Chapter 8: Sleeping Together
TL: Scaramochi
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The meal wasn't as fancy as restaurant food, but it tasted like a home-cooked meal.
When I complimented her on how good it was, Tiana was still bright red to the point of her ears.
She was embarrassed but happy to hear that it was good.
She tried to serve me a lot of food, so I told her to eat plenty, too.
Although she was reserved, she was mature enough to eat her own plate at the end, probably because she was growing up.
While I was sipping the spirits after my meal, Tiana came over to clean up the mess.
"Are you sure you don't want anything else?"
"Oh. Yeah. Nothing in particular. I'm tired from the long trip and all I want to do is sleep."
"Yes. I understand. Then, I'll go to sleep, too."
I bowed my head and Tiana returned to the kitchen.
When she didn't come back, I went to check on her and found her lying on a bed of straw in the corner of the kitchen.
"What are you doing?"
Tiana flutters open her eyes and jumps up.
"I'm sorry, Master. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, no. Why don't you just sleep in bed instead of in there?"
My bed was disproportionately large for sleeping alone, since I bought it when I had a woman I used to live with for a brief period of time.
"No, no. I'm ....... besides, I thought my Master didn't like me getting up on the sheets in my dirty clothes......."
Tiana ran her eyes all over her attire.
Certainly the clothes that she had been given to change into by Eilia at the temple were a little dirty from her travels.
"If you wipe up and change your clothes, you can go ....... ah, I didn't have any clothes to change into, did I?"
I realized I had been careless.
"My bad for not noticing. I should have let you have a little more money when you went shopping for dinner earlier and bought you some clothes."
"Master. You don't have to spend all that extra money on me."
Tiana stuck out her thin arms with all her might and waved her hands.
"Well, we'll talk about that tomorrow. In the meantime, you've worked a lot and I don't feel good about it as it is. That's right. You can sleep in my clothes tonight. They're a little big, but it should be less uncomfortable than sleeping in them. And you've washed them clean."
I said that, but I guess I still didn't want her to wear that dirty clothes.
I took one from my clothes that had been washed and folded and give it to her.
While I was slowly having another drink and closing the door, Tiana, who had been fumbling around in the kitchen, came back looking neat and tidy.
The robe I had lent her was too big, exposing her prominent collarbone. The slenderness of her protruding limbs was also noticeable.
The desire that had been kindled by the alcohol had vanished as if it had been doused with cold water.
I led Tiana to the bedroom.
She lay down on the edge of the bed, so I covered her with a blanket and turned off the lamp.
"It gets pretty cold at night, so you might want to put it on."
"Then, this will be Master's."
I stifle her hasty attempts to rip the blanket off of herself.
"I work out, so I'll be fine. There's always cold air in the dungeons near this town. I can't go exploring if I stay home and get cold. And you're too skinny and scrawny, you know."
"But ...... sorry about that."
"Never mind."
Tiana stood still for a moment in the dimness, then raised her upper body.
"Then, please put the blanket on with me."
"Huh?"
"I don't mean to be rude, but could I please be pampered by my Master? I'm still a little cold, so I'd like you to stay by my side."
I look at Tiana to check her expression, and she asks me in a reserved manner.
"You don't want to?"
"......Haa, okay."
I slide myself into the blanket.
"Don't stay on the edge, pull yourself over here."
Tiana, who has been wriggling around, attaches herself to me.
I almost scream at her body, which is colder than I had imagined.
"You, why didn't you wipe yourself with hot water?"
"Because I put the fire out after."
"Listen, from tomorrow on, use hot water properly. What will you do if you get sick from being this cold?"
"I'm sorry."
I pull Tiana into my arms.
Her sinewy, skin-and-bone body is shaking finely. I gently hold her as if to transfer my heat to her.
"Um, you know......."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, I'm a little bony."
"You don't have to apologize."
"My body is so rugged, it hurts, doesn't it?"
"Well, yeah. I feel like I'm hugging a skeleton."
Tiana giggles at my poor attempt at a pun.
"Has my Master ever done that before?"
"It's an analogy."
"Yes. I'm sorry for laughing or anything. But it's still true, isn't it? I'm all bones and skin......."
"If you care, just eat right and put on some meat."
Little by little, Tiana's body warmed up, and at the same time, the stiffness began to unwind.
There was a hint of a small yawn.
"And sleep well. Don't talk, just sleep now."
"Yes."
Tiana was quiet for a while, but then she gently took my hand in both of hers.
"I am happy to see you, Master. I will keep your word and keep my body strong."
So what's that supposed to mean?
As I wait for her to continue, I hear her breathing regularly in her sleep.
I let out a disappointed laugh and close my eyes.
I thought it would be hard to fall asleep, but I easily fell asleep.
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