Blue Dragon Inn (2)
“That’s really a strange grandmother.”
Gepetto asked “Right?” while placing his bottom on the bed. Since Ren thought so too, he obediently nodded his head.
“Yeah, well….”
“But do you know each other by any chance?”
‘She was certainly strange.’
Ren seemed not to hear Gepetto’s follow-up question. He looked a bit dazed.
“Can’t you take off that, the hood now?”
“Ah.”
Ren, who had been standing blankly, took off his hood. When bright blonde hair spilled out, Gepetto momentarily stared at Ren in a daze.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ah. I’m sorry.”
Ren turned his head sharply. That manner seemed just like ‘Hmph!’ Gepetto found such a Ren cute and wanted to laugh, but fortunately could hold it in.
Ren also subtly placed his bottom on the bed with an awkward movement. Seeing his face flushed, he seemed a bit excited to have arrived at the village. Hmm, should I suggest going to look around the village? Gepetto decided to ask when the Heroes came in later and first decided to satisfy his curiosity.
“Ren. Do you know that owner grandmother from earlier?”
“I don’t know.”
Ren, who answered immediately, blinked and seemed to think again, then shook his head.
“We don’t know each other.”
“Hmm. But you see, that grandmother seemed to somehow know Ren.”
“……Gepetto felt that way too?”
Ren’s eyes widened. Seeing the clear green eyes, Gepetto nodded. He covered his mouth with his hand and smiled. Whether he finally felt like conversing, Ren’s state looked relaxed.
‘Everyone’s been listless since the night the snow fell.’
That wasn’t Gepetto’s imagination.
Even Ruman, who always lightened the atmosphere, hadn’t his words drastically decreased? He wondered if something had happened in the carriage, but since it was quiet, if there had been an argument, there’s no way Gepetto wouldn’t have known. It must be that bad memories related to snow came up! Gepetto hoped it wouldn’t snow until this journey to the capital ended. Though the sky, not knowing his thoughts, was heavily overcast.
“What. You asked and then…….”
Ren squinted his eyes.
“Uwah. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine!”
When Gepetto, who had been lost in other thoughts, was startled and apologized, Ren got irritated.
Gepetto felt he understood Ren a bit now. That was irritation from feeling sorry! At times like this, changing the subject is best. Gepetto had been learning by glancing at how Ruman handled Ren.
“The grandmother was staring at Ren for quite a while. Hmm.”
“Right?”
Gepetto seemed to be reading the mood while smoothly saying what he wanted to say.
“But weren’t you uncomfortable? That, honestly speaking, I thought you’d flip the table or run outside…. Haha.”
“What do you think I am, some personality disorder case!?”
It was a fairly accurate analysis. Ren, who shouted loudly, closed his mouth. To say no—if it had been someone else, he certainly would have done that! Gepetto was nervous when they were downstairs. That’s why he didn’t even yield that delicious beer to Ruman! Temarr seemed to have no particular thoughts, but Ruman kept checking if Ren was okay while gulping down beer. Seeing that, it was certain that Ren from earlier was strange.
“I thought you were an adult but I take it back. Take back!”
“What? Ren, what did you say?”
“What!”
Ren snapped irritably.
Gepetto scratched his cheek. It’s fortunate that his sunken mood had lifted. But somehow it seemed he’d angered him. Ren was thoroughly upset but Gepetto didn’t know why. Umm, what verbal mistake did I make? While Gepetto was pondering deeply, Ren glanced at him while tossing the medicinal herbs he’d set aside in his pocket into his mouth. Ren grimaced terribly at the bitter taste of the herbs, and oh my, unfortunately Gepetto saw that face and flinched in surprise.
‘What mistake did I make!’
While they were misunderstanding each other and watching each other’s reactions, a knock sounded in the room.
The wooden door made a creaking sound.
“I’m coming in.”
“Yes!”
Gepetto stood up with a welcoming face. As he suddenly stood up, the bed creaked.
“Why is the atmosphere like this? Did you two fight?”
Ruman made a mischievous smile.
“What do you mean fight!”
Ren snapped irritably, and,
“Th-there’s no way. Fight! No.”
Gepetto suspiciously waved his hands.
Ruman looked at the two people alternately with a dubious face.
“It was a joke, did you really fight?”
Then he strode up to Ren and examined that sullen white face this way and that. Even though Ren shuddered at the face that approached oppressively close, Ruman didn’t bat an eye. Rather, he seemed to enjoy such a reaction from Ren.
“Ugh, go over there!!”
Finally, only when Ren got angry did Ruman pull back his face. It was as if honey was dripping from his golden eyes. Gepetto was blankly watching that sight when his eyes met Ruman’s. Ruman, who had been looking sweetly at Ren who was biting his lips and pondering what to think again, looked at Gepetto again and put his finger to his lips. Gepetto, not knowing why, copied that hand gesture. Then Ruman nodded and pulled over a chair to sit.
‘What does that mean? To be quiet?!’
Or…… umm. Does he want me to keep it secret that he likes Ren?
How could one not know that look in his eyes?
Gepetto thought so, but since he had no interest in others’ romantic affairs, he decided not to care. Though it was truly troublesome that Ren felt cute and adorable and increasingly like a grumbling cat……! Fortunately, Gepetto had something more important.
Medicinal herb research!
If it was in a field of grass, he could happily stay by himself forever.
Mother! My mother I miss! I’ll return soon too!
Gepetto thought since it turned out this way, he should quietly do some research. He carefully took out the medicinal herbs he’d preciously kept in his bosom.
***
Ruman and Temarr hyung went out to look around the village area, and only Gepetto and I came up to the room first. Honestly, I wanted to comfortably use separate rooms, but hyung’s expression somehow looked dark so I couldn’t even bring up those words! Honestly, it would have seemed like whining.
I don’t dislike being alone with Gepetto but…. Anyway, it’s uncomfortable being with someone else!
Gepetto, who walked ahead briskly, kindly opened the door. Does he mean for me to go in first? When I shook my head, he went in first with an embarrassed face.
‘Anyway, she’s a strange grandmother.’
I blankly recalled the inn grandmother.
“That’s really a strange grandmother.”
Gepetto asked “Right?” while plopping down on the bed without reserve. I closed the door well and stood blankly.
As expected! Gepetto thinks so too! Well, where is there a grandmother who suddenly sits at a customer’s table? But staring at me intently was even stranger.
“Yeah, well…….”
“But do you know each other by any chance?”
Hmmmm. But it did feel somewhat familiar.
“Can’t you take off that, the hood now?”
“Ah.”
Whew.
I didn’t even know I was stuffy because I was having a staring contest, not a staring contest, with the grandmother.
As I took off the hood, Gepetto stared at me intently. After I grumbled at him asking what he was looking at, I carefully sat on the bed. Since it was my first time borrowing someone else’s room, it was so awkward!
The inn room was small and cozy. Though there were no expensive items or nice furniture, whether the sunlight came in well, the room was bright even without a single candle.
“Ren. Do you know that owner grandmother from earlier?”
“I don’t know.”
I blinked and answered right away! There was no need to ponder. This was my first time leaving the village, so there’s no way there’d be someone I know, right?
“We don’t know each other.”
As expected, I don’t know her. The spirit is somehow different from the village elders’ faces! Ah, does she resemble the pharmacist harabeom?
“Hmm. But you see, that grandmother seemed to somehow know Ren.”
“……Gepetto felt that way too?”
“The grandmother was staring at Ren for quite a while. Hmm.”
“Right?”
Honestly, that grandmother’s gaze was quite mysterious. It seemed like she was seeing something welcome, and it seemed like she found it fascinating…. Um. My face isn’t strangely formed, is it?
“But weren’t you uncomfortable? That, honestly speaking, I thought you’d flip the table or run outside…. Haha.”
“What do you think I am, some personality disorder case!?”
We were talking nicely, why is he doing this!
“I thought you were an adult but I take it back. Take back!”
If he asks like it’s so funny, what does that make me! Ugh. Ruman said I was kind. Though I don’t completely believe those words.
What’s more frustrating is that I can’t refute it! With 100 percent probability, if it had been someone else, perhaps I might have shoved my fist in that face. I often did that in the village…. But after leaving the village, I haven’t done that!
So I became a bit, not a lot but a bit, wronged.
After yelling loudly, I felt a bit embarrassed. Ah! Should I take medicine now? When I sneakily watched Gepetto’s reaction, he seemed to be pondering something deeply with his gaze fixed on the old wooden table. I quickly tossed the medicinal herbs I’d set aside a bit into my mouth.
Uweeek….
To have to swallow this bitter taste only inside without even being able to scream! It’s a terrible taste, really!
When we get to the capital, that’s when I’ll brew it as tea again. Chewing and eating it raw isn’t something a person should do!
Grimacing terribly while barely chewing and swallowing it down my throat, my eyes met Gepetto’s. He flinched in surprise and turned his head. I was also startled and turned my head.
He didn’t see me eating, right?!
No. So what if he saw? This is just an unpalatable medicinal herb. I’m just greedy so I wanted to eat it alone! Don’t be scared, Ren!
I was pointlessly widening my eyes more when I heard a knocking sound, then Ruman came in. He looked at us and made a mischievous smile.
“Why is the atmosphere like this? Did you two fight?”
