Capitulo 49
Chapter 49 – diagonal rear seat
«Phew… My head.»
Squeezing his temples with his throbbing head, he lifted his body.
Is it because I’m still clumsy with the fermentation method?
It seemed that the hangover from this otherworldly beer was worse than that of modern beer.
Anyway.
«Whose blanket is this?»
It couldn’t be old Randler, sprawled on the couch like a half-dried squid, who had covered me.
It was probably Rachel, who wasn’t here, who had brought it, but I couldn’t remember anything about yesterday.
First, I got up.
After coughing, I covered old Randler, who had fallen asleep again, with the blanket.
Click.
I left the reception room.
I cautiously asked the guard at the entrance.
«Was there… any trouble last night?»
I don’t remember.
From the circumstances, it seemed like there was nothing special, but I was worried that Elden’s drunken habits had shown up.
Causing disturbances, or calling the maids and committing assault, etc.
«What kind of trouble, sir?»
«Well… Was there noise all night?»
«There was no trouble.»
«Oh, was there? That’s a relief.»
Phew.
After a sigh of relief, I asked again.
«By the way, who brought the blanket?»
«Mrs. Rachel.»
«…Really?»
So it was Rachel.
It seemed that the indifferent teacher was worried that the drunken disciple might catch a cold.
She always seemed indifferent and unconcerned, but could she really be kind and caring?
Or maybe the teacher, who enjoyed training, was worried that the disciple might not enjoy it because of a cold.
Anyway.
If it hadn’t been for the blanket, the cold on the floor would have made me cold.
Thinking I should thank the teacher, I started walking.
I needed something to soothe my aching stomach.
I had seen it in a monster cookbook.
The «Minotaur Blood Soup» that was supposedly great for hangovers.
It was the dish I needed most at the moment, but, unfortunately, I had no cook and no ingredients.
For now, I needed a non-alcoholic drink.
With slow steps, I made my way to the tea room.
«Huh?»
In the tea room, I saw Rachel stirring her cup of tea with a spoon.
Rachel also looked freshly risen, wearing a white silk nightgown and slippers.
For some reason, I was afraid to say hello to her.
I didn’t know what might have happened as I passed out and I feared my drunken hands might have been rude or my drunken mouth might have said something inappropriate.
Thank goodness.
«Oh, you’re up early.»
Rachel greeted me in a calm voice, as usual.
The lack of any particular expression meant nothing major had happened.
With a sigh of relief, I walked into the tea room.
Of course, I needed to clear the lingering discomfort.
«Yesterday… nothing happened, did it?».
Standing next to Rachel, I asked nonchalantly as I grabbed a glass of water.
My insides felt like they were on fire.
I wanted to quickly turn it off with cold water, but suddenly, something came up to me.
It was the teacup Rachel had been stirring, and she pushed it in front of me.
Instead of responding, Rachel, pouring water into a freshly drawn cup, explained what she had given me.
«My dad always drank this the day after he’d overindulged.»
«Huh?»
«It’s honey water. Mixed with acacia honey and a little lemon juice. Should help with the hangover, so drink it.»
Surprised by the unexpected honey water, I almost blurted out, «Is your father a modern day transmigrant too?».
Honey water, simple but very effective for hangovers.
Rachel’s father seemed to be well informed about hangover cures.
«…Thank you.»
I took the cup of tea.
I was a little dazed.
I never expected to get honey water from stern gentleman Rachel, not old Randler.
Did something happen last night?
Rachel had never shown such kindness to her boss, Elden.
Yep.
I took a sip of the honey water.
The sweet taste of the honey and the refreshing tartness of the lemon created an excellent flavor, and I felt it not only soothed my hangover, but also my fatigue.
«…How’s that?»
Rachel asked cautiously.
I looked at her and gave her a thumbs up.
«I seem to have gotten over my hangover with just one sip.»
Finally, a faint smile appeared on Rachel’s usually stiff face.
It was a smile I was seeing for the first time.
In Elden’s memories, Rachel’s face was always stern.
Though it was a barely perceptible smile, it was there.
I thought I had forgotten how to smile, but fortunately, the purple-haired gentleman seemed to know how to smile.
Rachel picked up her cup of honey water.
Looking at me with a satisfied expression, she said.
«Your wound has healed cleanly.»
«Huh?»
«Then I’ll go get ready.»
That was all.
Rachel, steaming cup of tea in her hand, walked out of the tea room.
Watching her back reluctantly, I turned to look at her reflected cheek in the wardrobe mirror.
As Rachel said, it had healed perfectly without a trace.
As if the wound had never existed.
Ho.
‘So there was a reason to use it sparingly?’
After rubbing the area where the wound had been, I drank the honey water.
Maybe it was because someone else made it, but it tasted incredibly sweet.
**
«By the way, do you have any thoughts on marriage?»
Early in the morning.
A maid poured winterflower tea for Ariel, who was reading while eating breakfast, and asked.
Ariel looked at the maid curiously, not taking her eyes off the book.
It was a question she had never heard before.
«Huh? Me?»
«Yes. I was just curious. And please, no strange comments like being married to your books.»
«Hmm.»
Ariel took a sip of the winterflower tea and let out a quiet sigh.
Marriage, huh.
She’d never thought about it.
She hadn’t even experienced love, let alone marriage.
For Ariel, who had lived her whole life absorbed in novels, marriage was an irrelevant matter.
«I don’t want to.»
«Why?»
«I just don’t want to.»
«…You could end up dying alone. They say that women who have turned out well marry well. You should start meeting people before it’s too late.»
«Books are best read by those who have read them.»
«……»
The maid, dumbfounded by Ariel’s response, sat across from her with a disgruntled look on her face.
«…What’s wrong?»
«Isn’t it a waste?»
«What’s what?»
«You’re at your best. At the peak of your beauty, you should flaunt your charms and fall in love with a wonderful man.»
«…Love? Phew. I don’t know about that.»
Ariel, looking as if she had seen something disgusting, shuddered.
She had read romance novels out of curiosity about love, but she didn’t understand wasting the time and emotions she could devote to reading more books, so she never finished any of them.
«Have you really never been in a relationship?
At the maid’s question, Ariel nodded confidently, as if to say it was obvious.
«Yes.»
«Huh…»
The maid sighed.
It was hard to believe and understand that such a beautiful and kind-hearted lady had never been in a relationship.
If I had her looks, I’d win over every man I liked, she thought.
«Why is it such a big deal, have you?»
«Of course. You have no idea how many loving relationships blossom and wither among the attendants.»
«Huh? Really? Attendants date each other? I’ve never seen that.»
«…That’s because you’re always reading.»
«Oh, I see.»
«You’re not going to take it seriously? Your beauty is really too precious.»
«What’s so special about my looks? There are plenty of prettier people. You haven’t seen the Third Duchess. If you did, you’d see my very ordinary face.»
«……»
Even sighing felt pointless.
Such a frustrating person.
No, at this rate, my dear lady will grow old alone, the maid thought, determined, and asked with a serious face.
«Miss.»
«Hmm?»
«What’s the nicest book you’ve ever read?».
«Hmm… there are so many it’s hard to choose.»
Ariel, counting on her fingers, mumbled book titles until one came to mind.
The novel she read through nights until her nose bled, savouring every page like a treasure, her heart full of emotions at the epilogue, where she felt the happiest in the world.
«The aftermath of the hero Alpherion?»
«You were extremely happy reading it, weren’t you?»
With a smile that came naturally just thinking about it, Ariel nodded, and the maiden held up ten fingers.
«Falling in love is ten times happier than that.»
Ariel, stunned by a metaphor perfectly suited to a bookworm, made a surprised face.
«…Ten times?»
Happier than those times when she felt she could live happily ever after on a desert island with just that novel?
«Come on. That’s an exaggeration.»
«It’s true! You haven’t experienced it. When the world is filled with thoughts of the person you love, when you wait anxiously for the moment to meet her, and when you finally do, you feel like you’d be willing to die from overwhelming happiness. It’s something that can’t be compared to anything else».
«…Is it really that great?»
«Absolutely!»
Hmm.
If it’s really that wonderful, that would be fine, but….
«What do you think, do you understand it a little now?»
Seeing that her mistress seemed to ponder, the maid asked with hopeful eyes.
Of course, that hope quickly faded.
«…But then I won’t be able to read my books.»
«Oh dear.»
A sigh as deep as the morning sky escaped the maid’s lips.
**
‘…Why do they talk about love in the early morning?’
After breakfast, Ariel, accompanied by a guard, was on her way to the grand duke’s library.
It seemed that the topic of love was quite popular among the maidens, possibly due to the upcoming end of the marriage tournament.
Well, I was often scolded for not noticing men and just reading books.
But still.
‘Can love really make you ten times happier?’
She had been completely happy reading one particular novel, thinking she could spend her whole life content with nothing but books on a desert island. But how could anything be ten times happier than that?
Nonsense.
Rejecting it as an exaggeration meant to persuade her, Ariel arrived at the library ten minutes before opening time and looked around.
She wondered if Elden would be early.
She had been a little disappointed lately that they hadn’t shared much reading time because of his frequent tardiness.
She felt a little sad that he seemed to prioritise training over reading.
Of course, Ariel knew it was his selfish wish.
«Will he be late again today?
She sighed.
Hoping that he would be early today, Ariel looked around, but the only people around were the cleaners getting ready for the day.
She clicked her tongue in disappointment and turned her gaze to the library entrance, which would open in a minute.
In that minute.
Tap tap tap.
Someone tapped her twice on the shoulder from behind.
Huh?
Startled, Ariel turned quickly and opened her eyes.
A small wish had come true.
«Well, I had intended to wait for you today, but you’re never late, are you, Ariel?»
«What, what! Elden!»
Joy filled his widened eyes, a smile tugged at his lips, and an immense happiness he wasn’t yet aware of blossomed as Ariel bounced on her feet.
For some reason, Ariel felt that today would be a particularly happy day.
But then she smelled alcohol.
«Huh? Did you drink last night?»
«Oh, I had a nice celebratory drink with Rachel and old Randler.»
«Really?»
Ariel looked at Rachel, standing just diagonally behind Elden, in the same spot where she used to sit during her academy days.
«…I can drink too, you know.»
Immediately after.
Ariel’s voice, which had been full of joy, took on a slightly crestfallen tone, a small growl born of feelings she didn’t yet fully understand.