F/VoH Ch 81: Waking Up in the Inn

In their laughter, Ryan could only let out a soft sigh. This morning clearly did not start as Ryan had hoped, but for some reason, he felt a strange warmth behind all this chaos.

“Go outside and tell Rosseline to wait downstairs. I’ll join you shortly,” Ryan said in a calm yet firm tone, his voice filling the quiet room. He then turned to look at Ellina and Charlotte.

“Understood, Young Master Ryan,” Ellina replied politely, her voice full of respect as usual, though there was a flash of anxiety that she couldn’t hide in her eyes.

“Got it! Master!” Charlotte exclaimed enthusiastically, her bright smile as usual, but this time there was a glimmer of pride in the way she nodded, as if carrying out a task from Ryan was an extraordinary honor for her.

After the two women left the room, silence filled the space once more. Ryan let out a long sigh, feeling heavy, as if all the pressure he had been hiding surged back up.

Ryan stood there for a moment, looking at the door that had just closed behind them, before turning his gaze to the bed where the three of them had slept last night. The room was small, the little bed not big enough for three people, now looking messy, with blankets thrown haphazardly and pillows out of place.

A brief memory of the warmth they had shared on that small bed flashed through his mind, but Ryan quickly shook his head, pushing the thought away.

Ryan then stepped closer to the window, where the soft morning sunlight streamed in, bathing the room in golden light. The morning air outside was so calm, contrasting with the turmoil inside Ryan. Now Ryan looked far into the horizon, as if searching for answers behind the blue sky. However, no answers came.

With slow movements, Ryan finally got off the bed, and with firm steps, he left the room. The sound of his steady footsteps on the wooden floor accompanied him as he made his way to the stairs. Ryan descended to the first floor, and the atmosphere there changed drastically. Laughter and conversation filled the air; other guests at the inn had already started breakfast, enjoying the morning tranquility.

Ryan found a table in the corner of the room, where Ellina, Charlotte, and Rosseline were already seated, waiting for him. The three women—beautiful in their own ways—looked at Ryan as he approached. Ellina with a gentle, loving smile, Charlotte with a cheerful yet ready gaze, and Rosseline with a calm expression full of curiosity.

Ryan paused for a moment before sitting with them, feeling a warmth that only he could sense in their presence, but deep inside, he knew... today would be a long and challenging day.

“Haven’t you ordered food yet?” Ryan asked with a calm face, his voice sounding relaxed yet attentive.

Rosseline let out a soft huff, her eyes looking at Ryan as if he truly didn’t know anything. “Hey, don’t you know? The owner of this inn is all alone managing this place. With everyone here also ordering food, of course, that old woman needs more time to prepare our meals!” Rosseline said, looking at Ryan with a strange expression, as if he had missed an obvious fact.

“No,” Ryan, not at all disturbed by Rosseline’s attitude, simply shrugged slightly, his eyes scanning the room for a moment.

“If that old woman is really running this inn all by herself, this place would have closed down a long time ago or wouldn’t have lasted until now. So it’s clear that she has someone helping her, whether in the kitchen or behind the scenes, to handle the orders from the guests,” Ryan replied calmly, his tone flat yet full of conviction.