Chapter 58
Sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, illuminating the room.
When he slowly opened his eyes, the familiar ceiling was there as usual.
"Yawn, it's already morning...?"
Clael woke up in his own bed.
He sat up and stretched his arms toward the ceiling.
For some reason, he felt like he had slept more soundly than usual.
His whole body felt refreshed, as if all his fatigue had been washed away—it was the most refreshing wake-up he'd had in months.
(Maybe it's because Reina came back and I felt relieved? I guess I really was worried, after all...)
Of course, Clael was the only one in the bed.
When he tried to recall the events before he fell asleep... he had a back-and-forth with Reina about whether they should sleep together.
In the end, Reina agreed to sleep in her own room, so he must have returned to his.
(I feel bad about it... but Reina is a grown woman. Boundaries are important. This is something that couldn't be helped.)
Trying to convince himself, Clael reached for his nightwear.
Normally it would have been slightly disheveled from tossing and turning, but for some reason, the buttons were neatly fastened.
It was as if someone had fixed his clothes just before he woke up... but of course, that must be his imagination.
He must have tossed and turned less than usual because he was in deep sleep.
After changing out of his nightwear, Clael stood at the sink and brushed his teeth.
As he scrubbed his molars with the toothbrush, he suddenly frowned at his reflection in the mirror.
"Hmm... is that a bug bite?"
There was something like a red mark on his neck.
Since it was getting into summer, perhaps he'd been bitten by a mosquito.
When he pulled down the collar of his shirt, he saw several similar bite marks left behind.
"Whoa... seriously...?"
Bite marks covered his neck and chest.
It wasn't a mosquito. Could there be mites in the bedding?
Even though he thought he'd been doing the cleaning and laundry properly since Reina enrolled at the academy, he never imagined mites would infest the bedding.
"Damn... I'll have to wash and air everything later. I can't believe this happened in just one night..."
Scratching his neck, Clael groaned in frustration.
For now, it was only red and not itchy, but it would be best to deal with it quickly.
Finishing his brushing, he headed to the dining room with a grimace.
"Good morning, Clael-sama."
"Good morning, Reina."
"It's a lovely morning again. Did you sleep well last night?"
Reina asked as she prepared breakfast in her apron.
Clael shrugged and pointed at his neck.
"I slept more soundly than usual, but I got bitten by something. Were you alright, Reina?"
"Ah—umm, I was fine. I feel really refreshed."
Reina averted her gaze for just a moment, then quickly smiled like a sunflower.
"............?"
Why was that?
Her smile made his back twitch for a moment—could he have caught a summer cold?
He hadn't fallen ill in years, but maybe he should be a little more careful.
"I'll air out the bedding later."
"It's okay, I'll do it myself. You just got back, so take it easy."
"No no, I'll have the doll do it, so don't worry... Alright, breakfast is ready. Let's eat together."
Reina placed plates of breakfast on the table.
The menu was Ogura toast, scrambled eggs with ham, and salad.
"It looks delicious... but did we have sweet red bean paste around?"
Clael tilted his head as he looked at the dark paste spread on the toast.
Ogura toast was a Nagoya specialty, but how did sweet red bean paste exist in this country with a medieval European setting?
"Yes, I brought some over."
"Brought it...? From where?"
"Just from over there."
Reina smiled and pointed somewhere with a flick of her finger.
Her finger was pointing east... but surely she hadn't crossed the border to a faraway country early in the morning to get it.
Most likely, a traveling merchant had stocked it and it was being sold nearby. The market occasionally had exotic foreign goods.
"Let's eat before it gets cold."
"Right. Well then... thanks for the meal."
Sitting across from Reina at the table, Clael began eating.
The Ogura toast, which he had eaten in a previous life as well, had the perfect buttery flavor and was absolutely delicious.
The scrambled eggs were also seasoned just the way Clael liked. It had been a while since he tasted Reina's cooking.
"Hehehe..."
"What is it, Reina?"
"Nothing, I just thought... meals taste better when I eat them with you, Clael-sama."
"...Yeah, you're right."
Clael agreed and nodded.
"I like eating with you too, Reina. It's really delicious."
Clael smiled back, seemingly drawn in by her expression.
The two of them smiled at each other and enjoyed their breakfast in peace.