Chapter 41
The day after returning from the cruise trip, Rosie was able to open her eyes well after the sun had risen. For the first time in her life, she had successfully slept in—one of the items on her bucket list finally achieved.
Still wrapped in her crinkling blankets, she stared blankly at the unusually bright sunlight outside, then stretched with all her might, pushing strength into her arms and legs.
“…Ugh.”
The refreshing sensation of her body loosening lasted only a moment before a sharp sting shot up from her ankle—the very ankle she had twisted and then neglected.
Rosie pushed the covers aside and examined it.
It hadn’t looked like this yesterday, yet the area around her ankle bone was flushed red.
“Oh my goodness.”
She sighed, staring at the injury, then carefully stepped down from the bed.
“Ow.”
Just as she feared… Her ankle hurt so much she could barely walk. Rosie looked down at it in dismay, then perched back on the edge of the bed, pressing gently here and there.
Visually, it didn’t seem severe, but the moment it was touched or weight was applied, pain shot through it. It didn’t feel like a fracture or torn muscle—nothing that serious—but moving around properly like this would be difficult.
“…What should I do?”
She already regretted wasting a single precious day—she didn’t want to be confined to her bed over an ankle.
“Ah!”
After a moment of thought, Rosie reached toward the nightstand beside her bed. There lay the painkillers she had received at the hospital not long ago.
She shook out two pills, swallowed them, and waited a bit for the medicine to kick in. Then she cautiously stood again.
It still felt stiff, but the strong medication worked quickly—within minutes, the pain had dulled considerably.
“Good!”
Rosie smiled brightly and left her room. Her plan was to start the day with a late breakfast.
However—
“We’re very sorry, Miss Rosie.”
She was stopped at the cafeteria entrance.
“We currently have no available tables. Would it be all right if we sent your meal up to your room?”
“No available tables? At this hour?”
It was a late breakfast by her standards, but compared to typical aristocratic guests—who often didn’t start their day until the afternoon—Rosie was actually early.
In fact, I’m earlier than most nobles would be.
It made no sense that the cafeteria was full. Seeing her doubtful expression, the employee hurried to add:
“Well… truthfully, we’ve run out of certain ingredients. I’m terribly sorry.”
Rosie blinked in confusion.
First they said there were no tables—now ingredients were the problem? Their explanation lacked consistency.
Still, instead of cornering the staff and making things awkward, Rosie simply shrugged.
“I understand. When will the meal be ready, then?”
“We’ll send it up immediately.”
Immediately, huh…
Clearly, the ingredient issue wasn’t real. But whatever was happening wasn’t personal—no one would go out of their way to bar her of all people from the cafeteria.
A sudden order from above? Some internal incident? Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.
They weren’t refusing to feed her—just insisting she eat in her room. No reason to make trouble.
“Thank you. Please send it to my room, then.”
The employee’s expression brightened noticeably. Few guests would accept such an abrupt change so gracefully.
She’ll have a rough day telling everyone the same thing, Rosie thought sympathetically, looking at the familiar staff member—a woman she had seen often enough to recognize.
But then—
“…Are you hurt?”
Something was off. On the side of the staff member’s cheek, faint but unmistakable, was a thin scratch.
As if someone struck her while wearing a ring…
Rosie’s expression darkened. She remembered how she’d once gotten a similar wound—after offending Lily and being slapped for it.
The employee looked startled at Rosie’s question, then hastily covered the scratch.
“It’s nothing, Miss Rosie.”
Working in a place like this meant enduring far worse injuries—and words far more humiliating than this. For Rosie to notice and worry was unusual.
The employee smiled weakly.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Rosie opened her mouth as if to say more but closed it again. She felt bad, seeing the mark of abuse on someone who had clearly been struck by a guest, but prying into someone who didn’t want to talk was unnecessary.
Rosie left quietly. Behind her, the employee sighed.
She hadn’t expected Rosie to accept the situation without complaint. A kind person she was, but most nobles would have demanded an explanation—especially after being inconvenienced.
Of course… no one is as terrifying as yesterday’s guest.
The employee trembled as she recalled Lily Kikern—the girl who’d slapped her during check-in the previous day.
Crash!
A plate shattered inside the cafeteria.
“Oh my. You should’ve held that better. I expected more from a hotel like this—yet your staff can’t perform even the most basic service.”
That irritating, haughty voice again. The employee’s expression tightened.
“If only every guest were like Miss Rosie…”
But that was only a dream. Bracing herself like someone walking into a slaughterhouse, she headed inside.
There, with flowing black hair and a malicious smile, Lily Kikern was berating a frightened young server—again.
Why would someone like that even look for Miss Rosie?
The employee shuddered. Lily was vile—so vile that the thought of her approaching Rosie was terrifying.
Regardless of orders from above, she couldn’t allow them to meet.
“Excuse me, miss. Is something the matter?”
The young server looked at her as though salvation had arrived. Of course, dealing with Lily was no easy task—not even for a seasoned employee.
Rosie finished her breakfast in her room and prepared to head into downtown Vaydos. She hadn’t planned this originally, but her ankle injury seemed worse than expected—she should get it checked at a hospital.
Just as she reached for the door—knock, knock.
The door opened.
“Hello, Rosie.”
Of course, Ainar was standing there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Rosie blinked, confused—until she remembered how they’d left things yesterday.
Ainar spoke, as though reminding her:
“I came to keep the promise I made yesterday.”
