Chapter 268:
That Smile Is All I Need
“Pu! Pu, puuu.”
Hm? Is that Sora’s voice?
Mrrrow.
That’s Ciel. Oh…did I oversleep? I quickly opened my eyes and looked around. Errr, based on the angle of the sunlight through the window, I didn’t oversleep. Thank goodness.
“Sora, Ciel, Flame, good morning.” I sat up in bed and stretched my arms. Mmm…feels good. Oh! That’s right, I fell asleep before Druid came back last night. Is he here now? I looked at the bed next to mine…and saw someone lying face-down on it.
“Ha ha ha, looks like somebody had too much to drink.”
Usually, Druid slept on his back with his shoes off, but he was wearing them and lying on his face. Had he just walked over to his bed and then flopped forward?
“Pu! Pu, puuu.”
Mrrrow.
Sora and Ciel jumped onto Druid’s bed.
“Be quiet, okay? He’s still asleep.” He might also be hungover.
“Te! Ryu, ryuuu.” Flame looked up at Druid from under his bed. Did it want to get up there? I got out of bed to walk over to Flame, but Ciel got there first. Then it put Flame on its back and sprung onto the bed.
“Wow! Ciel, that was amazing!”
Flame seemed to be having fun riding atop Ciel.
“Hm?”
Oh no! We were too noisy around Druid while he was trying to sleep. I shushed the three creatures, but it was too late. Druid was already awake.
“Um…huh? Ivy?” Druid frowned as he slid himself up from his prone position.
So I guess he does have a hangover? Oh, I think I have some herbs that are a good hangover cure. They’re supposed to work even if you just soak them in cold water and drink them, so let’s give it a try. I walked away from the sleeping area and got those herbs out of the bag where I kept them. I shook my water-producing pot left to right to fill it with water, then poured the water into a cup and dropped the herbs inside.
“I think this should do the trick?”
I’d never used the herbs before, so I didn’t know how many to add. I started out with one spoonful in the cup for the moment, but I wished I’d asked somebody the proper dosage.
“Mr. Druid, can you drink this?”
“Ah, sure, thanks… Wait, that’s a lot.” Druid made a face when he saw the cup.
Huh? Is it the wrong amount? “Did I put in too much?”
“Yeah, I think just a pinch is all you need.”
Aha. That explained the gross face he was making. I looked in the cup and saw that the herbs had dyed the formerly clear water an unappetizing green. Even I wouldn’t have wanted to drink that.
“I’ll make you another glass.”
“Sorry, but yeah, I can’t drink that. Those herbs have a really overpowering flavor.”
The strong flavor concerned me, but I’d just have to make it again. I got a new cup of water, added just a pinch of the herbs to it, and then brought it over to Druid. “Drink up, Mr. Druid.”
“Thanks.”
I watched to make sure he drank it, then took the empty cup out of the room to wash it in the kitchen. He said it was really overpowering… Now I kind of want to know what it tastes like. I stuck my finger in and licked it.
“Urrgh!”
I wished I hadn’t tried it. A complex, astringent, sour bitterness whose likes I can’t even describe filled my mouth. Even just a pinch of it would probably be hard to swallow. I was impressed by Druid’s ability to drink a whole glass of the stuff, even if it was watered down and slightly better.
“Ah!”
Hm? I spun around at the sound of a startled yelp behind me to see Captain Tableau. What was he doing here? And why was he pressing his fingers to his head… Oh, did he have a hangover, too?
“Hangover, sir?”
“Ha ha ha. Looks like it, yeah.”
“Would you like some hangover medicine in a glass of water?”
“Oh, um, are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not, sir. Please wait here, and I’ll make some and bring it to you.”
“Thanks. Sorry for the trouble.”
I hurried back into my room and made another glass of what I’d just given Druid. I carried it back to Captain Tableau, walking slowly to avoid spilling it.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
Oh, I have to wash that other cup! Since it was only one glass, I made quick work of it and returned to Captain Tableau. “Have you finished your medicine? I could take the cup back.”
“Pheww…um…”
“Yes?”
“Is Mr. Druid in his room?”
Mr. Druid? Were they drinking together last night? “He’s in our room. Should I go get him?”
“Oh! Um, no thanks. I just passed out in the middle of our conversation last night, and I was worried I put him in a bad spot. I just wanted to apologize.”
“Sure, I’ll go tell him you’re here. But, Captain…you really shouldn’t drink so much.”
“Oh, um, yes, ma’am. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
I’d better go get Druid. When I got back to our room, Druid looked good as new. Maybe he’d washed his face. He was getting the slimes their breakfast.
“Thanks, Mr. Druid. Captain Tableau wants to see you. He’s in the upstairs kitchen.”
“Oh, that’s right. He came over last night while I was drinking and wound up joining me for a drink and a chat.”
Judging by the grin on his face, I guess they had a good time?
Druid and I said goodbye to the trio of monsters and left the room. It was almost time for breakfast.
“Good morning,” Druid greeted Captain Tableau. “Did you manage to get some rest? Or should I say, do you even remember anything?”
“Good morning. Yes, I remember. I’m very sorry for all the trouble I caused you last night.”
“Don’t worry about it. You were tired, so you couldn’t help it. Oh, now that Ivy’s here, want to tell her what you told me?”
I wondered what Captain Tableau wanted to say to me. Hmmm… Is it about the magic stones? Well, that was all thanks to Flame. I couldn’t have done it by myself.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have any more just yet. But once more are regenerated, I’ll have Rose give them to you.”
“Huh?!” both men exclaimed.
Oh, did I say something wrong? I quietly said, “Magic stones?” but they both shook their heads. Huh, so I was wrong. What did he want to say to me, then? I gave them a questioning look, which only made Druid smile and tousle my hair.
“See? Isn’t she sweet?”
“Yes.”
Ummm, could you guys please stop leaving me out of the loop? I looked back and forth between Druid and Tableau. They both seemed relaxed and comfortable around each other. Then again, they also both had circles under their eyes from lack of sleep…and Captain Tableau’s circles looked a few days old, in fact. He must have been overworked.
“Miss Ivy?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
What could he mean? I sensed it wasn’t just about the magic stones, but I couldn’t think of anything else it could be. I stared at Captain Tableau and realized that he looked much happier. Yeah, looking at him now, I can confidently say that he’s going to be okay.
“You’re welcome.”
It didn’t matter what he was thanking me for. I was sure I’d helped him with something. I didn’t know what that something was, but that smile was all the thanks I needed.
“If you’re ever in trouble, I promise I will drop everything to come to your aid.”
“Thank you, Captain, but please don’t strain yourself.”
“Don’t strain myself?”
“Captain Tableau, please be sure to sleep regularly. In any endeavor, your health is your most important asset!”
“Thanks. I won’t push myself too hard.”
The three of us went down to the first floor together. Captain Tableau was going to head straight to work. He really did have a tough job. We said goodbye to him and went into the dining hall to find Dola giving the guests a drink similar to the hangover cure I’d made.
“Good morning. Looks like you didn’t get a hangover after all. That wine does go down easily, so a lot of guys drink way more than they should.”
“Er, actually, Ivy made me that drink you’ve got right now.” Druid pointed at the glasses of herbal water Dola was carrying.
“Oh, so you did get hungover.”
“Yeah, that wine got me good. Oh, and if you’re wondering about Captain Tableau, he went straight to work.”
“Would you like some breakfast?”
“I think I’d better pass. Could I please just have a cup of tea?”
“Sure thing. I’ll get you some right away.”
“Thank you very much.”
We thanked Dola and sat down.
“Phewww…” Druid sighed wearily as he flopped into his chair.
“Take it easy on yourself, okay?”
“Sorry. It’d been so long that I forgot to pace myself.”
Druid looked just a tad remorseful. I wished he didn’t think he had to feel that way.
“But…did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yeah. The wine was delicious, too.”
“Then it was worth it. You need to let loose every now and then.”
Druid’s worried face softened into a smile. “Thanks.”
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