Chapter 24 – I Want You to Make a Gentle Move, Yet I Won’t Make One

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The public bath was decently sized.

Perhaps because there were many overnight guests, a fair number of people were present, and voices could be heard.

“Ah, at last—we’ve reached the Northeast Continent!”

“How much longer until we get to Tuwaqool?”

“It won’t take a month. …I last went to Tuwaqool over ten years ago, and it was a beautiful place.”

“Is that so? It’s my first time, so I’m looking forward to it. But… after we got off the ship, I heard some strange rumors—something about the Empire advancing or something.”

“Yeah, exactly. Are they gonna start some shootout or what? I hope not. If a war breaks out, we won’t be allowed in.”

I also heard talk about the Imperial army heading for Tuwaqool.

If the conversation has spread this far, it probably means that nearly the entire Northeast Continent is aware of it.

From what I overheard, I’m not the only one who senses that something’s fishy.

(I’m really glad we set off early… You never know what might happen soon.)

It was nothing more than a series of coincidences.

But even so, it was sheer luck to be leaving the continent before any trouble broke out.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I washed up and then slowly sank into the bath.

jinwari

It felt as if my fatigue was melting away in a wave of bliss, and every ounce of tension left my body.

After that, I decided to think about where I’d sleep once I returned to the room.

Thanks to that earlier incident, Ati and I had grown a bit closer.

However, I still feel it’s too soon to take things further.

That being said, there’s only one bed.

The distance from the entrance to the bed…

It would be easy enough to wedge ourselves in between.

But my body—relaxed by the bath—craved the bed’s comfort far more than I’d anticipated.

(If I really think about it, there’s nothing wrong with just sleeping together in the same bed—as long as we don’t make a move.)

I kept nodding to myself.

I simply couldn’t resist the allure of the bed.

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After thoroughly enjoying the bath, I returned to the room.

Ati was nowhere to be seen.

It seemed she hadn’t come back yet.

I snuggled into the bed and decided to wait for her.

If she fell asleep first, there’d be no trouble at all.

However, since we still needed to discuss the ship we were boarding, I had to stay awake.

Before long, I heard the sound of the door slowly opening.

It seemed Ati had arrived.

I could even hear the door clicking shut as the lock engaged.

“…Harold-sama. Have you already retired for the night?”

Ati approached me in a somewhat feverish tone.

I could no longer hold back even a little.

So I grabbed Ati’s arm and pulled her firmly to my chest.

“Ha-Harold-sama…?”

“You were awake.”

“Yes…”

There was no sign of Ati trying to resist. After all, she was my slave. Perhaps she simply wasn’t inclined to resist even if she wanted to. With that in mind, I couldn’t push any further at the moment—at least, for now, I still maintained my self-control.

“I—I always thought this day would come. Since it’s my first time, please be gentle so that it becomes a memorable experience… Even though I’m a slave, I’m still a woman. That’s why a first time should be gentle.”

“Let’s talk about which ship to board.”

“…Eh?”

We were discussing which ship to take for our journey to the West Continent—a matter of importance. I had originally been waiting for Ati to discuss this with me.

In about a week, the ships would start departing one after another. Even though we had a week, deciding early wasn’t a bad idea. For some reason, Ati looked disappointed, but since I couldn’t quite understand why, I decided not to worry about it.

“I’ve thought it over, and I believe the Baresty is the best choice.”

“Uh, um, weren’t those two supposed to be on that ship?”

“It seems like an ordinary ship overall, and its fare is closest to the 3,000,000 rob I initially estimated. Not too cheap, not too expensive—just right.”

“…Yes, that is indeed the safest and most unproblematic option.”

Taking an overly expensive ship leads to extravagant spending. If the ship is too cheap and sinks, that would be troublesome. I also dislike enduring a rough, speed-focused voyage that might wreck my health. In that case, an ordinary, safe ship is the best option this time.

“Then let’s go buy our tickets tomorrow.”

“Uh, um… Yes, that sounds fine.”

“You seem a bit off—what’s wrong?”

I got the sense that Ati was slightly in a bad mood. As before, I couldn’t understand why. Ati puffed out her cheeks and abruptly turned to the side as she began to fall asleep.

“…Well, that’s fine. I’ll go to sleep too.”
Since I was at it, I hugged Ati. This should be well within my rights as her master.

“…If you’re going this far, then go all the way… I—I had been so prepared.”

Ati mumbled something, but I was already falling asleep and couldn’t hear her clearly.