WLWES 17

As soon as Gideon closed the door, he asked Rio if he was okay. Rio replied, “I’m fine.”

Although Rio was suspicious of Kenny, he couldn’t speak ill of him because he had no proof. Kenny is probably a subordinate that Gideon trusts. Just because he didn’t like Rio did not mean that he could say, “I don’t know what he’s thinking, and he’s scary.”

Instead, Rio looked up at Gideon and said, “Um, I have a favor to ask you.”

“What is it?” Gideon asked.

“I was thinking about it on the way here. I feel bad saying this after coming all this way, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do here. So, I want you to hire someone more useful and fire me…”

“No.”

“…Why?” Before Rio could finish his sentence, Gideon had already rejected him.

Why was he so determined to keep Rio? If Gideon knew that he could use magic, it would make sense why he was so attached to him. But why would he hire a skinny guy who couldn’t do much manual labor and who could read but wasn’t particularly smart?

Feeling exhausted, Rio sank onto the large sofa in the center of the room without asking for permission to sit down. Gideon sat next to him with an elegant gesture, turning his body to the side to look at him. Feeling Gideon’s gaze on him, he let out a deep sigh. It seemed that Gideon didn’t like him either. So, what was his intention in inviting a commoner to his room in the castle? Surely, it couldn’t be to keep him company at night…

Shaking his head, he thought, No way. Gideon wouldn’t ignore my feelings and take advantage of me. Besides, there were bound to be plenty of beautiful women interested in him. Turning to the side, Rio met Gideon’s eyes.

Rio tilted his head and asked, “Hey. Why are you so hung up on it needing to be me? What am I even supposed to do?”

“I’ll tell you about the work later tonight. For now, you can just relax and do whatever you want .”

“Tonight…”

What? So he does want someone to keep him company at night after all…? You gotta be kidding me. If that’s the case, I need to get the hell out of here! I have decided that is one thing I only want to do with the person I love!

Just as Rio was preparing himself for the worst, he was surprised when Gideon suddenly stood up.

“Rio, come here.”

“Umm… what?”

Rio flinched, but since Gideon mentioned he only worked at night, he probably wouldn’t do anything, and he would be safe for now. He followed closely behind Gideon as they walked through the large room. Gideon stopped in front of one of the doors and urged Rio to open it. With a gentle touch, Rio placed his hand on the handle and pushed the door, which slid open to reveal a small, modest, yet beautiful room. Excitedly, Rio stepped inside and exclaimed, “Woah, I really like this room!”

“You like it? This is your room, so use it however you like,” Gideon replied.

“Really? Are you sure? Thanks…”

“Wait a minute! Why is it connected to your room?”

The thought slipped out before he could stop it. Gideon raised an eyebrow and sighed in exasperation. “I told you that you’re my personal servant. I need you to be by my side all the time to take care of me. It would be inconvenient if our rooms were far apart.”

“Oh, is that so…”

“That’s right. All nobles treat their personal servants the same. Didn’t you know that?”

Rio fell quiet, realizing there was no way he could know, being a commoner. He pouted and stayed silent. He didn’t understand the common sense of the aristocratic world, and if Gideon said so, he had no choice but to believe it. Deep down, though, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that he might have to use magic to escape if he ever felt his chastity was in danger, a resolve he had made numerous times before.

As night fell, they would have normally dined in the dining room. But given how worn out Rio was, he was permitted to eat alone in his room. Afterward, at Gideon’s request, he was directed to use his private bath, likely so he wouldn’t have to run into anyone else. Gideon himself wouldn’t be joining him as well. Feeling a little on edge, Rio obeyed without protest. As he washed his whole body, he tried to focus, scrubbing himself clean while his thoughts began to wander. It’s finally happening… he is probably expecting me to spend the night with him… No! This is just part of the job. Just preparation for work!

“No matter where you go, we’ll always be together,” Rio muttered reassuringly as he washed himself, prompting An to immediately reply, “Woof!” Rio smiled at her innocent response, which felt natural.

After the bath, he returned to Gideon’s room wearing only a long, loose robe that slipped over his head. Well, he was wearing something underneath, just not pants. The absence of pants made the robe feel breezy and a bit unsettling.

Gideon, who had already finished his bath and was sitting on the sofa, noticed Rio and invited him in. He was dressed similarly to Rio, holding a glass of alcohol in hand.

Reluctantly, Rio sat next to him and looked up into Gideon’s purple eyes, asking, “Are you drunk?”

“No, I’ve just started drinking. I also have this for you, Rio,” Gideon said, handing him a glass.

“Hmm, thank you.”

Rio took a sip and exclaimed, “Huh? It’s delicious!” He had assumed it was just water, but it had a citrus scent and a slight sweetness that he really enjoyed. He gulped down about half of it and then looked at An, who was on his lap, and exclaimed, “Woof!”

“Hey, I want to give An some water, too,” Rio said.

“It’s right there,” Gideon replied, nodding toward a cloth spread out on the floor next to the sofa, which held a dish of water.

“Thanks,” Rio said with a smile as he set An down near the dish. The dog seemed thirsty and began drinking the water eagerly.

While Rio squatted next to An and stroked her soft fur, Gideon called out, “Rio.”

Thinking it was finally time to discuss work, Rio obediently sat back down beside Gideon, waiting nervously. However, to his surprise, Gideon didn’t say anything. He simply continued drinking in silence.

Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, Rio spoke up, “Hey!” Gideon quietly placed his glass on the table, turned to Rio, and asked, “What is it?”

“It’s about the work I’m supposed to do. You said you would tell me about it tonight. Surely, my job doesn’t just involve sitting beside someone and drinking. I’ve been wondering all day about what kind of work you want me to perform. Please just tell me already.”

Gideon sighed deeply, his calm demeanor now tinged with tension that made Rio anxious about what he might be asked to do. Looking straight at Rio, Gideon spoke in a husky voice.

“Rio, please… sleep with me.”

“No.”

 Rio’s words of refusal came out of his mouth as fast as he could.

“No…?”

“No. What kind of job is this supposed to be? Prostitution? Are you gay or something? Look, I’ve got nothing against homosexuals, but it’s not my thing. So find someone else, alright? I’m leaving.”

Rio rambled on and on, quickly standing up and trying to get away from Gideon. However, before he could move away, he was pulled by the arm and fell to his feet.

“Wait. Listen to me for a second.”

“Let go! I heard what you said. You’re asking me to sleep with you, and I’m saying it’s impossible!”

As Rio tried to stand up again, a strong force pinned down his shoulders.

I don’t want this, if I’m going to be raped like this, I’ll use magic to escape…

“It’s a misunderstanding. I’m not going to do anything to you. I just want you to sleep next to me.”

“… What? What do you mean?”

Gideon looked extremely pathetic as he downed the entire glass of alcohol in one gulp and took a deep breath. Then he looked down and began to mutter to himself.

“… I can’t sleep. I can take a nap, but I can’t sleep deeply.”

“… Why?”

“When I was a child, I was attacked and nearly killed while I was sleeping. I was quickly saved by a guard, but since that day, I haven’t been able to sleep.”

“Oh… that must be tough.”

Rio sympathized with Gideon, knowing that it must be hard for someone of high social standing. But what did that have to do with Rio sleeping with him?

Rio turned his head to Gideon, who had been looking down. Seeing the dark circles clearly visible on Gideon’s handsome face, Rio realized that they must have been caused by years of lack of sleep, and he felt bad for him.

“I’ve tried everything to get a good night’s sleep. I took medicine that’s said to work, burned incense, used comfortable bedding, and even bedded a woman. But I still couldn’t sleep.”

“Ahh, yeah… Life is truly hard when you can’t sleep.”

“Do you understand?”

“Well, I guess…”

To be honest, I can sleep anywhere, in any condition.

Rio stayed quiet and waited for Gideon’s next words.

“But when I slept in the same bed as you, I slept really well. I was very surprised. I don’t remember the last time I slept that good.”

“Huh? You’re kidding…”

“It’s true. That’s why I looked for you. I wanted to confirm it for myself, whether it was just a coincidence or if it was something more. But during the second time we slept in the same bed together, I also slept very well. I’ve never woken up so refreshed. That is why, Rio, please. I’m asking you to just sleep beside me. That’s what I need from you.”

“Really… you’re serious?… Then, you’re really just going to sleep, right? You’re not going to do anything weird to me, are you?”

“I swear I won’t.”

Rio folded his arms and thought.

Gideon was clean, cool, and refined. If he were a woman, I probably wouldn’t hesitate to sleep with him. But I’m a man, and honestly, I’d prefer to sleep alone if I can help it. Even just sharing a bed with Ann would be more than enough for me.

As Rio glanced up, a flicker of concern passed through him. Gideon had dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign of poor sleep. Looking closer, he could see the weariness etched into his face. He looked completely worn out.

Rio knew that feeling all too well. Staying up late and suffering the next day had practically become his routine. When you can’t sleep, your body never really gets the chance to rest. The fatigue just piles up, making it harder and harder to function during the day.

He’d always been the type to care about others. If someone was struggling, he couldn’t help but want to step in. So, really, it felt natural, almost inevitable, that he’d like to help Gideon too.