Ch.37Devotion Offered by the Sword (12)

# Lily couldn’t understand Kain. First he apologized for making her feel bad, then sat silently on the bench for a while, and now he was suddenly suggesting they share a room—despite usually seeming uncomfortable even sitting next to her.

“I’d be happy to, but are you sure that’s alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“You usually don’t seem very comfortable around me…”

To her surprise, Kain smiled brightly.

“I realized we’ve been working hard without properly resting. We’ve come all the way to Magdeburg, wearing these nice clothes. We should rest properly when it’s time to rest.”

That reasoning made sense. Lily nodded.

A moment later, Kain stood up. He walked half a step ahead of Lily, who focused solely on him as she followed. An absurd thought kept circling in her mind—if she lost sight of him here, she’d get lost.

Not because it was dark, but because everything around them was too bright, flashy, and noisy. The surroundings seemed to spin whenever she looked away. Yet Kain never hesitated or stopped. He simply glanced around and moved forward confidently.

She understood when they passed the stone pillar inn, but was a bit confused when they walked past the marble pillar inn as well. The next accommodation was even taller than the previous ones—meaning it was more luxurious. Kain passed that one too.

‘The places ahead must be extremely expensive. Will this be okay?’

Lily was a bit worried. Finally, Kain stopped.

It was a building about six stories tall, with statues from some distant foreign land supporting the ceiling instead of pillars. The statues wore gold-plated clothes with jewels embedded in their eyes. The red ones might be rubies, the blue ones sapphires, and the yellow ones amber.

Even with public funds, staying in such a luxurious place?

“Hmm. This isn’t it.”

Lily finally asked, “Where exactly are we going?”

“The best.”

‘This isn’t the best? It’s the most splendid place I’ve seen so far!’

Lily blinked. Ahead was only a large park. There weren’t many people around, probably because it was late.

“I don’t think there are any places to stay ahead. There’s only a park…”

“Ah. Right.”

Kain gently pulled Lily along. She felt a bit anxious. Perhaps around the corner of this park, or beyond it, there might be more affordable places? That would be reasonable…

But that wasn’t his plan. Kain stopped at the park entrance. The walls and gate were quite high, making it difficult to see inside.

“This is it. Whew. Wait a moment.”

Then he quickly disappeared through a small door next to the main gate. Staying in a park? It was a bit disappointing. She had expected a place with at least a ceiling, walls, and pillars.

“Well, at least the stars will be beautiful.”

Lily tried to stay positive. She didn’t want to think about the terrible plank beds at the monastery, though that night had been very happy because she was with Kain. She expected another surprise tonight.

The surprise came earlier than expected—when the wall opened.

Lily rubbed her eyes. What she thought was a wall turned out to be an enormous door. It was so large and long that she hadn’t even realized it was a door.

Soon, two palanquins approached. Each was carried by four strong men. Lily wondered why there would be palanquins in a park—perhaps for tourists? That was until they set the palanquins down in front of her and quietly knelt.

“What are you doing? Get in.”

“What?”

“We need to ride these. It’s far away.”

Before she could even respond, Kain climbed into his palanquin. Lily hurriedly ran to his side.

“This feels a bit too much…”

“Just get in.”

Kain lowered his voice. He seemed uncomfortable with the men nearby overhearing.

“Save your energy. You might not get much sleep tonight. Do you want to waste all your strength walking?”

Then he gave a signal, and his palanquin departed.

Bewildered, Lily climbed into her palanquin.

‘Might not get much sleep.’ It was strange no matter how she thought about it. This wasn’t like the usual Kain. He wasn’t the type to say such things. Sharing a room? Saving energy?

‘No way. Not this suddenly.’

Yes, it was strange no matter how she looked at it. Lily quietly folded away her slightly excited feelings and observed the scenery outside the palanquin.

The buildings were low but uniformly impressive and unique. Unlike the Empire’s typically plain but internally lavish buildings, these were elaborately decorated on the outside while remaining modest in size.

Ponds. Small fountains. Decorations. Like at the Inquisition, there were people of all accents and attire. But compared to the people at the Inquisition, they were much more vibrant, appeared wealthier, and their laughter never ceased.

Eventually, the palanquin stopped. It was a large building, almost comparable to the Great Hall. There was a delicious smell in the air.

“Hungry? Let’s eat.”

Though her stomach growled, Lily hesitated a bit.

“What’s wrong? We haven’t been eating well lately. Is it too overwhelming?”

“No, it’s not that…” Lily turned her head slightly. “I do want to eat… but I’m worried my stomach might bulge if I eat something too delicious…”

She felt a bit awkward showing a protruding stomach. She wondered if she should even mention this, but considering Kain’s lack of sensitivity, it seemed better to just say it directly.

But Kain didn’t seem willing to give up. He moved closer to her side and whispered in her ear:

“You might not get much sleep tonight. Won’t you regret it if you don’t eat now?”

“W-what?”

“You’ll be quite tired, but there’s no helping it tonight. Still…” Kain’s face looked serious. “I’ll be doing most of the moving tonight, so you won’t have to exert much effort. Just relax and…”

“W-why are you being so forward today?”

“Why.” Kain gave a hollow laugh. “Are you underestimating me too much?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then let’s go eat. Oh… don’t drink too much. And… I’m not sure if I should say this.”

For some reason, Kain seemed a bit hesitant. Lily glanced around.

“What is it?”

“We’re pretending to be a married couple, right?” Lily nodded at Kain’s question.

“So, um, I think we should bathe together to avoid suspicion… If you’re uncomfortable, we can make up a different excuse.”

Lily was so surprised she couldn’t even respond properly. But her body was honest—she nodded deeply.

“Let’s eat first.”

* * * * *

The food was good. Good was an understatement—it was excellent. However, there were many unfamiliar dishes, so it took some time to adjust.

The stir-fried pork was a bit greasy, but the spicy aroma balanced it out so it didn’t feel too rich. The beef dish was covered in brown sauce, which they said was made by reducing the meat juices with herbs and pouring it over the meat.

After taking a sip of wine, Lily burst into laughter. If Kain hadn’t stopped her, she might have drunk a bit too much.

In truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if Lily had started singing.

The vast hall was filled with servants carrying food, people laughing and raising their glasses, a troupe playing instruments, and even a jester performing magic tricks.

Her cheeks were flushed and her stomach was getting a bit full, but looking at Kain in front of her made her mouth water, so Lily raised another glass.

“Let’s drink together.”

Kain also raised his glass. The pewter cups clinked lightly.

“But what’s the occasion today? Coming to a place like this…”

She immediately regretted asking, worried she might be ruining the mood. But Kain remained relaxed.

“I told you. We deserve this after all our hard work. Always eating beer soup… And also. Congratulations on your promotion.”

“What?”

“You’re now an official agent. Congratulations. You’re no longer a probationary agent.”

Kain raised his glass, and Lily clinked hers against it. But she felt she needed more alcohol to understand what he meant. A passing servant poured another glass.

“Ah. Excuse me. I think that’s enough wine. Could we have mead instead?”

“Certainly.”

The servant who took Kain’s order left. Lily placed her hand over her pounding heart.

“Am I really an official agent now? But doesn’t that require a review process…”

She wasn’t even aware her speech pattern had changed. Kain didn’t seem to mind either.

“When you see old man Verneith later, tell him I promoted you. Tell him I did it because you deserve it. What can they do if I say so? Though it might be a bit early for you…”

Kain fiddled with his pewter cup, pausing briefly.

“I don’t think it helps either of us to keep seeing you as young and inexperienced. You’re quick-witted and talented. As for mistakes… well, everyone makes them… We’re agents working together now. No more one-sided dependence. We’ll work together, supporting each other. Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

Lily answered promptly.

“Yes. I can do that.”

“Congratulations, Agent Lily.”

Again, a clear clinking sound. The servant approached again. But he wasn’t alone. One carried a ceramic pot of mead, while another brought something like a sizzling iron plate. It was skewered meat.

“I don’t think I’ve seen this type of skewered meat before.”

“Oh, this? It’s called kebab…”

“Ahem.”

The servant with the impressive mustache gave them a look.

“If I may, this dish is called souvlaki.”

Kain looked the servant up and down.

“No. It’s kebab. It originated near the northern desert.”

“No. It originated near an oasis in the western wasteland.”

“Ha. That’s ridiculous.” Kain smirked. “Let’s fairly call it shashlik. How about that?”

The mustached servant seemed quite uncomfortable.

“You seem to know everything, so why are you doing this?”

Lily became a bit anxious. Getting into an argument in a place like this? And over food names, no less. But Kain seemed to enjoy this kind of conversation.

“I’m joking. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had loukoumades. They were quite delicious with honey.”

“Hmph.” The mustached servant smiled contentedly. “Unfortunately, they’re still being prepared and will take some time, but we have plenty of baklava. Shall I bring some after your meal?”

“With rose bud tea as well.”

“Enjoy your time.”

The two servants left. Lily’s eyes widened.

“What was all that about?”

“Just one of those pointless arguments people love to have. But not entirely pointless. It’s about food, after all. So let’s eat this… skewered dish.”

Lily picked up one of the skewers. It was well-cooked lamb with seasoning that penetrated to the core. There was no trace of the distinctive gamey smell of lamb. It seemed like freshly butchered meat.

* * * * *

The dessert was too sweet. They said it was pastry thinly rolled and baked, then soaked in sugar syrup. With the syrup seeping between the thin layers of bread, it felt like chewing rolled sugar syrup rather than bread.

But it paired wonderfully with the rose bud tea. A fragrant and refreshing but bitter tea with no sweetness, alongside a dessert that tasted of nothing but sweetness.

“I’m sorryyy.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“I think I drank too muuuch.”

She didn’t look sorry at all. Lily leaned against Kain’s body, grinning. They were in front of their lodging, which even to Lily’s blurry eyes looked more like a decent-sized mansion than an inn.

“You’ll sober up after a bath.”

“Ah. We were going to bathe…” Her legs gave way slightly.

What did it matter if her stomach protruded a bit? It wouldn’t matter if the lights were off, Lily decided. Something felt a bit off, but the night was long anyway.

When the mansion door opened, servants greeted them warmly.

Lily frowned when she saw the servants’ clothes. They weren’t the Empire’s traditional elegant attire that concealed the body’s shape. Instead, they resembled clothes worn by people from the Eastern United Republic—tight-fitting with red sashes at the waist to emphasize the figure.

The fabric was so thin it reminded her of the linen commonly used in the north and west. It was thin enough to reveal the silhouette of the body underneath.

“We’ve prepared hot water and a bath. Please go to the rightmost room. Robes are prepared in the room next to it.”

An older female servant bowed her head. The servants guided the two to a room with a bed. It seemed there was a dressing room next to the bedroom, and a bathroom with a tub next to that.

“Um…”

Sticking close to Kain, Lily whispered. She turned her head slightly, feeling quite embarrassed as the smell of alcohol seemed to waft out every time she opened her mouth.

Kain gestured to the servants following them. The perceptive servants left the room.

“No one’s here now.”

“This is a secret…” “Yes.”

“I have… some scars… on my back.”

Kain seemed a bit surprised. So he really hadn’t looked at her that night at the monastery when she was changing clothes, Lily thought. It could have been a more daring night.

Well. Whatever. Tonight was here. Lily tried to gather her courage.

“Don’t be… surprised. Okay?”

“Alright. I understand. But I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

“…Still. You might be very surprised.”

“No. We’ll be wearing clothes anyway. The robes are dark, so you won’t see skin?”

Lily couldn’t understand why he was suddenly sobering up. Kain seemed quite flustered.

“…Ah. Um… sorry. I didn’t explain. This is the south. So they bathe in the southern style. They fill a large tub with hot water, and you get in wearing a robe to relieve body fatigue. You don’t… undress or anything.”

“Oh. That’s a relief then.” Lily sighed with relief. If that was the case, there would be no problem. With her biggest concern gone, Lily thought she could be a bit more daring. She moved closer to Kain, wrapped her arms around his waist until their chests touched.

“So, are you really not going to let me sleep… tonight?”

“I’m sorry.” Kain truly seemed sorry.

Though a bit tired, she was finally going to experience something she’d only read about in books… what would it feel like? Lily was excited.

When Kain put his arm around her waist and pulled her upper body slightly closer with his other arm, when their chests pressed against each other, she felt a tingling sensation running down her back and a tightness in her pressed chest.

But before she could say anything, Kain whispered first:

“You’ll be very tired, but I need you to stay awake tonight. At least until I return from the Inquisition.”

“What did you say?”

Lily pushed Kain away forcefully. The tingling sensation turned into a pounding headache.

Kain didn’t understand why Lily was glaring at him. Indeed, he thought it was excessive to ask her not to sleep after feeding her all this meat, desserts, and tea, and he genuinely felt sorry.

“But don’t be too tense. This is actually a facility operated by the Royal Guard Bureau. That ridiculous conversation earlier was a code for identity verification. While you rest here, I’ll infiltrate the Inquisition to extract some information. So… Lily?”

Lily sat down, burying her face in her palms. Embarrassment surged through her. Feeling quite indignant, she stood up abruptly and slapped Kain’s arm hard.

“Ow!”

“I really hate you! Really!”

Then she turned and stormed out. Kain clutched his painful arm.

“…Is she drunk? Even if she’s drunk, that’s… Ow, I hope this doesn’t bruise…”

It was truly incomprehensible.