The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 2.5

Her voice came out strained from tension.

“It’s Levit! I’ve brought your breakfast.”

A cheerful voice responded. It was the name of the boy who had helped move their luggage and brought warm water. Rosette opened the door with relief. Levit smiled brightly, showing his rabbit-like front teeth. Her tension melted away like snow at the sight of his cute and harmless appearance.

“Good morning! You must be very hungry.”

Levit skillfully set breakfast on the table. The standard second-class meal consisted of white bread, butter, jam, and cheese. Hot tea and coffee were also provided. It looked appetizing, but she had no appetite at all. In fact, smelling food while seasick seemed to make her feel worse. Seeing Rosette’s poor complexion, Levit tilted his head.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Umm, I’m fine. Just a bit of motion sickness.”

“Ah, motion sickness is really tough. They sell seasickness medicine at the shop. Would you like me to get some for you?”

This was welcome news. Rosette asked Levit with a relieved expression.

“Would you do that for me?”

“Yes, I will. It’s not a difficult task.”

When Rosette took out her wallet to pay, Levit shook his head gently.

“You can pay me when I return. It’s fine.”

Levit left the room with a cheerful smile, saying, “I’ll be right back!” It was like a spring storm had whirled through the room. The draft from the corridor while the door was open made her feel a bit better than before. Still dizzy nonetheless, Rosette fumbled her way to the bed and sat down. Evan, who had come out after washing his face, had his clothes completely soaked.

“Evan, your clothes are wet.”

“Can I take them off?”

“No… They’ll dry soon.”

Perhaps because of her earlier dream, Rosette couldn’t readily tell Evan to undress. Evan seemed too weak to protest and sprawled out on the bed. The bed was appropriately sized for a double room, but given Evan’s large build, they had no choice but to sleep somewhat close together. From the start, they couldn’t be far apart since there was only one bed. Rosette shifted her body slightly downward and curled up small like a pillbug.

Levit returned quickly. He was holding a glass of water and medicine.

“It seems both of you are suffering from severe seasickness. You’ll feel better after taking this medicine. When I first boarded a ship, I suffered for three days straight. Try taking one every twelve hours and gradually reduce the frequency.”

“Thank you…”

Rosette weakly accepted the pink pill. The medicine, which smelled of musty herbs, didn’t look particularly effective, but there was no better option.

“Rest now. You’ll feel better in about 30 minutes.”

“I will. By the way, how much was it?”

“…5 silver.”

The price was quite high. Hoping the effect would be worth the price, Rosette gave Levit an extra silver for his trouble. Levit’s expression darkened as he took the money.

“Is something wrong?”

“Pardon?”

Levit looked up in surprise at Rosette’s question. This allowed Rosette to clearly see his face. His cheek was swollen and red as if someone had hit him. Noticing her gaze, Levit hurriedly lowered his head and covered his cheek.

“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all.”

“Your cheek is red.”

“Oh, this… I just fell down.”

Can falling down make a cheek swell like that? Rosette tilted her head in doubt.

“Call me if you need anything else.”

“So, you’re the one who always brings breakfast?”

“Yes, except on holidays, I’ll usually be the one coming. If you need anything else, just call me right away.”

“I will, thank you.”

With words to rest well, Levit left the room. His darkened expression and swollen cheek still bothered her. However, their condition wasn’t any better. They had barely managed to swallow the medicine, but until it took effect, both had to suffer from seasickness for quite some time.

“Evan, eat something. The food will get cold.”

“Right now I can’t…”

For Evan, known for his good appetite, to refuse food meant his seasickness must be quite severe. Rosette staggered over and drew back the curtains. The second-class cabin where Rosette stayed had windows that could be seen but not opened. First-class cabins apparently had balconies, while third-class had group seating and no windows at all.

“The weather isn’t good today either…”

Rosette said, staring blankly out the window. Today, even the sky was gloomy with unpleasant colors. Still, just looking outside seemed to help her seasickness a bit. Or perhaps the medicine was starting to work. Rosette gazed at the ash-colored sea and sky rolling outside.

“Seagulls.”

Seagulls were flying around with their cries. People were probably throwing food to them from above. Rosette liked birds, and among them, she especially liked seagulls. How wonderful it must be to fly freely over the sea. After watching the seagulls fly around for quite some time, Rosette realized her stomach had settled considerably.

“Evan, I think my stomach feels better now. How about you?”

“Me… I’m feeling better too.”

Evan’s voice, which had been groaning and complaining, suddenly sounded normal. As their bodies recovered, hunger immediately set in. Without either needing to suggest it, they both sat at the table and began eating breakfast.

“This is delicious.”

Perhaps because they had gone a full day without eating, the plain white bread tasted really delicious. Taking a big bite of bread spread with cheese and honey, a nutty and sweet flavor filled their mouths. They ate every bit of food without leaving a single olive.

After the seasickness disappeared and they had eaten, Rosette felt energized and said in a lively voice:

“Evan, let’s go out for a bit and buy you some clothes too.”

“My clothes? Wasn’t I supposed to keep wearing these?”

“The sleeves and hem are too short. It looks like someone else’s clothes, which makes it more awkward. Let’s see if there are any suitable clothes, and if not, we can just consider it a walk.”

“Sounds good.”

At the mention of a walk, Evan’s voice brightened. Seeing him like this, it seemed he hadn’t changed much from when he was a dog. Rosette smiled wryly, thinking of her dream from this morning.

When they went outside, an endless red corridor appeared. Rosette turned around to check the room number and locked the door. After putting the key in her pocket and walking a bit, Rosette blinked in confusion.

“But… which way should we go?”

Yesterday, Levit had guided them so she hadn’t thought about it, but today, trying to go around by themselves, they had no idea where anything was. The many passages and complex layout didn’t help. Evan was equally lost, and as the two were standing there perplexed, they heard someone’s voice from around the corner.

“Evan, there seem to be people over there. Let’s go ask them.”

Rosette led Evan toward the voices. But they weren’t just having a conversation.

“…are good people.”

“You idiot. Would good people… feed you? …just like your father, a little kindness… and you lose your mind…”

Hearing what sounded like an argument, Rosette’s eyes lit up. After all, isn’t watching a fight the most entertaining thing? When Rosette turned the corner with curiosity, she saw Levit pressed against the wall, looking intimidated. Levit made eye contact with them and looked embarrassed.

“…guests.”

At Levit’s words, the boy who had been scolding him turned around. He appeared to be three or four years older than Levit. His face had been contorted, but he immediately changed his expression when he saw them.

“Oh my, I find myself greeting you like this. I’m Theo, Levit’s brother. I run various errands for the gentlemen on the ship.”

“Ah… yes, hello.”

Theo rubbed his hands together and approached them eagerly. Levit looked at them with embarrassment. Rosette was also taken aback. She had come excitedly expecting to watch a fight, but felt like she had witnessed something rather awkward instead.