Chapter 22: The Saint’s Outrageous Proposal

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When the afternoon sun began to lean toward the west, the laundry had completely dried. Lloyd and Lusha decided to take out the horse and head to town for supplies.

Mm… I’m starving.

Their combined breakfast-and-lunch had been nothing but a soup made from the mountain vegetables Lusha had gathered. Since they had used up all the dried meat in last night’s dinner, there was no helping it.

Lusha had gone out of her way to pick mountain vegetables because going without food entirely wouldn’t have been good, but it still felt a little lacking. Around the abandoned village, one could only gather things like mountain vegetables and aside from that, they would have to go into the mountains to hunt. So in the end, there was no option but to get proper food in town.

Should I start growing my own crops? …Could I even do something like that?

Having lived relying only on the sword, he couldn’t even picture himself holding a hoe. He wasn’t confident he could suddenly start dabbling in farming. His hunger only increased as he swayed on the horse’s back. As usual, the two of them rode on one horse. Lusha in front, Lloyd behind her holding the reins. It was the same formation as always, but from Lusha’s back, he could feel a faint tension.

“It really does make my heart race…”

Lusha’s softly murmured words reached Lloyd’s ears faintly.

“As long as your face doesn’t get recognized, we’ll be fine. Just keep your hood up in town. Ah. Maybe we should buy clothes first.”

When he suggested that, Lusha shook her head.

“No… If possible, I’d like to take a bath first.”

“Why?”

“…They’re new clothes. I don’t want to get them dirty.”

Her voice was barely audible. Apparently she had her own girlish reasons. Lloyd understood and decided not to press the matter.

“I see. Well, along with clothes, we should do something about the bed too.”

Although the village chief’s house had a repaired bed frame, the mattress was unusable. At this rate, they would have to lay blankets on the floor and sleep. Lloyd didn’t mind, but he couldn’t leave Lusha sleeping like that forever.

“Oh, we’re buying a mattress too?”

“I can’t let a Saint sleep on the floor forever.”

“I don’t mind though…”

Even as she spoke modestly, when she looked back at him with a slightly apologetic expression, he could also see a hint of happiness. If someone asked whether they wanted to sleep on a bed or on the floor, any normal person would choose the bed. One could sleep on the floor, sure, but even Lloyd could sleep more soundly on a bed.

“Ah… Uum, about the bed…”

After a small silence, Lusha spoke as if she had just remembered something.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Um… There was only one, wasn’t there…?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, that’s right.”

Once she said it, Lloyd remembered too. The village chief couple’s bedroom had only a single semi-double bed. He didn’t really want to imagine it, but the couple who existed now only in his memories had probably slept together every night. While he was thinking vaguely about something so trivial, this sheltered “White Saint” proposed something outrageous.

“Um… Then, Lloyd, would you sleep with me?”

“What!?”

“W-well, since we have the chance… I thought maybe that would be better…”

Why was the Saint making such a ridiculous suggestion with her face bright red? Sleep together? A man and a woman? Was she sane?

“No, no, absolutely not! That would cause all kinds of problems.”

Lloyd immediately rejected her unexpected proposal. Since we have the chance—what on earth was the chance supposed to mean? He had no idea. But Lusha showed no sign of backing off.

“B-but! I’d feel bad if only I got the bed.”

Her eyes were completely serious. She probably had no understanding of the implications of a man and woman sharing a bed, and simply felt bad about sleeping alone on the bed while he took the floor. Her innocence was admirable. If anything, it made him feel dirty in comparison. Still, just like that morning, there were parts of living together that made things a little complicated.

“Uh… I’m really fine. I can sleep completely soundly on the floor. I slept great last night too.”

Lloyd turned his gaze to the scenery as he answered as calmly as possible.

“Is that really true…?”

“It’s true, it’s true. So don’t worry about me.”

“Even if you tell me not to… I still end up worrying…”

Lusha didn’t sound convinced, but she didn’t press the matter further. Lloyd was relieved. This was a conversation he really didn’t want to drag on. However—

“…You don’t have to dislike the idea that much…”

A tiny mutter came from in front of him, though he heard it anyway.

“You say something?”

“Nothing at all!”

This time, her reply sounded slightly irritated. Lloyd had no idea what was going on anymore. After that, their voices disappeared, and silence settled over them atop the horse. The grasslands spread out before their eyes in rhythm with the horse’s footsteps. Eventually, after crossing a hill, the town of Gluteridge came into view.

It was a decently sized regional town, with rows of reddish-brown stone roofs. Even from a distance it looked lively. Wagons loaded with vegetables and cloth were lined up at the gate, and children were happily running around them.

Lloyd let out a quiet breath as he tugged on the reins.

Well. All we’re doing is taking a bath and shopping, but who knows how it’ll go.

Hoping Lusha’s identity wouldn’t be exposed, the two of them stepped into the town of Gluteridge.

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