Chapter 101: The Guard and the Inn (20)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: The Guard and the Inn (20)
Greystar looked like she was about to cry. If she could, she wanted to slap her own mouth and then crawl into a hole to hide. To suddenly blurt out the word "virginity"—how absurd must Sma, a kind and charming guest, find her?
As she met his eyes, which were staring at her in stunned silence, a wave of shame washed over her. Where did all the words I practiced go? Why did I just fly off the handle like that? This is exactly why I ended up in debt.
In truth, it wasn't her fault. Her father’s merchant guild had collapsed after a high-stakes venture failed, and her brother, who had set out on a trade mission carrying their last hopes, had vanished after a bandit attack.
With her kin gone, the burden of responsibility fell solely on Greystar. She had struggled to save the guild, but it eventually went bankrupt, leaving her with an astronomical mountain of debt.
She had filed for bankruptcy as a last resort, but a rival guild interfered. Her debt was transferred to them, and she was even forced to sign a contract stating she would be sold into slavery if she couldn't keep up with the interest.
The amount she had to pay was two silver coins a week. It was a staggering sum that a novice hunter could barely scrape together by braving the dungeon five days a week.
Before she started working at the inn, she also had to pay for room and board. Even though she lived on nothing but black bread, water, and the occasional watery stew, her weekly expenses still amounted to nearly eighty copper coins. She had to spend every single day in the dungeon just to pay the interest and maintain a bare-minimum existence.
After she began working at the inn, her room and board were covered, but her daily wage was only about fifteen copper coins. It wasn't nearly enough to cover the interest.
Ultimately, she had to prepare for the worst. Beh, the rival guild, specialized in human trafficking and running brothels. If she were sold to them, she would spend the rest of her life at the mercy of total strangers.
"Suddenly mentioning virginity... I think your words got tangled because you're in a rush. Calm down and take your time," Sma said gently.
Greystar fell back into her thoughts. There was no guarantee that Izumi would advance her two weeks' pay, and even if she did, she would be tied down to working at the inn.
As someone whose skills were still lacking, it was difficult for Greystar to earn enough to pay the interest unless she spent a vast amount of time in the dungeon.
Just as she was groaning under this vicious cycle, a devilish temptation had approached her. A guest named Iruna told her there was a way to earn a large sum of money. While she couldn't reveal the specifics, she told Greystar that all she had to do was ask Sma.
Greystar was a woman who had helped run a merchant guild. She wasn't as oblivious as a country bumpkin. There was only one way a virgin woman could get money from a complete stranger.
By offering her virginity.
If it had been right after she started paying off the debt, she would have refused without a second thought. But now, she was sick of hard black bread and watery stew.
Licking the black bread just to soften it enough to eat filled her with self-loathing, and gagging on the watery stew made her feel miserable and wretched. There were nights she soaked her pillow with tears, wondering if this was really what it meant to be alive.
If she held onto her pride, she could protect her virginity until the end of the week. But the ruin scheduled for next week would still come. In fact, an even more miserable future awaited her. The rival guild would use any means necessary to break her spirit.
They wouldn't give her a fair price for her virginity; instead, they would find any excuse to increase her debt. She would never escape the brothel for the rest of her life. It was better to offer her virginity to someone who would value it most.
She was the daughter of a merchant. She would never sell herself for a pittance. Having organized her thoughts, Greystar met Sma's gaze.
"Guard Sma. I am burdened with a massive debt. Even with the Kingdom's generous interest rates, I have to pay two silver coins every week. I won't even be able to touch the principal until I become a High-Rank hunter."
"I see. So that's why you were eating black bread. I wondered why you were eating that instead of Izumi's delicious cooking, but it was to save money."
"...Yes."
She tried her best to answer calmly, but she couldn't stop her voice from trembling.
"But because of the Dungeon Freezing week, I've lost my way to earn money. My wages from the inn aren't enough to cover the debt. And so..."
Sma waited silently for Greystar's next words.
"And so..."
Greystar felt frustrated with herself. Just say it. You've already made up your mind. It's just virginity, why can't you say it?
"And so..."
She rubbed her sweat-slicked hands against her skirt. But it seemed her hands weren't the only things sweating. Sma used his sleeve to gently wipe the corners of her eyes.
"Why are you crying? Here. I don't know what's going on yet, but sit down for now."
Greystar sat down beside Sma. The plush mattress supported her weight. It was a comfort she had taken for granted before the guild fell, but one she hadn't enjoyed in a long time since becoming a debtor.
In truth, she had shed many secret tears while lying here.
"You've had a hard time. You've worked so hard."
His hand patted her shoulder kindly. It was a firm, masculine hand, befitting a guard. His voice carried an understanding of her hardships. A warmth seeped into her, making her realize why so many women shared a room with him.
Greystar felt her heart leaning toward this man. It wasn't a normal feeling of affection.
Just as a beggar who hasn't eaten for days views a single donated copper coin as a lifeline, her heart, starved for comfort and warmth, was moving of its own accord.
Greystar's father had been a master of this technique. He had been betrayed because he over-relied on it, but until then, it had been quite a formidable skill.
Greystar hadn't inherited the talent to use it herself, but it helped her understand what was happening to her now.
"I brought some drinks. Would you like some? It'll help calm your nerves."
"Thank you."
She meant to decline, but her body moved on its own. A drink. Something she hadn't tasted since the guild collapsed. It was even a drink she recognized.
"Is this Whale's Shop's Strawberry Juice Refreshment?"
"Oh. You knew just by looking at the label?"
"I used to drink it often in the past."
It was the drink she used to have for a sugar boost whenever her head started spinning from looking at documents full of numbers. It cost about ten copper coins a bottle, didn't it? Since a normal drink could be bought for one copper, it was a definite luxury.
This one bottle was equivalent to several days' worth of food for her. Greystar was moved by the familiar taste she hadn't experienced in so long.
"You're really enjoying that. I want a sip too."
"Then you should have some."
Since he had pulled the drink from his pocket, she assumed he had one for himself. She spoke lightly, but Sma's actions were unexpected. He took the bottle from Greystar's hand and pressed his lips to it, taking a small sip.
Right where her own lips had been just moments ago.
I-Is this... an indirect kiss?
It was an act too overwhelming for a virgin like her to handle.
No. What are you being so embarrassed about? You called Lord Sma here to do something much more intense than this.
Greystar steeled her resolve once more. She looked at Sma. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the drink, and she found it strangely sexy.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah!"
She fanned her burning face with her hands and renewed her determination. She had to act before the strange, heavy atmosphere in the room grew any stronger. Otherwise, things might get even more awkward.
"Um..."
Her throat felt tight, and the words wouldn't come easily. she drained the rest of the bottle to clear her throat. Then, she shouted.
"Please buy my virginity!"
She had finally said it. A million thoughts raced through her mind. What if he refuses? What if he thinks I'm just someone who sells her body easily? I don't want him to hate me.
But so what if he hates me? I didn't have these worries before I came here. Did I give him my heart just because he treated me kindly?
Her thoughts didn't last long. Sma pulled her by the shoulder and held her tight in his arms. She could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
Compared to him, how was she? Her heart was racing so fast—could Sma feel it? What kind of face was she making right now? She didn't want him to see.
Greystar lowered her head and tried to push him away. But Sma caught her wrists and pressed them against his chest.
"Miss Greystar. Can you feel it?"
"Pardon? Feel... what?"
His chest was incredibly firm. It was a level of masculinity she had never felt from the guild members, most of whom were scholarly types.
"My heart, thumping. To be able to do it with a beauty like Greystar... could there be a happier man in the world?"
They were just empty words. His tone was sweet, but this was ultimately an act of prostitution—him buying her with money. Steeling herself, she tried to speak calmly.
"Then, how much..."
"Don't say things like that right now."
Sma silenced her with his lips. Her first kiss tasted like sweet strawberries. The resolve she had fought so hard to maintain dissolved, replaced by a flood of soft, swirling emotions.
She couldn't resist the feeling. She allowed his tongue to enter as it tapped against her lips, and they began a deep, lingering kiss. As their tongues intertwined, she finally understood her own feelings clearly.
Greystar had fallen for Sma. If that was the case, then this wasn't just a simple transaction. It was a precious first experience with someone she loved.