NOVEL NEXT Chap 164: Eavesdropping.
"Thank you, Glia." I spoke telepathically to my companion. She felt a bit of my terror and appeared in front of me. When the girls saw her, they stopped dead in their tracks. She immediately went back to sleep when she saw them freeze, and with that time gained, I was able to explain a little about the pain in my body and inside.
"Walking is painful… I would have fainted from the pain if you had jumped on me." I managed to explain a little of the situation, and I'll tell them more when I recount my entire story about the dungeon.
"Why didn't you say anything when you saw us?" Sol wore a worried face, with Marga and Arisa nodding beside her.
"When I saw you, you were all shouting… you wouldn't have heard me." The three of them blushed slightly at their actions, all apologizing before we sat down at the small table in the corner. I proceeded to tell the story from the beginning, just as I had done with Julio moments earlier.
By the time I finished, it was already quite late at night. I ended my story just as the first rays of the sun were appearing. The girls had been much more curious about the dungeon, asking about the ecosystem, what each monster looked like exactly, about my feelings, and more. I felt a fascinating warmth in my heart—being cared for like this was special.
When I finished recounting my story, we promised to go for lunch together that afternoon. They would let me sleep all morning while they finished some errands, planning to cancel all other plans afterward so they could spend time with me. Tomorrow, all of us would separate and return to our responsibilities.
In the shower, I nearly fell asleep a hundred times. Taking a hot bath was not a good idea; my body relaxed enough that I could have fallen asleep right there. When I touched my bed, my body felt like it was in heaven—the soft mattress embraced me until I fell into a deep sleep.
I heard voices nearby, and against my will, I slowly opened my eyes. Bit by bit, my vision focused, and I saw the three of them sitting on my bed like statues, talking quietly. They hadn't yet noticed I was awake.
"Lower your voice, you'll wake him." Arisa told Marga while pressing her index finger to her lips.
"He has to change to go to the restaurant; we'll be late for the reservation." Marga lowered her voice but kept insisting about waking me.
"If we miss the reservation, it doesn't matter, we can go to another restaurant." Sol intervened. Marga gave in, and Arisa wore a triumphant smile. "By the way, doesn't he look cute while sleeping?" The three of them turned to look at me at the same time. Since I had only one eye half open, I closed it softly again and made sounds to make them think I was still asleep.
"Yes… I want to hug him and sleep beside him." Marga, as usual, was very direct. Well… we almost kissed that day if Arisa hadn't shown up.
"Me too…" Arisa joined Marga's stance, and the three of them looked at me with a unique shine in their eyes. I felt the heat rising in my face—damn, I was about to turn red. If that happened, they would notice. I tried to control my nerves with my mental ability, but it was too late; Marga already had her mouth open.
"He's awake, Maki's awake." Arisa and Sol turned their gaze on me, and I could feel the weight of their stares. It didn't take even a second before Arisa started yelling when she realized it was true.
"Maki, how much did you hear?" Arisa was the first to reproach me.
"Not much, I woke up just a second ago." I lied shamelessly, turning my face to the other side.
"Don't lie, Maki, I can tell—you're lying." Sol looked a little disappointed and upset.
I sighed. "I've only been awake a few seconds, I heard from the part where Marga was trying to wake me up so we wouldn't be late to the restaurant." I could see suspicion in their eyes; they didn't fully believe me. I racked my brain to the limit and endured the pain as I moved. "I'm going to shower so we can go eat." I hurried off to the bathroom to avoid more questions.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The food at the restaurant was delicious—it was one of the five best places I've ever eaten, and according to experts, it ranked third in the entire marquisate. It wasn't excessively expensive or luxurious; anyone saving long enough could afford the cheaper dishes. However, they had built a very luxurious section for nobles and the wealthy, where prices skyrocketed due to the difference in ingredients.
"I can't walk anymore, I feel like I'm going to roll." Arisa was lying on the sofas in the training room where we had been living. At some point, the small comfortable chairs had been swapped out for some large and luxurious sofas. I couldn't complain, because they had some kind of heating enchantment, making them one of the most comfortable places I had ever sat.
"It's the last night together." None of them had wanted to touch the subject, but I had to take responsibility. Their faces showed sadness, or they lowered their heads. "Cheer up a little, we'll see each other at least a day before I leave for Skyblue River City." My words didn't console them much—they seemed even sadder. I wasn't very good at these kinds of situations.
"It doesn't matter if it's one, two, or three years apart, or however many. You'll always be with me, inside my heart." My words were as sincere as possible. I wanted to make something clear to them: no matter what happens or how long we're apart, I'll always think of them.
"This sucks, I hate goodbyes." Arisa, lying on Sol's lap, complained while covering her face.
"Yes… they're always hard. They hurt more when you're leaving someone you love." Sol looked down at her friend on her lap, then gave me a soft, quick smile before continuing to caress Arisa's orange hair.
Marga had laid her head on Sol's shoulder, her white hair partly covering her face. "I hate this feeling, it always hurts to part from someone, even if it's only for a short time." I stared at the three of them, who kept avoiding my eyes.
"I hate this feeling too. It makes me sad not knowing when I'll be able to see you again." In this world, where you could die at any moment, parting was even harder. "I've thought a lot about changing schools to go with you, but my instinct points me to Skyblue River Academy." For a moment, I saw a spark in their eyes, which faded as quickly as it appeared.
"Don't play with our feelings." Marga was the first to show signs of anger.
"Yeah, Maki, why give us hope?" Arisa followed suit.
"Do you enjoy playing with the hearts of three ladies?" Sol couldn't stay behind. I might have felt bad if I couldn't read their Imras, which held a slight touch of joy.
"If you begged me a little, maybe I'd think of staying." My comment was the trigger. We all burst into laughter until we quickly calmed down. By breaking the tension, they could now look me straight in the eyes to talk.
"I'll miss you all a lot; I've gotten used to living with you." It would be a bit hard the first few days after leaving—hearing their morning shouts about clothes, makeup, or other girl stuff. Marga's loud, off-key singing in the shower. The smell of Sol's cookies in the morning. Arisa's contagious laughter.
The conversation drifted as I shared my thoughts. We talked about funny, embarrassing, sad, and serious situations we had experienced during this time. The laughter grew louder for a long while until it finally died down.
"So, we'll leave the official goodbye for tomorrow?" We had said all that needed to be said. At this moment, all that was left was to give each other hugs and a kiss in farewell tomorrow. I would go to sleep early tonight; the marquis had sent me a letter apologizing for not being able to meet today due to urgent matters. I would be able to rest more and have enough energy to say goodbye to everyone tomorrow.
Lying in my bed, I felt three presences enter my room. All of them wore pajamas and lay down next to me like Tetris pieces. "Do you want to sleep with me?" My question already had its answer—I felt like an idiot for even asking. They all nodded, and since my bed was bigger now, we all fit easily. My tired body and shattered mind were the perfect combination to fall asleep instantly.
"WAKE UP, MAKI!" A loud shout rang near me. I opened my eyes to see Marga touching my abdomen gently with her fingers. "WAKE UP OR YOU'LL BE LATE FOR THE MARQUIS." Thanks to her reminder, I opened my eyes immediately, and sleep disappeared. I didn't want to be late.
"Thanks, Marga." I wanted to jump out of bed, but my body refused—it hurt all over. I felt a slight ache in my cube as I activated Thundersnow. The pain became bearable enough for me to move.
"Take a shower because breakfast is already on the table." I heard Sol's voice from outside.
"Don't keep my uncle waiting, he's a very busy man." Arisa laughed while yelling at me. She truly cared, but I didn't want to make him wait.
We had breakfast together before everyone changed, packed our things, and stored them in our storage bracelets. Sol and Marga left behind quite a bit of clothing, since in less than a month they would return for school. It was better to leave behind things they wouldn't use on the trip.
We separated when we arrived at the Marquis's mansion. They stayed talking while waiting for me and the Baron, who had one last meeting before returning to his territory.
When I reached the designated room, I felt a skill surrounding the door. It was something similar to my Personal World, visible on purpose to show its presence. That could only mean one thing—the two heralds I had already met were here. Gase and Ho were waiting for me, alongside the most important person in the territory. I knocked on the door and was given permission to enter.