Unable to make sense of the plaque, Kwon Minseong blinked in confusion.
But Yvonne thumped a fist against her chest with determination.
"I understand perfectly. Leave everything to me."
She walked over to the key cabinet and took out the single remaining key. After unlocking a side door, she strode out from behind the desk and stopped in front of the two men.
"This way."
With Yvonne leading, Kwon Minseong in the middle, and Tillio bringing up the rear, they climbed the stairs in a line.
Creak—
Creak—
The staircase groaned in pain with every step.
Yvonne blushed in embarrassment.
"It's absolutely not because it's old. It's just that the Spring Festival brought in a sudden flood of guests..."
"Mm."
Minseong answered absentmindedly. As long as the stairs didn't collapse immediately, he couldn't have cared less.
"Breakfast is served in the dining room on the first floor from seven to nine. It may be simpler than what you're used to, but I guarantee the taste. My cooking is the best in Parselcona—no, in all of Elun."
"Now that's something to look forward to."
After offering a lukewarm response, Minseong asked,
"When can I get some clothes?"
"Oh, right."
Yvonne placed a hand over her chest and let out a deep sigh.
"I'm so nervous right now that I can't think straight. If you wait in your room, I'll bring them right away. Ah, and the room I'm showing you is the best room in our inn. Of course, it probably can't compare to where you normally stay, but..."
"Right..."
"Um... can I ask you one thing?"
Her eyes sparkled as she lowered her voice.
"What is it?"
"What brings you here? Are you on your way to a performance?"
"...What?"
"Oh, come on. Are you really going to pretend you don't know now? That plaque from earlier!"
So there really was something special about that plaque.
The moment she saw it, all caution had vanished from Yvonne's eyes, replaced by pure admiration.
Minseong nervously glanced back toward Tillio.
Don't tell me that plaque is some kind of secret royal inspector's badge...
"It's proof that you're a Royal Mechanical Doll!"
Yvonne let out a short squeal.
Unfortunately, Minseong had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
A Royal Mechanical Doll?
What the hell was that?
"Are you an actor? Or a singer? Which one? Can't you at least give me a hint?"
"...What?"
"I hope you're a singer. I absolutely love Windand."
Yvonne clasped both hands together and gently closed her eyes. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
"I heard that Royal Mechanical Dolls are so popular that they usually travel at dawn when there aren't many people around. I always knew a day like this would come. You know how everyone imagines things when they're bathing alone? Like, what if a Royal Mechanical Doll suddenly stayed at our inn? Things like that! Nobody in Parselcona is more prepared for this moment than I am!"
Piecing together the context, Minseong concluded that a Royal Mechanical Doll was probably some sort of celebrity.
Then Windand was probably an idol group or something similar.
"Ah, don't worry. I'll keep your secret."
"Right. Of course."
"If the public found out a porcelain doll's travel route, it would be a problem."
Minseong casually humored her.
Yvonne was so excited she didn't even notice his slip of the tongue. Her face turned bright red as she opened the door to the innermost room on the second floor.
"This is the room. I hope you'll be comfortable."
Minseong poked his head inside.
The size of the room and its cleanliness barely registered.
"There's only one bed."
"It's a double bed, though. That gentleman over there is pretty big, so it might be a little cramped, but two people can sleep on it without any problems."
"That gentleman...?"
"Well, obviously you're a future Royal Mechanical Doll. Just look at your face. And your figure. There's no reason someone with looks like yours wouldn't become one. You're traveling with your senior while training before your official debut, right?"
She was completely wrong.
Still, Minseong had no desire to correct her.
His soul was far too worn out to waste energy arguing over things like that.
"My senior has a terrible personality, so I'd rather not share a bed with him. Are there any other rooms?"
"The Spring Festival filled everything up. This is the only room left."
"Then have a good night."
Yvonne bowed to them and left.
Once they were alone, Tillio finally spoke.
"Do lies just pour out of your mouth naturally?"
"And whose fault is that?"
"I never told you to lie. You did that on your own."
Tillio pulled a crayon-shaped device from his coat and swept it once horizontally through the air, then once vertically.
After confirming that four green lights blinked from the brass tip, he removed his cloak.
"What's that?"
"A bug detector. An essential item for Imperial Family Members who travel. Don't tell me you didn't know that."
"Then make me one."
"Uneducated quack."
"You'd be crying tears and snot if you ever had to take South Korea's college entrance exam, and you're calling me uneducated every other sentence?"
"What's South Korea?"
"The country I used to live in."
"Never heard of it."
"It exists."
"No country called South Korea exists in this world. Nor is there any territory under the Elunem Empire with that name."
"Right, right. Your empire is amazing. I'm jealous. Congratulations."
Minseong replied without a shred of sincerity as he looked around the room.
Yvonne had called it the finest room in the inn, but compared to the rooms Minseong had been using lately, it was tiny.
Still, the neatly arranged bedding, the polished flower vase, and the fresh flowers that had clearly been replaced that very morning made it obvious that the owner cared deeply for the place.
"If we were only staying here for one night anyway, we could've just slept at home and left tomorrow."
Grumbling, Minseong sat down on the bed.
Sliiide—
Thud!
The moment his backside touched the mattress, he slid straight across the blanket and landed on the floor.
Was the room tilted?
Feeling around the floor, Minseong tilted his head in confusion.
"What lofty dreams."
Those teal eyes mocked him.
"You heard her. There's only one bed. Which means your sleeping arrangements seem pretty obvious."
"Don't you know how to respect your elders?"
"No."
"Normally, adults get the bed and children sleep on the floor—"
Thump!
His lecture about principles that didn't even exist in this world was cut short by a soft pillow.
Tillio tossed it straight into his face and began preparing for bed.
"I'm trying to be nice here—!"
Fwoomp!
This time an entire blanket descended upon him.
"Go to sleep before I take back what I gave you."
"You... you...! Do you have any idea who I am?"
Under the vast skies of Elunem, Kwon Minseong was probably the only person who could say something like that to the Emperor.
Using his rolled-up cloak as a pillow, Tillio replied without hesitation.
"An uneducated quack who lies every time he opens his mouth."
Minseong gripped the corner of the pillow tightly and glared at him.
Should I just hit him once and get sent to a dungeon somewhere?
A timid knock interrupted their peaceful evening.
"I brought the clothes. I picked out something that should suit you especially well."
Something landed outside the door with a soft thump.
Then came a series of cheerful giggles that gradually faded into the distance.
Minseong silently counted to three and walked toward the door.
Getting proper clothes was far more important than a pointless pillow fight.
Creak—creak—
The sound of the desperately-in-need-of-repair staircase echoed through the hallway.
Outside the room sat a lone white basket.