An Outing (1)
I cracked my eyes open to the sight of the ceiling. A pleasant softness and warmth pressed up against my back. Noticing the light wasn't quite so harsh, I glanced toward the window — it was still raining, though it didn't feel nearly as fierce as it had yesterday.
But something felt off about my left hand. It was strangely warm. Something soft and yielding was pressed against my palm.
Wait. Hold on. I'd definitely fallen asleep in the chair last night, stubborn as I'd been about it—
I forced my stiff neck to turn and looked beside me. There she was, fast asleep, clutching my hand. She'd tucked it between her cheek and the pillow, gripping my wrist as if she refused to let it go, and a pleasant warmth filled every inch of it.
Her eyes were shut in a clean, peaceful line. Her shimmering white hair tickled my arm. But what truly seized my attention were those long ears, twitching in time with her quiet breaths. They hung limp with sleep, yet every so often they'd give a little twitch and flutter — and I knew immediately that was bad for my heart.
This was dangerous. Seriously.
I tried easing my hand free, but it wouldn't budge. If anything, her grip only tightened, and I had to hold my breath for a second.
She pulled my hand in even closer, and a sleepy murmur escaped her.
"Mmh..."
Her skin — soft and plump, like running your fingers over the finest silk — pressed into my calloused hand. She inched closer, like a rabbit sulking because its master's touch was about to leave, and every bit of it hammered at my heart.
...Ah. Her ears just perked up.
Now they were fluttering. And at an incredible speed.
I couldn't see her face, buried as it was against my hand, but the fact that even her little snuffling breaths had gone silent told me enough.
"...Did you sleep well?"
She nodded, and her ears fluttered along with the motion — until a hand shot out and snatched them still. Her hands were bright red, too.
"I'll get up first, then. Take your time coming out, okay?"
Her hand slipped free with a rustle. I eased myself out of bed, slipped into the bathroom, shut the door, and sank down onto the floor. The heartbeat pounding in my ears was almost painful — and yet I couldn't say I hated it. No. I liked it.
A thrilling sensation ran through my whole body. That someone with a face that beautiful had nuzzled against my hand like that, made that expression, laid her embarrassment so completely bare — all of it sent a rush through me.
Maybe I'd done something far more extraordinary than I'd realized.
And the warmth still lingering in this hand! Good lord. I'd only been touching her skin, and yet it felt like I'd been cradling a freshly made, still-steaming rice cake — that warmth and softness still clung to my palm.
But how had I ended up sleeping next to her? Had I moved in my sleep...? Or had she done something she felt awkward about?
First things first — I should wash up. Wash up, then think. Except... the bathroom had a drain, a toilet, a mirror, a small window letting in light, and a cabinet. That was it.
Nothing that looked like it was meant for washing a body. I couldn't even see a faucet.
Wait. Come to think of it, they'd said I'd have to go downstairs and ask about bathwater. And when I was staying with Paul... I'd just made do with a cold-water rubdown. So how did a proper bath even work around here?
I'd have to ask her. I reached for the doorknob.
"You're asking about washing up, then."
The sight of her burrowed under the covers, refusing to come out of bed, dealt my heart another heavy blow — but she seemed to have heard the question well enough, her ears perking as she answered.
"Did you happen to fetch any water? If you set a time downstairs, there's a service that delivers water to your door every day at the reserved hour... though it looks like you haven't signed up for it, nngh. Yet."
In the end, the heat must have gotten the better of her. She folded the blanket back and emerged, her face still flushed a deep red.
"Um, before that... I'm sorry. I just couldn't bring myself to leave you sleeping in that chair, so I moved you to the bed."
I wanted to ask why she'd fallen asleep holding my hand... but maybe it didn't matter. I shouldn't ask. Still... what were we supposed to do from now on? Were we going to keep sleeping in the same bed?
"A-and going forward... um, I mean... I'd like it if we slept together. On the bed. I-I don't mean anything else by it! I just don't want you to be uncomfortable! That's all... augh..."
...Does she even realize what she just said?
I did my best to ignore the pounding in my chest and pressed her for the answer I'd come looking for.
"Right. So, uh — could you tell me how I'm supposed to wash up?"
"Ah... yes. Ahem. So — they bring you a wooden bucket of hot water and several long towels for washing, all at once. You take those into the bathroom, soak a towel in the water, and wipe yourself down. Does that make sense?"
A bit involved, but it didn't sound too hard. Wipe yourself down with a wet towel... an unfamiliar method, but nothing I couldn't manage.
"Ah, thank you. Then I'll—"
"A-and also!"
She called me back just as I was turning to open the door. Her lips worked for a moment before she managed a small request.
"You... you can drop the formal speech with me... I think. It'd be okay."
Looking at her, I couldn't help but smile. A bright, unguarded smile. I clapped a hand over my mouth, but it was too late. She'd already seen my face, gone tomato-red, and yanked the covers back over her head.
"I'll be right back, then. Just wait a moment."
I took the room key, locked the door behind me, and made it a few steps before I had to bury my face in my hands. The smile hadn't stopped since earlier. The way she'd gotten so shy was burned into my mind; I didn't think I'd ever be able to scrub it out. My face muscles were starting to ache, and I had to keep rubbing at my cheeks.
"Drop the formal speech, she says... what even... ha. Seriously. She's going to drive me insane."
Washing up left me feeling considerably fresher than before. A pleasant warmth lingered on my skin. My hair, though, was a dry, fluffy mess I wasn't thrilled about. Was there no soap around here?
She'd just finished washing as well, still wearing yesterday's clothes. I'd packed a change of my own, but she had nothing. This might be a bit of a problem.
"Thanks to you, I was able to wash up properly. Thank you."
She was still clinging to formal speech. I waved it off and pulled out a chair for her.
"No, no. You don't have to thank me for every little thing. Didn't we, uh... agree I'd drop the formal speech...?"
She tilted her head and asked again.
"You're dropping it just fine on your end. Is something the matter...? Wait. You don't mean I have to drop it too, do you?"
That's exactly what I mean. I flashed her a grin, and she recoiled, both hands waving frantically.
"No, no, no! I can't do that! How could I possibly?! I can't!"
She'd been radiating an almost criminal level of cuteness since this morning, so I decided to tease her a little. This much should be fine. And I wanted to see how she'd react.
"Fine, then don't. I just don't like it when one person is formal and the other isn't. If you won't drop it, Ely, then I've got no reason to either."
"Th-that's... I think that's a bit unfair... You've already shown me so much consideration. If I accept any more, I truly won't know what to do with myself. Please, just do whatever's comfortable for you."
Whatever's comfortable for me, huh. All right — let's push a little further.
"Then go on. Drop it."
"Nngh... I-I can't do that! This is the one thing I can't give ground on. I mean it. Please, think of it as the least I can do to show respect. I'm truly sorry..."
But instead of the reaction I'd expected, she bowed at the waist, her ears drooping flat — and I was the one left flustered. This wasn't what I'd been going for at all.
So I dropped the teasing then and there and sat her down. Thankfully, she settled quickly.
I needed to go shopping with her. Grocery shopping, that is. I had to buy her clothes, get her a proper weapon and some armor, and pick up food while we were at it. Wandering around, buying what we needed, asking her all the questions I had — it would make for a good outing.
Because I'd learned the hard way, from what happened last time, that dungeon exploration was no easy thing.
Just thinking about it still sent a chill down my spine. But unlike back then, I now had at least one person I could trust.
To put it coldly, she couldn't betray me. As long as the contract held, I wouldn't harm her, and she would give me her full loyalty.
Through her, I could learn more about this world. Unlike that damned serial killer, I'd be able to get accurate information. If possible, I might even learn to read before too long.
...Ah. I'd zoned out for too long. I proposed an outing to her — for the purpose of preparing for dungeon exploration — and she looked a little hesitant.
"Won't that cost a lot of money?"
"Don't worry about the money. I'm not trying to show off, but we've got enough to live on for a few weeks at least. I'll try not to overspend, but I'd like us to pick out the best we can."
"Then I'll try to keep things as economical as I can. I know a few shops with good value. I'd picked up bits and pieces about the places adventurers frequent. And... so you're not going to drop the formal speech after all?"
"...If you keep telling me to drop it, I'm going to make sure you drop it too. Just so you know."
At that, her mouth snapped shut. What was I supposed to do when every single thing she did looked adorable? No — this was definitely just because she was overwhelmingly cute.
I smiled at her, and her ears fluttered. But she made an effort to smile back, and I felt the awkwardness between us ease, just a little.
Outside, the clouds were breaking, and sunlight was beginning to filter through.
Well then. Shall we head out?