Chp 4

Pearl

That arrogant nobleman! What does he think of himself, calling me dumb and careless?! If I ever find him again, I’m definitely going to teach him a lesson so he doesn’t mess with another innocent person.

I understand there are spies and dangerous men roaming the night, but not everyone is dangerous. There are innocent people like me too! He kept interrogating me, and I answered all his questions honestly.

I couldn’t stop cursing him the entire way until I finally reached the inn.

I pulled out the small pouch where I kept my coins and entered the common room. The innkeeper sat behind a worn wooden counter, a ledger open before him. Several people rested nearby, and the place had a peaceful atmosphere.

Ahh, finally! I could take a warm bath and rest for a while.

I headed toward the counter where a middle-aged man with a long beard was watching me suspiciously. Why is everyone looking at me like that?

I glanced down and realized my clothes were covered in mud. Embarrassed, I quickly dusted myself off and gave him an awkward smile.

Clearing my throat to sound manlier, I said, "A room for one," and placed a few silver coins in front of him.

He accepted the coins but kept giving me that suspicious stare.

Suddenly, I felt someone rest their elbow on top of my head.

I looked up—and of course—it was him.

That same arrogant noble!

I shoved his arm off and glared at him, folding my arms across my chest.

"What is your problem?? Please don’t tell me you’re following me!" I snapped, stepping back.

He tilted his head slightly, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

"I like the way you react. It's funny," he said casually, bumping my shoulder as he walked past.

"Why do you always have to hit me wherever you go?! Last time it was with your book, now your shoulder!" I grumbled, massaging my poor shoulder. Damn, is his shoulder made of stone?!

He ignored me and spoke to the innkeeper.

"A room for one," he said coolly, tossing a whole bag of gold coins onto the counter.

Ugh, show-off! Okay, we get it, you’re rich. No need to rub it in.

The innkeeper calmly pushed the gold coins back toward him.

A huge grin spread across my face.

Finally, karma!

I patted his shoulder smugly. "Better luck next time," I said with a smirk, standing proudly beside him.

But then...

The innkeeper pushed my coins back toward me too.

My smile faltered.

"What happened? Why are you returning my coins too?" I asked, confused.

"There’s only one room left. I don't want any trouble in my inn. If you want, you both can share the room. If not, you’ll have to find another inn," the innkeeper said, straightforward and serious.

Only one room?!

And I'd have to share it with him?!

Today was supposed to be the start of my freedom, but it felt more like a living hell.

I glared at the nobleman.

He flashed me a huge grin and casually pushed his coins forward, silently agreeing.

The innkeeper looked at me, waiting for my decision.

Did I have a choice?

Grumbling inside, I pushed my coins forward too, still glaring daggers at the man.

He moved closer, and I instinctively stepped back.

"It looks like you’re going to kill me with those stares," he said with a smirk.

I shoved him backward. "Let’s maintain some distance, please," I muttered, moving back to the counter.

The innkeeper handed each of us a brass latchkey, tied with a strip of faded red cloth.

Clutching the key tightly, I marched toward the room, my entire mood completely ruined—all thanks to that stupid, arrogant man.

I was furious, that man was literally getting into my nerves, why is he getting into my way, i cursed him till I reached my room

I stomped up the narrow wooden staircase, the old steps creaking under my boots.

Just my luck — stuck sharing a room with him of all people.

When I reached the door, I fumbled with the latchkey, grumbling under my breath. Why was it so dark here? Couldn’t they hang a lantern or something?

Just as I managed to fit the key into the lock, I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

I turned my head and—

BAM!

We smacked right into each other.

"Ouch!" I yelped, staggering forward and hitting the door with a loud thud.

"Are you blind?" he said dryly, rubbing his own forehead.

"I should be asking you that! You walk like a drunk bear,” I snapped while rubbing my nose.

What does he think of himself?, damn he is so annoying!!!. 

"Careful. You're fragile," he said teasingly, tapping my forehead like he was checking for cracks.

I slapped his hand away. "Keep your paws to yourself!"

Rolling his eyes, he gently pushed me aside and took the key from my hand like I was a helpless child.

In one smooth motion, he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Show-off.

What was he going to do next — carry me inside too?

I shot him a glare as I stomped past him into the room, making sure to bump my shoulder against his on purpose.

He laughed under his breath and muttered, "You're like an angry kitten."

I ignored him. If I start arguing again, I'll lose — he clearly enjoyed annoying me too much.

Angry kitten he says, more than a kitten I am like a lioness i would eat him alive. I wish if I had a wild pet I would feed him to my pet, no wait he is not worth even being a wild animal's food.

I desperately needed a warm bath. My clothes were dirty, my skin covered in mud — I felt disgusting. I rushed toward my backpack and pulled out my night robe, along with a white towel, and made my way to the bathhouse.

Honestly, I just love the customer service here. You might be wondering why I chose this inn over all the others — it's because they have a separate bathhouse! Sure, you have to pay a little extra, but it's totally worth it for some privacy. The other inns don't even offer this facility; this is the only one that does.

Feeling a little better already, I hurried down the hallway, making sure to lock the bathhouse door securely behind me. No surprises, thank you very much.

I pulled out the pin from my bun, and as soon as I did, my long hair tumbled down my back like a waterfall. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips. I then began to unwrap the cloth tightly bound around my chest. The second I removed it, my breasts bounced free, and I instantly felt lighter, like I could breathe properly again. Finally, some freedom!

Without wasting a second, I slipped into the bath and began scrubbing myself thoroughly, determined to wash off all the grime and exhaustion of the day.

By the time I finished, my skin was red from scrubbing and my muscles were finally relaxed after all the tension I'd been carrying.

After soaking for a while in the deliciously warm water, I eventually climbed out of the bath, feeling clean, warm, and almost... human again.

As I wrapped the towel around myself and was about to grab my night robe, I heard a soft creak near the door.

I froze.

My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Was someone trying to peek? Oh no, no, no! Not after the kind of day I'd had!

Panicking, I grabbed the nearest thing — which happened to be my wooden bath bucket — and held it above my head, ready to throw it at whoever dared to invade my privacy.

"Who's there?!" I shouted, trying to make my voice sound as deep and threatening as possible.

Another soft creak, and then... a small, fluffy white cat trotted into the bathhouse as if it owned the place.

I blinked. The cat blinked back at me.

We stared at each other for a long, awkward moment.

Lowering the bucket, I sighed so hard I nearly deflated.

"Seriously? After all that drama, it's you?" I muttered. The cat meowed loudly as if mocking me, flicked its tail, and casually strolled out the door like a little king.

"Great. Scared half to death by a ball of fluff," I grumbled as I slipped into my night robe, making a mental note to double-check the locks next time.

Just my luck. Even cats didn’t take me seriously.

After the terrifying encounter with the ferocious assassin cat — yes, that’s what I decided to call it — I finally managed to calm myself down. I dried my hair quickly with the towel and slipped into my night robe, feeling cozy and clean for the first time in days.

But... cozy wouldn’t last long.

I still had to disguise myself as a boy. Again.

I stared at the cloth strip in my hands — my so-called "binding wrap."

"You and I are going to have a fight again, aren't we?" I muttered at it.

It stared back at me silently, smug.

With a heavy sigh, I began the tedious task of wrapping my chest tightly. Halfway through, I realized it was crooked and lumpy.

“Ugh, great,” I hissed under my breath, unwrapping and starting over.

The second time, it was too tight — I couldn't breathe properly.

The third time, it slipped halfway down and tangled around my waist like a dying snake.

By the fourth attempt, I was sweating more than I had in the entire bath.

"This is actual torture," I grumbled, glaring at my reflection in the little cracked mirror hanging on the wall.

No wonder men were always so grumpy — walking around in these stiff clothes with no air reaching their lungs.

After what felt like an entire battle, I finally managed to flatten everything down and secure it properly.

Now came the next challenge: the pants.

I hopped on one foot trying to pull them up, nearly slipped, caught myself dramatically on the wall, and almost took down the entire towel rack.

"Graceful as ever," I muttered sarcastically.

Finally, dressed in my plain tunic, trousers, and boots, with my hair tucked under my cap once more, I inspected myself.

Boyish. Rough around the edges.

Perfect — if you didn’t look too closely.

I grinned at my reflection.

"Pearl, you are officially the most stubborn, dumbest, bravest boy in the world," I whispered with a wink before grabbing my bag and heading back to my room.

After what felt like a full-on war with the binding cloth and pants, I finally looked somewhat decent — decent enough to pass for a scrawny boy, anyway.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Dressing up like this should be considered a battlefield skill.

Tying the last knot behind my back, I picked up my boots and was about to slip out of the bathhouse quietly.

But just as I turned towards the door —

BANG!

The door burst open.

I froze, one boot still dangling from my hand.

Standing there, equally frozen, was none other than the arrogant nobleman.

His jacket was already off, slung casually over his shoulder, shirt half unbuttoned — revealing an annoyingly perfect, muscular chest. His hair, usually so neat, was slightly messy, like he had run his hands through it impatiently.

For a long second, we just stared at each other.

Me — half-dressed, holding a boot.

Him — half-undressed, holding a towel.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I barked, my voice cracking terribly as I tried to sound manly.

He blinked slowly, looking around, and then back at me.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, raising an eyebrow, amused. "This is the bathhouse. I'm here to bathe."

I felt heat rush to my face.

"Well—I was here FIRST! Get out!!" I yelled, throwing the boot at him out of sheer panic.

He dodged it easily, smirking. "Feisty, aren’t you?"

I grabbed the towel hanging nearby and flung it over my chest instinctively, even though it was already tightly bound and hidden under my tunic.

Still — psychological protection.

He laughed softly under his breath. “Relax. You’re built like a starving stray cat. I’m not impressed.”

Excuse me??

Was he insulting me or sparing my dignity? I couldn’t tell.

Probably both.

I stomped my foot, pointing furiously at the door. "OUT! Or I’ll... I’ll throw something heavier next time!"

He rolled his eyes dramatically but turned around.

"Fine, fine. I’ll wait. But you owe me — I was about to enjoy a nice, warm soak," he said, tossing a wink over his shoulder before exiting and shutting the door behind him.

The nerve of that man!!

I locked the door firmly this time, double-checking it twice, and leaned against it, heart hammering in my chest.

How did a simple bath turn into a scene out of a nightmare?

"I swear," I muttered, "next time I see him shirtless, I’m shoving a bucket of cold water over his head.”