ICHV 6

Chapter 6

“Ah, it’s hot. Why does my hand feel so warm the moment he touches it?”

Yesterday, his hand had felt warm because they were outdoors, but inside the shop, it felt downright hot.

Sella glanced down at Rody’s hand gripping her wrist, then quietly slipped her hand free.

They barely knew each other. He couldn’t keep grabbing her hand every chance he got. Why else would there be a trope like body before heart?

Even if her reading preferences leaned toward R-rated romance, in her real life, she had always been a thoroughly conservative girl.

“Is something the matter? Is there something you wanted to say?”

At Sella’s question, Rody lifted his gaze to her face. Until then, he seemed to have been staring at the hand she had withdrawn from his grasp.

Why was he looking at her with such an unmistakably disappointed expression? Had she made it too obvious that she was pulling her hand away?

Rody’s gaze felt almost as hot as his hand.

Was it because his eyes were so ridiculously handsome? His stare was a little overwhelming. If he kept looking at her like that, her heart would start racing…

“You said the clothes in this shop were expensive, right? If you see something you like, I can buy it for you.”

Rody said something completely unexpected.

“Pardon?”

Oh my goodness! Was this man actually interested in her?

Sella looked straight into Rody’s eyes. He didn’t look away, either, meeting her gaze steadily.

…Or maybe not?

The man’s gaze was so confident that it bordered on arrogance, making it difficult for her to figure out what he was feeling.

Still…

He was offering to buy her clothes from a shop where even ordinary outfits probably cost about a month’s wages, let alone dresses.

Wouldn’t that be a little strange if he didn’t have romantic feelings for her? They had barely known each other for a day. They had only met for the first time yesterday!

As much as she wanted to get her hands on some money to save her older sister, even if it meant selling the clothes she was wearing, she still had a conscience. How much could a woodcutter possibly earn…?

Ah!

Could she sell the clothes he bought her afterward?

Sella’s thoughts, which had initially dismissed the idea as ridiculous, suddenly took a different turn.

A conscience was something to worry about when no one’s life was at stake. Right now, her sister could die at any moment. This was hardly the time to fuss over morality.

“Shall I buy you something?”

The man asked again.

Her expression must have changed slightly, because he seemed to have noticed the shift immediately.

Should she ask him to buy her something? She could make quite a bit of money by reselling it…

To Sella, his question sounded as sweet and tempting as the devil’s whisper.

But what if he had genuinely fallen for her at first sight? Wouldn’t it be wrong to ask him to buy her something in that case?

No, wait. Perhaps he simply wanted to be kind to her as one human being to another.

For a brief moment, Sella wavered between her selfish desire to do whatever benefited her most and her moral obligation to behave conscientiously.

All the while, the man continued to stare at her without saying a word.

“I want to buy you something.”

Ah…!

His words settled the matter like a final blow, leaving Sella unable to continue agonizing over the decision.

Because now she was certain.

This man definitely had romantic feelings for her.

Sigh… I guess I shouldn’t ask him to buy me anything.

If a man was romantically interested in her, she really shouldn’t accept things from him.

It would trouble her conscience, make her feel indebted to him, and… it could be dangerous, too.

Ah! Wait a minute.

Just as Sella was about to refuse, a new possibility suddenly flashed through her mind.

“Um… Lord Rody, are you wealthy?”

Even if he was a woodcutter, perhaps he had inherited a considerable fortune and could afford to shop at a place like this. What if Mount Tolto actually belonged to him or something?

If he really was rich, perhaps she could borrow money from him, even if she refused to accept the dress.

Wouldn’t that be more respectable than taking advantage of his romantic interest to obtain a dress and then selling it? After all, she intended to pay back any money she borrowed.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Well… I know it’s rather shameless to ask you this when we’ve only met twice, but I’m in urgent need of some money. I was wondering if you might be willing to lend me some.”

“What you need is money? That’s too…”

The man let his sentence trail off, but Sella could have sworn she heard him say, easy.

Money is easy? What does that mean? More importantly, it sounds like he really might lend me some.

“You know my older sister Betty, right? She’s the one who used to come to you to order firewood. She got a job somewhere else and left the orphanage, which is why I went to buy firewood in her place. But now I need to bring her back to the orphanage, and she’s incurred a debt with the household where she works. I need money to bring her back. If you lend it to me, my sister and I will pay you back as quickly as we possibly can.”

Encouraged by the man’s attitude, Sella made an earnest effort to explain her situation, emphasizing that she and her sister would repay the money together.

He knew her sister, too, so he must have known how hardworking she was. That should make it clear that there was little chance they would run off without repaying him.

“So what you’re saying is that once your sister returns to the orphanage, she’ll be the one coming to buy firewood from me again?”

Rody asked.

At the same time, however, his eyes, which had previously curved gently, seemed to straighten into a sharp, level gaze. He suddenly looked a little intimidating.

Huh? Why does he look like that?

His question was a little strange, too. It wasn’t technically wrong, but that wasn’t the point she had been trying to make…

She needed money to bring her sister back. And she would definitely repay it.

Ah! Could he be interested in my sister?

Was that why he was asking? Perhaps he had been treating Sella kindly because he liked Betty.

If that were the case, it would also explain why his expression hadn’t changed at all when she had stared directly into his eyes earlier.

“Yes! My sister is much more experienced than I am, and she’s much better at the job, so things were probably more convenient for you when she came, right? Once she returns, she can take over the firewood transactions again…”

If he was interested in her sister and was focusing on the prospect of Betty returning, then it would be best to steer the conversation in that direction.

“I don’t have any money.”

But the gruff reply that cut her off completely defied her expectations.

“Pardon?”

“Weren’t you about to leave? Go on.”

“What?!”

What is wrong with this man? He offered to buy me clothes! I only asked to borrow some money instead of having him buy them for me, and now he’s completely changed his attitude!

So he hadn’t been interested in her sister, either.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

The man nodded toward the door and repeated himself.

Seriously, what is wrong with him?! Why does he always speak so casually to me?

Sella suddenly found his informal way of speaking irritating again. It certainly had nothing to do with his refusal to lend her money.

Right! It has nothing to do with that! These are two separate issues. Basic manners are basic manners!

“Excuse me, Lord Rody!”

“What?”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-four. Why do you ask?”

Oh! So he is older than me!

Sella was now twenty years old in this world, which meant he was four years older than her.

But! Before she transmigrated into this world, she had been twenty-one. Three years had passed since her transmigration, so if she counted her age from before she came here, she and this man would actually be the same age.

No, she didn’t even need to bring age into it! Manners were supposed to be observed regardless of age!

“Well, regardless of how old you are, Lord Rody, the important thing is that I’m a fully grown adult of twenty. Today is only the second time we’ve met, so why have you been speaking so casually to me from the very beginning? Shouldn’t two adults show each other some basic respect?”

Of course, she appreciated that he sold her firewood at such a low price. But that didn’t mean he could forget his manners.

“We’re going to continue doing business with each other, after all. Shouldn’t we treat each other respectfully if we want to maintain a good business relationship?”

After all, she was a customer who bought firewood in large quantities every week, and he was the seller.

So why was he looking at her as though she had just said something utterly absurd?!

“Are you saying I have to speak politely to you if we’re going to continue doing business?”

The way he put it made her sound like some sort of overbearing customer throwing her weight around.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m saying we should treat each other well so we can continue doing business happily for a long, long time.”

“Hmm… Happily, together… For a long, long time.”

It wasn’t as though she had said anything particularly important, yet, strangely enough, Rody slowly repeated her words as if savoring them, his gaze drifting downward.

Where is he looking now?

Hmm… Her hands?

Why was he staring at someone else’s hands like that?

For some reason, she felt as though her palms were sweating where his gaze fell. Sella discreetly hid both hands behind her back and clasped them there.

Perhaps he hadn’t actually been looking at her hands, because his gaze soon returned to her face.

But the moment their eyes met again, Sella flinched.

The man was glaring at her with an expression that made it seem as though someone had just snatched something precious away from him.

“W-What is it?”

Intimidated by the intensity of his gaze, Sella stammered as she asked the question.