Chapter 37: If only it were like that…

Finally, she had arrived.

The gray morning mist, like a translucent veil, gently shrouded the border town that had not yet fully awakened.

The air was filled with the mixed scent of damp soil, firewood smoke, and faint green grass. Everything was steeped in a quiet, familiar atmosphere that brought a sour wave of nostalgia to Rose’s weary heart.

The small town was encircled by a stream. Massive ancient trees with luxuriant branches and leaves stood like silent guardians all around. Houses built along the mountain slopes were scattered in an orderly fashion, looking like colorful little mushrooms dotting the hillsides and valleys. From many rooftops, thin wisps of smoke rose quietly, silently narrating the everyday warmth of human life.

The sky had not yet brightened fully. Many windows still glowed with scattered candlelight, warm and hazy.

The fatigue from the long journey was instantly washed away by more than half. Rose’s originally drowsy eyes widened at once. Tension mixed with excitement made her heartbeat quicken slightly.

She took a deep breath of the crisp air and stepped forward, cautiously entering the sleeping streets.

The town was quiet. Most shop doors were still tightly shut with wooden boards. It seemed she could only find a place to stay first.

Rose’s small figure wove through the silent road and finally stopped in front of a relatively clean-looking inn.

She pushed open the creaking wooden door. A smell of old wood mixed with faint dust rushed toward her.

Under the dim light, she saw a burly middle-aged innkeeper sprawled behind the counter, snoring softly in deep sleep.

“Boss, I need a room.” Rose tilted her head up, trying to make her voice sound clearer.

The only response was even heavier snoring. The boss’s large frame almost completely blocked her view; he hadn’t noticed the tiny unexpected guest below the counter at all.

Rose helplessly pursed her lips. She fumbled in the ragged cloth bag at her side and pulled out a gold coin that still gleamed temptingly even in the dimness.

She stood on tiptoe, laboriously raised her little arm high, then—slap!—with a crisp, loud sound, she slammed the gold coin onto the wooden countertop.

“Ouch!” The boss jolted awake, nearly falling off his chair.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes in confusion, his gaze sweeping blankly ahead but seeing nothing. Only when he lowered his head did he suddenly spot the gleaming gold coin on the counter and instantly sober up.

He shot to his feet, stretched his neck over the counter, and finally saw the tiny figure standing in front.

The silver-haired child was wrapped in gray, ragged cloth. Her small face was smeared with dirt, and her hair was a mess.

If not for the genuine gold coin still lying on the counter, he would have thought this was some street urchin who had fainted from hunger and wandered into the wrong place.

Where did this kid get a gold coin? Stolen? Found? Or had she run away from somewhere? He didn’t dare think too deeply; the whole thing felt off.

“How long can this gold coin get me a stay here?” Rose tried hard to make her voice sound calm and mature. She knew prices varied greatly from place to place and had to ask clearly.

The boss’s small brown eyes darted around. A greedy glint flashed past.

“Uh… ten nights.” He rubbed his hands together, plastering an exaggerated smile on his face to hide his guilt. This rundown little kid—might as well overcharge her.

Rose’s slender brows immediately furrowed. Her small face tightened.

“Is the cost of living in your town really this high?” Her voice carried obvious displeasure and doubt. Her silver eyes stared sharply at the boss.

Even in the inns on the outskirts of the Belia Empire’s capital, one gold coin could get you three full days.

She keenly caught the cunning look in the boss’s eyes. This guy was clearly trying to rip her off because she looked young.

“Cough cough… of course it is.” The boss’s chubby face reddened after being exposed. He hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. “Our town is especially safe. Those ferocious demons can’t even touch the edge of our town. The high price is for peace of mind. Tell you what—I’ll give you the best room!”

He lowered his voice as if sharing a great bargain. “Three meals a day included. How about that?”

The boss tried to block Rose’s doubts with luxurious treatment.

Rose was silent for a few seconds, weighing her options. She did need rest and food. Although the boss was slippery, solving the immediate problem with money was fine for now.

“Fine.” She nodded. “What time is breakfast?”

“Nine o’clock, delivered on time.” The boss breathed a sigh of relief and greeted her enthusiastically.

Rose glanced at the simple wooden clock on the wall. It was just past four in the morning.

There was still time. She could tidy up and catch some more sleep. As for learning about the local situation, there might be a traveler’s guide in the room. She didn’t want to waste more words with this slippery boss.

Taking the heavy brass key, Rose was about to head toward the stairs when her steps paused.

She couldn’t help turning back and asked casually, “Boss, has it been peaceful around here lately? Any wars? Or traces of demons?”

The smile on the boss’s face instantly froze. A trace of panic he couldn’t hide flashed through his eyes, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

Tell the truth? Wouldn’t that scare away this little money god? The gold coin would fly away.

The boss’s smile instantly became even brighter, as if coated with a thick layer of grease.

“Oh no, nothing at all. Absolutely nothing.” He patted his chest, his voice booming as if trying to convince himself. “It’s been very peaceful lately. Little friend, just stay with a hundred percent peace of mind. It’s extremely safe!”

Rose gave him a deep look, asked no more questions, turned around hugging her small bundle, and pattered up the narrow wooden stairs.

Only after the sound of footsteps faded did the boss collapse back into his chair like a deflated ball. He let out a long “Whew—” and wiped away his cold sweat.

“Scared me to death… almost let it slip…” he muttered to himself. His gaze unconsciously swept across the wall beside the counter, which was covered with various papers—yellowed notices, blurry wanted posters, and a few half-old missing-person notices.

His eyes stopped on one of the portraits. It showed the side profile of a silver-haired girl. The boss frowned, suspiciously craned his neck to look toward the stairs again. A flicker of doubt crossed his chubby face.

“Hiss… why does that little one look a bit familiar?”

The innkeeper hadn’t lied this time. He really had given her the best room on the top floor. Though simple and worn, the room was fairly clean, with washed-out coarse cloth sheets on the bed.

Finally alone inside an ordinary human dwelling, the moment she closed and locked the door, Rose’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a little.

A long-lost, ordinary sense of security belonging to humans wrapped around her, almost giving her the illusion that those heart-stopping events, that demon-like black dragon, and that tearing pain had all been nothing but a terrible nightmare.

If only that were true… how wonderful it would be…

But the sticky feeling and lingering stains on her body reminded her of reality’s cruelty. She walked into the tiny bathroom. Icy water poured down as she scrubbed her body forcefully, over and over again. Her delicate skin turned red and even stung with burning pain.

Yet no matter how cold the water or how long the soap foam rinsed, the dull ache and humiliation that felt branded deep into her marrow, the sense of being forcibly invaded, simply could not be washed away.

The cold tiled wall reflected her pale little face and those silver eyes filled with pain and emptiness.

And this wretched appearance right now was the true reflection of herself.