Evening was approaching, and they were finally nearing their destination — the place where Owen used to live — Qinglan Town.
Owen and Eileen had lived here since they were children.
Except for the period when Owen went to study at the best Human Academy and lived in the dorms, he had always been here, taking care of his father and staying by Eileen’s side.
The town wasn’t small, as it was a bustling trade hub near the demon race border. Because of this foreign trade, the town’s economy was much better than average.
However, it was still just a town, certainly not matching the scale of the major border trade cities.
“Checking IDs at the human border for the first time… it really is a strange feeling,” Flora said with a bitter smile, as if mocking the absurdity of it all as Qinglan Town drew closer.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Ilya said plainly. The five fingers of her right hand rested lightly on the table, while her left hand rested by her leg.
“But really, returning after so many months, there’s a sense of surreal dreaminess and melancholy,” Flora smiled and spoke calmly with her eyes closed.
“I can understand. Such feelings are inevitable.” Ilya extended her right hand from the table and leaned forward slightly.
She gently cradled the back of Flora’s head, stroking down through her hair. She repeated the motion along the back of the head, the neck, and the back.
“Mmm…” Flora leaned forward in cooperation so that Ilya wouldn’t have to strain her arm.
***
After a short while, they reached Qinglan Town. Flora stepped out of the carriage first, followed by Ilya.
Flora took a deep breath; the air here was crisper but also colder. The familiar cobblestone roads and buildings came into view.
“We’re here,” Ilya spoke concisely.
“Let’s go to an inn first, book a room, and drop off this extra luggage. Then we can go eat,” Flora said quickly, having clearly planned this out in advance.
“Fine. You’re familiar with the area, so I’ll follow your lead.”
“Mother actually trusts me that much? Hehe.” Hearing Ilya say that made Flora feel a sense of happiness.
“You silly girl, isn’t that a fact? Besides, if I don’t trust you, who will, Flora?” Ilya spoke casually, reaching out to poke the top of Flora’s head.
“Ow, ow, ow! Don’t poke me.” Flora looked like she wanted to duck and cover her head, but she stopped halfway and straightened back up.
“Mother, didn’t you say I should act the part and be more reserved? Why are you poking me?”
“Being appropriately natural and not so serious will actually help us blend in better. It won’t draw as much attention or cause suspicion.” Ilya spoke with conviction.
Although something felt slightly off, Flora couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
‘Is that how it works? All right then.’ Flora thought for about thirty seconds. Finding nothing wrong with the logic Ilya presented, she decided to listen to her.
“Okay, let’s go. You lead the way to the inn.” After saying that, Ilya looked at Flora.
“Alright, let’s head out.” Using her memory for directions, Flora led the way to the town’s inn.
Soon, Flora brought Ilya to the most decent-looking inn in town. A wooden sign swayed gently in the evening breeze, and warm yellow light and a cozy aroma seeped through the cracks of the door.
Pushing the door open, they entered a spacious and clean lobby. Magic lamps not only lit the room but also radiated heat, their warmth chasing away the autumn chill.
Behind the counter was a young woman who seemed to be busy with bookkeeping. Hearing the door, she looked up, a professional smile instantly appearing on her face. “Welcome!”
Flora stepped forward, trying to make her voice sound as natural as possible. “Please give us two… preferably two adjacent single rooms.”
The young woman looked apologetic as she flipped through the guest ledger.
“I’m so sorry, but what bad timing. All the single rooms are currently booked. There have been quite a few caravans and travelers passing through these past few days… All I have left is a single room with a large bed. It’s quite clean and has great lighting, though.”
Flora froze. ‘No more single rooms?’
She subconsciously turned to look at Ilya behind her. Ilya’s face remained expressionless as she calmly asked, “Are there no other options?”
“There really aren’t, Ma’am,” the innkeeper shook her head.
“Our inn is the only decent one in town. Otherwise, there are small taverns over by the market, but the conditions… well, they might not suit people of your status.”
She had a sharp eye and could tell at a glance that while their clothes weren’t flashy, the fabric and their aura marked them as far from ordinary.
Flora was at a loss. She hadn’t considered this problem at all. Sharing a room with her mother… in a room with a large bed?
Although they spent a lot of time together in the castle, the idea of sharing a bed… that had never happened before.
Her mind raced with disorganized thoughts, and her cheeks began to heat up uncontrollably.
Ilya’s gaze lingered for a moment on the slight reddening of Flora’s ears, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of her mouth.
She turned back to the girl at the front desk, her tone still flat. “We’ll take the room with the large bed, then. For four nights.”
“Excellent!” The woman nimbly pulled out a key. “The room is at the end of the second-floor hallway. It’s quiet. You can call for hot water to be sent up at any time.”
“Alright.” Ilya paid and took the somewhat heavy brass key.
Flora was still standing there dazed until Ilya lightly nudged her arm. “Let’s go, Flora.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.” She hurried to follow.
The wooden stairs creaked slightly under their feet. Flora helped carry a smaller suitcase while Ilya carried the other.
The second-floor hallway was even quieter than the lobby, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing. The door at the end looked no different from the others.
The key slid into the lock, turned, and clicked softly. The door opened.
The room wasn’t small, with a fair amount of open space and a decent-sized bathroom. A large bed sat in the center, with a small nightstand by the window.
The bed looked clean and tidy, covered in white cotton sheets. Nearby sat a small round table, two chairs, and a coat rack.
Flora stared intently at the bed. It was indeed a “large bed,” but only by ordinary standards. Compared to the bed Flora slept in every day at the castle, this one was tiny.
She estimated the actual width was likely only a little over half the size of the luxurious bed in her castle bedroom. If two people slept side by side on it… they would likely bump into each other easily.
The thought made her heart race even faster.