Muffin’s Confession

Muffin was wearing a snow-white negligee. Though it wasn’t see-through, it clearly showed the curves of her body.

“H-hello?”

She asked, tightly gripping the hem of her nightgown with both hands. Her face was bright red. She seemed embarrassed by the current situation.

“…What brings you here?”

“C-could we talk inside the room first?”

“Oh. Sure. Come in.”

I stepped aside at the door. Muffin said “excuse me” and entered with her head bowed, taking small steps.

Thud-

I closed the door and leaned against the wall. Muffin was already sitting on the bed. She placed her hands on her knees, repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fists.

“…So why have you come to my room dressed like that?”

“Y-you said you’re leaving tomorrow. S-so I came.”

“What do you mean you came?”

I knew what Muffin’s intentions were, but I pretended not to understand.

“B-because I like you…”

“You like me?”

I hadn’t noticed any signs of that? No, was there even any reason for her to feel that way? Not in my memory.

It’s true that we had grown somewhat close. But our relationship was strictly that of a customer and employee, not at all like lovers.

“Among adventurers, no one has been as kind as you. You were considerate in subtle ways, and I liked that about you…”

“Just because of that?”

“Is there anything as rare as kindness in the Labyrinth City? And the truth is, time doesn’t matter when it comes to loving someone. If you like someone, you just do.”

Muffin wasn’t wrong. Emotions were uncontrollable things. Still, it didn’t make sense to me.

“I appreciate your feelings. I really do.”

I paused for a moment and took off my robe. My black hair swayed as it was revealed. Surprisingly, Muffin seemed unfazed.

“As you can see, I have black hair. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes. I’ve known you had black hair since we first met.”

“…You knew?”

“Yes. You might not notice it when passing by, but it’s unmistakable if you look closely. It’s quite visible, actually.”

Well, how much could a robe hide one’s hair, especially since mine was quite long?

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Not at all. Having black hair doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve contracted with a demon. Even if you had, I don’t think all such people are bad.”

At Muffin’s words, I pressed my lips together. I placed my hand on my chest and gripped it tightly. After exhaling, I spoke again.

“I truly appreciate your feelings. You’re the first person to say something like this to me as I’ve traveled the continent working as a mercenary. But I don’t think I can accept your feelings.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t love you.”

At those words, Muffin bit her lip hard.

“And I’m an adventurer. I didn’t come to Falcion just to earn money, but to see the deepest layers of the labyrinth. Do you know what that means?”

“…It means it wouldn’t be strange if you died at any time.”

“That’s right. As someone aiming for such a place, my life is constantly threatened. And all my focus is on the labyrinth. In this situation, it’s realistically impossible to form a relationship with someone.”

That would be unfair to Muffin.

Although I hadn’t spent a long time with her, I knew she was a good woman. How many women in the world could understand and accept black hair?

“Then you could live like other adventurers who don’t aim for the deep layers. It’s okay to live day by day like a miner…”

Muffin spoke while looking at me, but gradually lowered her gaze. Her voice also became quieter. I just smiled silently at the sight.

“I’m sorry.”

Her voice trembled.

“Don’t be.”

“You must have your circumstances. I understand. I get it.”

She slowly rose from the bed. She headed for the door, grabbed the handle, and paused for a moment.

“If I… if I were an adventurer like you… would that… would that have made a difference?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

I answered firmly, fearing Muffin might make a reckless choice. And it wasn’t exactly a lie. If she had been an adventurer, we probably would never have met like this.

“…I’ll be going now. Have a good night.”

“Yes. I hope you have a good night too.”

With those words, Muffin went out into the corridor.

Left alone in the room, I let out a deep sigh. I didn’t feel very good.

Knock knock-

Just as I was about to lie down on the bed, someone knocked on the door again. I thought perhaps Muffin had returned, unable to let go of her feelings.

“…Inis?”

“Master.”

Inis was standing in front of me without even wearing her robe. I wondered why she had suddenly come.

“What’s the matter?”

Instead of answering, she glanced repeatedly beyond the door. I pulled the handle to fully reveal the room.

“What? Are you looking for something?”

“No. Have a good night.”

After looking around the room, she smiled brightly and returned to her room. I had no idea why Inis was acting like this. It was a very confusing night.

Knock knock-

I woke up to someone knocking on the door. Half-asleep, I got up from the bed and headed to the door.

Creeak-

“Master. Are you awake?”

Upon opening the door, I saw Inis’s face. I slowly nodded.

Perhaps because my mind had been unsettled, I had fallen asleep at dawn. As a result, I was now quite tired.

“Excuse me.”

She entered and sat me down on the bed. Then she soaked a towel in water and began wiping my body. Though I didn’t know why she was suddenly doing this, it didn’t feel bad.

“Whew.”

After swallowing water down my throat, I was almost fully awake.

“Where’s Isabella?”

“She’s sleeping in the room. It seems she hasn’t broken her habits from when she lived as a noble. I’ll gradually educate her on this.”

“Yes. It might be troublesome, but please take care of it. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes. Then I’ll go back to the room and wake Isabella up.”

Inis went out into the corridor. Meanwhile, I organized the belongings I had brought and put everything in a bag. Just as I put on my robe, Inis entered the room again.

“Master. I’ve brought Isabella.”

“I’m sorry, Master…”

Isabella entered the room rubbing her eyes. She looked very tired. Mornings seemed difficult for her.

“It’s okay. It’s understandable since you’re not used to it yet.”

Realizing my meaning, Isabella answered that she would correct it. It was a satisfactory response.

“Have you packed everything you need?”

“Yes. I checked two or three times, so there should be no problem.”

“Good. Then let’s go downstairs.”

We went out into the corridor and down the stairs. Perhaps because it was morning, there wasn’t a single person in the dining room.

“…You’re here?”

As we sat down, Muffin came out from the kitchen and greeted us.

Her eyes were slightly swollen. It seemed she had cried after we parted last night. Though I was a bit concerned, I pretended not to notice for her sake.

“Yes. Could you give us the usual?”

“Alright.”

Muffin bowed her head and immediately went into the kitchen. Beside me, I could see Inis slightly raising the corner of her mouth.

“Did something good happen?”

“No.”

The food came out not long after.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

A red stew with a spicy smell. Large pieces of meat and vegetables were visible here and there. I scooped up some stew with a spoon and put it in my mouth.

“Mmm.”

As expected, it was still delicious. Knowing this would be the last time, I felt a bit regretful.

“Master. What’s the plan for today?”

“I’m thinking of stopping by the rented house and then going to the bank. The amount is too large to keep at home.”

“That’s true.”

“After that, I plan to go straight to the labyrinth. I’ll gather necessary items gradually.”

It was best to visit the labyrinth daily. Combat senses tended to dull even with just a little rest.

“Is that okay?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

“I’m fine too!”

At the two women’s responses, I nodded and continued eating the stew. After scraping the bottom clean, I used bread to wipe up the remaining sauce.

“You two wait outside for a bit. I’ll say goodbye and come out.”

“…Yes.”

“Yes!”

Inis and Isabella gathered their belongings and went outside first. I took the dishes and headed to the kitchen.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

Muffin stood up as I placed the dishes on the table in front of her.

“Yes. It was delicious until the end.”

“I’m glad. I made this morning’s stew myself.”

“You did? I thought your mother usually does it.”

“Yes. But just for today, I wanted to do it myself. I’m glad it suited your taste.”

Her eyes were filled with lingering attachment as she spoke. Muffin clenched her fist and forced a smile, hiding her hands behind her back.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I have to go. There’s a lot to do.”

“Yes. Then… goodbye…”

“…Take care of yourself.”

I waved my hand and turned without hesitation. I heard sniffling from behind, but I continued walking toward the door. Just as I grasped the handle.

“Oppa!”

Tap tap tap-

I turned at her call. I saw Muffin’s face coming very close. She grabbed my face and pressed her lips against mine.

Kiss-

A brief kiss. With her eyes and face flushed red, she said,

“I, I won’t give up. It’s not just a one-night fling, I really like you… I’ll, I’ll wait!”

In response to Muffin’s words, I simply stroked her cheek.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

With those final words, I opened the door and left the inn. Outside on the street, I saw Inis and Isabella’s faces.

“Master. You’re here?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

We headed straight for the rented house. Inis and Isabella chatted beside me. When the inn building was almost out of sight, I paused slightly and looked back.

「Dark Maze Inn」

The sign visible in the distance.

An inn I visited out of curiosity about the taste of stew I’d seen in the game. I never dreamed I would meet someone who would love me regardless of my hair color.

If I had met Muffin when I first came to this world, what would have become of us?

“Master? Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

It was all meaningless speculation. It was already a past gone by. The road ahead was too long to look back.

“Let’s go.”