While She Sleeps

With a lukewarm heart, I received the key and headed to the room located on the top floor of the lodging.

The rent was quite expensive, so I wondered if they were trying to rip off a foreigner, but after seeing the room, I changed my mind.

The room was decorated so neatly that I felt it was worth the price.

,Wow, this is a pretty nice room.

,I know, right? I was worried it would be a shabby place, but I’m relieved.

I nodded at Sylvia’s words and started unpacking.

It’s not as big as my room in the castle, but it’s still quite spacious, and the furniture is arranged in a cozy way, which is very satisfying.

From the fact that even a small sofa is placed in this kind of lodging, it’s safe to say that the owner put a lot of thought into it.

Usually, you’re lucky if there’s even a rickety table.

,Eit.

,…You’ll hurt yourself.

While I was unpacking and putting the things I would use right away on the table, Sylvia jumped onto the left bed with a small shout and rolled around on it.

She doesn’t know what’s going on in my head and is having a great time.

Anyway, after finishing organizing and looking out the window, the moon was already shining brightly, so I immediately spoke to Sylvia.

,It’s quite late, so it’s best to go to sleep now. I’ll be out for a while, so wash up first.

Even though I used a dimension stone to come here, it only reduced the time it would take from two days to half a day, but it still took a long time.

I had been leaning on the swaying carriage for more than half a day, so I must be quite tired, and it seemed best to go to sleep right away.

But the problem was that the bathroom was inside the room, so I thought she would only be able to wash comfortably if I left, so I got up from my seat and gestured to go out of the room.

,Huh? You’re going out? Why?

,…Are you really asking because you don’t know?

But this bratty Princess-nim still doesn’t seem to have any sense, or maybe she’s pretending not to know, but she tilted her head innocently and asked back.

At this point, my head was throbbing so much it was going numb, but I thought she might really not know, so I calmed my emotions and replied.

Then, hugging a pillow and sitting on the bed, she nodded with the pure eyes of a five-year-old.

,Surely, Layard Gongja won’t be peeking while I’m washing… And I don’t care if Gongja is outside, so it doesn’t matter, right?

,That’s not the point. I won’t listen to any objections, so please wash and get ready while I’m out. I’ll be standing outside the door, so call me when you’re done.

,Tch.

I don’t know what part she was sulking about, but she lightly clicked her tongue and turned her head.

But seeing that she doesn’t argue anymore, it seems she understood what I said.

Squeak.

The sound of a door that wasn’t properly oiled echoed, and the space between the room and the hallway was cut off.

,Hoo….

Only then did I let out a deep sigh as if bursting something I had been holding back, and sat down in front of the door, leaning against it.

It’s not just because it’s hard to deal with her stubbornness.

No, of course it’s hard, but I’ve experienced that kind of thing before the regression, so it’s nothing new now.

The only reason I’m sighing so deeply is because it’s harder than I thought to treat her coldly.

,Have I not let go of my lingering feelings?

From the moment I started planning the operation to separate her from Creed Eleanor’s grasp, I thought that I would inevitably be involved with her to some extent.

But according to my plan, that was all there was to it.

I was planning to give her back her freedom and distance myself from her as much as possible.

It wasn’t just because of the guilt that I shouldn’t get close to her because of the sins I committed against her.

At least as far as the plan I’m making is concerned, if she and I get closer, there’s a possibility that she could be harmed as a result.

That’s why I made up my mind firmly, but how did it turn out like this?

I know it’s a pathetic excuse, but I think things started to go wrong from the beginning because her attitude was unexpected for me.

According to my own plan, I bought her from Creed Eleanor and told her this news, so that she would realize that I was just trying to use her as well.

But maybe it’s because of her kind nature or purity, she just sees me as a benefactor who helped her escape from her cage.

Otherwise, there’s no way she would see me as such a harmless person.

– Layard Gongja, are you outside?

Just as I was about to sigh again at the thought that my plan was going awry, Sylvia’s voice came from inside the room.

The sound of water stopped, so it seems she finished bathing and called me.

,Yes, I’m here. Are you done getting ready?

– Yes, I think you can come in.

,Then excuse me.

I grabbed the doorknob and went inside, intending to clear my head while taking a hot shower.

I made eye contact with Sylvia, who was looking at me while wiping her wet hair with a towel.

But for some reason, the clothes she was wearing felt familiar, so I frowned without realizing it.

,Eleanor Gongnyeo, that shirt?

,I’m sorry. I came in a hurry and didn’t have any clothes to change into… I borrowed an extra shirt from Layard Gongja’s luggage. Was that rude?

,…….

That’s right. The white shirt she was wearing was none other than the extra clothes I had brought.

I brought a few extra just in case, so it wouldn’t be a problem if I lent her one.

However, there was a problem elsewhere.

Since it was a shirt made to fit a man’s size, the chest area was quite emphasized.

On the other hand, the sleeves were loose, making it look like a child had stolen her father’s clothes, and the discrepancy between the two was quite large.

Did a new type of mental attack magic like this appear while I wasn’t looking?

,…No, it’s not rude. But it might get cold at night, so it would be good to wear the coat I brought.

Trying not to look at the black something visible through the white shirt, I approached the pile of luggage I had unpacked and took out a thin coat, handing it to her.

,It’s okay. It’s a southern region, so it’s warm even at night, so this is enough….

,Don’t say anything and wear it, right now.

,Tch.

As if there was no room for compromise, I forced the coat on her and turned around.

I thought I heard her clicking her tongue again from behind, but I decided to believe that my ears were malfunctioning due to the mental attack a little while ago.

I feel like I want to take a hot shower right away and relax my mind.

＊＊＊

After finishing preparing for bed, we lay down on the beds placed at opposite ends of the room.

After accidentally turning around and making eye contact with her, I had been staring at the ceiling, waiting for her to fall asleep.

,Layard Gongja, are you asleep?

,No. Is there anything you need?

,Just because. I can’t seem to fall asleep. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’m sleeping somewhere other than my room.

Come to think of it, she said she had never slept anywhere other than the castle.

Even when I used to meet her occasionally before the regression, she would always return to the castle and sleep in her own room.

Even children who are not even ten years old would have slept at their friends’ houses at least once.

For some reason, that short sentence seemed to show a glimpse of the life she had lived so far, and my heart ached.

,It’s surprisingly not easy to adjust to a new sleeping place. Close your eyes and relax, and you’ll fall asleep soon.

,I guess so. Layard Gongja is next to me, no matter what happens.

,…Yes.

When I said that to ease her anxiety, an unexpected answer came back, and I could only give a stiff answer after a moment of silence.

I’m by your side no matter what happens.

Of course, that’s not wrong.

Even if someone is aiming for her right now and reaching out, I will definitely protect her even if it costs me my life.

However, it felt very strange to hear those words directly from her mouth, the one I had practically killed with my own hands.

,Ssae-ssak…. Ssae-ssak….

Not long after that, only faint breathing sounds began to be heard from the opposite bed.

Realizing that Sylvia had fallen asleep, I got up as quietly as possible.

Even though I wasn’t sleepy, the reason I pretended to go to bed early was here.

It would be difficult to freely roam around Ruben and collect the information I want with her by my side.

Pah!

After confirming with both eyes that she was completely asleep, I spread a thin barrier around the room.

It has the effect of blocking physical intruders, but it is also a type of detection barrier that allows the caster to know immediately if an outsider touches the barrier.

There are no guests to visit on this top floor other than us, so if someone is detected in this barrier, I plan to return immediately.

Then, I personally covered the blanket she was covering up to her neck and left the room.

As she said, the night air in Ruben didn’t feel that cold, but if she caught a cold for no reason, I would be very worried.

Squeak.

As I was walking down the stairs past the hallway, I thought I heard a familiar sound faintly from somewhere, but I assumed it was the sound of the stairs creaking because they were old and quickly moved on.

I have to come back and stay in my place before Sylvia wakes up.