WLWES 12

When he turned around, Gideon was standing directly behind him. Rio placed a hand over his pounding heart as he sat up.

“N-nothing. Did you forget something?” he stammered.

“I just finished washing up.”

“Huh? Wasn’t that too quick?”

“I already took a bath before I went looking for you, so I just took a quick dip just now.”

“Oh, I see.”

Gideon always smelled nice, so he didn’t think much of it at first. But now that he considered it, he realized he faintly carried the scent of soap, just like the one Rio had just used.

Gideon wore off-white pants, similar to Rio’s, and a long jacket that matched his pants. How could he look so much cooler in the very same outfit? Was it because he was taller?

As Rio took in Gideon’s appearance from head to toe, he absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair again.

“What the, isn’t it dry?”

“…This cloth is very absorbent, so it dried quickly.”

“Hmm…”

“What?”

Gideon seems to have very good intuition, so I hope he hasn’t discovered my secret…..

Ignoring Rio’s worries, Gideon poured water into two glasses and handed one to Rio.

“Hmm?” Gideon said, expecting a reaction

“Thanks… Huh? This is really good!”

“It seems they mixed in some citrus juice. Makes it easier to drink, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Rio drank it all in one go and exhaled with a satisfied sigh.

“I’m hungry.”

“Let’s wait a little bit longer. The meal will be here soon.”

“Okay. But by the way, I’ll be staying here tonight, but as soon as I receive payment for the work I did last time, I’ll be off again.”

“…I told you before we came here, but I have something to discuss with you about that.”

“Something to discuss?”

Just as Rio tilted his head to listen, a voice came from outside the door, and a servant came in carrying a wooden tray.

After finishing the food on the table, Rio felt very sleepy. He wanted to hear what Gideon had to say, but he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“I’m sleepy… Gideon… may I rest? I’ll listen to it all… tomorrow…”

“It’s fine. But don’t wake up and run away.”

“I won’t run away… good night.”

Rio rubbed his eyes and staggered to the bed in the corner of the room. However, Gideon pulled him by the arm and urged him to sleep on the big bed.

“Huh? Why?” Rio mumbled in confusion, but his sleepiness took over, so he slowly removed his slippers and lay down on the edge of the wide bed. Before he could even count to three, he had fallen asleep. The next morning, he jolted awake, letting out a loud scream.

“Huh? What! Ahhh!”

Rio woke up, realizing it was morning as sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains. He thought about getting up, but it felt so comfortable where he was. The spot where his cheek rested was firm but warm and smelled nice. He wished he could stay like this longer, but he knew he had to get up.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed open his eyelids, his head still groggy. The scene felt familiar, and as a slight breeze brushed against his forehead, he looked up to see Gideon’s face as he slept, breathing steadily. And then, his initial shock returned.

Rio jumped up in surprise.

He got up so quickly that he tumbled off the bed. Thanks to the soft carpet, he wasn’t hurt, though his lower back hit the floor hard, and he grimaced in pain. He quickly placed his hand on the bed and rubbed his aching back.

An, who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed, whined anxiously and nestled into Rio’s arms. As he stroked her head and reassured her with a smile, saying, “It’s okay,” a low voice came from above the bed.

“Shut up,” Gideon grumbled.

“I was sleeping so comfortably… what’s going on?” he added, raising his head and rubbing his eyes with a sulky expression.

His usual cold expression was still there, but the way he rubbed his eyes made him seem unexpectedly childish. For a moment, Rio found himself staring, almost thinking he looked cute…

But then he quickly snapped back to reality and protested.

“I’m the one who should be saying what’s going on! Why are you sleeping with me? Last time, I got drunk and ended up in your bed, which I was sorry for, but this time it’s not my fault.”

“I know, so don’t raise your voice. You are far too energetic in the morning”.

“And whose fault is that?”

Rio huffed loudly, sitting down on the bed and placing An on his lap as she clung to him.

Gideon propped himself up and stared at Rio.

For some reason, being silently gazed at by that handsome face made Rio feel tense. Trying to hide his nervousness, he responded bluntly, “What?”

“Hmm, so that’s how it is. It’s strange, but it really does help. It’s truly priceless.” Gideon said to himself.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Rio, about what I asked you yesterday… why don’t you stop traveling and work for me instead?”

“…Huh? Why? I’m not a knight, though. Ah, you mean as a servant?”

“No, more like my personal attendant. Well, not exactly a personal attendant either. Think of it as a close aide.”

Rio set Ann down on the floor, turned his body toward Gideon, and tilted his head.

“Even if you say ‘close aide,’ I don’t know what that is about.”

“It’s okay. It’s not difficult. I’ll pay you well, so why don’t you come live with me at my house?”

Gideon looks at Rio with a serious face.

Rio knew that Gideon was sincere. There had to be a reason why he needed him. Could it be that Gideon had discovered his ability to use magic? No, that couldn’t be possible. He had never used magic in front of Gideon.

Rio folded his arms and thought, then answered that he would give an answer before breakfast was over.

As soon as they finished breakfast and the innkeeper cleared the dishes away, Gideon sat down next to Rio and said, “Let me hear your answer.”

Rio had stood up to go to the sink to rinse his mouth but decided to sit back down instead. He exhaled deeply and looked directly into Gideon’s purple eyes.

“Okay, I’ll come with you. But for how long?” he asked.

“I haven’t decided on the duration… or anything, really. I just want you to stay by my side for a while,” Gideon replied.

“Hmm. Well, since I don’t really have any particular plans, I guess it’s fine. I got it. How much is the pay?”

“One gold coin a month.”

“What..? What!” Rio exclaimed in shock

“Is that not enough? Then two gold coins…”

“No! It’s fine! But is it okay to give me that much?”

“Of course.”

One gold coin is equivalent to fifty silver coins. A single silver coin can sustain a person for three days. Therefore, if you work for half a year, you can afford to travel comfortably for several years!

Rio stood before Gideon, gripping his large hand with both of his.

“Nice to meet you! Gideon… I guess it’s not proper to call you by your name anymore. Should I call you ‘Master’?”

“Hah, just call me Gideon. You don’t need to be so formal when you speak to me, and it really throws me off when you bow to me.”

This time, Gideon laughed lightly and shook Rio’s hand.

 Rio momentarily questioned whether receiving such a large sum of money for something so small was really appropriate. He wondered if there might be an ulterior motive. However, due to his naturally optimistic personality, he decided it was fine to earn money easily, so he readily agreed without much doubt.

Before Rio changed his mind, he quickly packed his bags and left the inn at Gideon’s instruction. This was the first time he had ever had the chance to stay at such a high-class inn, so Rio wanted to take it slow. Deep down, he wished he could stay another night, but since Gideon was leaving, he had no choice but to go with him.

Even after leaving the inn, Rio was sulking, grumbling that he wanted to enjoy it a little more. Seeing him like that, Gideon asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The inn… I just wanted to stay a bit longer. I don’t think I’ll ever stay at such a high-class inn again.”

“I see. I’m sorry. I was in a hurry and left in a rush.”

“Well, you know… there’s no need to apologize.”

Rio was simply sulking on his own, and Gideon had done nothing wrong. Suddenly feeling embarrassed about his mood, Rio managed a shy smile. They walked in silence for a while until Rio’s old workplace came into view. Just past the restaurant, three men who had tied up the two knights the previous day were waiting with horse reins in their hands.

Curious, Rio looked up at Gideon walking beside him and asked, “Who are those people?”

“They’re my subordinates. You can trust them. If you run into any trouble along the way, you can rely on them.”

“Subordinates…”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Subordinates, huh? For Gideon to have subordinates, it must mean he’s of a high status. But why would someone like him need someone like me? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure it out. Well, I guess I’ll just go with it and see how things go. Rio lightly thought this to himself as he and Gideon stopped before the three knights.