Ch.364Chapter 364 – Finally, Time for Rest!

Our journey after leaving Glesius Academy was proceeding smoothly without any particular incidents.

Currently, we’re traveling using three carriages in total.

One ten-passenger six-horse carriage and two luggage carriages filled with baggage.

There are no separate escorts guarding the carriages.

In fiction, this is typically when highway robbers or mountain bandits appear, targeting the cargo loaded in the carriages.

However, three days have passed since we left the academy, and nothing has happened.

“That’s strange.”

“Hmm?”

Karen made a curious expression after hearing my mumbling.

“What’s strange?”

“That three luxurious carriages are passing by, but no highway robbers or bandits have attacked us.”

Karen nodded as if she understood my point, while Cheon Hyeryeong quietly smiled at me.

“Sometimes, my husband asks such naive questions. It’s not that those insignificant creatures weren’t around.”

I looked at Cheon Hyeryeong after hearing her words.

“What do you mean?”

“This one’s widely spread qi sense detected the movements of those who were trying to attack our carriages. So this one sent out killing intent and subdued all those insignificant creatures. That’s why they haven’t dared to come near us until now. Did you not know this?”

Well, I’ve learned martial arts, but I’m not professionally trained, so I don’t know much about such things…

I just stared quietly at Cheon Hyeryeong, and she let out a laugh.

“Well, my husband hasn’t learned how to spread qi sense to detect approaching enemies, so it’s natural you wouldn’t know. I apologize. This one had forgotten about that.”

Her manner of speaking suggests she’s apologizing, but her eyes and the shape of her mouth don’t look apologetic at all.

“I shall accept punishment for this mistake later~♥.”

Seeing her wink with one eye slightly closed, I’m 100% certain of it.

‘I never expected Cheon Hyeryeong to make advances like this first.’

Come to think of it, the atmosphere inside the carriage has been a bit strange.

I don’t often ride in carriages, but anyone with a sense of awareness can read the atmosphere of the space they’re in.

The atmosphere I’m feeling in this carriage right now is very different from usual.

The usual atmosphere at the mansion was like… roommates living together?

Anyway, something like that existed.

But now, the atmosphere inside this carriage with me and eight women feels like something has begun.

‘Judging by Cheon Hyeryeong’s behavior, could she be trying to cross the line first?’

Is it because we’re heading to a seaside resort, and I’ve also resolved to cross the line this time?

I’m starting to notice their subtle flirting that wasn’t visible before.

Honestly, I’m a man too, and every woman in this carriage is a beauty that would be hard to find during my time on Earth.

‘I thought having just one girlfriend would make my life successful…’

Now there are eight women connected to me in this carriage.

Some haven’t formally met my parents yet, but others have already completed simple introductions through letters.

‘Your Grace. Please take good care of our inadequate daughter. – From Mina’s parents.’

Mina’s parents sent me a letter essentially approving our relationship.

Of course, I plan to visit them after graduation to formally ask for their blessing for marriage, not just sending a reply letter.

Just sending a letter doesn’t seem proper, right?

I plan to visit the parents of everyone else as well to get their approval for marriage.

Anyway, I carefully turned my head to look at the women sitting in the carriage.

“……”

“……”

“…Hehe.”

Except for Emelda who was reading a book, several of them reacted to my gaze in various ways.

Sister Regina smiled, Elena blushed and lowered her head, and Cheon Hyeryeong slightly lifted her martial outfit to expose her thigh.

…Anyone can see this is like setting the table and just waiting for someone to pick up a spoon.

If I were the protagonist of some adult novel, the air in the carriage would have already become hot and steamy.

Unfortunately, the carriage we’re riding in isn’t that spacious.

It’s comfortable enough to sit for long periods, but not wide enough for that kind of intimate activity between a man and woman.

In novels I occasionally read to kill time, the protagonist and heroine manage just fine in carriages, but would anyone really want to do that in such a shaky, uncomfortable place?

‘No, I guess that’s why they’re adult novel protagonists—they want to do it despite the discomfort.’

Hmm, that seems right.

But since I don’t want to do anything in this shaky, cramped space, I’m desperately hoping we arrive at the resort as soon as possible.

I don’t want my first experience to be in a shaking carriage.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

After a long journey of seven days, we finally arrived at the imperial resort.

“Wow, the scenery is beautiful.”

The imperial resort was truly well-maintained, befitting its direct management by the imperial family.

An elegant villa built on a slightly elevated cliff, a white sandy beach where blue seawater crashes in white waves.

And a harbor some distance away.

Judging by the trading vessels coming and going, it seems to be of considerable scale.

“Those trading ships you see are used by imperial intelligence agents disguised as merchants.”

“I see.”

From Karen’s words, I could understand the reason without her having to explain further.

Could just anyone come and live in a village near a resort managed by the imperial family?

The people living there are definitely 100% people working for the imperial family and their families.

“The village you see functions less as an actual village and more as a kind of warehouse to supply what imperial visitors to the resort need.”

“The security is thorough.”

Maybe that’s why I like this resort so much.

After all, we came here to enjoy time together, not to be disturbed by others.

We traveled for a week specifically to avoid interference from others, so it would be truly sad if our rest were disturbed even here.

“Put the luggage inside the villa, and after that’s done, go down to the village where the village chief will guide you to your accommodations. Stay there and come back on the day we return.”

“Yes, Your Grace. We’ll do that.”

At Karen’s command, the servants efficiently unloaded the luggage from the carriages and carried it into the villa.

Looking inside the villa, I could see resident maids diligently carrying the bags.

The bags must be quite heavy, so it seems the maid hiring criteria includes a certain level of physical strength.

Anyway, after leaving the luggage arrangement to the maids, we headed straight to the beach.

Near the beach, there was a spacious hut with a terrace where it seemed people could rest and have meals.

Judging by the grill and firewood, it looks like people used to grill meat here.

We don’t plan to call for servants separately.

I can grill the meat myself.

Since we’re at the beach, we should go swimming, right?

“Let’s change clothes first and come out.”

“Yes.”

Since our current clothes were somewhat inappropriate for swimming, we went into the hut to change.

The women and I went into different rooms.

The swimsuit I chose was a rashguard-type that clings slightly to the body, with separate top and bottom pieces.

By the way, I bought this swimsuit in the capital. Surprisingly, nobles seem to enjoy swimming.

So the Gelebrio Empire has fairly well-developed swimwear.

‘I didn’t expect there to be bikinis.’

Bikini swimsuits are called bikinis here too.

Just as Earth’s bikinis were named after Bikini Atoll, here they’re named after ‘Mauslef Bikini,’ the fashion designer who created the bikini swimsuit.

Anyway, the design of bikini swimsuits wasn’t much different from those on Earth.

There weren’t many “daring” designs like monokinis or slingkinis.

But it’s the bodies of the people wearing them that make the designs look “daring.”

Just like Emelda standing in front of me right now.

“Um… does it suit me?”

Emelda was wearing a black bikini similar to her hair color, with a slight sheen to it.

“It suits you well.”

“I-I’m glad it suits me well.”

Her already explosive figure became even more daring in the bikini.

“If you only look there, my sister might feel too disappointed.”

Turning my head at the voice from behind, I saw Sister Regina.

And Sister Regina in a bikini was simply…

“Wow…”

Fantastic.