WLWES 4

Rio arrived in front of Gideon’s door once again. He had left in such a hurry that it felt a little embarrassing to come back so soon. As he hesitated to open the door, it suddenly swung open, and there stood Gideon, right in front of Rio.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and come in.”

“I brought some food…”

“I know. I asked them to tell you to bring it.”

“Why?”

“Shut up,” Gideon said, grabbing his arm.

As soon as he stepped inside, Gideon shut the door and locked it.

“Why are you locking the door?”

“Don’t you remember being pickpocketed? We need to be more careful.”

“Ugh… Don’t bring that up again…” he groaned. “By the way, why am I eating here too?”

“Because the food doesn’t taste good when you eat alone.”

“….I guess so.”

Gideon took the tray from him and placed it on the table. He swiftly unpacked the food and arranged it neatly on the table before saying, “Rio, go ahead and sit over there.”

“…Okay.”

“Do you drink?”

“Only a little.”

Gideon poured sake into a glass and placed it first in front of himself and then in front of Rio.

“Thank you,” he said as he accepted the drink.

“Mhm. This is actually my first time pouring a drink for someone else.”

“That’s… I really appreciate it.”

“Hah… It’s fine.” Gideon said with a smirk.

Ah, he laughed again. Rio figured he might have misunderstood Gideon because his natural expression was so intimidating. But maybe he is actually someone who laughs a lot. While observing Gideon’s expression, Rio picked up his glass and took a sip of his drink.

“Ugh… So bitter,” he muttered.

“What’s with that expression? You’re ruining your cute face.”

“But this is really bitter…”

…Huh? Did he just casually say the word “cute”? That I am cute? I felt that Gideon didn’t like me, but maybe that’s not the case. Maybe he actually likes me? No… That’s not how he comes off.

Rio stole a glance at Gideon. He sipped his drink calmly, gracefully slicing a piece of meat with a knife and bringing it to his mouth with a fork. Every motion was elegant, as expected of someone who grew up in a good family.

Rio’s mother has also taught him a lot. Since he grew up in a rural area, she made sure he knew how to carry himself with confidence so people wouldn’t look down on him or think he was uneducated.

Rio was careful not to make any noise as he cut into the meat and brought it to his lips. The moment he bit into the meat, it melted in his mouth. It was delicious. He silently ate the meat, vegetables, and bread until he felt a gaze on him. Rio looked up and saw Gideon staring at him.

“What is it?” Rio asked

“You have good table manners. Your parents must be good people.”

“…Yeah.”

Gideon’s voice was cold, deep, and intimidating, yet somehow, it also sounded kind.

Hearing someone say such nice things about his parents, whom he had really loved, made him feel happy. Rio nodded quickly and glanced down at his plate, grabbing a piece of bread and stuffing it in his mouth to hide the tears that were starting to fill his eyes.

Having finished their meal, they sat and enjoyed a cup of tea together.

While enjoying the flavor of the tea, Rio snuck a glance at Gideon. This guy barely said anything while eating! What was that comment about how ‘the food doesn’t taste good when you eat alone’? This was no different than eating alone. That thought stuck in Rio’s head as he set down his cup. But when he looked up and saw Gideon gazing out the window, he suddenly realized that even if they didn’t exchange words and only sat in complete silence, just sharing a meal with someone else was enough to make a difference. It’s been ages since Rio ate a meal with anyone. It felt a little weird for him because ever since his mom passed away, he had mostly been eating alone. As Rio finished his tea, he placed his cup on the table. Gideon stood up and suddenly said, “Shall we go take a bath?”

“Wait, no way… Not alone?”

“What? You can also join.”

“Nope! I’m good! I’ll just head back to my room.”

“I see. But where is your room?”

“The floor below this one. I’m staying here for free, after all.”

“You’re not staying here for free. You’ve been working for it.”

“Well… yeah, that’s true.”

“Rio, I’ve got a job for you too.”

“What is it?”

“Could you please bring me some alcohol later?”

“Sure. You were drinking quite a bit earlier too. You must really like it, huh?”

“I don’t hate it, but….”

What did Gideon mean when he said he didn’t hate it when he had already drunk so much? Rio thought it was a little strange but shrugged it off. He headed back to his room before going to the public bath. The bath Gideon used was fancier and located on the top floor, reserved only for VIPs. It must be nice to be rich, but hey, I’m not complaining. I don’t need a super luxurious life. Just being comfortable is good enough for me.

About an hour later, Rio found himself back on the third floor in front of Gideon’s room for the third time. He called out Gideon’s name from outside the door, and it immediately swung open, revealing Gideon’s handsome face.

“Hello. I brought you… the… drink…” Rio barely managed to stutter out as he got distracted by the view before him.

“Go inside,” commanded Gideon.

Rio held his breath as he gazed at Gideon’s figure. He wore an open-at-the-chest gown that revealed his incredibly sculpted muscles. He glanced down at his own chest. He exhaled quietly in self-pity as he looked down on his unimpressive body hidden beneath his clothes. He then proceeded to step inside and placed the tray of alcohol on the table.

“What? Do you have something to say?” Gideon asked.

“Uh… No… I mean, yes… Gideon, do you work out a lot?”

Gideon tilted his head slightly, clearly not comprehending the question.

Rio froze, speechless. His eyes fixed on a single drop of water trailing down Gideon’s neck from the tips of his damp black hair, which shimmered almost blue in the dim light. The sight was so captivating that it made his heart skip a beat.

Hey! Wait! Regardless of how attractive he is, he is a man. He is taller and manlier than I am, and he is absolutely not cute. Why am I so drawn to someone like him? Rio, pull yourself together!

Just as he gave himself a pep talk in his head, a low voice asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sleepy?”

Rio quickly replied, “No, I’m fine.”

Gideon cast a suspicious glance at him before he picked up a bottle of sake and a glass from the tray. He poured himself a drink before he said, “About the question you just asked…” Gideon proceeded to take a sip before continuing, “I have trained in many different kinds of martial arts ever since I was a child. I can fight with a sword and with just my bare hands.”

“Whoa, that’s incredible! “That’s why you’re so muscular…ah…” He stopped himself in shock once he realized what he had said.

“Muscular?”

Rio quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late. He looked up hesitantly at Gideon, who had a serious expression on his face.

“Isn’t this how a grown man’s body should look? ….Well, if you start training now…”

Rio shook his head.

“No. I’m not very good at martial arts or with swords. And I don’t want to become a knight or anything like that. I’m fine the way I am.”

“But you are traveling alone, right? You might find yourself in danger. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to work out a little?”

“Ahhh, it’s okay. I have ma…” he abruptly stopped himself.

“Ma?” replied Gideon

“No, I mean, I’m good at speaking for myself. So, even if I end up in a dangerous situation, I can talk my way out of it.

Rio flushed as he realized he was about to share too much. He quickly added, “Well, goodnight then,” and headed for the door. But Gideon suddenly grabbed his arm and made him sit down on a chair.

“Huh? Wait, what? Why?”

“Come join me for a bit. Drinking alone is no fun. Besides, you’re a good talker, right?”

“Huh?”

Rio frowned, realizing he indeed had said too much, but Gideon ignored his expression as he poured another glass of sake and placed it in front of Rio.

“Here, you should have a drink too. It will help you sleep better.”

“… Um, yes.”

Gideon had a handsome face but an intimidating gaze. The dark circles under his eyes made him look even more menacing.

Reluctantly, Rio picked up the glass and stared at the pale pink liquid inside, exhaling quietly. He really didn’t like the taste of alcohol. He could drink it, but not a lot. He especially disliked strong and bitter drinks. Judging by the smell, this one was definitely strong, and it was the first time Rio had ever seen sake with such an unusual color. Plus, he wasn’t even old enough to drink yet!

Frustrated, Rio brought the glass to his lips, tilting it slightly and letting the drink pour into his mouth.

“Huh? Wait… this is actually good.”

“I see. I’m glad it suits your taste.” Gideon replied.

The sake wasn’t as bitter as he had imagined. In fact, it was slightly sweet. He couldn’t quite describe the flavor, but he realized that he could really enjoy it. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he recognized that this could become his favorite drink and proceeded to gulp down the rest of it.

“This is great! It’s so good!”

“Hmmm. I know I’m encouraging you to drink, but I need to warn you not to overdo it. You just recently became an adult, right?”

“Nope, not yet. I’ll turn eighteen this winter.”

“…Huh? You’re kidding me, right?” Gideon seemed to freeze up for a second. “No, I knew you looked young… but since you were traveling alone, I just assumed you were an adult,” he proceeded to mumble. Gideon raised his voice and said, “Then… you’re not old enough to drink yet. Stop drinking… ahh.”

Too late. Even though Gideon had told him to stop, Rio had already poured himself a second glass and downed it in one go. When he looked up at Gideon’s face, he wore an even darker, more menacing expression. The moment Gideon started laughing, the world began to spin.

Everything after that was a blur. The next thing he knew, he was burning up and breathing heavily. When he finally opened his eyes, all he could see was a broad, muscular chest right in front of him.