Moving Plans (1)
We spent a full week together in that room.
In that time, we both came to feel just how thoroughly our relationship had changed. She treated me as if I were already her partner for life, pouring every kind of affection she could think of onto me. I couldn't bring myself to refuse her — and, if I was being honest... I was starting to accept it in earnest.
In other words, I had started to fall in love with her too.
I never would have imagined love could begin this way — with one-sided devotion raining down on me, and me simply choosing to receive it. And yet it didn't feel strange. She loved me. How was I supposed to just sit there and do nothing about that? She clung to me, told me she liked me, showered me with affection at every turn. Was I really supposed to turn that down?
If she hadn't been so devastatingly beautiful, maybe I could have refused. Then again, we probably would have grown close either way. Sharing so much of daily life with someone was never a small thing.
Whether we were eating, lying in bed, drinking tea, or talking about the view outside — even when we sat together in silence — every glance and every touch filled those moments with warmth. I was learning just how much that could change a life. How brightly it could color the world. And how thoroughly it could wring a person dry... no, that last part was just her being unusual.
Anyway. That was what falling in love felt like.
She was becoming someone truly special to me. No longer just a companion in another world — she had become the companion of my life. And all of it had started with her relentless pursuit of me.
Even now, a sliver of unease lingered about the choice I'd made to accept her. If even a trace of ulterior motive were mixed into that affection of hers... it would not end well. I still couldn't be sure she was someone I could entrust everything to. That uncertainty kept me from falling all the way in.
But she kept handing me everything she had, one piece at a time. First her trust. Then her affection. Then her purity. And after that...
The moment that thought crossed my mind, fear and the weight of responsibility climbed my spine. She was giving me so much. Didn't I owe her something in return?
Of course, no matter how small my "repayment" was, she would tremble with joy over it. Her ears would flutter now and then — and every time they did, I found myself watching my clothes come off.
Damn it. I'd sworn we'd set some ground rules for those days, but my miserable lower half was far too healthy for its own good. And I couldn't bring myself to coldly push her away when she pressed. She was so happy about it. More than anything, she said it was why she couldn't stop loving me.
So maybe the reason I couldn't refuse her was that I loved her too. That this feeling ran both ways. I found myself thinking that more and more often.
"What are you thinking about for so long...?"
A soft tap, and my vision went dark. I felt a long, slender, warm palm settle over my face. I gently drew that hand down and pressed a kiss to her palm. And then... she would always let out that little laugh. The sound I loved.
"Ah — it's nothing, Ely. Really."
"It should be about time you just used my name... hehe."
I'd mentioned that our relationship had come a long way. One of those changes was in how we spoke to each other. She'd been the one to start it. She said she wanted to take things a step further, and asked if I would allow us to drop the formalities a little. I agreed readily. She was older than me to begin with, and honestly, being spoken to so politely all the time had started to feel uncomfortable.
But I kept using formal speech anyway — and her "request" that I stop was half a threat. Haa. Every time I used honorifics, she would call me unbearably cute and use that as an excuse to pull me into her arms for hours, over and over — ahh...
What was it about an older woman that drove a person this insane? Or was it simply that she had become someone so precious to me?
Either way, after some back-and-forth, we settled on speaking however felt comfortable. We still used polite language with each other, though now and then we'd slip into that embarrassingly intimate "you."
"Cut me some slack on calling you Ely. Honestly, dropping formalities with someone older than me isn't as easy as it sounds..."
"Suit yourself, then. Tea — mm?"
Knock, knock, knock. A rapping came from the front door.
"...What? I didn't call anyone."
She set down the teapot mid-pour and padded softly to the entrance, easing the door open. A front desk clerk stood on the other side.
"Hello. Would it be all right if I asked whether Mr. Marcus Ahn, the gentleman who rented this room, is presently inside?"
"Ah, yes — that's me. What is this about?"
I stood as well and walked to the door, taking my place beside her.
"Good. Since both of you are here, this will be easier. The two of you clearly share a deep affection, and this inn understands that perfectly well. However, I have come today to ask that you exercise a certain degree of restraint."
"Ah?"
"...!"
The clerk didn't so much as blink as she continued.
"This inn does everything in its power to provide comfort and service to the rooms our guests have rented. However, the problem of sound carrying is not something we can easily solve. We do tolerate a certain level of noise — but the volume in this case was simply too much. I trust you understand?"
"It was... that loud?"
"Yes. We received complaints from several floors of this inn — particularly the floors above and below — that the gentleman's voice was far too... stimulating. If it had been a day or two, we would have been inclined to let it pass. But it has been ongoing, repeatedly, for an entire week! We simply could not let it go without a warning."
The clerk in front of me grew more and more animated, even raising a finger as she thoroughly scolded both of us. All we could do was bow our heads and listen in silence.
"Should we receive another complaint, we will have no choice but to terminate the contract under the clause regarding 'repeated noise originating from a rented room' and demand your immediate departure. Do you understand?"
Unable to even form a reply, I simply nodded. Only then did she look satisfied. She bowed deeply at the waist, offered a sighing farewell, and took her leave.
"Thank you for your understanding. We sincerely hope you continue to enjoy your stay at Limmir Inn."
The door clicked shut.
And she crumpled to the floor where she stood.
"Wh-what do we do... what do we..."
"Hold on — I'm the one who should be embarrassed here?!"
They'd said it was the man's voice they heard. Honestly, there was a decent chance her sounds hadn't carried at all. Most of the time she was biting or licking my neck, covering my mouth with hers, or... doing that to me... hngh.
Better not go there.
I pushed aside the throbbing memories of those countless nights, sat down, and started thinking seriously about what came next. At this rate, how were we supposed to —
"The problem is that other people got to hear your voice. Do you have any idea what I went through to earn your love?"
"Wait, what is that supposed to —"
"Those moments should have been mine and mine alone. Your love, your attention, your affection, your generosity, your embrace... all of it is mine."
She muttered something under her breath in a small, quiet voice, her eyes flashing dangerously — then stomped her foot with a heavy thud. I jumped at the surprisingly loud sound and looked at her. She was staring blankly at the floor.
"Oh my, wait... I'm sorry. I really need to break that habit."
"What was that just now?"
"Ah... well — did you know? When rabbits get angry, they thump the ground hard with both feet like that."
That wasn't what I'd asked. I wanted to know what she'd just been muttering — but she was already lost in thought, and a moment later she caught my arm and made a request.
"Hey... have you ever thought about finding a nest of our own?"
"A nest...?"
"Moving. We find a house a little ways outside the city and live there. What do you think?"
Moving...?
Well — I did have those eleven gold coins I'd received that day. A modest house might well be within reach. If it wasn't enough, I could always earn more in the dungeon. And it was certainly better than continuing to bother other people. But if we lived somewhere far away, how would I get to the dungeon? And the money?
"How would I make a living?"
"Hmm... if we can settle in the place I have in mind, it shouldn't take that long to get from there to here."
"Well... I was planning to do something like that once the contract here is up, but —"
We'd have to check out of this room next month anyway. If we just saved diligently and lived a little more frugally until then, it should be plenty...
"Couldn't we do it sooner?"
"What?"
Our tongues tangled together with a wet sound. There was a time when I would have just clenched and unclenched my fists, lost in the pleasure. Now I could lay my hand over hers and lace our fingers tight. We stayed like that for a long while, foreheads pressed together, breathing hard through our noses — and just as a silver thread began to stretch from the tip of her tongue, she whispered against my ear.
"Please. I don't like other people seeing you like that. I'm entirely yours... but you weren't entirely mine."
Her arms slipped through mine and wrapped around me, holding me close. I felt her heart hammering wildly against me. Drunk on her scent, I buried my face in her shoulder.
"I'm not saying it's your fault... I just don't like it. Of course, if it's too much trouble, I want you to refuse. Honestly, it is a pretty unreasonable request... I love hearing your moans, but I'd rather not sit there and watch them get stolen away..."
Her mouth found mine again.
I was starting to feel like the amount of time I spent standing upright and in my right mind was shrinking by the day.