Chapter 18 – Rotsan Guild

When Hailey woke up in the morning, she was devastated.

She’d hoped to forget last night, but everything was vivid. The embarrassment was so intense that she didn’t even feel her hangover’s nausea. Just thinking of Latrian’s nonchalant reaction made her face burn.

“He acts like it’s nothing… but I’m the only one flustered…”

Hailey groaned for a long time before finally pushing off her blanket and getting up. If it were up to her, she’d have stayed buried in bed all day, but she had things to do.

Even getting ready to go out was a struggle. Hailey blushed as she brushed her teeth, screamed while changing clothes, and ended up squatting down the moment she stepped outside.

Sunlight poured over Hailey’s bowed head. Whether it was the heat or embarrassment, her face felt hot.

She forced herself to focus on her hangover, and by the time she reached San Sieta Square, she’d regained some composure.

The Star of Arahi was unusually quiet. It was probably because illegal business crackdowns at Ibert Square were lax around this time. San Sieta Square was nice, but it couldn’t compete with Ibert Square, the heart of Mart. Most customers were probably heading there.

Hailey staggered over and leaned against the bar. A middle-aged man, just out of the kitchen, looked at her and started to greet her cheerfully—then his mouth fell open.

“Miss Hailey, what on earth…”

He trailed off, but it wasn’t hard to guess what he meant. ‘What’s with that look?’

Hailey gave a bitter smile and waved at Philip, who had once been a retainer of the Perlo family.

“Hello, Uncle Philip. It’s a good morning, but not for me. I drank way too much yesterday. My head feels like it’s splitting.”

“Oh my. You should’ve rested, then.”

“I have things to do. By the way, is there anything on the menu that can cure a hangover instantly?”

“Hmm. We got some good mussels yesterday, so I’ll make you some stew. Sit down.”

“Thank you.”

Hailey waved weakly and turned around—then flinched.

There was a man she hadn’t seen when she entered. He was sitting with his long legs crossed, a wine bottle on his table even in the morning… As Hailey’s gaze traveled up, she pressed her lower lip hard. She was tempted to pretend not to notice, but the other party had already spotted her. Otherwise, she couldn’t explain the way his gaze bored into her brow. At this point, pretending not to know would be silly.

Hailey sighed deeply and trudged over to the man as if dragged. Without waiting for permission, she pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

“You drank so much yesterday, and now you’re drinking again in the morning?”

Only then did Latrian shift his gaze from her to the newspaper in his hand.

“None of your business.”

Hailey glanced at him sideways. He’d brought her home last night and returned to the mansion, so he must have arrived at dawn, but not only his clothes but even his hair was immaculate.

Was it because his hair color had changed? He looked even more striking than when she’d first met him here. Platinum blond was rare in Mart, so he stood out all the more.

Maybe he noticed her stare, because Latrian spoke.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Uh… um. What brings you here?”

“I have business.”

“Are you meeting your lover again?”

“Lover? Ah…”

He tilted his head for a moment, then nodded as if he understood.

“Well, you could say that.”

Hailey regretted sitting here just to act like she knew him.

So diligent. Drinking so much and then rushing off to meet a lover the next day—she couldn’t stand it.

Anyway, today was a day off. She figured she’d greeted her superior enough and started to get up. But—

“Sit down.”

“There’s no law saying I have to obey my superior’s orders on my day off.”

“You came here to cure your hangover, didn’t you? I’ll buy you that mussel stew, so sit.”

His commanding tone made Hailey’s brow furrow.

“I can afford that much.”

“Buy something tasty for yourself when you’re alone.”

“I said it’s fine!”

Latrian gestured to the shop staff and handed over gold coins.

“We’re together, so I’ll pay for both. And bring another bottle of the wine I ordered earlier.”

“Who’s letting you treat me? And stop drinking so much!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Hailey raised her voice. She gasped, startled by her own outburst. But Latrian, despite her sharp criticism, simply smiled, his eyes crinkling.

“Hailey. You shouldn’t act like that if you’re a regular. Whenever I come here, I only order the most expensive things. If you block this golden opportunity for the shop to make a month’s profit in one go, what are you going to do?”

The gold coins clinked together in his hand.

“I thought I’d drink another bottle since you sat down. Or should I just get up and leave?”

The shop staff looked at her with a desperate face, hands clasped together as if praying, ‘Dear regular customer, please don’t chase away our month’s profit with your mercy.’

In the end, Hailey chewed her curses and sat back down. Latrian handed the coins to the staff, who smiled brightly and headed inside. Hailey pouted at Latrian.

“Of all the shops, why this one? And why aren’t you at the mansion, sitting here like this?”

“Why are you here?”

“Because it’s delicious. The stew’s good, and the lemon juice is nice…”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Latrian gestured again to the staff and placed another gold coin on his palm.

“Could you bring a glass of lemon juice as well?”

“Why?!”

“My wine glass looks lonely sitting here by itself.”

“Huh.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t ask you yesterday.”

Latrian set the newspaper down on the table and tilted his head.

“Hailey. What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you dislike me?”

His face, smiling under the sunlight, was as beautiful as an angel’s.

* * *

To explain why he suddenly asked that, it’s necessary to mention that he hadn’t been quite right since this morning.

Just as someone at the Perlo family’s mansion greeted the morning in despair, someone at the Akrender family’s mansion also greeted the morning in hopelessness.

Latrian sat up in bed and covered his eyes with both hands. He’d hoped that, upon waking, he wouldn’t remember anything, but unfortunately, he remembered everything. His face, swept by his hands, was flushed red. In fact, it had been like that since last night.

When Hailey’s lips touched his, Latrian thought his heart would burst. The faint smell of alcohol, the softness he’d never felt before—it made his head spin. For a moment, he wanted to dive further into that feeling, but thankfully, Hailey quickly pulled away. She looked up at him, obviously flustered. Her innocently trembling eyes made his throat tighten and his body tense up.

But at that moment, what little reason he had left hit him hard. ‘Get a grip, you fool.’

Latrian awkwardly stood up and, staggering, brushed the floor with his foot.

‘Looks like someone spilled oil here. Better be careful walking.’

He appeared calm on the outside, but he was scraping the bottom of his patience.

Still, why had he said such things then?

Thinking he’d avoid seeing her the next day, he’d even made up nonsense about giving the deputies a day off after their gathering. He’d clung to someone who’d already rejected his offer, telling her to think it over.

When he hurried onto the gondola and grabbed the oar, his mind was blank. He even crashed into the edge of the canal and groaned in pain. After stubbornly steering the boat to the mansion and reaching his room in the annex, he collapsed and slept like he’d fainted.

And then it was morning. A tragically vivid morning where he remembered everything.

Sitting blankly on the bed, Latrian unconsciously touched his lips, then covered his face with both hands, groaning.

“Pull yourself together, please, just get a grip…”

The maids in the annex had to keep tilting their heads at the heir’s request for very, very cold bathwater from early morning.

The Akrender mansion’s chef offered to bring him a special tomato stew for his hangover, but Latrian refused. He’d drunk a lot, but as the second-in-command after Denny, it wasn’t that bad. He left the mansion with the excuse of having business, carrying only a gray robe at his side.

He rode a horse, boarded a gondola, and wandered aimlessly. When he finally came to his senses, he was stunned by the scenery before him.

San Sieta Square. He’d intended to go to Ibert Square—why had he come here? He’d drunk a lot yesterday, but he wasn’t still drunk in the morning, was he?

Unable to understand himself, Latrian pondered for a while before nodding.