Chapter 39:

Two weeks. Two weeks of riding in a carriage next to a teenage boy with no deodorant. Eres pushed herself as far to the side of the carriage as she could and covered her nose with her uniform. Leo clamped his arms shut awkwardly as they sat in silence.

To think Eres had to suffer this because of Amira’s 'proposal’.

He opened his mouth a few times to speak, stumbling a bit. “I—Eres, it’s not my fault.”

Eres just nodded. She didn’t dare open her mouth. It really wasn’t his fault. If anything, it was her overactive scent glands that were the true culprit. She seemed far more sensitive to body odor after becoming a girl. 

As a guy, she never felt more than a vague unpleasantness even in locker rooms. Now, it was like a suffocating clamp over her olfactory senses. The reverse was also true: colognes and natural scents smelled much better than they ever had as a guy.

Generally, the boy managed his stink with baths and talc powder, scented perfumes or whatnot. Unfortunately, they’d left that behind in their journey to Malneshe. Lana had deemed them, ‘unimportant,’ refusing to add more to their already swollen luggage.

The weather passed into the sweltering heat of summer as they traveled, and the confined cabin space did little to help, even with the window open. Malneshe was hot and arid near the border. 

It was twice the size of Relan, though sparsely populated in some areas due to the climate. The northern region was speckled with mountain ranges and rainforests, though the interior areas were covered in stretches of desert broken by coastal regions to the south. Eres vaguely remembered hearing about mountain ranges stealing rainfall to make deserts from classes in her previous life, but topography was never her strong-suit. 

Fortunately, the heat didn’t seem to cling to Eres, which was new. She found herself comfortable even as Leo sweat, his clothes soaking into dark stains and clinging to his body. She could feel that it was warmer, but even so, it didn’t bother her. It seemed to be a recent development, something she hadn’t noticed until Leo had pointed it out one day in Relan a year ago.

Another curiosity in the strange form she’d been given. Even the sunburns she feared might happen due to her red hair and pale skin never appeared. She’d spared no expense in making fun of Leo as his neck reddened during the trip. The convoy needed to stop occasionally to rest and camp. Even as a pampered young master, Leo was scalded by the sun all the same.

“At least we’re stopping soon,” Eres said. 

“True. I don’t think I can take another two weeks without a bath.”

“Why’s it have to be so far…Amira really travels this distance for the academy?”

Leo shrugged. “It’s more than just her. It’s a hot spot for important countries. Relan is just lucky enough to be in the center of the others. Easier to commute.”

Eres was once again grateful she woke up in the city she did. Whoever’s up there looking out for me, thanks!

Then she remembered that she had both died and switched genders to be here, and rescinded her gratitude.

She tilted her head and peaked out the window, breathing the fresh, though warm, air. The sounds of the convoy filtered in. 

Horses cantering, people shouting, the wheels of tens of carriages rolling. She hadn’t expected a proposal to necessitate such a large procession, but to be fair, some of them were Hector’s. 

Apparently the man had business in Malneshe. Eres couldn’t begin to presume why he’d visit a country he suspected of poisoning his father, but she didn’t have a mind for things like that. Eres’s brain was tuned for Eres’s problems, and she had accepted that fact. 

Eres pushed her head out more and glanced at the approaching city. 

It was the first city they’d stopped in since beginning their journey. They had spent most nights breaking camp, setting up elaborate tents, and eating lavishly by campfires. 

Unfortunately, Lana had decided to attend with them as their guardian, so Eres couldn’t slack off from work. She’d already gotten an earful when she broke into her habits from the academy. 

But finally, they had reached civilization again, and she could throw her young master into a tub. Didn’t most nobles bathe when traveling? Why was it only the Fritzes that were so modest? “Too much effort,” Lana had said. Maybe she’d spoken from the heart of a servant. 

Rashaan, the city they’d arrived at, teemed with people traveling through, a hotspot for trade and economy. While Shiraj was the nominal capital, Rashaan was the financial heart of Malneshe.

The convoy was stopped at the gate, and Eres and Leo chatted as it was inspected. The guards walked by their window, and Eres gave a little wave and a smile. The man looked bewildered but raised a hand to wave back, before continuing on with a shake of his head. 

“I’m surprised we have to do this at all. Isn’t your family a bunch of big wigs?”

Leo nodded. “Hmm. Wonder if something’s going on in the city?”

“Ah well. Not our problem.”

“I love how empathetic you are, Eres.”

“It’s tough having a bleeding heart,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest.

Leo snorted. He leaned back and fanned his shirt, too hot to continue the conversation. 

The smells of the city rolled into the cabin as the convoy continued, and Eres felt a faint sense of satisfaction at the sight of people stepping aside and watching them pass. Was this what it was like to be famous? Never mind that she was leeching off of her young master, she deluded herself into thinking they were cheering for her. 

A scent of fresh bread and cooked meat wafted over, catching Eres’s attention, and she tilted her head toward it, poking her head out of the carriage like a meerkat. “Ugh, that smell—I’m starving.”

“You’re always hungry, Eres.”

“Let’s grab some food when we get there! Think we can convince Lana to let us wander around?”

“I doubt it, unless it’s with an escort.”

“Works for me.”

Eres smiled as she looked around. It was the first time she’d been out of Relan! It really felt like a vacation! I wanna visit Eremos, too. I bet Hector knows some cool spots.

Leo laughed. “Aren’t you on the clock? Why are you making the plans for your young master?”

Eres waved her hand nonchalantly. “Eh, it’s fine. If I didn’t, wouldn’t you just sit in your chambers until we left the city? How much of a waste would that be?”

“...”

She smirked in victory. As expected, still a shut-in. How pitiable! Not like her! Ah~ how lucky for him she was so kind and understanding. Her feet kicked as she hummed, waiting until the convoy reached its destination. 

The Fritzes owned an estate in the city, news that shocked Eres—owning more than one property?! She ground her teeth in jealousy at the thought. How long had she worked to save for her own house in her past life, only to die right before being able to afford it? And the thing was a shack in comparison to the Fritz estate!  Truly, the difference between the rich and the ordinary was like heaven and hell. 

***

The estate was not so massive as the Fritzes’ mansion, but it could still be afforded the moniker, ‘Fucking Rich’. The courtyard was paved by glazed tiles surrounded by lush greenery, with a fountain off to the side, and the estate itself was made of smooth stone, with etched, patterned bands stretching across the surface. 

Thankfully, Eres was not pulled aside to help unpack the rest of the convoy. Her status as a personal maid afforded her immunity to such things—unless it was Leo’s. Indeed, she carried a pack the size of her own body as she followed behind Leo, the boy whistling as he ignored her labored breaths. You win this one, young bastard…

Lana and Hector, who rode together, waved at them from a distance while they talked beside the carriages. Eres gave a tired smile to her mother and groaned, following behind her young master as they walked into the estate.

A servant showed them to Leo’s quarters. The interior was no less decorated than the exterior; patterns lined the roofs in intricate designs, with every hallway and room decorated in lavish pottery and furniture. The walls were intermittently lined with small lights that gleamed with magic, lighting the interior.

Still, Eres had a bit of an odd feeling. Was it because she’d lived in a ducal estate for so long? It was fancy, but it didn’t take her breath away. Leo was a step down from royalty, after all. 

“This place is almost as fancy as your mansion, Leo,” Eres said. 

Leo couldn’t help but give an approving nod. “I really don’t see mother and father buying all this.”

“Maybe it was a gift?”

Or maybe architecture could afford to be more complicated due to magic?  Eres couldn’t imagine the modest Duke and Duchess splurging on such lavish decor in a property they visited once a decade. Unless the Duke was here more often than she thought.

The servant dropped them off at the room and left with a bow. Eres kicked open the door and let out a low whistle. 

The room was colored in scarlet hues, dyed curtains and rugs, with wooden furniture that gleamed from polish; a bed sat at one end, the mattress plush, and the wood framing which nearly rose to the roof held aloft a cloth that could encircle the bed. 

Eres dropped Leo’s bag in the middle of the floor and immediately ran to the bed, jumping in.

She sank a full inch into the feather mattress, feeling the bed compress under her weight. Like clouds held her aloft, she sighed at the comfort. The bed shifted as Leo sat next to her.

He leaned back, plopping against the mattress, leaving Eres facing toward him so as to not asphyxiate. 

They smiled at each other for a moment, before a smell wafted over and Eres’s nose wrinkled. She gagged as she slid from the bed, collapsing to her knees, and rolled on the floor, playing dead. “Y-young master…your scent. It was a good life…!”

Leo sat up, laughing. “Go draw me a bath then. And stop being dramatic.”

Eres stared at the ceiling, feeling like a man bleeding out in the snow. Actually, the carpet beneath was quite comfortable. She wouldn’t mind sleeping right here. 

Still, she was the sacrificial type, so she abandoned her comfort and stood, smiling at her boss. 

“Hehe~ Leo—didn’t you see on the way here?”

She’d spotted something on their way in—something that any otaku would die to visit at least once, just to say they had.

“...?”

“The. Hot. Springs,” she said, enunciating each word in joy. 

“…!”

Leo shot to his feet. “For real?”

“For really real.”

Leo marched to the door and pulled it open. He shot a glance over his shoulder. “Coming?”