An Awkward Awakening
A text message saying a package had arrived would have shown more consideration than this!
Rai had shattered my peaceful morning and was now yawning without a care.
Technically, it was Ash who had opened the door without knocking, and I was the one who had forgotten to lock it in the first place.
Either way, I could hardly believe I was nearly naked in this situation.
All I had was a single large cloth draped over my shoulder, and even that had slipped so far to one side it was practically useless.
Both Ash and I were frozen, unable to process the crisis unfolding before us.
The silence stretched on, thick enough to feel like the air itself had stopped moving.
It lasted only a few seconds, though it felt like minutes. Ash was the first to regain his senses.
“I-I thought you were… asleep…”
I could tell he wasn’t breathing.
It was still very early. The hazy dawn light was probably the only mercy in this mess.
Then again, weren’t swordsmen supposed to have abnormally enhanced senses? Didn’t they see as well as wild animals even at night?
Hahaha.
“Get out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The door closed quietly, and the room fell so still it was as if nothing had happened at all.
I got dressed first.
“Haa… Rai?”
[Yes?]
“Did I ask you to keep watch or not?”
[I told you he was coming, didn’t I?]
“Right before he opened the door! I’m not some magical girl who can change clothes in three seconds!”
I grabbed Rai before he could flee and yanked on his ears and whiskers with enough force to tear them off.
“I told you not to speak so casually when I’m in danger! I told you! I told you!”
[Eeeh? Why is this dangerous? Ash is Master’s ally, isn’t he?]
“Ha!”
[If he’s not an enemy, why do we need to be on guard?]
“You idiot! I was naked! Your! Master!”
[……?]
Rai tilted his head, genuinely confused about what he had done wrong.
[You’re naked all the time, though?]
“……Well, you see it every day, so of course it doesn’t matter to you. But normal humans feel shame when someone sees them undressed.”
[Didn’t we all bathe together with the villagers in the jungle?]
“They were all women!”
[Hmm……? Didn’t you say Ash doesn’t count as a man? You said the same thing last night.]
Shut up. I must be insane for trying to find common ground with a spirit from another dimension.
[Why are you so angry?]
“Shut it.”
[Master’s body isn’t anything special, is it? You’re always— Oh, Master’s killing intent just spiked to maximum… This is almost like when you killed Grack……]
Rai was going to need a funeral. Today would do nicely.
***
After that, Ash developed a condition where his face turned bright red the moment he saw me.
Our eyes would meet and he would freeze for several seconds, then his ears would flush crimson as if something had exploded inside him.
It was so extreme it looked like he had been cursed to change into a completely different race.
On top of that, he would tremble, break into a cold sweat, and start breathing fast.
What on earth was I supposed to do with him……
“Ash.”
When I finally grabbed him to talk because I couldn’t stand it anymore, he looked like he was about to cry, completely at a loss.
Anyone watching would think he was the one who had been seen naked, not me.
“J-Jeanie…… I’m sorry……! I’m so sorry.”
“Breathe.”
There was no need to get any angrier at someone who was already demonstrating in real time just how far he could lose his composure.
I scratched my cheek and simply stared at him with a furrowed brow.
“I’m truly sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
I knew he hadn’t done it on purpose. Still, the displeasure hadn’t faded, and it had been too big an incident to simply brush off.
Yes, an accident.
“If I’ve made you uncomfortable, I should kneel immediately.”
“Yeah, well. I don’t think that would make me feel any better.”
“Then what should I do to apologize……?”
I didn’t particularly want to see him kneeling and begging, nor did I want to strip him naked in return and ogle him.
Killing him was even further off the table.
What was the right move here?
While I was still pondering without even considering the word “forgive,” Ash was already blurting out every apology he knew.
“Should I shave my head?”
“No.”
“Then hit my cheek!”
“Not really.”
“Then…… what do I need to do…… to make you feel better?”
“How should I know!”
Why was he asking me that?
He was the one who saw everything!
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Hmph!”
Honestly, I wasn’t that angry. I just wasn’t used to accepting apologies, and saying “I forgive you” felt awkward.
When I snapped at him, Ash bent over backward like he was about to polish my shoes, acting pitiful.
The look in his eyes was pure confusion, crushing guilt, and suffocating embarrassment.
“……I know this was entirely my mistake. It’s unforgivable, but if I may be so bold…… please, just tell me. What should I do? Jeanie, I’ll…… do anything you say. What do you want me to do?”
Watching him whimper like a guilty animal begging for forgiveness made my heart soften a little.
Why was I so kind?
Anyway, I was a law-abiding, upstanding citizen. I let out a long sigh and waved my hand dismissively.
“Forget it. Just go borrow a horse for me.”
“……A horse?”
“Didn’t you say you’d do anything?”
We were leaving the city in an hour. Normally everyone would handle their own mounts, but Ash had volunteered to do whatever I needed.
“I like white horses.”
That wasn’t what he meant, was it?
Well, whatever.
“Ah, yes! Understood.”
“Make sure it’s a gentle one.”
“Yes!”
Watching Ash light up with joy even though I was just bossing him around gave me a deep sense of satisfaction.
Doing good deeds really does lift your mood.
***
Borrowing horses was a tedious chore.
Some shops refused to lend if you weren’t returning to the same city, so finding a place willing to rent was the first hurdle. Even if you found one, haggling over price could still end in disaster.
Plus, if your identity couldn’t be properly verified, they’d refuse the rental outright. Someone unfamiliar with the process, like me, would waste hours wandering around. That’s why you should make the competent person do it.
“I’ve borrowed one!”
“Good. The luggage is here, so load it onto the horse.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And check the saddle again. It looks loose.”
Having a strong, capable worker around made everything so much easier. I quickly realized this situation wasn’t so bad after all.
The man caught in my grasp was kind, smart, and worked hard.
“Once you’re done, go buy some food. I’m hungry.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Meat would be good. You know dessert stomach is separate, right?”
“Understood.”
“And brush my hair.”
While the others went off to borrow horses, I made Ash do all sorts of things.
With time to spare, I dumped every annoying task I couldn’t solve with spirit magic onto him.
Ash skillfully combed through my wickedly curly hair with practiced ease.
“You’ve done this more than once or twice, haven’t you?”
“I have younger sisters.”
“Right. You did.”
Prince Ephiros had nearly ten half-sisters, and that was only counting the acknowledged children.
The current emperor seemed to have impressive vitality, scattering children everywhere, every single one of them living under the empress’s sharp scrutiny.
It couldn’t be mere coincidence that most of the emperor’s children who weren’t born to the empress met early deaths along with their mothers.
Of course, that included the young children who died. And the one who had looked after the young royals who lost their mothers or were on the verge of death was the second prince, Ephiros.
His nickname was the Mother Bird of the Imperial Family, wasn’t it?
Compared to the other crown prince candidates whose nicknames were things like “The Empire’s Viper” or “The Lawless One,” his was just…… just.
‘He looks weak.’
It was such a wholesome, harmless nickname that even I started worrying whether he was really okay.
Was it really fine for him to be braiding my hair right now?
His delicate touch was impressive, but I wasn’t sure if that kind of skill would help him survive the cutthroat imperial palace.
“Is just brushing enough? Would you like me to braid it a little?”
“……Do whatever you think is fine.”
Even though the future felt precarious, like walking on thin ice, the present moment was peacefully languid.
The grass beneath the tree where we sat smelled fresh, and the breeze gently caressed our skin.
It was one of those moments where simply passing time felt pleasant.
Leaving my hair completely in Ash’s hands while chatting leisurely made the gentle side of me peek its head out.
I felt a little guilty about eating the entire breakfast lunchbox he had bought by himself.
Maybe I should share at least one piece. I turned around.
“Ash, say ah.”
“I’m fine.”
“You bought it. Ah!”
“Ah……”
I decided to personally feed him a round meatball because I didn’t want food getting on the hands that were touching my hair.
After feeding him one, I started worrying that I had done too good a deed.
What if the heavens were moved by my oceanic virtue and generosity?
“It’s delicious.”
“Right? Meat really is the best.”
The last one was mine.
By the time we finished the lunchbox, my hair was done. He had braided a bit of the side hair and tied it back, so it wouldn’t fall forward and the scalp didn’t feel too tight.
This wasn’t bad at all.
As expected, having one competent attendant really made life easier. Someone who had experience serving others knew what they were doing.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Why was it that every time I smiled while facing Ash, it always left me feeling satisfied?
“W-What is this!”
Of course.
There was one person who wasn’t going to like this situation.