Book 1 Chapter 605
605.
“This room is nice, isn’t it?”
Leo looked at the innkeeper with slightly surprised eyes after seeing inside the room.
The inn room was quite large.
And each room, though small, even had a hot spring attached.
“Even a storage room would have been fine.”
“Haha. I heard your story, how could I do that? While the younger siblings are trying so hard for their older brother and sister!”
The innkeeper laughed heartily and patted Leo on the shoulder.
Then, he spoke seriously to Marchel.
“You fight sometimes in life. But there are many more good things than that.”
The innkeeper said in a slightly subdued voice.
“I lost my wife a long time ago. We fought a lot too. So I regret it deeply. Not making more memories… Not treating her better…”
The innkeeper, whose face had momentarily clouded over, soon cleared his throat with an “Ahem!”
“It seems I've been meddling unnecessarily. Anyway, you can stay here for today without any burden. But! Know that I’ll be working you thoroughly until early evening!”
“We’ll unpack and come right away to help you.”
The innkeeper nodded at those words and left the room.
“So that’s why he said he’d give us a good room; there was a story behind it.”
Leo muttered softly, then took off his shoes and entered the room.
“The floor is warm.”
“It’s Eastern Continental style interior.”
Marchel, who followed Leo into the room, looked around the interior.
There was no bed in the room.
Instead, seeing thick blankets, it seemed like they were meant to be spread on the floor for sleeping.
“Phew. I made a spectacle of myself again a little while ago, I apologize. I knew why Young Master Leo arranged this, but I couldn't control my emotions.”
“Don't worry about it. I didn't expect everyone to obediently enjoy the tour anyway.”
Leo said as he unpacked his luggage.
“Well, if we put everything aside and cooperate for about a day, a sense of teamwork will surely develop. I plan to do it one more time after we finish our business in Retin and return. For a week, that time.”
“Hmm… There will surely be those who disobeyed Leo-nim’s instructions tomorrow, what do you plan to do with them?”
“They asked for their bellies to be cut open, so we'll cut them open.”
‘…It was a good idea to come here with Young Lady Chelsea and Young Master Leo.’
Marchel let out a sigh of relief.
“By the way, I’m worried about Young Lady Chelsea.”
Marchel, despite being a direct descendant of Jerdinger, is a magic user and is favorable to Leo, who is also from the Plov family.
In Niel’s case, it's unknown what feelings she might have towards Chelsea, who is Celia’s rival.
“But it wouldn’t be right for a man and a woman to share the same room, would it?”
“That’s right. Young Lady Chelsea is all grown up now, so I wouldn’t dare share a room with her… Yes. That’s right.”
Leo looked at Marchel, who trailed off, and spoke abruptly.
“Do you want to share a room with Senior Niel?”
“Ugh, cough! Cough!”
At Leo’s sudden question, Marchel coughed wildly as if choking.
Then, she immediately cried out indignantly.
“What do you mean by that!”
“No, I heard from Chelsea that you two were quite passionate back in the day.”
“We were like that before, but not anymore! That’s just an old story! And I’ve never once thought of Niel Rhoda in that way…”
“You said you even considered marriage. Even if you were young, if the heir of Ruwalin’s top vassal family considered accepting a knight, not a mage, as a wife. Doesn’t that mean you were very serious?”
For the heir of a famous mage family to marry someone who is not a mage.
This is impossible without a truly significant decision.
“…”
Marchel, who had been silent at Leo's words, let out a small sigh.
“When we were dating, I did envision such a future.”
“You were quite audacious.”
“Young Master Leo, you haven't forgotten that I am four years older than you, have you?”
Marchel asked, dumbfounded, looking at Leo who was treating her completely like a child.
Leo just smiled, looking at Marchel.
“Sometimes, when I see Young Master Leo, he truly seems like an older brother.”
Marchel shook her head, letting out a hollow laugh, and said.
“There hasn’t been a single time since we found out each other’s identities. I feel like it would be rude to her.”
Leo stared intently at Marchel and asked.
“What if Senior Niel wasn’t from the Rhoda family?”
“…”
Marchel, silent at those words, smiled bitterly.
“Such a thing couldn't happen, could it?”
‘She still has lingering feelings? She’s not being honest.’
Leo clicked his tongue inwardly at the firm answer and said.
“Then, shall we go help with the work?”
“Let’s do that.”
***
“Chelsea, food’s ready.”
“Okay!”
Chelsea, who had gone into the kitchen, carried the food Leo had made out to the dining area.
And she placed it on a table where guests were waiting for food.
The inn where Leo’s party was staying was not a high-class inn.
Therefore, there were no noble guests.
However, it was a place frequently visited by families traveling together.
“Here’s your order.”
Chelsea smiled brightly as she placed the food bowls down.
“Oh my, such a pretty young lady is so diligent.”
A woman, appearing to be the wife of the four-person family seated at the table, giggled, looking at Chelsea.
“Have a pleasant trip!”
Her daughter, who had been staring intently at Chelsea greeting them with a bright voice, tugged at her mother’s clothes.
“Mom, Mom. I think I’ve seen this unnie somewhere before.”
“Hmm? Where?”
“Um… in the newspaper?”
“Oh, come on. Why would someone from the newspaper be here? Besides, you don’t usually read newspapers, do you?”
“No, I did. I think I saw her. Right, oppa?”
“Yeah. I definitely think I saw her.”
“Haha, you kids. You only look at articles about heroes even when you read the newspaper.”
Chelsea had been in the newspaper a few times.
But they never dreamed that Chelsea Ruwalin, of the famous Golden Generation of Lumerne, would be working as a server in such a place.
So, they just thought, ‘Where have I seen her before?’
But children were sharp.
Chelsea smiled faintly, looking at the children who were whispering about her.
‘Cute.’
She remembered herself and Abbad when they were young.
Chelsea returned to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Marchel, who had been serving with Chelsea, was telling Niel the order details.
“Did you understand?”
“Hmph, I’m not deaf, you know?”
“That’s fortunate. It seems your ears are open.”
At Niel’s sharp reply, Marchel gave a cold smile and went outside.
Chelsea shook her head, watching them.
Leo said to Chelsea.
“Isn’t hospitality work hard?”
“No. It’s quite fun, actually.”
“Is it okay if customers treat you poorly?”
“Oppa Leo, do you think I’m just a naive noble lady?”
Chelsea was a lady of a status higher than most royalty.
As such, she had been revered since childhood.
But that didn’t make her authoritarian.
‘If she were, it would have been hard for her to grow.’
She quickly became friends with Carl, a commoner, from the time they entered school.
As such, her way of thinking was very flexible.
“By the way.”
Chelsea crossed her arms and looked at Niel, who was slicing ingredients.
Niel also had a talent for cooking, so she was in charge of the kitchen with Leo.
Other kitchen staff marveled at Niel's knife skills.
“Amazing!”
“How can she slice through that thick bone in one go?”
As a knight who had trained her whole life, her skills shone even in the kitchen.
“The cold wind is blowing fiercely.”
“Indeed.”
Niel reacted very sensitively to the fact that she was linked with Marchel as a couple.
“Senior Marchel still seems to have lingering feelings.”
“What? Really?”
Chelsea’s eyes widened.
After a moment of surprise, Chelsea put on a serious expression and approached Niel.
“Senior Niel. Do you still have feelings for Marchel?”
Thwack-!
“What?”
Niel, who had chopped the meat right through the cutting board, glared at Chelsea with narrowed eyes.
All the kitchen staff held their breath at her fierce aura.
But Chelsea merely stared intently into Niel’s murderous eyes without blinking an eye.
“Answer me.”
Niel, who had been glaring at Chelsea, clicked her tongue and replied.
“Why should I answer? It has nothing to do with you.”
“The reason you two broke up was partly because of our families, wasn’t it? I don’t think it has nothing to do with it.”
At Chelsea’s reply, Niel put down her kitchen knife and exhaled deeply.
Then she said.
“What does it matter whether I have feelings or not? It’s not because of your family, nor is it because of ours. It was just never meant to be from the beginning. So, you don’t need to worry about that.”
Having said that, Niel took off her apron and said.
“Sorry. I’m going out for some fresh air for a bit.”
Leaving those words, Niel left the kitchen.
At that reaction, Chelsea looked at Leo.
“She also seems to have lingering feelings, doesn’t she?”
“She does.”
Leo nodded.
“What should we do?”
As Chelsea fell into thought, Leo said.
“It’s their business. As Senior Niel said, it’s not something you need to worry about.”
“I know. But still, the fact that they broke up because of our families bothers me.”
In the past, Chelsea would have dismissed it as unavoidable and lost interest.
But now, it was different.
“It’s not right for Ruwalin and Jerdinger to continue their feud, is it?”
Chelsea understood better than anyone why Leo had arranged this situation.
Because she knew Leo was Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.
In the not-too-distant future.
A catastrophe might strike where everyone in the world would have to unite their strength.
In such a situation, was it right for Ruwalin and Jerdinger, the two prestigious heroic families of Rodren, to continue their antagonism?
During her two years at Lumerne.
Chelsea had changed a lot.
Celia was still annoying.
But it was different from the time when she simply shouted "down with Jerdinger."
She knew what goal Leo desired.
For the present she was living.
And for the future she would live.
How rough a path Leo had walked and how much rougher a path he would still walk.
Chelsea knew.
That’s why…
‘I want to help even a little.’
Arion had said.
Leo would never try to share his burdens.
In that case.
She wanted to help Leo as much as she possibly could.
Even Leo couldn't do everything.
So she had to do what she could.
‘Marchel and Senior Niel’s situation ultimately symbolizes the animosity between the two families.’
She wanted to resolve that even a little.
“It might not be the same as before. But at least I hope they can resolve their bitterness and remain friends.”
Chelsea said seriously.
“Is there any good way?”
It was while Chelsea was pondering.
The innkeeper, who entered the kitchen, spotted Leo and Chelsea and smiled brightly.
“Thanks to you two, the reputation of the guests in the shop is good now! They say the food is tastier than usual! And the serving lady and her brother are such good-looking people that business just booms! You're doing great!”
The innkeeper, who seemed to be having very good sales today and gave a thumbs up, suddenly paused.
“What? Why is the atmosphere like this?”
“Actually…”
After Chelsea told him the story, the innkeeper, who had been thinking seriously, clapped his chest.
“Are they still in a cold war? There’s no help for it! In that case, we must make them reconcile, even if by force!”
“Is there a good way?”
“Just trust me!”
The innkeeper gave a confident thumbs-up.
Leo narrowed his eyes, watching him.
‘It sounds like a very reckless plan.’
***
After dinner time.
In a quiet room with the moon high in the sky.
Niel was walking down the hallway.
‘What did Young Master Leo want to see me about?’
Niel’s face clouded.
‘Could he be planning to say something about the scene I caused earlier today?’
If so, she would have nothing to say even if she had many mouths.
Sighing deeply, Niel arrived at Leo’s room and knocked on the door.
“It’s Niel.”
There was no response to the knock.
Niel, with a puzzled expression, carefully opened the door.
“It’s Niel. I’m coming in…”
Thud-!
Suddenly, Niel flinched at a presence felt from behind and turned around.
But Leo was faster, pushing Niel’s back through the open door.
Bang-!
Chelsea, who had been waiting with him, quickly closed the door.
Niel, suddenly trapped in the room, opened and closed her mouth.
Then she spotted Marchel, who was also dumbfounded inside the room.
Luxurious food was set out in the room.
Seeing that, Niel hastily tried to open the door.
Click-clack-
Bang bang-!
“Young Master Leo? Open the door! Please open the door!”
She struggled to open the door with a panicked expression, but there was no sign of the door opening.
***
Snap-!
Leo snapped his fingers, and magic was cast on the door.
“Success!”
“Indeed!”
Chelsea smiled brightly and high-fived the innkeeper.
“I knew it would be a plan like this.”
Leo muttered, shaking his head, as the innkeeper laughed heartily.
“In times like these, forcing them to stick together might actually be the right answer! Come on! Now, leave the rest to the couple, and you two get some rest! There'll be good news tomorrow!”
Chelsea looked at Leo, watching the innkeeper return, chuckling.
“Will this make them reconcile?”
“Well. It might even make things worse.”
Leo glanced at the door.
“Judging by their reactions, some degree of coercion seemed necessary. After this, it’s all about how much they still care for each other.”