I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 158

CHAPTER 158

“Ooohhh……”

The situation had changed.

Now I was lying on the carriage seat where Betty had been lying.

“Oh, Your Highness……”

Betty, who had recovered, looked at me with pity in her eyes and fanned me earnestly with my fan.

“I’m all better now.”

After taking medicine and sleeping deeply, Betty quickly recovered her strength.

But the problem was me.

“Your Highness, you have a hangover.”

To be precise, it was the alcohol I drank with Ethaniel.

That night when I met Ethaniel.

We drank all night reminiscing and I poured out my story.

“Ugh!”

“Ughh!!”

We both got hangovers.

Yet Ethaniel had to keep up with his schedule to meet the leaders.

“Next time, next time…”

Leaving the village, I was half dead, carried on the warrior’s back.

Luckily, I could stay another day by making excuses with Betty.

“Ugh.”

But things didn’t get better.

Even though it had been several days since leaving the village with a hangover, I didn’t get better.

I took medicine, but it didn’t help.

There was no particular reason for this prolonged hangover.

I was just weak… I was too frail…

I must be crazy… I’m insane.

If I keep drinking like this, I’ll be done for.

I swallowed tears while lying down.

No wonder the hangover lingered when I drank so much.

“Your Highness, please try this.”

When I turned blue, Betty took out a water bottle from her bag.

“I made this while Your Highness was sleeping. A knight said that water with honey helps with hangovers. Try it! I made it.”

Honey water? Sounds good.

“Thank you.”

I drank the honey water Betty made, swallowing tears.

And then.

“Klukk!”

Almost spat it out for another reason.

This is too sweet!!

It wasn’t water with honey; it was more like a few drops of water in honey.

Even if I chewed on a beehive, it wouldn’t be this sweet!!

I barely managed to cover my mouth, avoiding making a mess in the carriage, but I ended up coughing badly.

“Klukk, klukk!”

“Oh, Your Highness is dying!!”

As I turned blue, Betty panicked.

<Baah, baaaaa!>

For some reason, Shu was also fluttering around Betty’s ears.

Why is he excited…?

But there was no time to think about the reason. 

Another severe coughing fit hit me.

“Klukk-ack!”

“Your Highness!”

<Baaaaaaa!!>

“I brought water.”

Amidst the chaos, a calm voice echoed in the carriage.

“Maid, feed the water to Her Highness slowly.”

It was Lionel.

He filled a jug with cold, refreshing water and handed it over.

“Be careful not to spill.”

“Yes, yes!”

Sniffling, Betty brought the jug.

“Here you go, Your Highness.”

Coughing, I managed to drink the water.

“I survived…”

I could survive.

Now the coughing has stopped. 

My chest doesn’t ache anymore. 

Is this what happiness feels like? 

Sniffling, I drank all the remaining water in the jug. 

Then, I handed the jug to Lionel through the window.

“Thank you.”

“I just did my job, Your Highness.”

Taking the jug, he smiled gently and whispered.

“If we go a little further, we’ll reach the point Master mentioned.”

That point would probably be near the entrance of the High Elf village. 

That worked out well. 

I nodded.

Then, I felt a headache and raised my hand to my forehead.

“Betty…”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Thanks to your honey water, I feel much better. Thank you.”

As I blinked my eyes, Betty blinked hers too. 

She blushed with happiness at having been of help. 

Still adorable.

I smiled at Betty contentedly for a moment, then feigned pain again, shaking my head.

“But my stomach still hasn’t settled completely…”

“Oh! Your Highness, should I go get more honey to make more honey water?”

“No.”

I quickly replied. 

“Don’t bother making more, it feels like honey is coming out of my mouth, not saliva.”

My quick and firm response made Betty’s eyes widen. 

I quickly pretended to be in pain again, shaking my head.

“…We can’t waste such precious honey. I think I’ll just sleep.”

“Oh! Yes!”

Betty quickly nodded as if she understood.

“I’ll lay cushions and blankets on the seat.”

“Thank you then.”

I smiled gently.

“I can’t sleep right now, but I’ll try to sleep later.”

I said this while Betty busied herself laying cushions on the carriage seat and taking out a blanket from the travel bag.

“Even if I sleep for a long time, don’t wake me up. Sleeping would be better than suffering from a hangover.”

Betty, who had been desperately nauseous just before the hangover hit, vigorously nodded as if understanding the sentiment.

Indeed, it would be much better to sleep than to suffer from hangover-induced agony.

“Can I just sleep through mealtime too? Eating might make my stomach worse again.”

I said this as a precaution in case I disappeared while looking for the High Elf village. 

Lionel’s teleportation magic would be perfect. 

However, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare for any unexpected situations. 

There wouldn’t be any humans who would dare to wake a noble in the throes of a hangover, and even if there were, Betty would stop them.

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Betty’s eyes sparkled.

“I’ll never wake you up!!”

Look at that determined expression. 

It seemed like she would even stop the Emperor from waking me up.

…Would she stop the Emperor if he came?

Then what about Arkin?

…She would probably stop Arkin too.

Still, there was a firmness in her expression that seemed to say, ‘Your Highness is sleeping too deeply! Too deeply asleep!’ Even if she rolled her eyes once.

Adorable.

I chuckled softly as I looked at Betty.

“Then I’ll count on you?”

* * *

“Here it is, Master.”

Late at night, dressed in simple clothes while everyone else was asleep, I took Lionel’s hand. 

Behind me, lying where I had just been sleeping, was a perfect illusion.

“What about the knights?”

“They’re all asleep. I said I would keep watch.”

Looking aside, I saw the knights sleeping around the campfire, covered with blankets. 

Only Lionel was awake. 

When the illusion, which had been tossing twigs into the fire, met my gaze, it smiled gently.

“Isn’t it usually two knights for watch duty?”

“Oh, another knight who was supposed to take turns was too sleepy.”

Lionel winked with a smirk.

“I guess I’m just too nice.”

“Didn’t you just put him to sleep?”

At my words, Lionel smiled brightly.

Spot on.

“It’s okay, Master. I’ve made preparations in case any monsters come.”

Saying so, Lionel glanced at his illusion. 

There seemed to be something else prepared there.

Lionel, holding my hand tightly, walked slowly into the forest.

“Who would have thought that someone would run away with the princess on a night like this?”

“What?”

Perplexed, I asked again, and Lionel blinked as if he knew nothing.

“It’s a knight’s romance, isn’t it? Running away with the princess.”

“You.”

“How much must the princess love the knight to run away together at night, right?”

As there seemed to be no end to this, I followed along, playing along.

“How much must that knight love the princess to take her away?”

Thunk, I felt a tap on my forehead. 

I stopped in my tracks. 

When I looked up, Lionel, who had stopped walking, was staring at me.

“Huh? Why?”

I chuckled as I met Lionel’s gaze, feeling a bit awkward.

Did I say something wrong?

“I really like you.”

Thunk, Lionel’s sincerity burst out.

Suddenly faced with such a confession, I had to think for a moment why this confession had come about.

“I really do like you.”

Then I realized it was an answer to my question.

Although it was said in jest, Lionel seemed to take it seriously.

Holding my hand tightly, he said earnestly.

“I really love you, Master.”

His face in the moonlight was beautiful. 

Somehow, under his serious gaze and passionate confession, I felt embarrassed this time.

“Got it.”

I tried to pull my hand away sneakily to cover my face but failed. 

Before I could retract my hand, Lionel tightened his grip and lowered his head. 

We were so close that our breaths mingled. 

He tilted his head down further and lightly brushed his lips against mine. 

Our lips touched briefly before parting.

“It’s a kiss of oath.” 

Lionel said, blushing slightly and smiling as if embarrassed.

“That’s how it goes in fairy tales, right?”

I laughed as I looked at Lionel, who was blushing.

Then, I raised my heel. 

Our lips met again. 

Lionel’s eyes widened.

“A kiss of response.”

I chuckled as I pulled away.

Lionel, who had been staring at me blankly, grabbed my cheeks with both hands and roughly pressed his lips against mine. 

Our lips met urgently. 

As I stroked his hair gently, he slowly brushed his lower lip with his tongue and kissed me again.

In the forest under the moonlight, with the princess and the knight.

Quite romantic.

I smiled lightly.