Chapter 87: The Guard and the Inn (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: The Guard and the Inn (6)
Margherita was Mehya’s senior. Unlike her direct junior, who had graduated at the top of her class, Margherita wasn't particularly exceptional.
She had finished her training with grades in the upper tier, though not the very top. Her career began with guarding city gates rather than dungeons, and after her promotion, she moved around between dungeons, prisons, and patrols, just like everyone else.
One notable detail was her complete lack of romantic experience. It wasn't for a lack of popularity. Her background as the second daughter of a wealthy merchant family and her prestigious job as a guard weren't the only things she had going for her.
Her hair was grey, but so well-maintained that it shimmered with a healthy luster rather than looking dull. Her mysterious grey eyes provided a striking contrast to her radiant complexion.
She looked exactly like what people imagined a child of wealth to be. Her soft, pale skin often caught men off guard; even her own older sister would sometimes reach out to touch her cheeks as if entranced.
Possessing martial prowess befitting the average Mid-Rank guard and the sharp wit of a merchant’s daughter, she found most men to be utterly tedious. That was why she hadn't bothered with dating before becoming a guard.
After getting the job, her standards only rose. Most men in similar positions were fellow guards, and since she was well aware of their promiscuous lifestyles, she didn't give them a second thought.
This was precisely why office romances were extremely rare within the Guard. She excluded hunters because they felt beneath her. She excluded knights because of the grudges she’d developed against the arrogant ones she’d dealt with as a rookie.
And so, entering her twenty-fifth year of the solo life, Margherita found herself overwhelmed by romantic desire for the first time.
Just how long are they going to keep going...
When she first woke up after dozing off from sipping sweet fruit wine, she hadn't realized where she was. But the moment she heard the moans drifting in from the next room, she knew instinctively she was in an inn.
Margherita knew this place. It had a good reputation for its quality meals and, for a budget inn, surprisingly good soundproofing.
For the noise to pierce through that soundproofing, just how loud were they being? Moreover, it wasn't just one voice. While the walls muffled the specific tones, she could tell there were three women and one man.
Coincidentally, that was the same number of people who had attended their after-party.
No way. It couldn't be. I mean, we're talking about Mehya and Lady Serika.
Those two were famous even among the guards for being "iron walls." Margherita had personally mentored Mehya and confirmed her lack of interest in men, and Lady Serika was a fellow comrade in the "solo army" and someone she deeply admired.
So, it was probably just some debauched brat who had called in some prostitutes. It would die down soon. Contrary to her expectations, however, it didn't end quickly.
The man boasted an insatiable stamina. Was it even possible for a human to be like that? He felt more unrealistic than the male lead of a romance novel.
She tried to block her ears with a pillow and go back to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. Her pride, built up over the years, had even kept her from ever pleasuring herself.
She endured it, thinking it would surely end soon, and eventually fell into a light doze. When she snapped awake, the room was finally quiet. Wanting to see exactly who the bastards were that had ruined her sleep, she stepped out into the hallway, only to run into an inn employee hovering hesitantly in front of the neighboring door.
"Ah... Hello?"
"Oh, hello. You're the employee here, right?"
"Yes! I'm Tiarushi, the daughter of the Lily of the Valley Inn's owner!"
Margherita was impressed. This girl was certainly cheerful. If Margherita had been caught peeking at a room, she wouldn't have been able to say a word.
"But why are you..."
"Ah! Would you like to have breakfast before you go? My mother’s cooking is the best among all the inn chefs!"
"Pfft. Not the best in the whole Kingdom?"
"Well, I haven't seen the skills of chefs employed by noble houses or the royal family! We don't do false advertising here!"
"I see."
Margherita laughed it off as a joke, but she caught a hint of embarrassment on Tiarushi’s face. If she played her cards right, she might find out the identity of those horny monkeys.
She wanted to identify the pair—or group—that had kept her up and get some kind of petty revenge.
"But you know, Tiarushi, can I assume the reason you were standing in front of that door is the same as mine?"
"Huh?! No! How could I possibly have the same thoughts as a Great Guard?"
She looked like an easy mark, but I guess she won't fall for a question like that. Well, she is an employee surviving among rough men, so she must have some backbone.
Margherita had taken social etiquette lessons before becoming a guard. She had helped with the family business and managed plenty of clerks. She could easily manipulate a girl like this.
"They say a strong denial is a strong affirmation. So I was right."
"No, no, it's not like that."
"If you keep denying it, you're going to hurt my feelings. Fine. If you're honest, I'll forgive you. You were thinking about the man and the three women inside, weren't you?"
Margherita’s Secret Technique: The "I Already Know" Bluff! A terrifying conversational tactic used to extract information by inducing the opponent to make assumptions.
"Ah! Oh. So you knew after all. Then you were right, Guard."
"It was so loud, it was hard not to notice. Especially since they're the same..."
Margherita’s Second Secret Technique: The Trailing Sentence! A terrifying conversational tactic that makes merchant employees spill their true intentions out of exhaustion from waiting for her to finish.
"Ah! As I thought, since they're the same..."
"My, my. Tiarushi, I told you to go ask the guests if they wanted breakfast, so why are you playing around here? We're busy, so get downstairs and help out."
"Ah, okay!"
Tiarushi scurried away. Margherita clicked her tongue. She was so close. She was dying to know what came after "the same."
The same what? The same thoughts? Or... the same group?
The correct answer flashed through Margherita’s mind, but she dismissed it immediately. How could those women, who had been whimpering and screaming all night, be her group? She assumed Tiarushi was just following the lead she had planted.
The voluptuous landlady who had taken her daughter's place didn't look like an easy opponent. Regrettably, Margherita decided to drop it.
"Would you like breakfast? Since the noise next door kept you up, I'll give you a discount."
"I'm fine. And I wasn't kept up."
"But you look very tired. It seems you put a lot of effort into your skincare, and it just so happens we received some ingredients that are excellent for beauty."
"What is it?"
Skincare was something Margherita was extremely sensitive about. She had been worried lately because her skin seemed a bit tanned from all the outdoor duty.
She was also bothered by the fact that she’d fallen asleep without removing her makeup because she was drunk, not to mention the lack of sleep.
"It's Mint Choco Pineapple Herb. High-grade, at that."
Izumi mentioned the gift she’d received from Sma while setting up the room last night. She had decided to use the top-grade batch for her husband’s medicine and the high-grade batch as ingredients for special guests.
"Mint Choco Pineapple Herb? And high-grade? I could see mid-grade, but high-grade should be hard to find for an inn like this. Where did you get it?"
"An acquaintance produced a small amount. As you said, it's hard to come by, so I'm still debating what kind of payment I should offer."
"And you got it on credit? Please, introduce me to this person."
Izumi gave a mysterious smile. Margherita was momentarily shaken. So the landlady’s charm was another reason this inn was so successful. This was a piece of information she hadn't seen in any reports, making it even more shocking.
"Fufu. I'm sorry. They asked me to keep it a secret. But if you use our inn frequently, you might be able to get acquainted. They're a regular."
"You're quite the businesswoman. Fine. I'll have breakfast."
"Wonderful. Please take a seat on the first floor and wait a moment."
Margherita scanned the guests while waiting for her meal. She expected them to be mostly men, but there were quite a few women. Among them was a beauty with hair color similar to her own.
Annoyingly, the woman’s skin was just as good as hers. Was that hunter also putting effort into her beauty?
"Miss Greystar, here is your breakfast."
"Thank you as always!"
She's eating nothing but hard black bread for breakfast? Flour was the enemy of beautiful skin, and chewing on hard things for a long time made your jawline ugly—how did that make sense? Did she put effort into other areas since she didn't care about her diet?
As she sat there staring blankly, someone sat down next to her.
"Senior Margherita. What are you looking at so intently?"
"Mehya?"
Honestly, Margherita was startled. Why was Mehya’s skin so... glossy? Had she secretly eaten something good?
"Why do you look so surprised?"
"Oh, no. It's just... you look very energetic. I guess you slept well."
"Aha. I slept great. Hehehe."
What a strange laugh. Lady Serika and the junior named Rena, who were sitting across from her, also had radiant, glowing faces.
Did everyone except me eat something? Ah! The landlady said she got some Mint Choco Pineapple Herb.
They must have ordered and eaten it after she passed out drunk. Honestly, she felt a little pouted. They could have given her some.
"Margherita? You're acting a bit strange today. Do you have a hangover?"
"Um... now that you mention it, my head does ache a bit. Did I do anything embarrassing yesterday?"
It was a headache from lack of sleep. Since her drinking habit was simply falling asleep, the chances of her making a mistake were low. It was just an excuse she used because she wanted to talk to Lady Serika more.
"Fufu. You slept soundly. It was quite a task moving you to your room."
"I caused you trouble. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. Sma was the one who carried you, so if you see that boy... make sure to thank him."
"You mean Mehya’s favorite junior? Oh? Is he here too?"
"Yes. Right now..."
"Senior is probably still sleeping! He wouldn't wake up even when I knocked on his door!!"
Rena, sitting next to Lady Serika, suddenly shouted.
Why is she butting in?
Margherita was finally having a conversation with Lady Serika. Seeing the girl’s defensive attitude made her uncomfortable. Right. She must admire Lady Serika too.
I guess she and I won't be getting along.
She had finally built a rapport with Mehya to use her as a stepping stone to get closer to Lady Serika, only for a rival with a "bubbly junior" concept to appear.
For some reason, seeing Lady Serika acting flustered didn't... bother her. In fact, she enjoyed seeing this new side of her.
Lady Serika gets so cute when she's flustered.
Was she weak against the innocent junior type? Margherita felt it would be too much for her to try and imitate that. Besides, acting out of character always showed.
"You're Rena, right? Let's try to get along."
So, she would use this girl as a stepping stone, just like Mehya. As for her resolution from a moment ago—well, isn't it a merchant’s virtue to flip one's attitude like a palm according to profit?
Margherita was no longer a merchant, but the teachings still lived and breathed in her veins.
"Yes! I wanted to get close to you too, Senior!!"
Rena replied cheerfully while thinking to herself:
Since Lady Serika shared his bed, Senior was even more proactive and intense during sex than usual. It was the same when he was teasing Erwi at the checkpoint. He gets excited when he's with a new woman for the first time. If I cater to Senior's tastes, won't he cherish me even more? Okay! For Senior's sake, let's bring Senior Margherita to the bedroom too!
If Margherita had heard those thoughts, she would have been horrified and cut ties immediately.