Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Uncomfortable Inn
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"Hmm... uncomfortable."
"...From tonight onward, I'll sleep somewhere else."
"No, the sofa isn't particularly big, so that would actually be more uncomfortable. Just sleep together."
"It's fine. It's more important that you sleep comfortably than me, Young Lady."
"Lize."
I hadn't expected to be having this kind of conversation with Lize first thing in the morning.
When I woke up and opened my eyes, the room hurt from the sunlight filtering through the poorly drawn curtains.
Honestly, it wasn't incredibly bright thanks to the magic lamps and various other reasons, so it didn't feel comfortable in many ways.
But the most important issue was the bed.
"Hngh... ugh..."
It was soft and fluffy, but honestly, it fell short not just compared to the bed I used at the mansion, but even to beds I'd tried elsewhere.
It wasn't to the point where I couldn't sleep on it, but it was still regrettable.
Of course, sleeping while hugging Lize—who was soft and fluffy, warm and squishy—like a pillow was pretty nice in its own way.
"Lize, what about breakfast?"
"If you'd like to eat now, Young Lady, I'll go downstairs and check if they're serving meals."
"Yeah... just check and come back..."
My eyes were open and I was awake, but because it hadn't been a comfortable sleep, a yawn escaped without me realizing.
Last night, we had rested in the room, stepped out briefly to fill our stomachs, and then gone straight back to sleep.
But today, since Lize had been insisting since yesterday that we live more diligently and regularly, I had no choice.
Truth be told, the quality of this inn was much worse than I had expected... so part of the reason I decided to follow her lead was that.
After all, you can't live a diligent, regular life just staying in an inn, right?
"Yawn..."
Anyway, I finally got out of bed.
I was still in my pajamas, but no one was around except me right now... and Lize would come back a bit later...
"Ugh... so tired..."
I stretched alone like that, deciding to wake up a little more.
I fully opened the awkwardly half-closed curtains to let sunlight into the room and cracked the window for some ventilation.
It was definitely a chillier breeze compared to summer or fall, but it was enough to wake me up.
"Hmm... but no matter how I think about it, why bring noble kids to an inn like this..."
The more I looked at it, the less sense it made.
The Academy wasn't short on money or anything, so did they really have to use an inn that could feel a bit rundown?
Of course, this kind of thinking was typical of nobles, but from a noble's perspective...
"Tsk..."
Of course, since it was ordered by the higher-ups at the Academy, I couldn't really complain.
Well, I could complain... but it was obvious there would be all sorts of disadvantages.
"I wonder if they'll serve a proper breakfast."
Honestly, I could already predict exactly what would happen.
They'd probably just give some soup and bread and tell us to make do.
"...I should just go out and eat."
Yeah.
That seemed the cleanest option.
Lize always pretended not to be picky about food and often said it was fine even if it wasn't great.
But in the end, Lize was a teenage girl too.
Naturally, she had to like delicious food, the kind prettily plated—and her face always brightened up when eating something truly tasty.
"Going out is the best."
I ventilated the room like that and sat on one side of the bed, waiting a bit.
It wasn't great for lying down, but it wasn't completely unusable either.
"...Young Lady."
"Yeah, Lize."
"Hmm... it doesn't seem like we need to eat inside the inn."
"Got it. In a bit, let's go out together and have breakfast at that restaurant from yesterday."
"...Yes, Young Lady."
Lize made a slightly apologetic face, but I didn't pay it much mind.
After all, it wasn't her fault to begin with?
I just couldn't understand why we had to wait at an inn like this, and I was thinking maybe we should just stay at a better inn somewhere else.
Anyway, Lize and I ended up waking up earlier than expected and started preparing to go out.
*
"Lize, that outfit over there. Doesn't it suit you?"
"Isn't the skirt too short?"
"Nah, what about it? It's just a little above the knee."
"I'm fine."
After finishing breakfast, Lize and I were wandering the streets like that, chatting away.
We hadn't brought much luggage—just a small handbag and a wallet inside it.
We were just really killing time by strolling around.
"It would definitely suit you, Lize, so why do you always insist on long skirts?"
"...I'm just shy."
"Should I order your maid uniform skirt to be definitely short?"
"...Young Lady."
"I'm kidding, kidding."
The inn was in bad shape anyway, and the weather wasn't as brutally cold as winter in my previous life, so it was much better to walk around with Lize.
If we stayed inside the inn, I'd inevitably end up giving her things to do, and I'd rest while she couldn't.
I thought it was better to just play around together like this.
"Hmm... but Lize. You didn't pack any casual clothes, did you?"
"...That's right."
"Really?"
"...Young Lady."
"I see..."
I looked at Lize with a deeply meaningful smile.
She probably had a rough idea of what was in my head by now.
After all the time we'd spent together, she couldn't not know.
Lize personally didn't like it much when I bought her clothes or things like that, but I didn't make a big deal of it anyway.
After all, I was buying them because I wanted to—who cares if a maid refuses and feels sorry about receiving them? That was weirder.
In a way, it was just giving a bonus in the form of items instead of money.
"Lize, follow me."
"...Yes."
"Hmm... first a skirt, and a top too... hmm..."
"Young Lady, too many clothes might be inconvenient on the way to the Academy..."
"Nah, you think I don't know that? I'll buy more at the Academy anyway. Today, just about three or four outfits."
"...Yes."
I always thought this, but Lize had a face far too pretty for her job as a maid.
The maid uniform wasn't ugly or anything, but there were so many prettier outfits, and she had the looks to make you regret it every time.
"Hehe..."
That was why, this time around, I planned to buy quite a lot...
I'd bought her non-maid outfits before and had her wear them.
But now, I could enjoy that experience even more.
After all, we were living at the Academy now, not the mansion?
On weekends that weren't weekdays, I planned to really just wear casual clothes and wander the Academy grounds with Lize.
"Hehehe..."
"...Young Lady, you need to buy in moderation."
"Yeah, I know. Why are you so worried? I'm not going to make you wear anything weird."
"...I'm sorry."
"If you're that sorry, will you wear whatever clothes I buy?"
I asked Lize with a face full of laughter.
Of course, I had no intention of making her wear anything weird, but her reactions like this were always fun.
"Like a super short skirt where your whole thigh shows, or a backless dress that exposes everything... hng... or what else?"
"Please... consider those a little."
"Hehe, kidding, kidding. Shall we go in and look at some clothes first?"
"Yes, Young Lady."
After teasing Lize a bit like that, we went straight into the clothing store.
The inn wasn't to my liking, but since there was still quite a lot of time left, being able to spend it alone with Lize like this...
Was nice.
*
"If you dressed like this every day, how great would that be?"
"...It feels awkward."
"It's fine. You look pretty."
We'd been playing around trying on and changing various outfits on Lize, and now we were heading back to the inn before sunset.
After all, it would be inconvenient to carry the luggage around.
Not in a maid uniform, but in such a pretty sweater and skirt—how nice was that?
"I think you look pretty, so that's that."
"...Yes."
Anyway, after playing around with Lize all day, the inn was now in sight.
The inn building itself was better than the inside, so you could spot it from afar.
Well... up until this morning, I'd even thought about just staying at another inn.
But I'd decided to endure it a bit longer.
"They said it takes about three days to arrive... so two more days here, huh."
Now that we'd spent one night at the inn... considering the arrival and departure, it was obvious we'd have to spend a bit more time here.
"...Tsk."
My mood wasn't great.
Still, for now, Lize and I carried the clothes and walked toward the inn.
While walking like that, I spotted a carriage similar to the one I'd ridden in.
One right in front of the inn.
"Hmm...?"
It looked like a child from another southern noble family had arrived.
I walked slowly, sneaking a peek at who was getting out.
It would be nice if it was Ella.
"Young Lady."
"Yeah, why?"
"I don't think it's the Niesista Lady."
"Why? Doesn't Ella come here by carriage too?"
I turned my head toward Lize and asked.
They were doing this to bring most of the southern noble children together, so couldn't Ella come too?
Of course, I didn't know who the passenger inside was yet, but I thought we couldn't rule out the possibility of it being Ella.
"Uh... isn't the crest on the end of the carriage different from the Niesista one?"
"Oh... there's that?"
"...Ours had it too."
Oh... this time I was a little surprised.
No, I really hadn't known.
We'd ridden in the carriage for half a day yesterday, but I truly hadn't known there was that kind of decoration on it.
I'd never been very interested in carriages to begin with... but yeah, I really didn't know.
"...Well, if it's not Ella, no need to look."
"Yes."
"Shall we go in quickly? I feel a bit bad if we block the way while they're coming out."
Thinking about yesterday when it took forever to go up to the fourth floor, it seemed better if we entered the inn and went up quickly.
No need to wait for them to come out and check who it was, especially since it wasn't even Ella.
Plus, while passing by the carriage, I overheard a male voice from inside, so I lost all interest.
"Tsk."
If it had been a lady with an amazingly pretty voice, I might have waited for her to come out and greeted her.
But it was too bothersome and unappealing to do that for some guy.