Chapter 79
“I’ll wait.”
He could wait, he could wait as long as needed. As he clenched and unclenched his fists, longing to hold Roel who was flickering before him, he forced himself to remain composed.
“Thank you.”
Roel smiled in relief, suppressing her own desires. She resisted the urge to bury her face in his chest.
“Kyden.”
“Yeah?”
“Please move now. I’m still on duty.”
“Okay…”
Kyden stepped aside obediently, though he briefly had the thought of smashing the inn. He held back.
Change your clothes… Stop working… We’re going to leave anyway, so what does it matter what happens to this inn, damn it…
What’s more important, me or this inn? Tonight, you need to tell me I’m more important, Roel. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Kyden swallowed his dark thoughts as he fixated on Roel’s retreating figure. He was convinced she would give him a positive answer tonight.
She pleaded for him to wait, smiled in relief when he agreed. If she changed her mind now, it would be… unacceptable.
Completely unacceptable.
* * *
Four guests arrived in the morning, and by afternoon, seven more had come. In a single day, half the inn’s rooms were filled.
Besides those staying at the inn, many others came to use the restaurant. During the founding day period, the restaurant stayed open continuously, serving guests non-stop.
“Hey, miss! What’s your name?”
“It’s Roel. Would you like to order?”
“Of course. The inn may be shabby, but the staff is pretty.”
“…Thank you.”
“You’re supposed to be pleased and say thank you with some charm. Are you always this stiff?”
“Thank you…”
“Smile!”
Roel forced a smile and lowered her head. Though not insulted, she felt a lump form in her chest.
From the desk, Hawk’s wife motioned for her to come over.
“During this time, all sorts of people come by, so don’t take it to heart.”
“Yes, I’m fine… Thank you for your concern.”
Guests from all over had different dress styles, dialects, and rough manners.
“Why are these prices so high?”
“It’s like this around here.”
“Are you city folks trying to rip us off because we’re country bumpkins? They say city folks are all thieves.”
Since they didn’t plan on returning, their words and actions were unrestrained. They might have been acting worse because they thought they were being overcharged during the busy season.
Roel was constantly serving food to the steady stream of guests, with no time to take a break from the restaurant. The thought of being this busy for an entire week was already overwhelming.
“One beer here!”
“Yes!”
Time flew by as she tackled the endless tasks. Before she knew it, the day was ending. As the evening wore on, more guests were ordering drinks. The restaurant became noisy and crowded like a bustling market.
Thankfully, the guests drinking alcohol would order one dish and then talk among themselves for a long time. Exhausted, Roel was about to sit down for a moment when she heard heavy footsteps.
Thud, thud, thud.
The inn’s entrance opened, and the wooden floorboards groaned under the weight. Hawk’s wife’s startled greeting echoed loudly.
“We, welcome!”
Curious about who had arrived, Roel went to the desk and froze at the sight of the men standing there. Three of them were clad in armor from head to toe, with noble family crests embroidered on their cloaks. They were knights affiliated with noble houses.
She had heard that knights were a different league compared to village guards or city watchmen. They were elite warriors, trained rigorously and few in number, treated as highly as wizards, and they only followed noble orders. Their pride and arrogance were sky-high, and a wrong move could cost one’s life.
Knights managed lands like nobles and received substantial salaries. What were such distinguished people doing in this humble inn? Roel stood aside, observing cautiously.
The knight at the front suddenly spoke.
“Do you have any rooms available?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Good. We’ll take three single rooms and one triple room.”
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