The Warmth Between Walls
The resort was scheduled to open in winter.
That meant we naturally needed to inspect and test the facilities that would operate during that season.
As the owner of the resort.
So instead of touring during the day, I came at night.
To check whether the lighting worked properly.
And to see if the hot spring environment was truly comfortable on a cold night.
While I was at it, I also examined the condition of the furniture, the changing rooms, and the shower facilities in detail.
Temperature control magic.
Purification magic, and so on.
Since the entire space was slathered with all kinds of magic, I had to look over everything carefully.
I might not know how to cast them, but I knew how to read them.
‘Looks good.’
I finished washing up in a bathroom styled like a modern shower room and stepped out.
Since I originally came from a world with these kinds of facilities, it didn’t feel awkward or particularly new.
Must be because this is a romance-fantasy world?
Still, not everyone used facilities like these.
Only nobles or members of the imperial family did.
Not because of some issue of authority, but simply because ordinary people couldn’t afford them.
That’s why installing something like this was perfect for drawing attention.
It was a concept that had never existed before.
“Hoo…”
The moment I stepped out, I saw the steaming hot spring with warm vapor rising from it.
There was no sulfur smell.
It wasn’t a natural hot spring, but they must have removed the scent entirely since it could be polarizing.
Tap. I crouched in front of the spring and dipped my fingers in.
The temperature felt just right.
‘Perfect.’
After confirming the temperature, I immediately lowered my body into the water.
The floor was made of flat stones.
The structure gave off the atmosphere of an outdoor bath, and the open design offered a clear view of the sky.
The sea was visible too.
‘That took a lot of work to create.’
It wasn’t done by breaking or removing walls, but through a screen.
Since it used magic to project the outside scenery, there were no security issues either.
And because it was real scenery, there was no distortion.
Thanks to that, I was able to create a hot spring that handled both security and romance perfectly.
Splash.
From beyond the wall, I faintly heard the sound of water splashing.
Someone had entered.
This was the men’s bath.
That side was the women’s bath.
Since we had built a separate bath for staff, there were almost no people who would come in here.
It was easy to identify who it was.
“Lady Amelia. Have you come in?”
“Y-yes?! Ah, y-yes…!”
Just as I expected.
From beyond the wall, Amelia called out in a flustered voice.
The place was completely quiet with no background noise.
And since it was night, sounds carried well.
If we raised our voices just a little, we could have a perfectly normal conversation.
“The water is warm and pleasant. Why don’t you come in and try it?”
“Ah, yes…!”
I closed my eyes and let my body go limp.
The sound of wet footsteps continued for a while, then came the noise of someone slipping into the water.
It really stirred up the imagination in all sorts of ways.
─Mmm, ahh…!
On top of that, the refreshing sensation automatically drew out soft moans.
There was no way I wouldn’t be stimulated.
If I didn’t feel anything here, I’d be a eunuch.
“How is it? Does it feel alright?”
“Yes. Mana is flowing gently, and it feels like my body is recovering little by little.”
“What about the facilities?”
“They’re wonderful. This is my first time seeing a bathroom like this, but it doesn’t fall short even compared to the imperial palace.”
We continued our conversation with the wall between us.
Her positive evaluation put my mind at ease.
She seemed a bit cautious, but it didn’t feel like she was lying.
“I’m glad. Then I suppose I can advertise it as a bath even war heroes have approved.”
“It would be an honor for me, but I feel like I might cause a lot of trouble.”
Amelia murmured in a deeply subdued voice.
It was packed with heavy, melancholy emotions.
“Hoo…”
A sigh escaped me from the frustration.
With all those backhanded malicious comments pouring in, she must be incredibly upset.
Even watching from the sidelines made me feel suffocated.
Besides, public opinion like this didn’t change overnight.
It would take time and the right opportunity.
‘I’m too relaxed. My brain isn’t working.’
The problem was that my body was so languid it was hard to think of a solution.
I was so sleepy I could die.
Part of me wanted to just fall asleep, but that would cause all sorts of problems.
There was also the risk of catching a cold.
So I had to get out at a reasonable time.
“Ughhh…!”
My body suddenly shivered from the cold air.
That woke me right up.
“Lady Amelia. Before you leave, let me say one thing… I have never once thought of you as a burden. Please don’t belittle yourself.”
Thanks to the chill, I came to my senses and spoke.
It was my honest, sincere feeling.
If they had been humans steeped in desire and vanity, I wouldn’t have invited them like this.
I would have gotten rid of them somehow.
Why? Because they’d be dangerous.
When someone with the combat power of a war hero becomes consumed by greed and vanity, they turn into a real monster.
“…Thank you.”
Just before leaving, a small voice came from behind me.
It sounded like she was crying and trembling.
Amelia secretly sobbed for a while before stepping out of the hot spring.
After crying, she felt much lighter inside.
The huge lump in her chest was chipped away little by little as she wept.
About half of it had been shaved off.
Thanks to that, she returned to her room with a light body and heart.
Even the luxurious room no longer felt burdensome.
Because gratitude had suppressed that discomfort.
“Huu…”
Amelia sat down at the desk and took a deep breath.
The stand lamp emitting a soft orange glow pushed back the darkness.
It made writing much easier.
She took out paper and a pen from the drawer.
And then she began writing a letter.
To her friends who must be suffering the same pain, if not for their poverty.
‘Even I, who was treated like a monster… they probably aren’t any different.’
No, it might even be worse for them.
If their families were still intact?
Then all that energy might be directed toward hatred and fear instead.
Amelia wrote while reflecting on her past with regret.
She included her remorse for resenting them during her darkest days when they hadn’t reached out a helping hand.
Because she had been far too selfish.
At least the Saintess was doing fine.
She possessed defensive powers and there were very few people who disliked her.
The remaining two friends were the problem.
Fire and ice.
Because they had claimed their positions as heroes through extremely aggressive abilities.
Just like Amelia.
‘Even I, who only started caring about them now… I really am selfish.’
Amelia smiled with a bitter expression, her eyes glistening.
It was an incredibly bittersweet smile.
Only after gaining some breathing room did she feel hypocritical for suddenly worrying about her friends.
True friends support each other in difficult times.
Even if they themselves were suffocating and on the verge of death, they would still think of their friends first.
That was how she used to be in the past.
And so had they.
To think that a peaceful world was harder to live in than a battlefield.
It was something even a dog would laugh at.
Amelia thought so too, but her heart felt differently.
She missed the war instead.
Back then, things had been difficult and precarious, but she hadn’t felt this self-loathing.
It had actually been a time when her self-esteem had overflowed.
‘…Let’s stop thinking about it.’
Amelia shook her head and finished the letter.
In the end, Yohan had acknowledged her. That alone was more than enough.
Wishing for anything more would be a sin.
Still, if she were to wish for something.
If she were to be greedy, she was certain it wouldn’t be for anything material.
‘Now I just need to send it.’
Anyway, the letter was finished.
All that remained was to ask for permission.
When she had said she wanted to become his escort, he had looked very troubled. What about tomorrow?
Would it be hard for him to refuse?
‘What if he just accepts it?’
Even as she climbed into bed, Amelia trembled with anxiety.
For some reason, she felt like Yohan would do exactly that.
Amelia came to my room and we ate breakfast together.
Through room service.
Even though there were no phones like in modern hotels, there was a magic bell made of paper.
When you rang it, someone would come.
The bells were only provided in rooms above a certain grade.
It was essentially telling guests that if they wanted room service, they should stay in the more expensive rooms.
‘Is it actually economical?’
When you added the room rate and the service fee together? It actually was economical.
In the modern world, even if you stayed in a suite, the room service fee was charged separately.
“Um… Lord Mayer.”
After she had neatly finished drinking her orange juice through a straw.
Amelia spoke.
Seeing her serious expression, it seemed she was about to bring up a heavy topic.
‘Is it that?’
The escort matter that I had roughly brushed off before.
Was she going to bring it up again?
I didn’t know what she was going to say, but the situation had become serious for me too.
“Yes.”
“It’s nothing else… I would like to send a letter. Would you permit it?”
A letter?
That was something anyone could handle by simply ordering a servant.
She was watching my reaction so desperately it was almost pitiful.
It felt like looking at a child who had grown up only eating what others left behind.
Or an orphan raised under a cruel orphanage director.
“Of course it’s fine. Why would I control the personal letters you send, Lady Amelia? What right would I have to do that?”
“You might say that, but… I felt I should still receive your permission, Lord Mayer.”
Something that required my permission.
Whatever it was, the weight of the matter seemed to grow heavier and heavier.
My shoulders felt stiff.
“Go ahead and tell me.”
“I would like to… invite my friends.”
“Your friends…?”
I asked without realizing it, my voice mixed with both anticipation and fear.
Could it be?
“They are the friends who were called war heroes. Do you… happen to know them?”
“Of course I know them. How could I not?”
I nodded my head quite vigorously.
So it really was that.
‘I didn’t expect her to bring it up first.’
In the first part of the story, she had been portrayed as a considerate character.
But experiencing it firsthand made it even more fascinating.
“Yes. I know it’s rude, but I would like my friends to stay here. And to do that… I thought I should be of help to you as well, Lord Mayer.”
Amelia’s eyes sparkled.
A firm determination could be seen in them.
She must have calculated that by doing important work by my side, she could earn her place.
‘That’s not bad at all.’
If it were me, I wouldn’t have dared to say something like that.
Her will to create a position for herself through effort in order to help her friends was admirable.
Creating a position meant taking responsibility.
It meant they had built a bond deep enough to bear that weight.
Was this why they had fallen together so harmoniously in the second part?
“I understand. However, you don’t need to go that far, Lady Amelia. While your heart is admirable, I was already planning to invite the two of them soon anyway.”
However.
I had no intention of making Amelia work for it.
It was simply a matter of timing.
Since I had planned to gather everyone and treat them properly from the start, I felt no burden.
“…I thought you might say that, Lord Mayer.”
Amelia gave a resigned smile.
Like someone who had lost everything at the gambling table and reached enlightenment.
“Still, I want to be of help. After all, I was the one who pushed you into this, Lord Mayer.”
Even so, determination still flickered in her eyes.
I couldn’t stop her now.
‘It’s burdensome, but… I should just accept it.’
Originally, I had planned to give them the treatment befitting people who had made great contributions. Eat when they ate, sleep when they slept.
As long as they didn’t cross the line with excessive luxury.
But seeing Amelia now, I felt I needed to change my thinking.
She seemed to need something that would fill her self-esteem.
Or something that would give her a sense of accomplishment.
‘That kind of desire can’t be satisfied just by lazing around.’
I let out a small sigh and nodded.
Since it had come to this, I might as well make full use of her.
“I will respect your wishes, Lady Amelia. However, I don’t have anything in mind right now, so please give me some time.”
“Thank you so much.”
Amelia smiled brightly, her cheeks flushed red.
She was genuinely happy.
‘She’s fucking beautiful.’
She was so pretty it made my heart race and curses slip out.
Should I ask her to marry me?
