028 – *Only with me, got it?*
“You are gradually falling asleep… from now on, Miss Daisy Ruin will gradually fall into ‘sleep’…”
—
Daisy Ruin (25)
[Kidnapped] – Active
[Spied On] – Layton Isolde
[Sleep] – Inactive
—
Repeating the word “sleep” like that must have done the trick. Looking at the status window, I could see the formerly active [Sleep] status turn to inactive, confirming that the woman had fallen asleep.
‘Nice!’
With this, my very first paying customer was in the bag.
With Miss Daisy Ruin spreading the word about me after finally getting some shut-eye, Mihahn’s sleep clinic was bound to be a roaring success.
‘How much should I charge?!’
I could almost taste the money already, but…
“Come to think of it, this could be a bit problematic…”
The numerous difficult clients I’d encountered back in Korea brought a particular concern to mind.
For example…
“What did you do to me while I was asleep?”
If a female client, having signed up for the sleep clinic, claimed I had s*xually assaulted her in her slumber…
Without recording devices like cellphones to prove my innocence… I could be locked away in the imperial dungeon solely on the strength of the victim’s tears.
If not that…
“After using the sleep clinic, money vanished from my wallet.”
“After using the sleep clinic, a valuable possession disappeared from my room.”
“After using the sleep clinic, my undergarments went missing.”
Uwaaah…
‘Just imagining it makes my head spin!’
Without any means to prove my innocence, there would be no way to win against a troublemaker deliberately trying to fleece me.
“Maybe a partner would be wise…”
Then perhaps…
It would be better to have a partner, someone deeply trusted within the Academy.
‘Let’s see, who do I know…’
To find a partner, I splayed out my fingers.
‘The Archmage?’
The appearance of the first candidate brought a scoffing laugh to my lips despite myself.
The Archmage, busier than anyone in the world, would never come to the Academy to run a sleep clinic with me, would he?
‘Professor Layton?’
I immediately considered the second candidate.
Professor Layton was one of the most trusted figures amongst the Academy students.
If he were to work at the sleep clinic with me, there was a high chance even the worst kind of client wouldn’t dare to stir trouble.
Of course, this too was an impossible fantasy.
‘Where would the Professor even find the time for something like that?’
Then the last person left was…
‘Ella?’
Ella was the only one left.
However…
Mihail’s sleep clinic was meant to make money.
There was no reason for the eldest daughter of the Eloise margrave family, one of the wealthiest families in the Magic Kingdom, to partner with me.
If there was a reason, it might be…that she held a certain fondness for me?
‘No… No way…’
However, I couldn’t possibly exploit someone’s affections for my own gain. I swiftly dismissed the thought and tried to consider other candidates, but…
“Waaah… I don’t have a single friend?”
Mihail… age 22…
A sorrowful kidnapper with only Ella as a friend…
‘Sniffle…’
Just as I fell despairingly face-first onto the floor, it struck me.
There were recording crystal orbs in the Arcane Magic Kingdom!
I had to abandon that thought right away.
Because…
‘I’m broke…’
I have no money.
I need to buy a recording orb to earn money… but I don’t have the money to buy a recording orb.
What kind of endless loop is this?
‘Wouldn’t it be impossible… to buy it on credit?’
And also.
Which sane merchant would sell that expensive recording orb on credit to a total stranger…?
‘Lady Ella?!’
In that instant.
Someone with enough money to stack up orbs, someone who trusted me not to run off with the debt, flashed into my mind.
‘…I should have a word with her tomorrow.’
I’d talk to Lady Ella about it tomorrow.
For now, I needed to get out of this room while the girl was still asleep.
…
“Haaam…”
Waking up with a stretch.
The talking cat, who’d fallen asleep yesterday at lunch… no, the True Ancestor Vampire, was still fast asleep.
‘Is it because she’s sleeping for the first time in 400 years?’
Well… if she hasn’t slept for 400 years and is sleeping now…
‘…Will she wake up around the time I graduate from the Academy…?’
The fleeting thought crossed my mind that she might sleep for at least four years.
‘I almost wish she would.’
Careful not to wake the sleeping cat, I quietly changed from my pajamas into my uniform and headed to the cafeteria.
“Did you finish the assignment?”
“It’s a group project… haaa… one of our group members was a doppelganger…”
“Ah…”
“The professor understands, but still…”
Looking at the students huddled together in the cafeteria, chattering away.
I also had a strong desire to make friends to eat with like that when I enrolled as a freshman.
“Thank you.”
Taking my tray, I started to look for a place to eat alone, when—
A flash!
Someone raised their hand high. Looking towards them…
“Mihan! Come sit here!”
It was Daisy Ruin, eating with her friends.
“Lady Daisy Ruin?”
“What’s with the ‘Lady’? Just call me Daisy, senior.”
“Ah, Senior.”
“Let me introduce you. These are my friends.”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Mihean. I’ll be entering the academy as a freshman soon.”
“Ah? So this is her?”
“Oh… she’s rather, slender, isn’t she?”
“This is the Mihean I was telling you about earlier. I seriously can’t even remember how I fell asleep. “
Judging by the flow of the conversation, it seemed like Senior Daisy was enthusiastically promoting Mihean’s sleep clinic.
‘Potential customers, it seems!’
*
“The Master will be returning to the manor in five days.”
I heard from the head butler that Father would be returning in five days.
‘I must inform Mihean.’
Mihean-nim had said that in order for us to be together, I needed to receive permission from my father.
And Father, too, wanted to see Mihean-nim in person to assess whether to grant his permission.
So, five days hence, I planned to invite Mihean-nim back to the manor on the day Father returned.
‘I want to tell her everything, quickly.’
Until then, I would choose attire suitable for Mihean-nim and teach her noble dining etiquette, among other things.
Mihean-nim is already a noble person, of course, but having lived as a commoner, she wouldn’t have learned the customs of a noble house.
Of course, I wouldn’t deny that I also planned to use the excuse of teaching etiquette to subtly initiate skinship.
“We have arrived, Young Lady.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Therefore, today I arrived at the academy even earlier than I had two days prior.
Partly because I wanted to see Mihean-nim as soon as possible, and partly because I had a suitable excuse.
Just as I was about to head to Mihean-nim’s dormitory room, which I had learned about from Professor Layton…
‘Mihean-nim?’
I could see Mihean-nim having breakfast inside the academy cafeteria.
So, as I entered the cafeteria to greet Mihean-nim…
“Thank you so much for letting me sleep over last night.”
“Ahaha, it’s nothing.”
“Wow… it was the deepest sleep I’ve ever had, really!”
“It’s only natural, for my clients.”
‘…Letting her sleep over? …Clients?’
I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks, drawn in by their conversation.
“At first, you said it was an embarrassing story, so I wondered what the trouble was.”
‘An embarrassing story??’
“Ahaha, it’s a little… difficult to tell others, you know. It took a lot of courage.”
‘A story that’s a little difficult to tell others??’
“Oh right… I forgot to give you the money yesterday.”
‘Even giving money??’
A woman is thanking a man for letting her sleep over.
The man is responding to the woman by calling her a client.
The woman emphasized a shameful tale…
Lastly… she pressed money into the man’s hand, a token of gratitude…
This is… quite something…
*
Daisy-sunbae’s friends, wanting to give us space to talk, excused themselves first.
I began discussing the events of the previous night with her.
“Ah, right… I forgot to pay you yesterday.”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t received payment either.
Daisy-sunbae was my first customer, after all.
And she was kind enough to help with promotion, so I should have politely refused…
“That’ll be 2000 shillings.”
“Thank you!”
‘You don’t have to!’
Ah.
The thought and the words came out flipped.
No… but it was an unavoidable phenomenon.
Surely, 2000 shillings *was* the reasonable amount I should receive from her…
“2000 shillings for one sleep clinic session… isn’t that a little much?”
Even still, feeling a prick of conscience, I asked if it wasn’t too expensive…
“2000 shillings for one session *is* a bit pricey, yes. But I was able to sleep so soundly for that price, so there you have it.”
Even though she knew the price was high, I couldn’t help but feel grateful to someone who valued my service so dearly.
“Call me anytime! So you can sleep peacefully, I can even visit your room every night!”
Moved by her generosity, I expressed my sincere gratitude…
“…Mihyeon-ssi? D-Did you just say…?”
I could hear a woman’s bewildered voice from behind me.
“We greet the next head of the Eloise family.”
Simultaneously, Daisy-sunbae immediately rose from her seat and bowed respectfully to Ella-ssi, and separately..
‘…Ah.’
I realized that my earlier statement to Daisy-sunbae,
Could be easily misunderstood by someone unaware of our situation.
“Ah, Ella-ssi. What perfect timing. There was something I wanted to ask you as well.”
“Y-You want to ask me… too?!”
“Yes.”
I intended to explain the situation to Ella-ssi, just enough…
But… she hesitated…
After pausing for a moment, Ella-ssi quietly put her mouth to my ear…
“I… I can pay you more…”
“?”
“Just… just do those things… only with me…”