Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Day and Night #10
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As a man, I'm actually pretty straight-laced.
But the lecherous trait from the job I acquired kept barking in my head. It was telling me to seize the opportunity right now.
It was declaring with certainty that if I struck now, in this moment when Narmi's guard seemed subtly weakened, I could get what I wanted.
The tanned blond Theo, aka the lecherous Gold Theo, was cheering excitedly in my mind.
━Do it! Go for it! Now's the time! It'll all work out!
The guy sounded just like a motivational coach.
━Take her to your room!
He kept urging me to be brave, insisting everything would go perfectly. Probably, species propagation happens thanks to these inner lechers. Infinite positivity breeding cells.
━Now! Right now! Tell her how you really feel!
The guy was straightforward, no beating around the bush. Did I really have this side to me? That's when someone fuzzy appeared in my head.
It was a half-fairy wearing stern-looking glasses. I could tell it was the trait from my job 'Tamer.' In other words, Tamer Theo.
Tamer Theo shouted from within me.
━It's better to hold back a beat here than to push now. Build some tension. That might work even better. The way to fully conquer her.
Tamer Theo said that to fully conquer Narmi, I needed to pull back here. To tame Narmi, I needed the virtue of patience to hold back my boiling desires.
It was advice I could really empathize with. From my level 9 Tamer perspective, it did seem better to play it cool rather than come on like a desperate fool...
Soon enough.
The Tamer and the lecher in my head started arguing fiercely. Whoever won this debate would hold the deciding vote for today.
And in the end, the Tamer emerged victorious.
"Narmi, let's call it a day then."
Showing some composure here seemed like the right move.
I'd rushed into a physical relationship too hastily with Mirna once, and cleaning up the mess afterward had been a real ordeal. A major ordeal.
I judged that building various relationships from genuine feelings, rather than getting swept up in the moment, would be better. It was far more emotionally and physically satisfying that way.
Rustle.
As I rose from my seat.
"Yeah, it's late. Head in and rest up. We've got work tomorrow too...!"
Narmi stood up too, sounding surprisingly cheerful.
"Theo, thanks so much for the flowers. I'll think seriously about what you said, from all angles."
"You're welcome."
Looks like today really ends here. As that thought crossed my mind, Narmi suddenly staggered badly.
Huh?
"Whoa...!"
She nearly fell, but with my half-fairy reflexes, I grabbed her arm firmly and steadied her.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah, guess I drank too much."
"Seems like it."
For a split second, I wondered if she was faking it, but I could tell Narmi was genuinely drunk.
Mirna usually drank low-alcohol, high-sugar wines—more for savoring the taste and aroma than getting buzzed, practically no different from grape juice.
So, an unaccustomed body chugging several beers that adventurers and laborers drink to get wasted? Of course she'd end up like this.
"Can you walk, Lady Narmi?"
"No, I thought I could, but... I actually can't...."
Could I support her body all the way to the carriage stand? No, that'd be tough. Plus, someone might be eyeing us.
So, I had no choice but to say it.
"Then, how about resting here a bit? This is an inn-pub, so they rent rooms."
Rest at the inn. I never imagined I'd be the one saying such a clichéd line.
It sounded way too much like a sleazy pickup.
What if she took it as a crude advance or cheesy seduction? My pride dipped just thinking about it. So, I added some excuses.
"Of course, I don't mean anything by it. Just rest a little and head out."
"Pffft, what're you saying? Theo, you get flustered too, huh."
Narmi laughed like she was teasing me. But she soon nodded.
"Sure, why not rest a bit."
What a relief.
I rented the cleanest room available. After grabbing the key and climbing the stairs diligently, I opened the door to reveal a neatly kept room—pretty good for an inn.
Only one bed was the downside, but when I went back to the lobby, the innkeeper gruffly said ━That's all that's left.
"Just rest here a bit. You could even sleep over. The carriages to Acro will stop soon anyway—."
Plop.
Narmi collapsed onto the bed like she didn't care. The moment she saw it, drunk Narmi seemed to think anywhere she could lay her heavy body was fine.
The room itself was clean and nice. The bed had freshly laundered sheets and blankets smelling good, and the desk was stocked with paper, ink, and even candles.
A room for occasional noble or rich guests, maybe.
Perfect for a noble lady like Narmi to crash.
* * *
An hour after settling into the room.
I couldn't help regretting my choice. The room was clean and ideal for Narmi, but the inn itself was hardly suitable for her.
Creak, creak.
━Ah, yes, aaah—!
Even without straining to listen, sultry feminine moans kept coming through the walls left and right.
In an inn building made sturdily of wood and stone with no thought to soundproofing, it was unavoidable. And late at night, too.
Thanks to that, both Narmi and I had to endure an incredibly awkward time.
No smartphones, nothing to do, so we just stared blankly at the ceiling or the wavy patterns on the walls.
Sitting in the rickety uncomfortable chair was okay for a few minutes, but after an hour, my butt hurt. As I shifted positions with more creaks, Narmi patted the bed.
"If sitting there's uncomfortable, come sit here."
"Is that okay?"
Normally I'd refuse once, but the chair was too wobbly and painful, so I gladly accepted.
Thus, I sat on the fairly spacious bed next to Mirna's spot—wait, Narmi's—and leaned back against the wall. Now, the creaking and moans from the next room sounded even louder in my ears.
So Narmi had been hearing this vividly too.
Thinking that made me terribly embarrassed.
As I racked my brain for something to say to lighten the mood, an even noisier racket erupted from behind the wall.
━I'm dying...! I'm dyiiing...! Am I alive...? Am I really alive..., brooo—! Aaaah—!
"Pffft."
Unable to hold back, Narmi burst out laughing first with a "pffft."
It was laughter without much reason, but it was oddly contagious, and I ended up laughing too.
We laughed for a few seconds that felt like quite a long time. How long had it been since we laughed like this over something fun?
Wipe.
Narmi wiped a tear and said.
"Looks like everyone's doing it but us."
"Seems so."
"Normal people are all like that, right?"
"Who knows...."
I gave a vague reply, but in this world too, plenty of ordinary folks lived normal lives.
Unrelated to queens or demon kings, heroes or resurging evil forces—regular small citizens living day to day.
They cried and laughed ordinarily, met, fell in love, fought, quarreled, and lived on.
I'd wanted that kind of life plenty of times. Sometimes I felt like dropping everything and running, but I couldn't.
Come to think of it, Narmi and I had a lot in common. Dreaming of a peaceful daily life. And it not going as planned.
"Theo."
Then Narmi called me.
"Got something to say?"
"How's it going with Lady Lioness?"
Elga's name popping up out of nowhere.
My mind flashed to a growling Elga, startling me, but I remembered Narmi knew about me and Elga dating—and had kept it secret.
Even from her only family, her twin sister Mirna. So, for Narmi, fellow keeper of the secret, I decided to answer honestly enough.
"It's going well sometimes. Not so well other times. Feels mostly no, but then it changes again."
"Women's hearts are tricky. I don't fully get it myself."
"I see."
Even women find women tricky.
"So, what about you, Theo."
"Me?"
"Do you like Lady Lioness?"
Her question about liking Elga left me momentarily speechless. I'd thought about it seriously plenty of times. Do I like Elga? Honestly, I'm not sure about the definition of "like."
But I wanted Elga by my side, and for her to shut out other men. That probably counts as liking her.
"Yeah, I think I do."
"What? You just said you'd be a half-fairy just for me. What's that about? Planning to cheat?"
"......"
"And here I thought things weren't going well with Lady Lioness."
Pout.
Narmi's lips pursed out. From her perspective, maybe she thought I was approaching her because things weren't working with Lady Lioness.
Who could've guessed I'd boldly juggle two? A normal reaction to hearing this would be just that.
"Theo, you're a total player, huh?"
Narmi was normal. Just like everyone else.
She just didn't know it.
"......"
"......"
Now, both Narmi and I fell silent for a bit.
It was like we both knew there was only one path forward, but we were ignoring it, covered by a thin sheet.
Like a standoff, waiting to see who would pull the sheet away first.
Honestly, I wasn't an idiot. I knew what kind of mindset Narmi had when she entered this room.
No woman would drink with a man she had no feelings for and then book a room.
But I needed to distinguish if it was genuine affection for me, or due to the special circumstances and a bit of recklessness.
So, I let a little tension build. Rushing things could lead to the same mess as with Mirna—her getting upset and everything going sideways. And as Mirna's twin, Narmi would surely be the same.
"So," I said slowly, parting my lips.
"How about you, Lady Narmi? What do you want to do?"
"I...."