Chapter 280: Rooms and tired
When Luke stepped inside, he found a wooden counter blocking the entrance. An elderly man sat behind it, while a staircase further inside led to the upper floor.
The interior was dimly lit, with only a lantern hanging from the wall casting a warm glow across the room.
The old man slowly raised his head to look at the group gathered at the doorway.
"Five toras per night," he said without wasting a moment. "Only two rooms left."
"F-Five toras... for one night?" Monica gasped.
"That’s robbery," Laila muttered in disbelief. "Back home, one tora is enough to buy enough meat for an entire meal. And here they’re asking for five just for a room."
Roxanne reached for her pouch.
"I brought some coins with me."
Luke shook his head.
"It’s alright."
He had been generously rewarded not long ago, and it wasn’t as if he had any immediate use for all that money.
Luke placed twenty toras on the counter.
"Two rooms for two nights."
Naturally, they would be staying in the village for a while, likely at least three days. Reserving the rooms for two nights for now seemed like the sensible choice.
The old man accepted the pouch, carefully counted the coins, then raised his voice.
"Ravia! Ravia!"
"Yes, Father?"
A young woman emerged from the back of the house. Beads of sweat glistened on her skin, yet a welcoming smile rested on her lips.
Her eyes swept across the group, lingering on Luke for a brief moment before the old man spoke again.
"Show them to their rooms."
Ravia nodded, lifted the wooden barrier, and gestured for them to enter.
"This way, please."
Luke picked up the luggage before stepping past the counter.
"Watch your step," he reminded everyone.
Monica and Laila, in particular, climbed the staircase cautiously. They weren’t accustomed to stairs like these, as every house back in their village had only a single floor. In fact, only the chief’s former home had ever been built with a second story.
As they slowly made their way upstairs, Ravia glanced back at them with curiosity.
"Have you come from far away?" she asked.
Luke gave a small nod.
"You could say that."
Ravia glanced over her shoulder a few more times as she continued leading them upstairs.
"Will you be staying for a while? And what about meals? Should I arrange them for you?"
Monica smiled warmly.
"What a lovely girl. Thank you."
Luke let out a quiet chuckle.
"Not for free, dear. She’ll probably charge us for it, won’t you?"
Ravia flashed him a playful grin.
"You seem very familiar with how things work around here."
Of course I am.
This place was, for all intents and purposes, an inn. Everything came with a price.
Hopefully, they didn’t charge for drinking water too.
Before long, they reached the upper floor. Ravia guided them along a narrow hallway before stopping in front of two wooden doors.
"These two rooms are yours," she said. "Please keep the noise down at night, and don’t expect meals after midnight. If you need hot water, it’s one tora for every four buckets."
Well... she answered that concern sooner than expected.
"Understood."
Luke pushed open the door and began carrying the luggage inside.
Monica, Laila, and Roxanne followed him into the room, while Thea casually claimed the other room as though it naturally belonged to her.
The room was surprisingly spacious, even larger than Luke’s own bedroom back home. A wide bed occupied the center, with a wooden table placed against one wall. Beside it, a large window overlooked the lively marketplace below, allowing the distant sounds of the bustling streets to drift inside.
The first thing Laila did was throw herself onto the bed.
"Nnngh... ah..."
She stretched from head to toe, a look of pure relief spreading across her face as all the stiffness from the journey melted away.
Monica walked over to the window and gazed outside. The marketplace below was still full of life, with merchants calling out to customers and people weaving through the crowded streets.
Meanwhile, Luke opened the two doors inside the room.
One led to...
"Ah... ha..."
A proper bathing room.
His own private bathing space.
He couldn’t remember the last time something so simple had made him this happy.
Roxanne smiled knowingly.
"Gary mentioned that you’ve been looking for a house with a separate bathing room. I suppose you prefer bathing in private."
Seeing the unmistakable delight on his face, she couldn’t help recalling that conversation.
"You could say that," Luke replied as he closed the door.
Monica turned away from the window.
"There’s still some food left in the basket. We can make do with that tonight."
Luke immediately frowned.
"That food must have spoiled by now. You cooked it early yesterday morning, Monica."
He shook his head.
"Stop worrying about the expenses. Your mate earns more than enough for you to spend without worrying about every coin."
After all, they had come here to enjoy themselves, not to spend the entire trip counting their money.
Monica lowered her head.
"I’m just... not used to spending coins on food."
Her voice grew quieter with each word.
Luke’s heart softened.
He gently pulled her into his arms and held her close.
"I’m sorry if I made you feel bad," he said softly. "And Monica, it’s perfectly alright to spend a little money for comfort. I know you’re used to cooking every meal yourself, but this time... you’re here to relax."
Monica gave a quiet hum in response.
Though a little embarrassed to be seen by Roxanne, she still nestled against Luke’s chest and took a slow, contented breath.
The sight brought a gentle smile to Roxanne’s face.
"I should go check on Thea."
Luke looked over at her, his arms still wrapped around Monica.
"Should I ask them to prepare dinner and some hot water?"
Roxanne nodded.
"Yes, that would be wonderful. And after we eat, let’s go out for a walk, Monica."
Monica’s eyes brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically.
She then turned toward Laila.
"You’ll..."
The rest of her sentence faded away.
Laila had already drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Luke let out a quiet sigh.
"She was really exhausted."
Walking over to the bed, he retrieved a thick duvet from his inventory and carefully draped it over Laila.
The air was noticeably cooler here, likely because of the village’s higher altitude.
Once he was done, he turned to Monica.
"Put all the spoiled food into one basket. I’ll throw it away while I’m downstairs."
Monica nodded.
Luke then stepped out of the room with Roxanne.
As they walked down the hallway, he glanced at her.
"Will you be alright sharing a room with Thea? If you’d rather, you can stay with Monica and Laila. I’ll manage things with Thea."
Roxanne’s expression stiffened.
She gently grasped the fabric of his shirt between her fingers before whispering,
"That’s exactly what she’s hoping for."
"So no. I’ll be fine with her."
Luke couldn’t help smiling.
A jealous Roxanne was unexpectedly adorable.
He took her hand and softly pressed a kiss against the back of it.
Roxanne’s eyes widened.
She hurriedly glanced around the hallway before whispering,
"Someone might see us."
Luke smirked.
"We’re not back in the village."
He leaned closer, closing the distance between them until only a few inches remained.
"And you’re not the chief’s mate here."
"So... expect a little mischief from me."
Warmth rushed to Roxanne’s cheeks.
She gave his chest a light, playful punch before quickly slipping into the other room, too flustered to meet his eyes.
Luke watched her go with a quiet chuckle before shaking his head.
He was definitely going to enjoy this vacation.
Comments