”
She put emphasis on each syllable, then smiled sweetly — enough to turn Lerazie’s stomach.
“Left side or right side? I’ll let you choose.”
“Hey, even so…!”
“Think it over. I’m going to wash up first.”
With that, Calliope briskly walked into the bathroom.
Lerazie stared blankly at the closed door before covering his face with both hands.
“Damn it… I think I walked right into her trap.”
“Ahhh, refreshing. I feel alive again.”
Calliope emerged from the bathroom in a clean set of indoor clothes.
She looked so fresh and crisp it was hard to believe she’d just bathed — not even carrying a towel.
Lerazie muttered in honest admiration,
“Magic really is convenient.”
Calliope lifted her chin haughtily.
“Why are you turning your head away?”
“Me? No reason at all.”
“……”
“I even heated the water for you. You won’t get this kind of service often.”
Light-footed, Calliope crossed the room and dove onto the large bed.
Thump. Landing right in the middle, she rolled over to face the ceiling.
The plush sheets felt surprisingly nice against her back.
They couldn’t compare to the bedding at the Verdi mansion, but for a common inn, they were impressive.
More than anything, after spending the entire day stiff in a carriage, the mattress felt almost cloud-soft by comparison.
Stretching both arms wide, she murmured,
“This is the best… soft beds are heaven…”
Lerazie looked down at her flailing about like a butterfly in the middle of the bed and said,
“I thought you were only going to use half of it?”
“Please. I’ll move before you get here.”
Her relaxed, cat-like expression quickly sharpened.
“Stop talking and go wash before the water cools. Or do you want me to turn it into ice water for you?”
“How can ice water be ‘hot,’ exactly?”
Grumbling, Lerazie nevertheless didn’t ignore her frosty threat.
Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom, and Calliope took the chance to roll around on the bed as much as she pleased.
Since she’d soon have to surrender half of it, she had to enjoy it now.
“Actually… why don’t I just sleep right in the middle?”
If she set up a protective magic barrier around herself so he couldn’t touch her, the plan would be perfect.
“Not bad…”
As she tapped her chin, scheming (from Lerazie’s perspective) diabolically, her eyes fell on the sofa and she froze.
It was the same one-seater they had both tried to shove onto the other earlier. It really was cramped.
Considering Lerazie’s large build, he would practically have to sleep sitting up.
A flicker of conscience — the kind she’d briefly felt while traveling with him — surfaced in her mind.
“If only it were a two-seater, I wouldn’t have to think about this at all…”
Calliope gazed at the sofa with an expression full of regret.
