Rock couldn’t understand half of what Johanna was trying to say. But she saw Iniel holding his head like he just wanted it to end, so she played along with it for the time being.
“Yeah…I’m fine with that.”
“Thank you!” Johanna cheered, bowing with heartfelt gratitude that was lost on Rock.
♚♚♚
ROCK ended up staying in the kitchen much longer than intended. Most of the time was spent talking, but after somehow finishing the dishes, she returned to her guest room after midnight.
She peeked into the next room to confirm her father was asleep before crawling into bed alone. She was more exhausted than she thought as she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the fluffy down pillow.
When she woke up the next morning, Ebel was sleeping beside her.
He was in the same bed, under the same sheets, his burnt sienna eyelashes fluttering as he lay there peacefully asleep.
“Wh-Wh-Whaaaaa?!”
Sure, Johanna had pleaded with her the prior night to let Ebel “stay by her side.” But she didn’t expect that’d entail waking up with him in the same bed. She was positive she’d crawled into bed alone, so why was he there? Her sleep-dazed mind snapped awake at once.
“Ebel… Ebel!”
She frantically shook him until he squinted up at her like she was the brightest light in the world. A soft, lazy smile spread across his face when he registered she was really there next to him.
“Good morning, Roxy.”
“Good morning— Hey! This isn’t the time for greetings! Why are you in my bed?!”
Contrary to Rock’s panic, he was as laidback as could be. His eyes fluttered shut as if he might fall back to sleep again, and he answered her by moving only his lips and nothing else.
“I just couldn’t fall asleep last night, so I visited your room. You were already sound asleep, so I laid down just to enjoy the sight of your sleeping face…when I accidentally fell asleep myself.”
He boldly said something that made Rock tremble with anger.
It didn’t matter how much she loved Ebel; she still wasn’t happy to have him or anyone coming into her room while she was completely zonked out and too tired to wake up. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him; she was just embarrassed. She had no idea what she looked like asleep.
And not only did he watch her, but he even spent the night in bed with her! She had every right to be flustered.
“B-But you didn’t have to get under the sheets with—”
Rock’s objection was silenced by Ebel reaching out and pulling her to his chest. He sleepily whispered into her ear under the warm blanket wrapped around both of them.
“I wanted to personally confirm you were safe and still here with me. We were separated for a painfully long time.”
Rock couldn’t complain when he hugged her like that.
It was a fact they’d been apart for a long time, and she’d terribly missed his warmth. Even though they hadn’t hugged like this much, she felt a mysterious sense of security in his arms as her heart raced. She wanted to stay with him like this forever.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she whispered into his muscular chest.
“I was worried. But it’s all good now,” he responded right above her head.
“But—”
“I’m content now, Roxy. Everything is all right as long as I have you.”
Rock lifted her face from his chest. Ebel was smiling down at her with just one eye cracked open. His face slowly drew closer and passionately captured her lips before his head fell back on the pillow, and he drifted off to sleep.
“…Ebel,” she whispered with lips still warmed from his kiss.
She reined in her racing heartbeat and shut her eyes. She wasn’t going to leave Ebel’s embrace anytime soon. She wanted to stay a little longer so he could get a good night’s rest.
They remained quietly in bed together until the faint morning light grew much brighter.
♚♚♚
THAT morning, a single carriage left Mateus Manor with a message. It was, of course, headed to retrieve Nisha and returned successfully from its mission just before noon.
Rock went out to the front garden to welcome their guest.
Nisha anxiously poked her head out of the carriage and placed one unsure foot on the ground after the other, as if she’d never stepped out of one before. But all her apprehension shifted into a relieved smile when she saw Rock waiting for her.
“Rock… Is it true? You found Krister?”
“Yeah, he’s inside,” Rock told her, then hesitantly explained, “But…you should know…he’s hurt.”
“He’s hurt?!”
“Yeah. His leg was broken when he got kidnapped.”
Nisha’s whole face tensed. Rock held out her hand to her.
“I’ll show you to his room. Come with me.”
“…Okay.”
Nisha’s hand was shaking.
Rock tightly held it, and they sprinted to the guest room where Krister was waiting.
Krister was lying in bed when they entered the room.
He was still debilitated in addition to his bum leg, so the doctor said he should start by resting and regaining his strength before anything else.
He wasn’t supposed to have visitors for long today because it might overexcite and exhaust him. Rock explained the situation to Nisha as they raced through the hallway, and she agreed to stay calm.
But she forgot all about that as soon as she saw Krister.
“Krister!” Nisha cried out as she ran and threw herself on him on top of the bed.
Krister tried to catch her, but he could only raise his arms so high. Still, he was able to pat her on the head as she clung to his waist, weeping.
“Sorry for leaving you alone so long, Nisha.”
“I don’t care about that! I-I thought I’d never get to see you again…!” She sobbed like a small child. “I knew you wouldn’t abandon me! So, I was certain something bad had happened to you…!”
“Thanks. Rock told me you put up posters.”
This was Rock’s first time ever seeing such a gentle smile on Krister’s greedy face.
Everyone must have at least one person they can be their true self with and show unfettered affection to, she thought.
“We should give them some alone time,” Ebel whispered to Rock as they stood in the room watching the heartwarming reunion.
“…Yeah, we should.”
Rock was all for that plan and quietly exited into the hallway with Ebel.
They could still hear Nisha crying on the other side of the door for a long while after that.
Rock and Ebel leaned against the hallway wall and remained silent for a few minutes. They were glad to see the lovers reunited, but the circumstances prevented them from truly being happy.
“What will happen to Krister now?” Rock asked in a quiet voice, finally breaking the silence.
Ebel looked at his folded hands and sighed.
“I’ll let him stay here for a while until he gets used to using a cane.”
“Won’t that be a burden on you?” Rock asked frankly, getting a chuckle out of Ebel.
“It’s not that much trouble to look after him. I’ve got plenty of rooms to lend one out, and I can get him the best doctor if he stays in the aristocrat district.”
Was it the noble thing to do not to bring up how much of a financial burden that would be? Rock was impressed by him once again.
“Besides, I want a little more information,” Ebel continued, his brow creasing. “Krister’s probably still confused by it all, but I’m hoping he’ll remember something after he’s had a chance to calm down. I’m betting on it.”
“Yeah, I hope he remembers something too.”
Krister and Kurt—they had two living witnesses under Ebel’s roof.
Rock wasn’t physically harmed, but it was a traumatic experience nevertheless. She wanted something to show for the pain she’d put herself thr
ough.
“This sect of the Werewolf Brotherhood seemed relatively new,” Ebel began as he slowly started dissecting the situation. “I’m not sure how they got started, but it might be hard to learn the origins of the curse from them if they were only mimicking the original Brotherhood. But we should be able to come closer to the truth if we can figure out who’s been controlling them.”
The power of the werewolves unnecessarily exacerbates human desire, compelling them to act on their violent impulses.
If nothing else, they learned through this last ordeal that there was something—or someone—who tried to manipulate people that hadn’t been cursed as well. They might be able to learn the truth of the curse if they could find the mastermind behind it.
Ebel and Rock wanted the same thing: to make it so no one else had to suffer and grieve because of the werewolf curse. And to do that, they needed to solve the mystery surrounding it.
But before that—
“Father and I are planning to go back home soon,” Rock softly told Ebel. “The shop has been closed this whole time, and I’d rather not deal with thieves thinking my stuff is free for the taking.”
Too much time had passed since she left her little shop in the slums. So much so that she was starting to miss that squalid shantytown.
There was no greater happiness than being able to choose when and where you return home.
“…I see. I’ll miss you.” An even greater sadness showed on his face than his words let on.
“Please don’t look like this is goodbye forever.” Rock laughed, and Ebel shrugged like a pouting child.
“It feels the same. I can’t believe I have to let go of you again after overcoming a long, arduous wait to finally reunite with you…”
“You can see me anytime you want. I’ll always be waiting for you in my shop,” Rock said to soothe and comfort him.
Now that she was free, she could wait for him in her shop. She could even impatiently wait for his visit and welcome him with a bright smile at the door when the chime rang. Or she could go to him if she wanted. The choice was hers.
So there was no need to mourn saying goodbye here.
“That reminds me, I haven’t finished the court uniform you ordered.”
“Oh, right! I forgot about that.”
“I’ll finish it before your next visit. So please be sure to stop by soon,” she instructed, emphasizing the soon part.
“I’ll be there very soon,” Ebel immediately responded. “I want to see you.”
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, as if he wanted to burn every contour of her face into his memory. Rock shyly laughed as his touch tickled her.
“To tell you the truth, I’m struggling a bit to leave you.”
“Just a bit? It’s a great big struggle for me to be apart from you.”
“No…it’s a big struggle for me too…”
“I want to be with you every day if possible. Like we were this morning.”
Ebel just had to go and mention what happened that morning, forcing her to glare at him to conceal the blush she felt creeping up on her cheeks.
“You startled me. I can’t believe you’d do that without asking—”
“Can I do it if I ask?” Ebel quickly interjected, his smile not leaving his lips. His golden eyes were dangerously serious as they captured Rock in their unwavering gaze.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that!”
“Very well. I’ll be sure to ask you the night before next time.”
“Ebel! Are you even listening to me?!”
Flustered by how calmly he turned her comment into something convenient for him, Rock grabbed his hands.
Before anything else could happen, the door next to them opened.
“What’s going on out here?” Nisha eyed them curiously as she stepped out of the guest room.
Rock promptly let go of Ebel and looked away. “N-Nothing… Are you done talking to Krister?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to get in the way of his recovery by staying too long.”
Nisha’s eyes were red and puffy, but her expression was sunny. It was easy to see that a weight had left her.
“We plan to take our time talking after he feels a little better.” Nisha smiled and bowed to Rock and Ebel. “Thank you so very much, Rock. You too, Mr. Count.”
“You should refer to him as Your Excellency or Count Mateus, Nisha,” Rock corrected.
“I don’t mind,” Ebel laughed.
Nisha didn’t seem to care either way as she sidled up to Rock like she was never interrupted.
“I feel especially indebted to Rock.”
She laced her soft fingers with Rock’s calloused ones. She leaned in extra close when Rock looked down at their hands.
“Say…how about I pay you back by spending the night with you? We can keep it our little secret,” she whispered seductively, pulling Rock’s hand into her soft bosom. “This is the only way I can thank you for everything… Interested?”
“…Huh?”
Ebel angrily pulled their hands apart while Rock was still too stunned to process what was going on.
“We don’t need you to pay us back for anything. I think you’re done here. I’ll call for the carriage.”
His frigid smile definitely didn’t reach his eyes. By the time Rock realized that fact, Nisha was doubled over laughing.
“I’m just kidding! Rock’s got herself a count! And she’s a girl.”
“What?!”
Rock instantly understood what she was saying this time.
But this was probably the first time someone realized she was a woman so quick. Even Ebel was initially skeptical, which was why he’d tried to sound her out for so long.
Rock’s whole body tensed as she timidly asked, “…When did you figure it out?”
“The first time I held your hand.”
That happened the first day they met at Justia’s bakery. Nisha wasn’t as panicked the initial week or two after she’d lost contact with Krister. Still, she wanted information badly enough to put the moves on Rock, and their hands definitely came in contact then.
“I often touch hands for my job.”
Nisha’s fingertips traced Rock’s hand.
While Rock had calloused hands, her knuckles were inconspicuous, and her fingers were slender with small, filed nails. The back of her hands were soft and curved and not as sinewy as a man’s.
“See? They’re completely different. I could tell that Rock Floria was a woman the moment I touched you.”
“Ugh…”
Rock lost her peace of mind knowing that.
There wasn’t anything to fear having that truth revealed here. Ebel long since knew the truth, and they just had to prevent Nisha from spreading the information.
But what if someone else saw through her the same way?
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Rock asked.
“I didn’t really have a reason to,” Nisha replied cheerfully. “There’s nothing to gain from exposing a girl who’s chosen to live as a man.”
“I always thought I pulled it off so well…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll continue to protect your secret.” Nisha squeezed her hand then pushed it toward Ebel. “Also, I really was joking just now! I mean, I have more than a few female clients, but I hate to make Mr. Count here jealous.”
“…Thank you for thinking of me,” Ebel said moodily, lacing his fingers with Rock’s.
Holding his hand made Rock’s heart skip a beat, rendering her speechless after that.
Later on, when she was alone, Rock stared at her hand.
No one had ever pointed out the difference to her before, and she didn’t notice it herself either. But Nisha was right—her hand was different from Ebel’s and Phoebe’s. She was surprised she didn’t realize that until today.
“Is it becoming harder to pose as a twenty-year-old man…?” Rock muttered to herself, then smiled bitterly.
Perhaps it was becoming time to clo
se the curtain on the weak “trickster tailor.”
Although it was still vague at this point, she was starting to get that feeling.
♚♚♚
IT’D been ten days since she left the slums.
After stopping by the store to make sure nothing was stolen, Rock headed straight to see Justia.
As she approached the bakery under the public bathhouse, the smell of delicious, freshly baked bread drifted out to meet her.
When she stopped to appreciate that nostalgic fragrance, the person in front of the store also paused with a start.
“ROCK!” Justia cried out, tossing her broom aside to rush out to meet Rock in the road.
Cargus poked his head outside, his eyes widening when he saw her.
“Hi, guys—”
Before Rock could finish her awkward greeting, Justia threw her arms around her.
“For heaven’s sake! You always make me worry! Where have you been?!”
“Whoa! Sorry! I’m sorry!”
“You think sorry fixes things? You foolish child! I was worried sick thinking they’d gotten to you too!”
Crying, Justia pounded her fists into Rock’s back.
As Rock struggled to find the right way to appease her, she saw Cargus’s wry yet relieved smile over his wife’s shoulder.
Apparently, she really had caused them both to worry about her.
“I went looking for Krister,” Rock explained, earning a teary scowl from the baker’s wife.
“You were putting yourself in danger again?”
“I-I wouldn’t call it dangerous. Phoebe was with me.”
Justia would surely be enraged and give her a real earful if she told her the whole story. She definitely couldn’t tell her.
Of course, she understood all the scolding came from Justia genuinely caring about her.
“Speaking of Phoebe, where is she? You came back together, right?”
“Yeah. She said she’ll come after she gets dressed.”
It had been ten days since Phoebe came back home too. He said he had a ton of things he wanted to tend to. They agreed to meet up at the hash house for potato bread after they both finished the things they wanted to see to first.
The Werewolf Count and the Trickster Tailor, Volume 2 Page 22