Since this is a romance genre story but has been light on romance so far, I’ve bumped up the romance elements for today. I hope you enjoy it!
It’s hot.
The season is in full summer swing. Being on this continent, it’s not as humid as Japan, but hot is still hot, you know. Plus, there’s no breeze today. If I could, I’d love to strip down to a camisole and shorts, barefoot of course. But that’s obviously not happening. If I walked around the lab like that, some of my colleagues would definitely get nosebleeds and collapse. Right now, even though it’s summer, I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a skirt that reaches my ankles. A camisole and shorts have less fabric than regular underwear here, after all. Still, it’s so hot I feel like I’ll get heatstroke, so I’ve rolled up my sleeves. Even then, it’s unbearable. I’m supposed to be writing documents for the director, but the heat’s stopped my pen in its tracks. I give up on toughing it out.
“Hey, Jude.”
“What?”
I head over to Jude’s desk, and he looks just as beat by the heat, his shirt unbuttoned wide at the chest. What’s that? That’s not fair. I want to open my shirt too. Fine, I’ll put him to work without holding back.
“I’ve got a little favor to ask. Could you come with me?”
“Sure.”
With that, I drag Jude to the kitchen. It’s well past lunchtime now, so the cook’s gone. Looking around, I spot the cleaning bucket I was after on a shelf by the wall. I grab it, set it on the floor, and turn to Jude behind me. He can use water attribute magic. I vaguely recall him saying something about being able to fill a tub with water using magic.
“Can you put cold water in this bucket?”
“I can, but… what are you planning?”
“I thought if I put water in the bucket and soaked my feet, it’d cool me off.”
“Wait, that’s…”
“Improper, right? It’s fine, no one’s here right now.”
In this world, it’s apparently not okay for a woman to show her bare feet to the opposite sex. The other day at the library, it was so hot I fanned my skirt, and Liz scolded me for it. Even though she’s a woman too. When I pointed that out, she gave me a terrifyingly sweet smile and said, “What if someone saw you?” That was scary. With those values in play, Jude’s face turns red which is rare for him, and he hesitates.
“Why don’t you grab a bucket and soak your feet too, Jude? It feels great.”
I throw the same suggestion at the reluctant Jude. A little devil’s whisper, you could say.
“You don’t have to worry so much. No one comes to the kitchen at this hour, and I’m not planning to soak forever. Please!”
“…Fine. Just make sure we don’t get caught.”
“Thanks!”
Grumbling, Jude fills the bucket to the brim with water and heads out of the kitchen. He sneakily takes another bucket with him, so he’s probably going to do the same somewhere else. Despite all the fuss, everyone’s suffering in this heat, huh.
The kitchen floor is dirt, so a little spilled water won’t hurt. I set the bucket in front of a chair, sit down, and hike my skirt up above my knees so it won’t get wet. Kicking off my shoes and socks, I dip my feet into the bucket, and the cool water wraps around them. Ahh, it feels amazing. Since no one’s around, I undo a couple of shirt buttons, open the collar, and fan myself. There’s no breeze, but fanning helps a bit.
I space out like that for a while until the water starts getting lukewarm. Then, I hear the doorknob turn with a click, and the door with my back to it, opens.
“Sei, are you in here…”
Hearing the voice, I turn around, and there’s the captain. He’s looking at me, mid-sentence, frozen in place. Oh… yeah. My outfit’s a bit too stimulating right now, isn’t it? This is super awkward. For now, I button up my shirt, pull my feet out of the bucket, slip my shoes back on, and stand up.
“Hello, Lord Hawk. Do you need something?”
I greet him as if nothing happened. The captain, still frozen, snaps out of it at my voice, covers his mouth with his hand, and looks away. As usual, his cheeks are faintly flushed. A quiet “Sorry” escapes him. Please don’t blush, I’d rather we pretend this didn’t happen. I clear my throat with a small cough, and he awkwardly speaks up.
“I heard you’re off tomorrow.”
“Oh— right, I am.”
Now that he mentions it, I remember tomorrow’s my day off. But what’s that got to do with anything? Tilting my head slightly, I look at him, and he meets my gaze again.
“I’m off tomorrow too, so I was wondering if you’d like to go into town with me.”
“Town!?”
Oh! Finally, I get to go to town!!! I’ve never been there yet. Beaming with excitement, I answer, and the captain, seeming to recover, gives me a smile.
“I heard from Johan that you tend to work and stay cooped up in the institute even on your days off. Don’t you need a break every now and then?”
“Oh, that’s what this is about.”
Johan’s the director. Looks like he was worried about me. True, I don’t have anywhere else to go, and since I live at the institute, I end up working even on my days off. I take it easy in the mornings, though.
“Thank you. I’d love to join you.”
“Great. Then I’ll come pick you up here tomorrow morning.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course, it’s no trouble.”
Yes! What’s it like, I wonder? Probably like a European town, right? I’d always wanted to visit Europe, but I never got the chance before I was summoned here.
That’s how excited I was back then… I was so thrilled about going to town that I completely forgot who I’d be going with, the not-at-all-icy Ice Knight.
Since the town center is a bit far from the palace, we took a hired carriage from the gate. The captain was thoughtful enough to pick a plain one instead of the frontier count family’s fancy carriage to avoid standing out. His clothes matched mine too, simple, like what townsfolk wear. Looking back, I wish we’d taken the fancy carriage. Because, you see, a regular hired carriage? It’s not spacious. And in that cramped space, it’s me and the bulky captain. Close! Too close! There’s a dazzlingly handsome guy right next to me! And, once again, we’re pressed together… A cramped, enclosed space with a hot guy for a two-person trip… My low-level self can’t handle this! Stop it! My HP’s already at zero!
“Look, over there, that’s Johan’s family estate.”
“Oh, wow.”
While I’m internally screaming, the captain points out my window with a cheerful smile. Wait, don’t lean in! Too close, too close!!! I can’t look at him, so I turn to where he’s pointing. Whoa, the director’s house is huge! This is the capital, so land must be pricey, but his place is massive. Is he secretly rich?
“It’s pretty big, huh?”
“Yeah. Johan’s family is quite influential.”
I didn’t know that, I think, turning my head back and the captain’s face is right there. I nearly have a heart attack. He notices my face flush and pulls back quickly, which I appreciate, but there’s no making this carriage bigger. Putting serious strain on my heart, the carriage rolls on, gradually entering the town.
“Wow!”
Amazing! What is this, it’s adorable! The town looks straight out of Europe! Red rooftops, like something from a fairy tale. I’m marveling at the scenery when the carriage stops, and the door opens. The captain gets out first and offers me a hand. I take it, step down, and look around. We’re near the center, I guess, there are quite a few people. As I gawk in awe, the captain says, “The market’s that way, let’s check it out!” and starts pulling me along by the hand. Wait? You’re not letting go!? Hold on! Nooooooo!
Work’s started again. My commute got longer with a new workplace, cutting into my writing time. These past two days weren’t too busy, so I managed to finish a chapter with about the same length as before. Some folks said they prefer longer chapters, so I’ll aim for at least one a week for now and see how it goes.