Chapter 198: The Two’s Stay Plans
“…Is there some kind of gathering today?”
As I was having tea with Dean and the others in the rented house, the butler who had come to visit spoke at the entrance.
“Good morning, or is it already noon?”
Reed greeted us with a refreshing smile.
“Don’t mind it; it’s just the result of being dragged around by this guy,” Dean said, wearing a white jinbei. Everyone except for me and Reed was dressed the same way.
“I never thought everyone would be out of change of clothes. I’ve let the laundry pile up too much,” I said, having gathered the sheets and other items to wash. Currently, the upper floor was being fumigated with herbs that have insect-repelling properties.
In this world, they use something to hang clothes on, and it only leaves behind a scent without any stickiness. Since there are no electric appliances, I can go all out.
“It’s not uncommon to go a month or two without changing,” Dean remarked.
“Don’t say that during summer,” I replied. I’d prefer to avoid it even in winter.
“It’s cool and comfortable, though,” Letze said after examining the structure of the jinbei.
“I didn’t plan to go out today except for meals! If we can have delicious food and stay clean, that’s perfect!”
After waiting for everyone to wake up, I went down to the shared space on the first floor, serving brunch in order of their arrival. I was the one who had gathered the laundry.
While I was at it, I noticed Reed staring at me, frozen in place. I had completely forgotten about his presence.
I hurriedly cleared up various misunderstandings, explaining that the jinbei was something I vaguely remembered seeing in Es’s white ethnic attire. It was quite different, though.
In reality, this white jinbei was made of linen that I bought when I visited Es. It was freshly made, so it had a slightly crisp texture, but it would soon become more comfortable. Plus, it doesn’t stick to the skin in summer, making it cool to wear.
I had intended it as my summer sleepwear! Since I made it a bit larger for comfort, everyone was able to wear it without issue. Dean’s was a little short, but that couldn’t be helped since he was unnecessarily big.
I wonder when the results of my milk will show…
Reed had a proper change of clothes that had already been washed. When I told him today was the day for laundry collection, he began stuffing clothes he had worn during his travels into Chris’s bag.
He seems to be quite tidy on his own. Compared to Dean, Chris is also tidy, but I’d say Chris and Letze are more about good maintenance than cleanliness.
They may not be diligent about laundry, but they take care of their clothes, brushing them and shaping them when they take them off. They’re more meticulous than I am; I often just toss my clothes over the back of a chair because it’s a hassle.
Since Reed was here, we had bread, vegetable soup, sausage, and fried eggs for our meal. While I was happy to hear it was delicious, I couldn’t help but worry if I was using any ingredients that weren’t available here.
While waiting for the fumigation to finish, three of us started eating the bread I brought, dipping it in olive oil and salt, while Letze and I had tea. The tea Letze served was a bit earthy at first, but once I got used to it, it was fragrant and delicious.
“So? Do you have some business?”
“I was asked by Lady Lilith to deliver payment to Lord Reed. She also mentioned that we should have a meal together before leaving the city.”
He said this while handing Reed a rolled-up parchment sealed with wax and a leather pouch.
“I’ve prepared a currency exchange that can be cashed at the Merchant Guild, and part of it is in silver coins for convenience.”
“Is it alright if I deliver it after escorting Lady Lilith partway?”
I had just heard that Lilith would be staying here for about a week before returning to the Royal Capital, and Reed would be departing around the same time.
Today, he planned to take a day off, but tomorrow he would head to the Fortress City for that matter, so there was a restless feeling in the air.
Dean and Chris had invited me to join them at the brothel, but I decided to pass on the Fortress City.
In the end, Reed accepted the delivery, and the exchange with the butler came to a close. I wondered if this would be part of the trip to the brothel or part of the conversation with the Spirit at the Spirit’s Branch.
After finishing the fumigation, I left the rented house. I wanted to leave quickly, as I might end up doing something embarrassing in front of Reed.
Maybe I should create a fumigation ordinance for the island? Depending on the sanitary conditions, perhaps four times a year for pest control against fleas and lice. Right now, with the heavy traffic from Naruadeid, it’s not feasible, but since it’s an island, I’m hopeful that a few rounds could wipe them out.
I had been planning to lay down a mixture of igusa, straw, and herbs in the corridors of the fortress, but I stopped myself. This would absorb dirt and rain brought in from outside, soak up spilled drinks, and help with indoor humidity while acting as cushioning when walking on the cobblestone. But is it just me who thinks that’s too unsanitary?
I heard that they dispose of the grass several times a year, but all sorts of things, from leftover food to rat carcasses, come out of it… At the very least, I wish they would weave the igusa into a rug or something, and for goodness’ sake, don’t spill anything and leave it there!
First, we need to instill a culture of not throwing things on the floor. Thinking about that, maybe Dean also falls into the tidy category… right?