Chapter 71
Roel was baffled as she glanced around the dining room. Leftover food remained untouched on the tables.
“Where did all the guests go…?”
Kyden replied nonchalantly.
“Seems like they had urgent matters, they rushed out.”
Confused, Roel served Kyden his meal.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thanks.”
Roel blushed and turned away as she began clearing the empty spaces.
While cleaning, she kept stealing glances at Kyden. She was concerned whether he liked the food and hoped he wouldn’t leave any this time.
After finishing his meal, Kyden asked hesitantly, still staring at the table.
“What’s with the dress?”
Roel, avoiding eye contact due to embarrassment, chuckled awkwardly and fiddled with the hem of her skirt.
“It doesn’t really suit me, right? It belonged to the innkeeper’s wife when she was young. She gave it to me because she thought my clothes were too shabby…”
She bowed her head, feeling out of place. Roel usually wore muted greens, greys, or navy. A bright red dress was something she had never dared to imagine wearing.
Her dull brown hair and grey eyes didn’t seem to complement the flamboyance of the dress. Wearing such a vibrant dress made her feel ridiculous.
“Clothes are trivial. Who cares about how I look.”
She muttered, pretending to be busy wiping the table.
“You… look good in it, though.”
“Really?”
Roel, who said she didn’t care about the clothes, was surprised by Kyden’s compliment and lifted her head with a bright expression.
“Yeah…”
“I’ve never worn anything like this, so it feels a bit awkward. But if Kyden thinks it looks good… that’s a relief.”
Still, I wish you wouldn’t wear clothes like that. Kyden swallowed his discomfort as Roel’s mood brightened.
He couldn’t stand the thought of other men at the inn leering at her. In his mind, the only solution was to get rid of them; he couldn’t bear to watch soberly as they ogled Roel.
As Roel hummed and continued cleaning, Kyden’s eyes sparked.
* * *
“What? Leaving today, suddenly?”
“Yes. A request came in… I need to head out of the city.”
“And this guest too?”
“Ah… need to go back home for a bit.”
Hawk’s confused voice came from the inn’s desk. All at once, guests were checking out, leaving everyone perplexed.
Is there something wrong with the inn? Everyone only shook their heads and mumbling excuses about sudden jobs or urgent trips back home.
It’s odd that all these urgent matters came all at once. Not just one but several people. She pondered, but couldn’t pinpoint any specific reason.
“What in the world is going on here?”
Hawk muttered, clearly flustered by the sudden emptiness from the inn. Roel was also worried about him.
“Are you okay, Boss?”
“Eh, things like this happen. It’s actually a good thing. Let’s take this chance to rest a bit before it gets busy again!”
Hawk recovered quickly. He saw the positive side that with the founding day celebrations around the corner, he had cleared the rooms.
“Isn’t one room still occupied?”
“Yes, one guest has stayed on.”
“Hmm. Then for the next three days, we just need to focus on that one room.”
“I’ll start by cleaning the vacant rooms then.”
“Take it easy. The rooms of the long-term guests are a real mess. Don’t try to do it all at once; you’ll wear yourself out.”
Roel nodded and headed upstairs. The second floor looked like it had been hit by a burglary, with doors wide open and rooms in disarray. People had left in such a hurry that they’d even abandoned some of their belongings.
As Hawk had warned, the rooms of the long-staying guests were particularly filthy. They should really ask for cleaning occasionally. Do mercenaries dislike paying for cleaning that much, or do they prefer to live in filth, she wondered.
The stench and dirt in the room occupied by four guests were especially appalling. An unknown foul odor pervaded, making it necessary to hold her breath as soon as she entered.
‘It’s strange that I’ve never seen the mercenaries taking a bath.’
The mercenaries constantly ask for bathing assistance, yet they never seem to wash themselves.
‘Kyden washed himself…why do mercenaries do that? Is there a rule against it?’
While Roel was deeply contemplating the unhygienic habits of the guests, Kyden, who had just stepped out into the hallway and spotted her cleaning.
“I’ll be back.”
“Oh, you’re leaving? When will you be back?”
Roel, who was covering her nose and changing the tattered bed covers, paused at him.
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