“What a weird old lady.”
Jepeto sat down on the bed as he asked, “Right?” Ren had thought so too, so he nodded without resistance.
“Yeah, I mean...”
“But do you know her, by any chance?”
'She really was weird.'
Ren acted like he hadn’t heard the question that came after. He looked a little dazed.
“You can take your hood off now, can’t you?”
“Oh.”
Ren had just been standing there blankly. He pulled off the hood, and bright blond hair spilled free. For a moment, Jepeto just stared at him.
“What are you looking at?”
“Ah. Sorry.”
Ren whipped his head away. The way he did it practically screamed, Hmph! Jepeto almost laughed because Ren was so cute, but thankfully he managed to hold it in.
Ren awkwardly lowered himself onto the bed too. His face was a little flushed, so it looked like arriving in the village had cheered him up some. Hm. Should he suggest they go out and look around town? Jepeto decided he’d ask later, once the Heroes came back inside. For now, he’d satisfy his curiosity first.
“Ren. Do you know the old innkeeper lady from earlier?”
“I don’t.”
Ren answered at once, then blinked as if thinking it over again before shaking his head.
“I don’t know her.”
“Hmm. Still, it really felt like that old lady knew you somehow.”
“...You thought so too, Jepeto?”
Ren’s eyes went wide. Looking at those clear green eyes, Jepeto nodded. He covered his mouth with one hand as he smiled. Maybe Ren finally felt like talking, because he seemed a little more relaxed now.
'Everyone’s been off ever since that snowy night.'
That wasn’t just Jepeto imagining things.
Even Luman, who usually kept the mood light, had gotten a lot quieter. Had something happened in the carriage? Jepeto had wondered that, but everything had been so silent that if there’d been an argument, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed. So it had to be bad memories connected to snow after all! Until this trip to the capital was over, Jepeto sincerely hoped it wouldn’t snow again. The sky, of course, was thick with clouds and knew nothing of his feelings.
“What is it? You ask me something and then...”
Ren frowned.
“Ah! Sorry.”
“No, forget it!”
Jepeto had been lost in thought and jerked back to attention with an apology. Ren snapped at him.
Jepeto felt like he was finally starting to understand Ren a little. That irritation had come from feeling sorry! At times like this, the best thing was to change the subject. Jepeto had picked that up from watching how Luman handled Ren out of the corner of his eye.
“The old lady kept staring at you for a really long time. Hm.”
“Right?”
Jepeto spoke smoothly, sounding careful but still saying exactly what he wanted to say.
“But weren’t you uncomfortable? I mean, honestly, I kind of thought you were going to flip the table over or run outside or something... Ha ha.”
“What kind of total headcase do you think I am!?”
It was a disturbingly accurate read. Ren shouted that and clamped his mouth shut. Because honestly, if it had been someone else, he probably would have. When they were downstairs, Jepeto had been nervous. That was why he hadn’t even yielded that delicious beer to Luman! Temar had seemed totally unconcerned, but Luman had kept chugging his beer while checking now and then to see if Ren was all right. Seeing that much made it obvious something had been off about Ren earlier.
“I thought you were an adult, but I take it back. I take it back!”
“Huh? Ren, what did you say?”
“Nothing!”
Ren barked at him.
Jepeto scratched his cheek. It was a relief that Ren’s sunken mood had lifted, but somehow he seemed to have made him angry. Ren was clearly furious, and Jepeto had no idea why. Hmm. What had he said wrong? While Jepeto thought it over seriously, Ren furtively watched him and slipped the herbs he’d set aside out of his pocket and dumped them into his mouth. The bitter taste made Ren scrunch his whole face up, and unfortunately—tragically—Jepeto saw that expression and flinched.
'What the hell did I do wrong!?'
As the two of them watched each other and misunderstood each other in silence, a knock sounded at the door.
The wooden door let out a creak.
“Coming in.”
“Yes!”
Jepeto sprang to his feet, looking glad to see whoever it was. The bed creaked sharply as he stood.
“What’s with this atmosphere? Did you two fight?”
Luman wore a teasing smile.
“Why the hell would we fight!”
Ren snapped at once, and Jepeto waved both hands in a suspicious hurry.
“N-no, of course not. Fight? No. Not at all.”
Luman looked back and forth between them with a dubious expression.
“I was joking. Did you really fight?”
Then he strode right over to Ren and inspected that sullen white face from every angle. Ren visibly recoiled at how close he got, but Luman didn’t even blink. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the reaction.
“God, get away from me already!!”
Only after Ren finally blew up did Luman pull his face back. Those golden eyes looked like honey was dripping from them. Jepeto stared blankly at the sight, then met Luman’s eyes. Luman had been looking sweetly at Ren, who was still biting his lip and brooding over whatever he was thinking, and then he turned to Jepeto and pressed a finger to his lips. Jepeto, not understanding at all, copied the gesture without thinking. Luman nodded, then dragged over a chair and sat down.
'What was that supposed to mean? Be quiet?!'
Or maybe... hmm. Was he asking him to keep it secret that he liked Ren?
How could anyone miss that look in his eyes?
That was what Jepeto thought, anyway, but he had no interest in other people’s love lives, so he decided to ignore it. Ren feeling cute and adorable and more and more like a grumpy cat...! was admittedly a real problem, but fortunately Jepeto had something much more important.
Herb research!
If you gave him a field of plants, he could happily entertain himself forever even alone.
Mother! My dear mother, I miss you! I’ll be back soon too!
At this point, Jepeto figured he might as well quietly do a little research. He carefully slipped out the herbs he’d tucked away in his clothes.
***
Luman and my brother Temar had gone out to look around the village, so only Jepeto and I came up to the room first. Honestly, I wanted to comfortably get my own room, but my brother looked kind of gloomy, so I didn’t even bring it up! Honestly, it probably would’ve looked like I was throwing a fit.
It’s not like I hate being alone with Jepeto, but... anyway, being stuck with other people is uncomfortable!
Jepeto strode ahead and kindly opened the door for me. Was he telling me to go in first? I shook my head, and with an awkward expression, he went in before me.
'Anyway, that old lady was weird.'
I stood there blankly, thinking about the innkeeper.
“What a weird old lady.”
Asking, “Right?” Jepeto casually dropped onto the bed. I shut the door carefully and just stood there.
See! Jepeto thought so too! I mean, what kind of old lady suddenly plops herself down at a guest’s table? More than that, the way she stared right at me was even stranger.
“Yeah, I mean...”
“But do you know her, by any chance?”
Hmmm. But she did feel weirdly familiar.
“You can take your hood off now, can’t you?”
“Oh.”
Whew.
I’d been so busy having that weird silent staring match with the old lady that I hadn’t even realized how stuffy it was.
I took off the hood, and Jepeto stared right at me. I grumbled at him about what he was looking at, then carefully sat down on the bed. It was my first time ever borrowing a room that belonged to someone else, so it felt incredibly awkward!
The inn room was small and cozy. There weren’t any expensive things or nice pieces of furniture, but the room was bright even without a single candle, probably because it got good sunlight.
“Ren. Do you know the old innkeeper lady ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) from earlier?”
“I don’t.”
I blinked and answered right away! There was nothing to think about. This was my first time ever leaving the village, so how could I possibly know anyone out here?
“I don’t know her.”
Nope, definitely not. She had a totally different kind of presence from the old people back in the village! Ah, did she maybe resemble the old apothecary a little?
“Hmm. Still, it really felt like that old lady knew you somehow.”
“...You thought so too, Jepeto?”
“The old lady kept staring at you for a really long time. Hm.”
“Right?”
Honestly, there had been something really strange about the way she looked at me. Like she was glad to see something, or like she found me fascinating... Hmm. It wasn’t that my face looked weird, was it?
“But weren’t you uncomfortable? I mean, honestly, I kind of thought you were going to flip the table over or run outside or something... Ha ha.”
“What kind of total headcase do you think I am!?”
Why would you suddenly go there when we were having a perfectly nice conversation!?
“I thought you were an adult, but I take it back. I take it back!”
If you ask it like it’s so funny, what does that make me? God. Luman said I was nice to him. Not that I totally believed that, of course.
What pissed me off even more was that I couldn’t argue with him! If it had been someone else, there was a hundred percent chance I might’ve punched them right in the face. I had done that plenty of times back in the village too... But ever since I left the village, I hadn’t done anything like that, okay!
So I was wronged. Not a lot, but a little.
After shouting like that, I felt kind of embarrassed. Ah! Should I take my medicine now? I secretly glanced at Jepeto, and he seemed to be staring hard at the old wooden table, lost in thought. I quickly dumped the herbs I’d set aside into my mouth.
Ugh...!
And I can’t even scream about how bitter it is—I have to swallow it all inside! This tastes fucking awful, seriously!
Once we get to the capital, I swear I’m brewing it into tea again. Chewing it raw is not something a human being should have to doooo!
I was making every horrible face imaginable while I barely managed to chew and swallow it down, and then my eyes met Jepeto’s. He flinched in surprise and turned his head away. I got startled too and turned away myself.
There’s no way... he didn’t see me eating that, right?!
No, who cares if he did? It’s just disgusting-tasting herbs. I just wanted to eat them by myself because I’m greedy, that’s all! Don’t panic, Ren!
I was glaring for no reason when there came a knock, and then Luman walked in. He looked at us and smiled mischievously.
“What’s with this atmosphere? Did you two fight?”
