"Huuuuu..."
I got off the bathing barrel and wiped my body. I changed into the sleepwear the innkeeper had provided which is made with a rough, uncomfortable fabric.
It reminds me of Raina's clothes in the annex.
That damn maid really bought a lady clothes that commoners use!
I grabbed the bright blonde wig and dipped it in the water, then I dried it off with a towel just to make things a tad bit more realistic.
I braided Raina's hair and fixed it up before wearing the wig back on, pinning it securely.
I checked by pulling on the wig to make sure it was strong enough.
Sienna, you've got this! Calm down!
Slowly, I opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom.
Len, who was feeding the already awake fledgling with bread, turned to me upon hearing the door's creak.
"I'm done. Your turn."
"Hmm." He gave me the bread and walked to the bathroom with... urgency?
I turned my head to look at him and I noticed the slight flush in his ears and felt my own cheeks get red as well.
Damnit. Shit. What am I doing?
How am I getting flustered when Archen's going to kill me if he ever finds out?
Oh, shoot, that's right.
Remembering the situation at hand, all the butterflies in my stomach died.
I picked up the little fledgling and sat on the bed, feeding it tiny pieces of bread. The bird chirped every time she was given food.
Yup, she.
I couldn't determine it earlier because of how dark it was in the forest due to the storm and trees, but now, I could easily tell that this little fledgling was a female raven or as the Roselians call it, 'divine messengers'.
This stems from the fact that the very first saint and empress, Saintess Roselia's holy animal took the form of a raven when it had come to her. Apparently, ravens are the goddess Bellona's most cherished bird.
"I should give you a name, I can't call just call you little fledgling or little bird forever."
Something related to the goddess...
"Ah! I know!" I brought the little bird closer to my face, "How about Bella?"
It sounds close enough to Bellona, no?
'Twit!'
The little fledgling chirped and hopped around my palm.
I chuckled, "You like it? Let's go with that then, Bella."
I stroked her head and fed her bread until she was uninterested and decided to settle on my lap.
Without Bella's chirping, the only sound that filled the room was the deafening noise of pouring rain and occasionally, the rumbling thunder.
Despite it only being five o'clock, the sky had already gone dark.
I lay in bed, my arms spread out.
If I go back and get punished for sneaking out... I won't regret it.
Hell, if I had to do it all over again, I would do it.
Because I enjoyed myself.
It had only been four hours, yet it felt like we'd spent a week together. I was able to explore this new world even just a little bit which would be hard once I got to the imperial palace.
I turned my head to look at the bedside table where the flower crown we had won and the paper bag of things we had bought lay. Then, I raised my hand, staring at the bracelet Len had given me which caused a surge of warmth in my chest.
Most importantly... I was able to see Len's expressions.
Len being out-of-this-world handsome and every world for that matter is a bonus I did not expect, though.
Just like he was, his expressions were kind as well... But there was also unexplainable pain.
I closed my eyes, lowering my hand to my chest. I remembered the way his brows drew closer, his pursed lips, and how he looked intently at the bracelet.
For what reason does he keep apologizing to me?
'Creak.'
I opened my eyes and turned my head towards the bathroom door where Len came out.
Our eyes met and we just stared at each other, perhaps not knowing how to start a conversation in such an awkward situation.
Silence ensued until there was a sudden knock.
"I'll go get it!" I placed Bella on the bed and ran up to open the door.
Outside was a young lady. It was the girl I rode with on the carriage, the merchant's daughter. She was nice and chatted with me along the way.
"Do you need something?"
"No... I..." The girl's face was slightly flushed.
She fiddled with her hair, her eyes slowly wandering away from mine. Even without following her gaze, it was clear that she was looking at Len.
Girl, I understand, he's undeniably handsome, ain't he?
Plus, Len helped them, so it's pretty normal to have a crush.
"Father wanted to throw a small party to cheer everyone up from the storm... He's treating everyone to a meal and beer..."
Beer!
I turned around, my eyes shining, "Do you want to go?"
"Sure."
I gave the young lady a smile, "We'll go there."
She nodded and took one last peek at Len before running away.
***
The sound of wooden cups clinking together and cheerful chatter drowned out the rain. The lively atmosphere makes you forget the raging storm happening outside the inn's wall.
Len and I sat down at an unoccupied table in the corner of the room.
Noticing us, a worker hurriedly delivered us food. There was bread, fruit, fish soup, and grilled seafood.
Woah...
I picked up the spoon, "They're a grateful bunch, aren't they?" I said, scooping a spoonful of soup and taking it to my mouth.
Uggh!
Once the soup landed on my tongue, my face instantly crinkled.
"What's wrong? Is it not good?" Len asked, his eyes wide.
I shook my head, "No, it's good. Just sour."
Len's eyes fluttered at my answer before turning into crescents as he chuckled, "You really have cute reactions to food."
Cute?
Cute?!
I'm gorgeous, beautiful!
From the soup, I saw Raina's face.
Okay, cute.
"...I just didn't expect it to be sour." I pouted, taking another mouthful of the sour fish soup, not having such a dramatic reaction this time.
It's always like this, isn't it?
We'll get awkward, I do something that he finds amusing, he chuckles, we talk, and repeat.
Halfway through our meal, the merchant, a man in his forties who's spherically gifted, came over with a cup filled to the brim with beer and wrapped his arm around Len's shoulder. From his reddened cheeks and unstable walking, he was visibly drunk.
"Attention!" He shouted and everyone quieted down, looking at us, "This man... This... Boy, what's your name?"
Len took a bite of bread before answering with a flat expression that I had not seen before, "Len."
"Len... Nice name, nice name..." He patted Len's shoulder as he praised his name. The merchant raised his hand that held the cup, beer splashing a bit. "Len, this brave young man, saved us from a huge financial loss! Hurrah!"
Everyone raised their cups as well and shouted 'Hurrah!' in unison.
Len placed his hand on his temples, fingers rubbing on his skin. Our eyes met and both of us smiled, suppressing our laugh.
He must think all of this is excessive too.
The merchant placed the large wooden cup in front of Len and looked at him with expectant eyes.
Someone shouted, "One go!" Which turned into a ripple effect where everyone urged Len to drink the beer in one go.
Len probably didn't want to ruin the mood, so he decided to humor the drunk men. He grabbed the cup and began drinking. He tilted his head back along with the cup, and the way his throat moved from continuous swallowing could clearly be seen.
I'm thirsty...
"Haaa." Len gasped after finishing his drink. He wiped his lips with his knuckles and raised the cup, turning it over.
Seeing not a single drop fall from the cup, everyone went into an uproar, cheering loudly.
The merchant praised Len again, then ordered the worker to give us each beer before retreating back to his own table.
And so, I stared at the large cup of beer in front of me.
I drank liquor on my eighteenth birthday celebration but not beer.
Doctor Leve said that beer is the alcohol that suits me best, so I wonder if it's true.
After much thinking, I finally held the cup and drank it. The amber liquid offered an interesting maltiness, rolling down my throat with a satisfying burn.
This is so good?!
As expected of Doctor Leve, he's never wrong with his analysis!
I put the cup down and was about to reach out for the grilled seafood when I noticed Len's fixed gaze on me.
I tilted my head, "Something on my face?"
Len shook his head.
"Sienna..." He said my name, the last syllable dragging off a little longer.
"Why?"
Why...?
Why what?
I leaned closer to Len, whose eyes were dazed and the tips of his ears red.
No way, is he drunk already?
I mean, I guess downing a huge cup of beer in one go will accelerate the intoxication.
But I had expected Len to be an experienced drinker with a high alcohol tolerance.
"Why...?"
"Hmm... Yes... Why didn't you question me earlier? I healed the baby... bird."
To be continued.