Chapter 70
I chose the best inn to accommodate Johan, who was likely accustomed to luxurious living as a lord.
Fortunately, it was a decently large village, so there were nice rooms available.
“You can use the room on the 4th floor.”
We received the keys from the innkeeper and went upstairs.
“Have a good night then.”
“You too Johan. Sweet dreams!”
We exchanged farewells and parted in front of the doors.
Upon entering, it was indeed a very nice room. The bedroom had a spacious double bed to roll around on. The bathroom was large and comfortable, and the living room had a wide sofa you could lie down on.
In modern terms, I suppose it would be considered a suite?
‘Huh? What’s this?’
Excitedly looking around the room, I noticed an outrageously ornate mirror hung on the wall.
“It looks pretty gaudy by itself…”
“Is there, anything, I can, assist with?”
“Yiick! The mirror talked!”
I flinched and flipped the mirror to face the wall.
I belatedly recalled Sylvie mentioning talking mirrors were a trendy housewarming gift among nobles, but I left it turned around. It felt a bit unsettling.
‘I should bathe.’
Soaking in the warm bath, I decided to use the break to browse dimensions.
“Dimension browse.”
<Notice> Loading…
Why is it taking so long to load?
<Notice> Browse failed.
<Notice> There is an error in the ‘How That Witch Lives in a Fairy Tale World’ dimension.
An error in the dimension?
“What’s going on here?”
Is it because Sylvie mixed up multiple dimensions?
I remembered the strange feeling I had just before coming to this dimension.
‘Yes, something definitely feels off.’
Perhaps this dimension is seriously tangled up somehow.
“Hopefully, we can find some clues tomorrow…”
No matter how much I racked my brain in the bath, I made no progress. After changing into pajamas and leaving the bathroom, I noticed a door I hadn’t seen before.
“What’s this? Another room?”
Is this the luxury of a suite? Drawn by curiosity, I opened the door.
“Sena?”
Huh?
My eyes widened in shock.
Johan, who had apparently just bathed, stood there in a robe, looking at me.
The thin bathrobe subtly revealed his physique—broad shoulders, a chest filled out with muscle, a slender waist, and long legs.
Droplets of water trailed down from his damp hair, following the lines of his collarbone.
“Oh! S-Sorry!”
I hurriedly shut the door.
Why were the rooms interconnected? They should give some warning about that!
My face flushed from unexpectedly seeing Johan’s vulnerable state.
‘Stay calm, stay calm.’
It wasn’t that embarrassing. He wasn’t naked, after all, just in a bathrobe.
‘No, why am I making a big deal out of this? I’ve seen worse.’
There was that time I accidentally splashed water on Chris and he stripped off his clothes, fully revealing his upper body.
‘That’s right, I’m immune to seeing guys’ bodies. This is nothing…’
The thoughts meant to reassure myself only made me twice as embarrassed instead.
The buried awkwardness from that previous incident came flooding back, since I had been too flustered at the time to feel it properly.
‘Why did his well-built body have to be so vividly burned into my brain? That 3,000 coin-devouring jerk!’
Knock knock.
“Hiiick!”
“Ah!”
Lost in thought, I was startled back to reality by the knock on the door.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, no, I’m the one who overreacted. What’s up?”
“Is it alright if I come in for a bit?”
Wait…does that mean Johan wants to come into my living room?
“One moment please.”
I hurriedly flipped the talking mirror back over to check my appearance.
Since I was about to sleep, I had just haphazardly dried my hair, leaving it messy.
I finger-combed it down and readjusted my rumpled pajamas. As for my tired-looking face…well, what can you do.
“You are the most beautiful in the world.”
“……”
The creepy robotic voice of the talking mirror made me grimace as I flipped it to face the wall again.
“Come in.”
At my permission, Johan entered, briefly hesitating at the door before approaching me, leaving it open behind him.
“I wasn’t feeling sleepy yet. And it seems you’re still awake as well.”
“Well…it is a bit early to sleep, I suppose?”
I glanced over Johan’s appearance. Of course, he wasn’t in a bathrobe, but had changed into proper clothes. Unlike my fluffy bear pajamas, Johan wore a shirt with the collar buttoned up all the way, even adding a vest—an outfit you could practically go out in right away.
Feeling awkward and embarrassed, I decided to change the atmosphere. After a moment of hesitation, I made a suggestion.
“Since we’ve had quite a bit to drink today, shall we have a hangover cure?”
“Sure, let’s brew some tea.”
“There’s something better than tea.”
“What is it then?”
I’m someone who believes tomatoes are the best for hangovers.
“Summon cocktail making kit.”
Responding to my summon, cocktail ingredients appeared on the table.
“I thought you said for a hangover cure?”
“It’s not just liquor, it’s a hangover cure drink. Come, have a seat.”
We sat on the same sofa, leaving a couple of fists’ distance between us.
This cocktail was simple. Half beer, half tomato juice, just lightly stirred.
“Beer with…tomato?”
Johan’s gaze was, how to describe it… not entirely distrustful, but a bit apprehensive.
“Haha. Sounds weird, doesn’t it?”
“It’s certainly unique.”
“But the taste is surprisingly good. Here, it’s called a ‘Red Eye’—a hangover cure drink that helps relieve hangovers.”
I smiled as I handed Johan his glass. He examined it closely.
It was a reddish liquid with a thick layer of foam. Mixed with beer, it didn’t have the density of tomato juice and looked light like watermelon juice.
“Using liquor for a hangover cure. Just like you, Sena.”
“That’s not an insult, is it?”
“An insult? No, that’s precisely why I like you, Sena.”
Johan said with a sly smile.
It was probably just a casual remark, but I was suddenly speechless. Johan was always so composed at moments like this. Why am I always the only one embarrassed?
“I suppose I should try the taste.”
Johan tilted the glass of Red Eye to his lips.
“An unexpected taste. The sweetness of fresh tomatoes combined with the bitterness of beer is quite appealing. More than anything, it energizes me.”
“See? I told you it cures hangovers.”
It’s barely half a can of beer. Perfect for a light drink before bed…
“If you were my bartender, every day would be like today.”
“Ugh, cough, cough!”
Caught off guard, I ended up spitting out the Red Eye I was drinking.
“Oh dear.”
Johan pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and attempted to wipe my mouth. Always composed and elegant, even at this moment.
‘I’d rather do it myself.’
I quickly took the handkerchief from him and wiped my mouth. Meanwhile, Johan cleaned up the table.
‘Not just the duke’s bartender,’ but ‘my bartender’?’
His remark seemed to have a strange sense of possession, which bothered me. Not a little, but a lot.
“Would you like another glass?”
“I suppose so?”
If we parted ways now, I’d be going to bed after spitting out my drink. I quietly made two martinis.
“Martinis?”
“Ah, you recognized them right away.”
“The olives are a distinctive feature.”
With the strange atmosphere dissipating, we finished our drinks while chatting about cocktails and reviewing the information we gathered today.
I was tired, and with the alcohol, my eyes kept drooping.
I should probably go to bed soon.
“Haah. Johan, if we’re going out again tomorrow, I should go to….”
Before I could finish, a heavy weight fell on me.
Johan’s words did seem to be trailing off… No way?
“Johan?”
No response. He had fallen asleep, resting his head on my shoulder.
His soft breathing came in a regular rhythm by my ear. With such a much larger man leaning on me, it was heavy and straining.
“Hey, why don’t you sleep comfortably on the bed?”
“Mmm…”
Johan mumbled in his sleep. As he nodded, his hair tickled my neck.
If his head slipped further, he’d end up using my lap as a pillow?
“Get up. I’ll take you to your room.”
I carefully supported Johan’s shoulder and managed to stand up, albeit with effort.
Alright, success! Now to safely guide him to his room….
‘!’
Just as I was guiding him, Johan must have fallen fully asleep, putting his entire weight on me.
Unable to bear that weight, I fell over, tumbling to the floor with Johan.
“Ouch…”
I tried to get up quickly, but one of my arms was trapped under Johan’s waist.
“Johan, Johan!”
Despite calling his name several times, he remained deeply asleep.
‘Was the martini too strong? No, can’t be.’
Unable to push away his immovable weight, I eventually gave up.
‘Ah, whatever.’
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have done it, but I was tipsy too. Unable to fight the sleepiness, I closed my eyes and succumbed to sleep.
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⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
The Red Eye cocktail is a unique and somewhat unconventional drink, made famous by its appearance in the 1988 film Cocktail starring Tom Cruise. It’s known for its combination of ingredients that might sound unusual for a cocktail, but it’s a classic hangover remedy in some circles.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
