The night in the Empire is bright.
The Empire, with its orbit around the equator, never fully sleeps even when night falls.
Among them, the capital feels particularly luminous.
This bright city, with a different atmosphere from modern neon signs, is known as such by the people.
The Awake City. Silania.
“It seems like there are still quite a few people out.”
“It’s the capital.”
Sena only partly liked Silania.
He appreciated its lively atmosphere even at night, but found its people somewhat lacking in warmth.
Silania, which seemed more romantic than anywhere else, was ironically devoid of romance.
As expected, the countryside is the best. No matter where you go.
“Since it’s late tonight, let’s find a place to sleep. Do you know of a good inn?”
“Hmm, from what I heard from Reston, the inn called ‘Night Over Day’ is of good quality.”
“Then let’s go there. We’re only staying for a day anyway.”
‘We won’t be followed, will we?’
Sena glanced at Sylvia. She seemed to be contemplating something, nibbling her finger as they walked.
It should be fine with Sylvia. She was the most brilliant knight Sena knew. She would surely detect magic first and let him know.
‘If worst comes to worst, we can break through the walls and escape.’
With that thought in mind, Sena followed Sylvia to the inn she knew.
“Do you know ‘Night Over Day’ inn?”
“You two are going there?”
A passerby frowned suspiciously.
Sena and Sylvia looked at each other in confusion and chuckled.
“Well, I can tell you…”
The man hesitated but eventually gave them directions.
Following the path he indicated, Sena started feeling uneasy.
It was in a somewhat remote area, and the buildings obscured the moonlight.
‘Oh, here.’
This was the area where Chris always came while skipping class.
Once, when Sena asked Chris where it was, he replied like this:
‘You don’t need to know. It’s the darkest place in the capital.’
“It looks like it here.”
Sylvia said innocently. Sena absentmindedly looked up at the sign.
-Night Over Day.
“Hmm. Doesn’t look very appealing.”
But since it was recommended by a knight, it must be decent. It’s often the case that the best places are in obscure locations. Sena pushed open the door.
“Oh? Female guests. Great. Our place welcomes women.”
Click.
Sena awkwardly smiled after closing the door with both hands.
Just now, a big-sister type was partially undressed.
It was a br*thel.
Reston or whatever.
The problem was that the refined young lady from a prosperous house was too innocent to even consider such a notion.
“Have you seen anyone suspicious? It’s frustrating. Why worry when I’m here.”
Before Sena could respond, Sylvia grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the inn.
“There were two of them? With three is also okay.”
“Yikes.”
Sylvia quickly covered Sena’s eyes.
‘…Why are you covering my eyes?’
Sena genuinely couldn’t understand.
**
After a minor mishap, Sena and Sylvia found a nearby small inn.
Fortunately, this time it was run by a kindly old man with a reassuring demeanor, not a busty lady threatening with two watermelons.
“Ah, long time no see, travelers. Here to stay?”
“Yes, just for a day. Please breakfast too!”
Sena was somewhat excited. He loved this atmosphere. So there are romantic inns like this even in the Empire.
“First, let’s unpack. I’ll prepare dinner later. It’ll be three shillings for everything.”
With a cheerful face, Sena paid and went upstairs.
“Here’s your key. Your room is the one on the left.”
Sylvia nodded expressionlessly.
‘Let’s rest well tonight.’
Perhaps due to the long walk, Sena’s legs were a bit sore.
And wearing a maid outfit all day certainly didn’t help. The mental fatigue was overwhelming.
‘Let’s take off this outfit as soon as we enter the room.’
Sena walked into the room.
As he turned to close the door, he saw Sylvia standing there.
“Well, they said your room was on the left, right?”
Sena said with an awkward smile.
Top of Form
However, Sylvia confidently entered and locked the door behind her.
“S-Sylvia?”
With an inexplicable forcefulness, Sena stepped back. Sylvia continued to approach.
Finally, Sena backed into the wall. Sylvia raised her hand to Sena’s cheek.
“Senior.”
Their faces were close. Sena’s pupils trembled.
But he tried to play it off casually.
“W-Why are you…”
“My knight oath, remember?”
“Y-yeah…”
“A knight is not a free volunteer. I require compensation.”
Sena slipped halfway down the wall.
Hastily, he pulled out a pouch from his pocket.
Carefully, he extended it with both hands.
“Will this be… enough?”
“…Of course, I didn’t mean gold.”
Gulp.
Sena swallowed nervously.
‘Surely she doesn’t mean… I have to repay her with my body?’
He’d heard stories like that before.
They said female knights who spent all day with men tended to have strong desires.
Could Sylvia be like that too?
“S-Sylvia.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. That’s not appropriate.”
However, Sena was a man of integrity.
He couldn’t engage in such relations with someone he wasn’t dating.
‘…But if she forces it…’
Sena’s eyes anxiously darted around.
Sylvia was a formidable knight for her young age.
Naturally, if she were to use force, there would be no other way. Except to patiently wait until Sylvia was satisfied…
“It’s not right. As I protect you with my life, Senior, you also have a duty to give me what I want.”
“B-But still… this isn’t right. We’re not even dating.”
Sylvia blinked.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Wha—”
“You promised to make an effort to recover. That’s what you said. Please, you must keep it.”
Sena’s face flushed.
‘So that’s what this is about.’
Why had his mind wandered so strangely lately?
Sena nodded.
“Yes. I’ll keep my promise. I’ll do my best to heal myself… satisfied?”
Sylvia ruffled Sena’s hair. Then, with a sigh of relief, she stepped back.
“You’re not lying, it seems.”
“Why would I lie? I’m simply saying I’ll take care of my own body.”
“Because that’s the kind of person you are, Senior.”
Sena chuckled bitterly and set down his travel bag. Sitting on the bed, he stared at the floor.
“Thank you. For worrying about me.”
He meant it. It wasn’t easy for someone to worry about others. But Sylvia did it as if it were only natural.
“It’s not like I did it for you, Senior.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Please don’t misunderstand. Unlike Senior, who flirts with any girl, I take relationships seriously.”
‘Being honest in strange places.’
And that last bit was completely unrelated.
“Anyway, since I promised, go back to your room.”
“I don’t want to.”
Sylvia replied matter-of-factly. Sena was at a loss.
“Then getting two rooms was pointless.”
“We didn’t need to get two rooms from the start. Since we need to protect Senior, we should stay in the same room.”
“I’m fine.”
“No. There could be trackers, or even kidnappers.”
“…Even though we’re in the heart of the capital, are there really kidnappers?”
“That’s not the only issue. Senior, your health isn’t great right now. How can we know when it might become dangerous?”
‘…But still.’
Sena pondered for a moment.
Of course, sharing a room wouldn’t be a problem.
He trusted Sylvia.
But…
‘I feel like I’m going to cough.’
He didn’t want to show her the endless hemoptysis.
No, it was not just the hemoptysis.
He didn’t want to show any weakness to his junior, Sylvia, who was like a younger sister to him.
… His pride was wounded. How long would he be treated with pity like this?
Sena resolved to journey happily with Sylvia, return safely to his hometown, and deliver Sylvia back to Astria.
“Um, well, Sylvia.”
His chest felt tight and itchy. It was definitely going to happen now.
Sena spoke a bit urgently.
“Let’s talk about this later. Shall we go wash up?”
“Let’s bathe together.”
“…That’s really not possible, I’m afraid. It’s too much.”
“Senior?”
Sylvia’s pupils wavered. Sena gestured that he was fine and turned away.
“Um… that’s why.”
“Senior!”
Sylvia urgently got up and approached Sena.
Cough, cough.
Sena started coughing. Not knowing what else to do, Sylvia simply embraced him.
“It’s okay.”
Huff, huff.
Breathing was becoming painful for Sena. As time went on, once he started coughing, it was hard to stop.
Sena hugged Sylvia tightly to endure the pain of the coughing fits. Due to the ongoing bleed, Sylvia’s white clothes were stained red with Sena’s blood.
How much time had passed?
Sena’s coughing subsided.
“Sylvia, you’re warm.”
Sena muttered hazily. Before long, his body relaxed. Sylvia widened her eyes and gently laid Sena down.
She brought her fingers to his nose. Luckily, he was still breathing. He had just fallen asleep.
Sylvia wiped her eyes with her sleeve. With a somber expression, she stood up and moved away. Leaning against the wall, she looked at Sena.
Sena was still asleep in his maid outfit. His disheveled appearance, his fair skin, his vulnerable form. Blood stains. A lingering warmth on her body.
This was Sena’s appearance that only she knew. The expression of Sena who had partially resigned himself to misunderstanding.
‘No, Sylvia.’
In truth, he had lied.
Earlier, when Sena had sensed something and bowed his head.
Wouldn’t now be okay?
After all, she’d be forgiving.
Should she interfere?
If it would be taken from someone, wouldn’t it be better to take it for the first time?
Given Senior’s nature, wouldn’t he inevitably accept it even if it were forced?
She had thought so. To this person in pain.
“I’m really trash.”
Sylvia laughed self-deprecatingly. Was this what humans did?
But what could she do? She liked him.
Sylvia clutched her chest. Frustrated as if something was blocking her.
‘Now I’m Senior’s knight. I chose this myself. So I shouldn’t be thinking like this.’
A knight cannot be with a lord.
It wasn’t a personal feeling, but a target to protect.
To repay a favor.
No, for the sake of ‘being there at least’, Sylvia had chosen it herself.
Because she knew. Sena wouldn’t choose her.
So she thought she could be satisfied with that, but still.
Her desires kept growing.
“Ugh.”
Even now, barely—truly barely.
She was enduring with superhuman patience.
Tonight would probably be long.
And so, for some, it was a comforting night.
For some, a painful night passed.
