Home/I Didn't Want a Honeymoon Like This/ch39

Chapter 39

"Get off the bed right now, Franz."

Alexei commanded with a furrowed brow.

"If Alexei wants it, I'll yield."

Far from obeying, Franz just smirked. He kept saying "Alexei" and "you" but acted exactly like a friend would.

…Maybe even a little condescending.

"What will you do?"

"Fine. I'll take it—"

So move, he couldn't quite finish.

If he took the bed, Franz and Angelina would sleep on the floor.

Together.

The moment the word together came to mind, the next sentence slipped out like magic.

"Forget it. You take the bed."

Alexei set down the knife at his waist and sat on the floor.

"Franz gets all the good luck," Angelina said, sitting beside him.

Franz tossed them a blanket.

"At least use this."

The two glared at the annoying figure on the bed and spread the blanket over the hard wooden floor. It was a little better.

It was cramped, but there was enough space for two to lie down. The question was how to arrange themselves.

Alexei sat leaning against the wall. Angelina was dumbfounded.

That's it?

"You're staying like that?"

"Yeah."

"All night?"

"I'm comfortable."

The reason he insisted on sitting with such a flimsy excuse was simple.

Pride.

He simply couldn't bring himself to lie on the dirty floor that people had walked all over.

"You didn't do that on the deserted island."

That had been just a wooden enclosure—practically outdoors.

"Back then… you built it."

"……"

So you're saying you forced yourself to lie down out of consideration for my hard work?

Alexei pushed the blanket he was sitting on toward her.

"Lie down."

Angelina kicked the blanket away and sat down in the exact same posture as him.

"Why are you doing that too?"

"I think it's comfortable."

"Fine."

"Tomorrow—"

"Let's worry about tomorrow when it comes," Franz cut in.

"How do you know what I was going to say?"

"Weren't you about to talk about tomorrow's plans?"

"……"

"Let's sleep first. You look tired."

"I'm fine."

"I didn't mean you."

Alexei turned his head and was startled. Angelina was half-asleep.

"Yeah, Alex. Plans and all can wait until tomorrow."

Angelina yawned repeatedly, then leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes.

Unlike the other two, Alexei couldn't sleep.

Putting off tomorrow's plans until tomorrow was extremely difficult for him.

With a weary mind, he thought hard.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the market… buy horses… stop by a general store… I need to figure out what we need first…

His train of thought, linked one after another, suddenly stopped. Before he knew it, Alexei had fallen asleep as well.

It was in his sleep.

A strange sound woke Alexei.

What's that noise?

Squeak, squeak.

It was an unfamiliar sound, but he knew what it was.

"What's wrong?"

Angelina also woke at the sound.

"There's a mouse."

"A mouse? That's possible. We had plenty at my house too."

"You had them at home?"

Oops.

She meant her previous life's home.

But she'd also seen them in her current life. She'd watched the maids scream and swing brooms a few times. After they bought rat poison and set it around, she stopped seeing such scenes.

Lost in memory, Angelina snapped back to reality when she saw Alexei, who looked no different from those maids.

"Do you hate mice or are you scared?"

"Of course I hate them."

Alexei was straining his senses to locate the mouse, and it was hilarious.

"What's all this talk about in the middle of the night?" Franz asked.

"A mouse, a mouse appeared."

"Ah, a mouse…"

Even Franz seemed indifferent, making Alexei feel very alone.

"Are you two okay with this?"

"You're the one being dramatic, aren't you?"

"It's not being dramatic, it's—eek."

Another squeak, closer this time, made Alexei jump.

It was survival instinct.

The sudden evasion was fine. The problem was where—right onto Angelina's lap.

Alexei couldn't bring himself to look at her. He couldn't even think of getting off.

After a brief silence, Alexei slowly raised his eyes.

He saw her lips pressed together to hold back laughter, and above them, playful eyes.

"This was… just because I was startled."

Alexei stammered, aware of his reddening face.

"It's definitely scary."

"…Is it gone?"

Fear overpowered embarrassment.

His pride was already crumpled; at least he could avoid the mouse.

"I think it's still here."

"Eeek."

The future Emperor of Latria, hopping onto a woman's lap over a mere mouse—and even making such a sound.

How he wished he could show this sight to those who praised him as the perfect Crown Prince. Angelina found that deeply regrettable.

"Should I catch it?"

"Can you?"

"I'll just shoot it with my gun."

"Excuse me, it's just a mouse. You should catch it with your hands, not with a weapon," Franz offered his unsolicited advice.

"It's so fast, though?"

As if sensing they were plotting its demise, the mouse began to flee.

"Can you really hit something that fast?"

"Probably? Want to see?"

"Please refrain if you don't want to spend all our travel funds on inn repairs."

Even in this atmosphere, Alexei remained frozen. He had no room for jokes.

"So, are you catching it or not?"

Angelina stood up and rolled up her sleeves.

"Since Alexei is scared, I'll catch it."

The mouse was caught within fifteen minutes. After hiding and teasing Angelina, it was struck by a broom she swung mid-scamper and died on the spot.

Alexei was horrified.

Whether it was the size of the mouse—as big as his palm—or her monstrous strength in killing it, he couldn't tell.

If you live with mice, this is what you become.

Of course, unless Alexei lived a second life, that would never happen.

Franz, who hadn't helped at all during the chase, perhaps feeling guilty, took the carcass outside.

"I've disposed of it."

He didn't ask whether it was buried or thrown away.

After the little commotion, the rest of the night passed peacefully.

When that peaceful dawn ended and Angelina woke, she realized she was resting on something hard.

And she was covered with a blanket.

When did I lie down? Anyway, it feels nice.

Half-asleep, Angelina hugged the pillow she'd been resting on.

The pillow flinched.

Huh…?

Sensing something strange, Angelina snapped her eyes open.

What is this?

It was covered with cloth, but it was long, and at the end of the long shape, there were shoes.

"Aaah!"

Angelina shot upright. She felt presence from behind and in front.

"What's wrong?"

"Another mouse?"

"Ah, no. Just a weird dream."

"What kind of dream?"

A dream where I used your thigh as a pillow and hugged it.

"I don't remember."

"It must have been quite a nightmare."

Franz stretched belatedly.

"Now that we're all up, let's start the meeting."

"I'm hungry. Let's eat first."

Alexei's face looked the same as always. Angelina felt relieved, but she couldn't meet his eyes properly.

She'd thought it was a pillow made of muscle, but it was a man's leg.

And not just any man's—Alexei Werner's!

Still, it was better than sleeping on Franz's thigh… What am I even thinking!

"Angel?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"

Alexei's hand covered her forehead in an instant.

"No fever, though."

With all her blood rushing to her heart, Angelina felt like she was suffocating.

"Must have been cold this morning," Angelina made a hasty excuse.

"I thought the blanket would keep you warm. Were you still cold?"

"Did Alexei lay me down?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah."

"And covered me with the blanket?"

"Of course."

At his unfeeling face, Angelina was speechless.

But then she reconsidered—she had dirtied her hands catching a mouse for him.

For Alexei Werner!

A thigh was nothing.

Even if his leg went numb from poor circulation…

Quickly shaking off uncomfortable feelings was one of her strengths.

"Next time, I'll count on you too."

"……"

Her problem was always overdoing it.

What nonsense…!

Angelina slapped her own lips and fled to the dining hall.

Breakfast was similar to what they'd had at the Red Moon Inn.

Hard bread and lukewarm potato soup. At least there was no mold.

After moderately filling their stomachs, the three gathered in the room again.

Alexei pulled a small table to the center.

The map was unfolded.

On it were illustrations that seemed to symbolize locations, indecipherable symbols, and diamond marks.

Back   Next