Felicia's Second Life Chapter 7 Part 1

Barmaid Felicia & The Glutton Part 1

Gooood Morning! Welcome to The Delicious Roast! I am your hostess, the beautiful barmaid Felicia. Would you like a breakfast, a bath, or.... me? 

Just kidding!

Because of the incident a few days ago, Lili and I had to work here to pay our debts. In case you don't remember, I was robbed on my way to dinner and we ended up eating without paying for it. So now we're something like bonded slaves for a week, since we're not actually paid to work here. All we get are two meals, three mugs of cider and a bed to sleep in every day. We can drink fresh water as much as we want, though.

Not that I'm complaining. It may look humiliating, but this has been a very valuable experience. Do you still remember that I said some time ago how I planned on opening my own fast food restaurant, the one that will go by the name of Felicious? The experience I earn here will be of much help in setting it up. Besides, I'm swimming in silver!

That's right, silver! It may not be gold, but 15 silver still equals 1 gold. You ask why I'm swimming in silver when I'm not even being paid? Fufufu, the answer is... TIPS! Just by calling someone 'daddy' or 'big brother' someone would give me money. How awesome is that? Since I'm not paying anything for food and lodging, all of it is mine to keep. Muhahahahah!

The same is true for Lili. She's not raking in the cash like me, but her timid and shy personality invokes a protective instinct among our patrons. The moment she said 'big brother' or even 'thank you' with that shy demeanor, someone would slip a big copper into her hand. For some reason, everyone kind of think that she's an orphan. Every time someone proposed to take her into his or her family, she would say that she was in love with someone and that she’s only working here so that she can return home together with that person. I know you're talking about me, Lili, but you shouldn't use that sob story to make money. Jeez, girls are scary.
(EDN: Aren’t you a girl?-.-)

Ah, I forgot to mention that we're still in Lytis. I don't know how the ransom negotiation has been going, but I would have known if it's already concluded. After all, I am working at a tavern, and taverns are a great source of gossip. People will definitely talk if the negotiation has ended and if they see a lot of unarmed soldiers leaving the prince's castle. So far, there has been no such rumour.

I may have mentioned this earlier, but working at a tavern is apparently a very lucrative job. It had only been four days since I started working here, but already I had a total of 83 silver coins from tips alone. Fufufu, and I'm not even being paid to work here.

Come come, come visit me, barmaid Felicia at The Delicious Roast. Bring your purse, lots of silver and get ready to lose them quickly. My personal services are very expensive. So please, daddies, mommies and big brothers, spare some silver for this cute and absolutely adorable barmaid Felicia. Please oh please, make me rich. Muhahahahaha!


******

It was a little after noon, we were just done serving a large number of patrons. Surprisingly, this small, dirty restaurant that used to have just a small number of loyal customers became something like a prime meal spot since a few days ago. Nara was baffled at how fast the food stocks disappeared but Nira always seemed to be grinning at Nara's confusion.

"Felicia, come here," my boss Nara called. In case you forgot, this is the big sister waitress.

"Yeess! Anything you want me to do, boss?"

"Don't get cheeky with me!" she did a light karate chop on my head, "I'm giving you some time off until dinner, hurry and get out of the restaurant."

"Eeeeh?!!!"

"Don't 'eh' me! You've been flirting left and right. I don't want the restaurant to have that kind of reputation, especially since you're just a temporary worker. Unless you plan on continuing to work here long after your trial period is up, I'm having you cool yourself off."

"But... where would I go?"

"Why are you asking me? Have a nap, go for a walk, bet on a horse, I don't care," then she took out 5 big coppers and handed it to me, "Here, take this as your spending money."

I accepted it gratefully and was about to put it into my barmaid's apron pocket when Nara said, "On second thought, give it back."

"Ah? What's this noise I hear?" (lol)

"No, give it back, Felicia. You're already making a lot of money."

"Oh, what is this? Why is the noise getting louder?"

"Felicia, don't ignore me. Give it back."

"Jeez I can't hear a single thing! (lol) See you later, Ms. Nara. Thanks for the money."

"FELICIA, COME BACK HERE!"

******

"Eeyaaaa, it's nice to have a break once in awhile. Too bad Lili can't be here," I said to myself as I spent some time watching a street theatre at Lunar Plaza. I caught the performance by surprise, really. I was just minding my own business when I saw a lot of people crowding. So naturally, I went to take a look as well and stayed for the rest of the performance.

It wasn't exactly a West End theatre production, but it was pretty good. Especially considering that it was a street performance. Apart from theatre, they also performed songs and musicals. Some of them sang off-key, but that was fine, since it was still pretty enjoyable. So I placed a single big copper into the donation box they set up in appreciation.

Can't give them a silver, they weren't that good.

But this reminded me of something that we've been missing in Mruna - entertainment. Sure, nobody dares to complain about the lack of entertainment and since we have the harvest festival every year, it can be said that the populace is content. However, for a society to grow, it needs an investment in culture. By culture, that means entertainment, art, literature and a social identity. All the great civilizations have them. Greek, Rome, Carthage, Egypt and India all shared the same idea of a culture that defined their civilization. Not only does culture keeps the populace content, it also gives them a common identity, which translates into a more loyal populace.

Even computer games promoted this. I can't believe I've been ignoring something so obvious. Alright, when I get back to Mruna, I'm gonna build a theatre. Everyone gets to watch the performances, so maybe it has to be big enough for 1000 people? No, let's make it small scale first, it will be bad if I can't afford the final result. It's not like everyone in Mruna will be watching anyway. Maybe they can take turns as well. Or maybe have sponsored performances where anyone can watch for free while allowing pay-to-watch performances.

"Hm, yep, that should work," I said to myself as I walked towards Lytis's south park.

Lost in thought, I didn't realize that my foot had stepped on something soft. I looked down and under my feet was a purple-haired little girl, lying face down on the park's walkway. She was very small and just by looking at her from the back, I could guess that she was much, much younger than me.

I poked her with my foot. No response.

I poked her with a stick. No response.

I kicked her lightly with my foot. Still no response.

Ah! It must be a doll or a cushion. I heard a small village north of Lytis made handcrafted human-sized hug pillow. This must be it.

I took hold of both its legs and dragged the doll towards one of the big rocks that functioned as park benches. Then I draped the doll's body over a rock and sat on its back. The doll was soft, it was pretty comfy. Despite the technological backwardness of this world, they can make pretty realistic looking human-shaped cushions. I should get one of these for my workbench.

"... vy..."

Ha? I seem to be hearing voices.

"...Heavy..."

There it is again! Oh dear ancestors, am I cursed?

"...Get off..."

I looked down at my seat and saw the doll looked at me with a dreadful expression. It became a real girl! So I jumped up and wondered what kind of sorcery this was. I had never heard of a magic that could turn a doll into a human in this world. I silently prayed to the ancestors to protect me from evil spirits.

Just then, I heard the sound of a grumbling stomach.

"Eat slowly, would you? You're making me embarrassed," I said as I watched the little girl stuff her cheeks with all the food that I ordered.

Apparently that wasn't a doll or a cushion, it was just a starving beggar.

"REFILL!" she called.

"Oi! Learn moderation!"

"But I'm hungry..."

"You've already eaten five people's share!"

"But I'm still hungry..." the little girl made a pitiful face.

"For your information, I'm running out of money here. I don't want to work for a week here as well."

Let me clarify. After realizing that the doll was in fact a human being and not a cursed doll, I found out that she had collapsed due to hunger. Since there was not a single food stall at the park because of something related to city regulations, I dragged her to the closest restaurant. Of course, I didn't have the strength to carry her. I also didn't want to waste money hiring someone to carry her. So I just dragged her to the restaurant by her feet with her face collecting dust behind me.

If I had known that she would've completely emptied my pocket, I wouldn't have bothered.

"Why didn't you go to Knave's Path if you were so hungry? There's a food kitchen there."

"I went there before but they kicked me out after the first time."

"Kicked you out? Why..." I was about to ask why they had kicked her out of a soup kitchen, but looking at the pile of plates and bowls on the table, I already had a pretty good idea why.

"Fine, just one more refill. After that, we'll go our separate ways," I said after ordering a refill for her chicken soup.

"You're not eating?" she asked cutely, or as cute as she could be with her lower face covered in soup, gravy and apple juice.

"No thanks. I've already lost my appetite."

"Oh? That's too bad," the little girl said as she stuffed her face with more food.

"How are you able to eat all that stuff with your small body?"

She answered between munches. "Umm, this... because it's hard to get food... so I eat a lot... and then I can sleep for the whole week."

"Are you a bear?!"

******

I was walking back towards The Delicious Roast after spending all my money on that gluttonous beggar when I turned around and said, "So why are you still following me?"

"Umm, I want to repay the favour."

"If you're looking for more food, find someone else. I'm broke."

"No, no, not looking for more food. But if you want to give me..."

"Go away."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll do anything!"

"I said go away!" I started running.

"Pleeeease!"

"Ahh!!! Annoying!" I cried as I ran as fast as I could through the crowd.

It took me more than half an hour of zigzagging across busy streets, crawling under tables and leaving through the back door of houses before I finally arrived at The Delicious Roast.

"Huff huff... finally lost... the pest." I said with ragged breath once I arrived at The Delicious Roast.

"Oh, welcome back, Felicia. You're back early. I thought big sis told you to take a break until dinner time?" Nira who was carrying several mugs in her hand said while delivering drinks.

"Huff huff... there was... a glutton."

"By the way, who's the cutie?"

"What cutie?"

"The one holding on to your skirt?"

I suddenly had a bad feeling. Slowly, I turned my head to the right and just slightly behind me, holding on to the hem of my barmaid skirt, was the little girl from earlier.

"Kyaaaaa!!!!!"

"You're so cruel. It was hard to run while holding your skirt, big sister. I almost lost my grip several times."

"It's a ghost!!!"

"How rude. I'm not a ghost. I'm a loli."

"How is that better?!!!"

"Aha? Could you be looking for work, little girl?"

"Work? Can I?"

"You sure can. Someone so cute and small like you is always welcomed. Uhehehehe," Nira said with drool dripping from her wide grin.

******

"Good work, everyone," Ms. Nara said as we closed shop.

Technically we didn't close anything, we simply propped the chairs up on the tables and snuffed the lanterns in the kitchen. Anyone could still enter since we shared the same entrance as the inn. I heard from Nira that the inn was originally owned by their family, but after their parents were cheated of their money, they lost everything. They were about to be kicked out to the streets when one of the patrons who had been in love with Nara proposed to her. The patron turned out to be the second son of a merchant family and used his savings to buy the restaurant and attic part of the inn so that both Nara and Nira wouldn't be sleeping on the streets. Eventually both Nara and Nira went to stay with him in his own home.

Tonight though, we didn't snuff the lanterns. After we were done closing the restaurant, Nira told me to call the little girl, Sul, for her waitressing lesson. Yes, it was decided that the gluttonous little girl was going to be working here as well. Nara refused, of course. But a liberal use of the words 'Please, big sister" and "I love you", Nira eventually managed to get her to agree. Ms. Nara was surprisingly weak in front of her little sister.

I entered the attic that I shared with Lili to see Sul sleeping peacefully on our bed. She looked so adorable with her light purple hair, her cute face, her slightly puckered lips and that slightly flipped skirt showing - what the hell was that?
(EDN: IT’S A TRAP!)

No, it wasn't a penis. Jeez!
(EDN: Dang… D’: )

I went closer to her sleeping form. Noticing something drawn in the inner side of her left thigh, I became a little curious. Was it a tattoo, a birthmark or a bruise? Was she abused or beaten before I met her? I flipped her skirt up and pulled her thighs apart, seeing a tattoo-like symbol drawn on the inside of her left thigh. Taking a lantern and holding it close, I saw that it was a tattoo of a cat-like animal in front of an eight-sided star. The whole tattoo was framed by a circle.

Curious, I examined it closer. Upon closer examination, with my face mere inches from the tattoo, I could see that the circle wasn't actually a circle. It was actually a continuous set of runic characters, which I couldn't identify. It probably wasn't Imperial.

It was at this point that Lili entered the room. I looked up from my examination to see her face of shock. I looked back to the tattoo that I was examining earlier and looked back at her shocked face.

I tried imagining this view from her eyes. Me spreading a little girl's legs, her skirt flipped, with my face between her thighs. This looks like...

A molester...

"My lady!" Lili wept as she ran away.

Wait, Lili. You got it all wrong! I'm not a molester! I'm not a molester!

That night, Lili slept as far away from me as possible. All attempts to talk with her were received with silence. Meanwhile, that pest Sul slept between us. I had wanted to persuade Lili with a bit of whispering and touching. This is all your fault, you damned gluttonous loli!

The next day came and Lili still wouldn't talk to me. I was very sad.

Is this punishment for looking up another girl's skirt? Ancestors, are you punishing me for a moment of weakness?

"Felicia, which card do you think I should take?" one of my patrons said as he shifted me on his lap.

"Jeez, big bro Meul, I said no touching, remember?" I said, referring to his right hand on my waist.

"I'm sorry, little Felicia. It's just gotten a little uncomfortable, that's all."

"Is it because I'm heavy? Should I get up, big bro?" I said as I tried to get up. I knew very well it wasn't because I was heavy because I could feel that hard thing under my butt. I knew exactly what that hard thing was. I used to have that hard thing too.

"No! Don't get up, it's nothing, don't worry about it. Yes, how about you pick the card for me, Felicia?"

"Is it okay, big bro? I don't know how to play."

"It's fine. It's just a light game. Don't worry."

"Okay, if you insist, big bro."

Let me explain, we are currently playing a card game called Rebellion. It is a combination of the card games Invasion, Assassination and Coup. The gameplay is quite simple. You have your own deck of 20 cards, which you mix together with your opponents' decks and then split into the amount of people playing. So if there are two players, it will be split into two stacks, if four, four stacks. The split stacks will then be placed face down in front of each player. To start playing, the players will take turns taking two cards from the stack in front of them in a clockwise order.

After that, the players will take another card, either from the stack in front of him, to his right or to his left or from the hand of the player before him. In the case of two players, the card may be taken either from his own stack or his opponent's stack but never from his opponent's hand. From sixth round afterwards, the players will either have to increase bets or maintain bets or fold if they want to bail out. There is also another type of Rebellion called Absolute Rebellion, where there is also the option to split a hand.

The objective of the game is to acquire a Campaign card as well as one of the conditions for victory, which is Invasion, Assassination, Coup or Rebellion. Invasion is defeated by Assassination. Assassination is defeated by Coup. Coup is defeated by Invasion. Rebellion is a special one where it beats everything and everyone still in play, but the player holding it must be the one to use the Campaign card. If any other player uses a Campaign card and any victory hand against the owner of Rebellion first, the Rebellion owner loses by default.

Each deck is formed following the rules of 2 kings, 2 queens, 2 generals, 3 soldiers, 3 archers, 3 cavalries, 4 cards of choice (4 cards of any suits except campaign) and 1 campaign card.

Invasion Win consists of 1 king, 1 general, 2 soldiers, 1 archer and 1 cavalry.
Assassination Win consists of 1 queen, 1 general, 2 soldiers and 2 archers.
Coup Win consists of 1 general, 2 soldiers, 2 archers and 1 cavalry.
Rebellion Win consists of 4 soldiers and 2 archers.

"Umm, I want to take a card from big brother Cuzo's hand," I said pointing my finger at the man on my right.

"It's big brother Cuto, dear," he said while holding out his hand.

"Well, anyway, I'm taking this one!"

I picked out a card, which turned out to be a Campaign card.

"Wahahaha! I call Invasion on Yami!" big brother Meul laughed as he put down 1 King, 1 General, 2 Soldiers, 1 Archer and 1 Cavalry alongside the Campaign card. He put aside 1 Queen as it was not necessary.

"Shit!" Yami cursed as he put down 1 General, 2 Soldiers, 1 King and 3 Archers. It was possible he was planning on an Assassination win, but couldn't get the Queen card. Had he gotten a Queen card, the table would've turned and big brother Meul would be the one to lose.

Big brother Meul kissed me on the cheek with his arm around me while saying, "Thanks for the win, baby!" before he scooped up the small pile of silver from Yami's betting pile towards his side of the table.

I openly picked up three silver coins from the pile.

"Eh, why are you taking the silver coins?" big brother Meul asked.

"Shouldn't I get something for that sneak kiss and hug, big bro Meul?" I said with a wink before I got off his lap and resumed my barmaid duties.

Meul then laughed boisterously behind me and resumed the game. Yami excused himself with a polite curse, stating that he had already wagered his entire lunch. Meul instead laughed again and paid for a cheap lunch for Yami.

Meanwhile, that little pest Sul sat on the bar's counter with her thin bare legs dangling and a harp in her hands. It was a harp that Nira found among the storage heap, courtesy of a guest who couldn't pay for his meals some weeks ago. Sul was apparently skilled in the use of a harp and for a small 'donation', would even sing for the patrons. Her voice was surprisingly good and pleasant. Her choice of lyrics and melody was not only cheerful but also uplifting. This little pest might actually be someone talented.

Sul also wasn't paid to work here, as Nara offered her the same deal that she offered Lili and me. Most of the time, she would be taking orders and delivering drinks, just like us, though we also delivered food now. With the amount of customers we've been having for the past few days, we really needed another pair of hands. During breakfast and dinner though, she would be sitting on the bar's counter playing her harp. She would only be able to play five songs, as her fingers would hurt if she had played longer, but this was where she got most of her tips. Some would pay even five silvers to hear her angelic voice singing some happy tunes before they went to work and after they returned from work.

The songs that Sul sang were common throughout Lytis, but with her beautiful voice and skilled play of the harp, there was a world of difference. Considering that women bards were seen as women of loose virtue and prostitutes often sang to promote themselves, there were hardly any female singers in Lytis outside of the dark alleys. So that was perhaps Sul's selling point, as not only was she talented, she was also too young to be seen as a woman of loose virtue.

Oh by the way, Lili still wouldn't speak to me. I'm so depressed... (TT^TT)

******

It was our sixth day of work that Lili finally spoke to me again, but only because of a certain event.

"My lady, we need to hide!"

"Lili, you're finally speaking to me again. I miss you!"

"No, that's not the issue."

"Lili, I zweear, I whuzn na mlezter. You mizundeztooood!"

"Yes yes, now let's go hide."

"Lili, phleaze zay you blieve..." I said with my nose full of snot.

"Yes, I believe you. Let's hide."

"Why?" I asked as I blew my snot on a piece of napkin.

"That pirate captain is here."

"Eh?" I poked my head to the side a little, and at the entrance, a bunch of guys walked into the restaurant.

Leading in front was that pirate captain Keimo, Keiro or Keizo. He walked with a strong, dignified gait suggesting that he was a man of strong character or someone respected. With his bronze breastplate and four henchmen following behind, he looked like someone who was no stranger to battle. Unfortunately, this whole atmosphere was ruined by the presence of my girly Dusk Claw, a beautiful thin steel sword that he hung on the left side of his belt.

At least he hadn’t seen us yet.

"Lili, let's run out from the back door!"

"Yes!"

"Felicia! Why are you skulking around like a thief? And you too, Lili, what are you doing?!" Nara scolded when she came around the kitchen with a tray full of lunch.

"Princesssss!!!!"

Aw shit, he saw us. Too late to run now.

"Princess, we've been looking all over the city for you. We were worried something happened to you."

"Err, hi Koizo," I said as I slowly walked to his table.

"It's Keito."

"Whatever. Anyway, what do you want to eat?"

Koito looked at me, then noticed Lili and looked back at my dress. "Princesssss!!!! What's the meaning of this? Why are you and your attendant dressed as bar wenches?!"

"You're noisy, make an order or get out. You're disturbing the other customers."

"Prinzezzzz, lezz go baaack. You need to go baaack!" he cried while clinging to my hands.

What's with this childish behaviour? This is totally different from the time when he was captured. Is this how he normally acts when he doesn't have to act tough? Is this what is called ‘personality gap’? To tell the truth, it's annoying.

"Lili," I said as I pulled back my hands and folded my arms under my breasts, or under what should be breasts, if I had any.

"Yes." Lili then proceeded to put the pirate captain in an armlock.

"Order. Now," I commanded.

"Today'z zpecial, prinzezz," Koito said wincing with his left arm locked behind him.

"Alright, five of today's special and beer."

"Umm, princess, I'd like roasted lamb if you have it?"

"4 today's special, then."

"Princess, I'd like braised chicken."

"Jeez, if you want different meals, you should've asked earlier! Fine, roasted lamb, braised chicken and today's special for the rest of you."

"I'd like-"

"Too late! Today's special for you," I said as I delivered the order to Nara.

"I know you're a noblewoman but are you really a princess?" Nara asked.

"Ah no, don't listen to that idiot. He must've been dropped as a child."

"Prinzeeeezz, lez go baaacck..."

"Oi, quiet over there! You're my first knight now, act like one!"

Without my knowing it, my reply reinforced the other patron’s beliefs that I really was a princess. It became annoying very quickly, but I couldn't be bothered to fix the situation. Too many things happened shortly afterwards that were a lot more important than being misunderstood as a princess.

"So talk," I said as I sat on a chair that one of the men politely vacated after their meal.

"Prinzeezzzz, where 'ave you beeeen? We looked all over ze zity!"

I flicked Koito's forehead with my fingers.

"Talk like normal people."

"Uhh," Koito took a few minutes to compose himself. He wiped the tears in his eyes and blew the snot from his nose before he said, "The ransom negotiation has concluded."

"Oh? That's great news. Took longer than expected, but at least it's done. So is father and brother already on the ship?"

"That's the problem, princess. They left your father and brother behind."

It took a moment to sink in, but when it did, I yelled, "THEY DID WHAT?!!!!"

My yell was accompanied with sounds of shuffling feet and screeching chairs. Through the red haze of my vision I could see that the patrons near our table were listening in on our conversation, but that wasn't my problem at that point. There was an even bigger issue at hand here.

"That's not all, princess. They also wanted to set sail immediately without you. Gani and Mr. Lustri are doing their best to dissuade them, but they can't go against the nobles, princess."

"Those blasted bastards!" I said with gritted teeth.

"Umm, if possible, would you not release your anger on me, princess?"

Ah, I only just realized that I was gripping Koito's upper arms with my iron-like grip.

"They've also taken over your cabin, princess," one of his henchmen added.

"THEY DID WHAT?!!!" I pushed Koito hard, causing him to fall against the chair under him, smashing the chair into splinters.

"You idiot, was it so hard to wait until she let me go?"

"Sorry captain."

"Return to the ship at once!" I ordered.

"Wait, my lady. Change first," Lili suggested.

I looked at my clothes and realized that I couldn't just go rampage in a barmaid's dress.

"Change clothes at once, then return to the ship! Boss, I'm quitting the job!"

"Sure," Nara said from the other side of the bar.

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Felicia's Second Life Chapter 6 Part 2

A Romantic Vacation In Lytis (Part 2)

"Lili, may I ask you a question?"


"Of course, Felicia. What is it?"


"Have you ever thought of living a different life?"


Lili paused and put her roasted squid on the rock beside us. "What do you mean by that, Felicia?"


"Like, maybe living a life of a free woman? A life where you don’t have to attend to me?"


Silence. She made neither a move nor a sound as I waited for her answer. When she finally spoke, I could tell she was holding her tears.


"Is this why you've been so nice to me, my lady? Are you throwing me away?"


"What? No!" I turned around to confront the sobbing Lili, "By the ancestors, that's not what I meant. You're thinking too far, Lili."


I wrapped my arms around her body. Pulling her close, I whispered in her ears, "I'm not throwing you away, Lili. We've been best friends for our entire lives, aren't we?"


"But..."


"We were even born on the same day, Lili. We're closer to sisters than even blood-related sisters. How can I possibly throw you away? Wouldn't it be like throwing away my own family?"


She stopped crying and her arms also snuck their way around me. She pulled me closer and I relented, hugging her tightly as our breaths mixed together. Suddenly I realized that she would probably take this the wrong way, that I was probably giving her the wrong signal. I tried to disengage from her, but she held me tighter.


"Please, my lady. Would you allow me this just this once?" she pleaded with her face resting against my chest.


I nodded and wrapped my arms around her again. It wasn't really a hard decision. She was simply so soft and she felt so good in my arms.


I couldn't tell how long we were like that, but we eventually disentangled ourselves when it looked like it would rain. The River Country wasn't known for long downpours, being that it had such strong winds that rain clouds move from one spot to the other pretty quickly. Regardless, we should probably go back to the inn.


It started raining as we got near the inn and we hastened to reach the inn before the downpour started. By accident, I bumped against something large and almost fell on my butt if not for Lili suddenly coming up from behind and held me up. I looked in front of me and it was a large man, wearing black leather and holding a knife in his left hand.


"How dare you raise a knife against Lady Felicia. Do you want to die, rogue?" Lili threatened as she slipped a hand under her sleeve for a hidden throwing knife she kept tied around her lower arm.


"Rogue? Wait, hold on. I just had a frayed hem and was in the process of cutting it when this pretty lady bumped into me. Thankfully she didn't bump against the knife, or else we'd have a completely different problem," the man said.


He was right, it could've been worse. "I'm sorry, I was in a hurry because of the rain. Please excuse me," I said as I ran ahead into the inn with Lili in tow. Strange though, that man looked familiar to me.


We arrived just as it started to rain outside.


"What luck, eh?" I said.


"Absolutely, Felicia. If we were a minute later, we'd have been drenched."


"All that running's making me hungry, though. Let's have an early dinner."


"I wonder what they have for tonight."


"Guess we'll find out," I said as I called a waitress to get our orders. We ended up having a very satisfying meal of beef and vegetables.


It was then time to pay and something unexpected happened.


"Eh? Where's my coin pouch?" I said as I touched the part of my belt where my coin pouch used to hang.


"Could it have fallen somewhere?" Lili asked as she looked at the floor and took a few steps towards the door.


Suddenly the waitress, a woman in her 30s (probably) said with an unhappy face, "I see, eating and running, is it? Haven't had that happen since last week."


"Wait, hold on a minute! I really had money, look, it looks like the attaching leather is cut somehow."


"Cut?" Lili came back and examined the place where my coins pouch used to hang.


"If you're beggars, you shouldn't order food here. There's a soup kitchen on Knave's Path, it's free to eat there," the waitress said condescendingly, but neither Lili nor I took notice.


"The man with a knife!" we came to a conclusion at the same time.


"Let's go find that bastard!" I said as we moved to go out.


That was before the waitress grabbed both of us in a choke hold. "Do you think you're the first beggar kids to eat and run? Not even a 'sorry', you're really begging me to send you to the watchmen, aren't you?"


"Wait, you got it all wrong! We're not beggars, just look at my dress. Does this look like a beggar's dress to you?"


"Dresses can be stolen."


"No, we really got robbed. Please believe us!"


"I won't be fooled like that again. If I let you both go, you'll just run away."


"Then let my friend go, she'll look for the thief. I'll stay here as hostage, how about it?"


"No, my lady!"


"Hostage eh? Very well," she loosened her hold on Lili. "You can go, but you," she tightened her hold on my neck, "Are staying here as hostage."


"That's fine. Lili, can you find him?"


"I-I still remember what he looks like. Tracking is not my strong point, but if it's less than an hour, I think I can find him."


"Then go take your cloak, I don't want you to fall sick."


"Yes, my lady!" Lili said as she ran up the flight of stairs two steps at a time, took the cloak and jumped down from the second floor. She was out of the door before I could even say anything else.


"Umm, can't we work this out somehow? In case my friend can't find the thief?" I said as I sat in a corner of the kitchen.


"Sure, we'll just hand you over to the watchmen. Do you want to know what they'd do to a pretty little thing like you?" the waitress from before said. She was sitting on a barrel, probably filled with some kind of ale. The hem of her uniform, a barmaid costume, rode up halfway on her thighs as she rested one foot on a box filled with bottles of some kind of spirit.


"Now now, big sis, she's probably telling the truth. She's too clean to be a beggar," the other woman, presumably the younger sister came forward and pinched my cheeks. She was wearing the same black barmaid costume as the older one.


"You're too trusting, Nira. Remember how mom and dad died? If not for my husband, we'd have ended up on the streets that time."


"But I don't think she's lying. She has an honest face."


"Face doesn't mean shit when a person is lying. That's what they call 'poker face', you know?"


"Umm, the bill amounts to 3 silver, right? I paid for 3 days' lodging for one of the rooms upstairs. Can't you deduct it from my room fee?"


"This and that are under different management," the older sister said.


"Eh? Then surely there's something else, maybe I can wash the dishes or something?"


"I thought your cover story is a noblewoman. Are you telling me that wherever you're from, noblewomen wash dishes like a common house maid?"


Good point. Although I've done my fair share of washing dishes, crops and some work that noblewomen would consider 'dirty', 'washing dishes' isn't what a noblewoman would have been caught dead doing. Even for a small and poor noble family such as mine, mother and I never washed the dishes ourselves before I started having my own farm and working in my own workshop.


"Well... I've done it before."


"No, if you're really a noblewoman, I won't risk you breaking the plates," the older sister refused.


Suddenly the little sister who was having fun pinching my cheeks and playing with my long brown hair said, "You're really pretty. Have you ever thought of becoming a waitress?"


"Nira! I won't have her breaking the plates!"


"Just talking orders and delivering drinks will be fine, don't you think? Not much chance for her to screw up, and we get a fresh employee for free. Besides, it's going to become busy in just an hour, right?"


The older sister looked thoughtful, before she said, "You're going to be a trainee waitress for a period of one week. You won't be paid a single copper for this period unless it's a tip from the customers. In exchange, you get to eat whatever we eat and three mugs of cider a day. Your duties will include taking orders, delivering drinks, sweeping and cleaning the restaurant as well as wiping tables. If you mess up, we have the right to kick you out immediately and hand you over to the watchmen. Do you agree?"


"A week? But I only paid for 3 days' worth of accomodation."


"You can sleep in the attic."


"Is it haunted?"


"What?"


"My friend is afraid of ghosts."


The younger sister giggled. "There is no ghost, but there are a lot of cobwebs, some spiders and dust. Nothing a little cleaning won't fix."


The older sister continued. "The same goes for your friend. If she wants to stay here and eat the same meals, she will have to work. Same deal."


I thought about the offer. I didn't actually come here to get a job. I came here to play. Losing my money and getting into debt wasn't part of the plan. Sure, I still have money left in my cabin, but if I went back for it, chances are, I won't even be able to get off the ship again.


"I accept," I said, because I thought wearing their uniforms and and waitressing would be kind of hot.


Let me explain a little. As Malcolm, I was not only a re-enactor, but also a cosplayer. I've cosplayed as Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, Alucard from Hellsing and even crossplayed as Chii from Chobits. The thought of wearing a barmaid costume, which I had never worn before, made me kind of excited.


"Then I leave her training to you, Nira. Get her ready in half an hour," the older sister decided as she got up and left to the restaurant floor area.


"Huhuhu, we're going to have so much fun," the little sister said.


"I look forward to it," I said with a curtsey.


I probably shouldn't have been looking forward to it so much. And so, I got my first job in my second life. I regretted it almost immediately after.


Starting my job during its peak hour was probably not the best time to learn the job. I made a lot of mistakes such as taking the wrong orders, delivering drinks to the wrong tables, scolding people when they touched my butt and slapping customers when they called me 'wench'. If not for my cute face and Nira's intervention, it would've probably become a big issue.


Thankfully, as the night became late, the number of customers lessened and I was able to learn the job at a more manageable pace. My boss Nira was very kind and gentle. She explained and taught me many things about my job, even the shortcuts to make the job easier. Unfortunately, she was kind of like a perverted old man. Her groping was even worse than the customers and she seemed particularly attached to stroking my long hair and hugging my smaller body while rubbing her face on my cheeks. She scared me in different ways from her older sister, also my boss.


It was during one of these skinship rituals that Lili returned. "What are you doing to Lady Felicia, you hag?!"


"Hag? Now that's rude, I'm not even 30 yet," Nira sighed as she nuzzled her nose on my cheek with her arms tightly holding me against her large breasts.


"You-How dare you! Not even I get to do that. Let her go at once!" she said as she took out the hidden knife under her sleeves.


Wait, Lili. Are you saying that it's fine for her to do it if you can do it too? And put the knives away!


"Lili, please calm down. This is Nira, one of the owners of the restaurant. She's just teaching me some things," I said as I pushed Nira away.


She looked at my uniform as if noticing it for the first time. "What's with the dress, my lady?"


"Well, uhh, starting today, I work here."


"Ehhh? Why? There's no need for you to work in this dirty, rundown restaurant, my lady!"


"Well, sorry that the restaurant is dirty and run down," Nira said with a tight smile.


"Is it because of the money? I couldn't find the thief, but I'll go back to the ship and borrow money right away, my lady!"


"Hold that thought!" I said as I grabbed Lili's wrist. "This must not reach their ears, understand?"


"But my lady, you're a highborn. Just from selling the ship you can buy ten of these rundown restaurants!"


"I have decided, Lili."


"But-but... I can't let you serve those brutes like a common barwench."


"Sorry for being a 'common barwench'," Nira mumbled again.


"Lili, quit it. I will get angry."


"Umm, then I will also become a barwench. I'll do everything that you have to do, my lady!"


"Great! Welcome. Ahh, it's nice to have young girls," Nira said as she hugged the much smaller girl tightly.


Lili had to restrain herself from stabbing the much older woman.


******


"Two of today's special and two mugs of Foxfire Ale for table 12," I said to the older sister, whose name was Nara.


"Understood, take these to table 6," she pushed forward three mugs of bluish drink. "And take these to table 2," she pushed forward two mugs of beer.


"Table 6 and table 2, got it!" I said as I carried those in my hands.


"Lili, take these to table 3," she said to Lili who was waiting behind me.


"Yes!" Lili was surprisingly eager. Perhaps after being trained for two days, she had become less jumpy and less sensitive about the patrons' vulgar teasing.


"Alright, here you go, three mugs of Blue Peach Brandy. Your meals will arrive shortly. Is there anything else you want?"


"How about a kiss, Felicia?"


"A kiss? Oh gee, I don't think my boss will like me doing that very much."


"Let's keep it our little secret," the man grinned.


"Not very secret when she's watching... and apparently glaring. Sorry, Mr. Kute, I have to deliver these mugs to table 2."


"Here you go, Mr. Malor and Mr. Soom. Your meal will arrive shortly, is there anything more you want?"


"I want you to put your cute butt on my lap, baby," Mr. Soom patted his lap.


"I'm sorry, Mr. Soom, but my butt is pretty expensive," I said with a smile and a wink.


"Then how about calling me 'daddy', Felicia?" Mr. Malor said.


"Are you sure that's fine, Mr. Malor, won't your real daughter be angry?"


"Aw no. My daughter is a sewer-mouthed spinster. Seriously, I have no idea where we went wrong raising her."


"Then... daddy, is it? Is there anything else you need, daddy?"


"Ooohhhh! This is what it should've been. Damn it! Where has my youth disappeared to?" he said as he placed a single silver into my left hand.


"Felicia, call me 'daddy' too!" Mr. Soom begged, also discreetly putting a silver into my right hand.


"Okay, daddy."


Mr. Soom cried tears of happiness, before he placed another silver coin into my right hand. "Now why don't you sit on daddy's lap?"


"I'm sorry, daddy, this and that are two different things," I said in refusal.


He added another silver coin.


"I guess I can sometimes, but I shouldn't really do it."


Another silver coin.


"Oh well, I'll take pity on you today, daddy. But I'll have to get up when my boss tells me to work, okay?" I said as I plopped down onto Mr. Soom's lap.


"Hey, not fair, baby girl, sit on daddy's lap next."


"No! She's sitting on my lap! Get your own daughter to sit on yours!" then Mr. Soom called to my boss, "Hey Nara, I'm treating Felicia to a meal, okay?"


My boss looked at me sitting on Mr. Soom's lap and gave a dismissive wave. She was probably a bit more lenient since we didn't have many customers right then. There were a few tables still waiting for their meals, but Lili could take care of it if it was only that many.


Meanwhile, Mr. Malor mumbled something like, "If I ask my daughter to sit on my lap, my legs will break."


"What would you like to eat, Felicia?" Mr. Soom asked. His short beard brushed against the top of my head as he spoke.


"Anything is fine," I said noncommittally.


"Then only the best for my little girl. How does roasted lamb set and a mug of brandy sound?"


"A meal fit for a king, daddy!" I agreed to his delight as I got up to deliver the order.


Then I went back to the table and sat myself back on Mr. Soom's lap. I took a bite of my roasted lamb as I listened to Mr. Malor and Mr. Soom exchange rumours. Did I forget to mention that Mr. Soom and Mr. Malor were both two of Lytis's top merchants?


From their conversation, I learned that the ruler of the city is known as Prince Hans The Lecherous. Although a capable ruler, his achievements are overshadowed by his love for women and there have been many cases where he took two or three courtesans into his bedroom at a single time. The prince is also known as being fair towards merchants, but absolutely horrible towards people who offend him. Mr. Soom calls the prince 'petty brat'.


From time to time, I would feed 'Daddy Soom' some cuts of the lamb which made him so happy. At the same time, 'Daddy Malor' cried tears of blood every time I did that. I felt almost sad for him.


Apart from rumours about the prince, they also talked about the city's state of affairs. Apparently, there were more and more mercenaries these days. Due to that, the mercenaries are currently engaged in a price war and nowadays the services of a good mercenary company consisting of a hundred properly-armed spearmen can go as low as 30 gold. They also talked about the price of certain goods and even forecasted what these prices would be like by next week.


I finished my meal just as more customers arrived . So I got up from Mr. Soom's lap and begged my leave. I didn't want to get scolded again by Ms. Nara for ignoring the other customers. For dinner, it was 'Daddy Malor's' turn to have me sit on his lap. I felt pity for them, all these jilted daddies are just really starving for their daughters' love.


"It seems you're swimming in silver today, Felicia," Nira said after the restaurant closed.


"You saw?" I asked as I took off the apron and hung it on a nail on the wall.


"How could I not? Every time I looked at you, there was always someone dropping a copper or silver into your hands or your apron's pocket."


"Am I not allowed to?"


"No, it’s not a problem as long as you don't neglect the other customers. I was the one who taught you to milk the customers for as many tips you can after all," she said with a wink.


"Uuuu, you horrible hag. My lady Felicia is soiled..." Lili remarked with tears in her eyes.


"I'm starting to get used to being called a hag."


"Lili, don't be rude! Besides, I'm not being soiled, I'm just roleplaying."


"What is roll-play-ing?" Nira asked.


"Think of me as an actress."


"Ahh I see... so tomorrow will be your first night staying in the attic, have you cleaned it yet?"


"We're planning on cleaning it tonight, aren’t we, Lili?"


"Unn, you should just let me do it on my own, Felicia."


"Nonsense! We'll both be sleeping there together for the next 4 days. How can I just let you do all the work?"


The moment I mentioned 'sleeping together', Lili made a small smile. Her mind wandered elsewhere pursuing a fantasy. I knew exactly what that fantasy was.


No, Lili, we will only be sleeping. Stop imagining things!

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Felicia's Second Life Chapter 6 Part 1

A Romantic Vacation In Lytis (Part 1)

Hi everyone. It's your beloved Captain Felicia again! How are you all doing? Just to recap, we are on a voyage to ransom all the people who were captured in the Battle of Harrow's Passing. That includes my father, the baron, and my brother, Yucks. Our journey wasn't really smooth sailing.

We encountered some incidents, such as that battle against the five pirate groups. We suffered some casualties, but the good news was that the battle bonded everyone together. They were now working much closer and functioning well as a team. I had everyone practice using the three ballistas on board and hopefully, they would be able to use it properly if we were attacked by an armada of enemy ships. We're going to Lytis after all.

I also acquired the services of an experienced river pirate group as well as two pirates well-versed in night warfare. I planned on milking those black-clothed pirates for all the knowledge and skills they had. It was my hope that we wouldn't be taken by surprise at night again in the future. If things go well, we'll probably even be able to perform night raids of our own.

You probably recall that I knighted two people, but that's not important. I wondered why the pirate captain and his crewmen kept addressing me as 'princess' though. Did I look like a princess in their eyes? Or was it sarcasm? If that was meant as sarcasm, I would definitely kick them off my ship into shark-infested waters.

Now as for our destination, Lytis, to put it simply, it was an enemy city. Despite being an enemy city though, it was designated as a neutral port city, where ships regardless of affiliation could dock and trade. Due to this policy, the city attracted all manner of people, such as merchants, mercenaries, pirates, slave traders, entertainers and many more. It was said that if you wanted something and it was of any value, you would be able to find it in Lytis.

Currently, the city is being governed by Surfes's second prince, Prince Hans of Lytis. He was the one in charge of Surfes's army during the battle at Harrow's Pass. Due to that, all the prisoners were his to do with as he pleased. 

You're probably asking, "Just Hans? What's his family name? His middle name?" Unlike us Forlendians, Surfesians don't use family names or middle names. They are practical people and in a way, I respect that. Instead of the useless middle names and the clan-like family names that us Forlendians use, the Surfesians went for practical ones, such as Prince Hans, second son of King Garren The Mighty or Potter Leif, son of Mista the Weaver. Prince Hans is still considered young, so titles like The Mighty or The Courageous or the like haven't stuck to him yet. In Surfes, these titles are granted by the people and the popularity of the title depends on how many people call them by that title. Therefore, it is in their own best interest to conduct themselves properly lest they acquire embarrassing titles such as The Cruel, The Lame or The Stupid. The former king of Surfes, father of King Garren The Mighty was even called King Sacres The Bumbling Fool by his own people.

We arrived outside Lytis the day after the funeral service following the battle with the river pirates. On the way there we were stopped by numerous Surfesian river patrols for flying Forlendian flag and I had to keep taking out the ducal decree stating that we were on a diplomatic mission to ransom the prisoners. Of course, they didn't fully trust us, what with us sailing a large warship into their waters. So they provided an 'escort' the moment we went through the first checkpoint. It just kept adding up every time we passed through another checkpoint. By the time we reached the sixth checkpoint, we had a fleet of fifteen triremes escorting us towards the port of Lytis. 

That was really annoying. I can now understand how kings and princesses feel.

Then suddenly a port official came aboard on a trireme and told us not to approach further. Apparently, my ship was simply too large to fit into their ports. So we'd have to set anchor outside the port and send either a boat or one of our smaller ships instead. Sigh, the pain of being too awesome. Non-awesome people will never understand the hassle of being too awesome among ordinary people.

Luckily, we were towing two of the pirate longboats that we appropriated from the dead pirates. One of them was a longboat of sturdy construction once owned by the "River Snake' pirates, all of whom were dead. The other was a fast and silent longboat owned by a group called 'Night Raider" pirates. The rest of the longboats were scuttled, since we couldn't bloody well tow five longboats behind the ship. This is a warship, not a 'just married' carriage.

So it was decided that we would enter the port using the armoured longboat once used by the 'River Snake' pirates.

Of course we also have two small boats of our own. Seriously though, can you imagine me, Felicia, taking a small swaying rowboat to enter the port like a common peasant? No man, I'm going to enter the port by ship and I will enter it standing all the way through. If I can walk on water, I will freaking march into the port from my ship. I'm not some small time noble who can only sneak in like a rat. I'm Captain Awesome Felicia! I own the biggest ship on this continent.

Well, maybe not the whole continent, but definitely the biggest ship in this part of the continent.

That was why, when the chief negotiator by the name of Count Suletrius told me to hand over the wooden chest containing 200 gold coins for father's and brother's ransom, I was confused.

"I will ransom everyone together. It's possible I will be able to arrange a smaller ransom with the amount we're paying him," he said as he watched the men load up the chests containing all the gold collected from Renus and the nearby counties back home.

"How much is the total ransom?" I asked.

"5400 gold," he stated.

My face turned into ('0') upon hearing that amount. With that much gold one can buy a small barony, a large fleet of triremes or even pay for ten prostitutes a day (not that I've ever tried) for almost fifteen years. Such a staggering amount!

"You're a smart girl, I knew you'd understand. I think I can probably persuade the prince to accept a lower amount of ransom for everyone," he said as he gently laid his hand on the chest in the boat. As always, he didn't even bother to make a smile. All those times I saw him aboard the ship, I had never even once saw him smile.

"You will bring home father, brother and everyone from Mruna?"

"Of course."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay," I said as I allowed his assistants to pile the chest onto the carriage they rented.

As I watched them leave with my money, I felt a little lost. I mean, I had come here to ransom father and brother, and even imagined myself being in a heated argument with this prince for a lower ransom. Now that I had lost my purpose though, I had no idea what to do.

I was even dressed for the occasion, damn it! Maybe exploring the city would be a good way to pass time. With that decided, I jumped off the longboat, grabbed Lili's hand and took off into the city. Of course, I told the pirate captain that I didn't want to be disturbed.

A brig, like The Abundance of Lollipops.

A longboat like the ones used to attack Felicia's ship

******

"Uwaah, so pretty," Lili said as she admired a pair of diamond rings in one of the stalls at Lytis's southern marketplace.

It was a pair of matching rings consisting of a gold band and a diamond half an inch in diameter at the head, along with smaller diamonds along the length of the band near the head. Unlike my previous world, bastards like deBeers don’t exist in this world, so the price of diamond accessories isn't as inflated as that of its other world counterparts.

"So you can show a girl's adorable expression after all, Lili," I teased, while noting that there was only one pair of diamond rings in the whole stall. The rest of the merchandise were either made of pearls or colourful stones.

"It's diamond, my lady, diamond! How can anyone not like it?"

"I told you to call me Felicia here, Lili. Low profile, remember?"

"I-I'm sorry, my la-Felicia," she said as her face turned red.

Come on, Lili. This isn't fair! How can you expect me to control myself when you're acting so adorable? Learn to be less obvious, please! You're making me want to eat you, you know?

"This paired ring would look elegant and emphasize your beauty with it around your graceful fingers, beautiful young lady," the merchant said.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just looking, I don't have money."

"How much?" I asked the merchant.

"For this beautiful lady, only 5 gold. It would be an honour for me to help make-"

"Oi!"

"Yes, dear lady?"

"You're selling glass for 5 gold? Even scams should know moderation," I said with my arms crossed at my chest.

"No, I don't know what you mean, my lady. This is real diamond. Straight from the place called the Diamond Mountain of West Pharus."

"Oh really?" I raised the rings to his eye level, "Have you even looked at it under sunlight? Did you not see the imperfections, the discolouration? Do you still dare to tell me that this is actually diamond?"

"I assure you my lady, this is diamond!" the merchant argued, but I could tell that even he was starting to waver. He was sweating terribly and his eyes were looking unsure of his own words.

"Then would you mind going through the hammer and chisel test? If it's diamond, it won’t scratch at all, right?"

"You-if you break it, you'll have to buy it."

I grabbed 5 gold from my pouch and spread it on the table. "As you can see, I can afford it. If I'm wrong and it's really diamond, I'll pay you the full price, plus 5 gold."

I took out 5 more gold. "But if it breaks, I'm not paying a single copper. So you can keep it."

The merchant looked at the gold on the table and bit his lips. Eventually he relented on a discount instead of a hammer and chisel test. I got the paired diamond rings for 1 gold in the end.

"Amazing, although it's just glass, it shines so brilliantly. Thank you very much, my lady," she said as we took a seat on a block of stone that functioned as a park bench in a nearby park.

"It's not glass."

"Pardon?"

"It's real diamond."

"Eh??? But you said just now it was glass?"

"It was a psychology trap. I think someone probably pawned it off on him, telling him that it was diamond but the merchant himself doesn't really know."

"What is sai-ko-lo-ji?"

"I made him think that it could be nothing more than glass, then I played on his fear of losing money. I ended up getting him to see things that don't exist."

"But what about the imperfections and discolouration you mentioned earlier, my lady?"

"Natural diamonds always have some discolouration, though perfect diamonds are perfect so that's not really an indication of whether or not it's real. And if someone says that there are definitely cracks on something, you will start to think there are indeed cracks on it too. The rest, your own imagination will supplement."

"You're ruthless as always, my lady," Lili giggled.

"I take that as a compliment. Anyway, why are you still calling me that? I told you to call me Felicia, remember?"

"I-I'm sorry, my lady," she whimpered under my glare, "I mean, Felicia. Umm, Fe-Felicia, it's a paired ring. Would you like to... umm... wear one of it with me?"

"Wear a paired ring? Me?"

"I'm sorry if I went out of line. Please forget it."

"I don't mind. But don't you want to do something like this with a boyfriend or maybe your future husband?"

"That will probably be far in the future, my lady. Besides, you were the one who bought it."

"Are you sure you want to wear the same ring with me? And you slipped again."

"Yes, Fe-Felicia. If it's okay with you."

Who can refuse that cute face, especially when you look so hopeful and about to cry from fear? This is so unfair, Lili. You're too adorable. So you're seeing this as something like an unofficial wedding in your mind, aren't you?

"Is it fine?" I asked, knowing full well what this meant to her.

"Yes, if it's okay with you, my-umm... Felicia."

"Alright, hold out your hand, Lili."

Lili held out her left hand.

Damn it, Lili. Your intentions are way too obvious. Or is it because I'm too aware of your feelings for me? Wouldn't people hold out their right hand if it's a friendship ring?

Without saying a word, I put the ring around her left ring finger. Just that simple act raised her mood greatly. It felt like a happiness that radiated from her whole being. She looked so radiant, so bright like the sun, but now it was my turn. So I held out my right hand. She looked a little sad, but she still put the ring around my right ring finger.

Please don't make that look, Lili. You know I can't accept your feelings, don't you?

I grabbed her left hand with my right. Palm to palm, fingers intertwined. The paired diamond rings glittered brilliantly under the early morning sun. Lili looked at our diamond rings being side by side and her face brightened immediately. It was irresistible.

I pulled her left hand to me with my right. My left hand moved behind her, holding up the middle of her spine. With her face showing an expression of not understanding what happened...

I kissed her. I couldn't help it. In my eyes she was the most beautiful creature in this world. You would've kissed her too if you could see how beautiful she was.

She looked shocked. Her face red. Her eyes wide. I wondered if I did something wrong.

Shortly after, she fainted.

Eh? Lili? What's going on? Somebody help? Anyone?

******

"Uuu..."

I heard Lili stir in the other bed.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Lili. You scared me to death when you fainted just then," I said, putting down the book I've been reading.

Thank goodness it wasn't something like a curse. I was afraid that the ring was taken from a pair of murdered lovers or something and that it was cursed by their ghosts. Thankfully that wasn't the case.

"Umm... my lady? Where are we?"

"An inn. What's the last thing you remember? And don't forget, call me Felicia."

"Umm... I seem to vaguely recall having a nice and happy dream."

Damn it, Lili! That wasn't a dream! But I'm not going to tell her that. That was out of line for me. I can't accept her feelings and I shouldn't give her hope. It would be too cruel for her. Hopefully this is just a phase.

"Did you carry me here, my-Felicia?"

"You kidding? I, who can't even raise a longsword, carry you here? Of course not! I hired someone to bring you here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my la-Felicia. I don't know what happened."

"Don't worry about it. I'm more pissed off that an inn of this level set me back 4 silver. If even a peasant's room cost 4 silver, I wonder how much their deluxe rooms would cost."

"I am sorry, Felicia. Not only did you buy me a diamond ring, you also had to spend extra money for my sake."

"I can afford it. Don't worry. This is probably the last time we set foot in Lytis, so let's have fun, okay?"

"Yes. I don't know what people do for fun here, though."

"Let's find that out slowly. Anyway, if you're up for it, would you run to that pirate captain Kaito or Kairo or Keizo and give him this letter? I don't want them to get worried and start turning over the whole city to find us," I said as I handed her a folded paper.

"Yes. I'll be right back," she said as she left the room.

Later Lili arrived huffing and puffing. She said the pirate captain was so afraid of 'the princess's' safety, that he sent three of his men to escort us. Thankfully, neither of the three pirates could keep up with Lili's nimbleness and small frame. Lili managed to lose them in the vicinity of East Market, which was another part of the city.

As a result, we could sightsee as much as we wanted without any worry that we would be found. The first thing we went for was of course, shopping! No matter which world you go to, girls will always enjoy shopping.

Strangely enough, for a ruined city at the heart of a war, Lytis prospered. Or perhaps Lytis prospered because it was a city at the heart of a war? Being the only neutral port in the region, a center of administration of the River Country and sitting on top of the main travel route for soldiers and mercenaries, Lytis perhaps prospered due in part to the high traffic it enjoyed. Supposedly, Lytis also sold everything. Looking for slaves? Just head to the eastern markets. Looking for mercenaries? Simply head to the mercenary encampments outside the city walls. If it can be bought or sold, then you can find it in Lytis.

Unfortunately, everything here is expensive. For a dress that would have sold for only 6 big copper in Renus, you'd have to spend at least 2 silver to get a similar one. For a sword that would cost only 2 big copper, in Lytis it would have sold for 1 silver.

In the region of the old empire, 3 small copper equals 1 big copper, 20 big copper equals 1 silver and 15 silver equals 1 gold. Considering that five cups of wheat grain in Renus costs only 1 big copper, a dress in Lytis costs at least 200 cups of wheat grain in Renus, that's 'at least', not 'around'. To make it worse, this isn't anything like a designer dress, it's just a normal everyday noblewoman's dress, so it's incredibly expensive.

Regardless, I bought one for Lili. It cost me 3 silver, but watching Lili's bright face made it all worth the price. She refused it at first, but after I teased her with the threat of throwing the dress into the drainage pipes, she finally accepted it. However, from then on she refrained from showing any interest to any other stuff there, probably out of fear that I would buy everything she touched.

As for me, I didn't buy anything. There was nothing I particularly needed. I have plenty of dresses. I have plenty of weapons. I have plenty of books. I also have many ships. What more would I want from this 'anything goes' marketplace?

Of course, I can buy slaves. They're not sold in Renus, but why would I want to buy one? Especially when I'm getting slaves for free?

Satisfied with our shopping trip, we then headed to some of Lytis's famous landmarks. First we went to Lytis's haunted castle. It was formerly home of the Luneris royal family who were slaughtered to the last child and had unspeakable things done to them during Surfes's successful invasion of the River Country many years ago. Some years later, stories of the first ghost sightings started circulating among the citizens. It was speculated that the ghosts of the former royal family couldn't rest in peace. With their entire bloodline extinct, there was no longer any possibility of reincarnation, as the conditions for reincarnation require the birth of a descendant or descendant of closely related family members. It was said that nobody survived the massacre, not even the branch families. It was a fate worse than death.

All throughout the visit though, Lili stuck close behind me, keeping contact with me by holding a small part of my dress. She looked so cute like this, like a frightened small animal. Still, why would she be afraid? It wasn't like we were exploring the mansion by ourselves. There were other people besides us here, since the mansion had been converted into an art museum. Besides, ghosts wouldn't come out at day time, right?

Next we bought some takeaway food, consisting of roasted squids, pieces of roasted lamb and fruit punch. We took a seat on one of the large rocks that littered the shore of Lunis River, one of Lytis's three rivers, and sat with our backs resting against each other. This river may look pretty and be considered a romantic spot now, but it has a grim past. Its original name was Funeral Stream, because during the city's imperial days, the last emperor had the whole city torched and its citizens beheaded for attempting to rebel against the empire. This river, which had its name changed to Lunis River was where that same emperor dumped all the bodies. The bridge from which he had them thrown into the river was long gone, but at one point, this river that was about 100 feet wide had so many floating corpses that it was said you could cross the river without even using the bridge.

Of course, Lili didn't know that. Else she wouldn't even want to get close. That's fine, though. This Lili who is afraid of ghosts is very adorable.

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