Chapter 54: In the Inn
The innkeeper rushed out of the shop as soon as they drove the carriage beside the building.
“Welcome, thank you for coming.”
“Yeah, we’ll be in your care.”
They were politely welcomed, and the crown prince replied in a relaxed manner.
Although the receptionist didn’t know that he was talking to the crown prince, he probably gauged that he was wealthy due to their carriage.
If they looked poor, then they might have been refused, but thankfully, there was nothing to dispute.
And so, they entered the inn without trouble, and their travel documents were verified.
“How about your preferred room arrangements?”
The receptionist directed her gaze at Yui Mei while saying so.
Apparently, there were rooms allocated for servants, and he was hinting that she could also stay there.
In worst case scenarios, servants did not have rooms so they had to stay in the stable, but since this was a high-end inn, the service was also extraordinary.
However, the crown prince turned him down, and he made them prepare the same type of room Li Yong, who was an Imperial Guard, had for Yui Mei.
‘I’m fine with the servant’s quarters, though.’
Because this was an excellent inn, the rooms for servants wouldn’t be too shabby, for sure.
However, she was also grateful that she got to stay in an elite room, so she unwittingly grinned.
“Ahm, thank you very much.”
She quietly thanked the crown prince, who then beamed.
“No worries, don’t want to be thought of as a stingy lord.”
After deciding on their rooms, they were oriented about the inn.
Just like the official inns, this inn also had all the necessary facilities, and even the meals were provided.
Wealthy people could travel in comfort, so it seemed.
The first floor was a restaurant, and they could see how bustling it was when they passed by as they were guided to their rooms.
‘Oh, I can look forward to the meals, then!’
Moreover, they could also use the bathtub for washing up.
Having an amenity that could use hot water in the midst of their trip proved that this was indeed a luxurious inn.
Yui Mei was guided to a huge room with a splendid wooden bed and soft blankets, and a stylish table, all of them with high quality.
It was the most extravagant sleeping place she had been to since she came to this world.
Yui Mei wanted to slowly rest right then and there, but she was told that it would be better if she took a bath first.
Since there was still a while before dinner, it would be better to feel refreshed before eating.
‘Alright, then let’s hurry to the bathroom!’
And so, she obediently followed her guide to the bath house. Surprisingly, an attendant was waiting for her. She was provided great service. Her hair was washed and then wiped gently.
She probably thought Yui Mei was not a servant, but a daughter from a well-off family.
This country did not have anything like a hair dryer, so she could only let her hair dry naturally.
Since the attendant wiped it for her with a soft cloth, it dried faster.
Thanks to that, she had a refreshed appearance when she headed towards the dining room. They did not have their meals in the restaurant on the first floor, but in a separate room of the inn.
When she arrived, the crown prince and Li Yong were already there.
Yui Mei had the longest bath, apparently.
“I apologize for making you wait for so long.”
“It’s okay. Were you able to relax, Yui Mei?”
“Yes, it is all thanks to Lord Ming’s generosity.”
“You are always working so hard, so this is your reward.”
After saying that directly, the crown prince laughed, seemingly having fun.
Regardless, both the crown prince and Li Yong were oozing with sexiness, maybe because they just came out of the bath and had their hair let down.
On the other hand, Yui Mei had also looked at herself in the mirror, but not even an atom of appeal came from her. What’s up with this huge difference?
Anyway, Yui Mei arrived, so it was time for their evening meal.
If they were in the Inner Palace, the crown prince would eat ahead of them while Yui Mei and Li Yong were on the side serving him, or else doing poison-testing somewhere else.
However, the crown prince urged them to sit with him.
“I wanted to eat with someone at times like this.”
Even if he said so, there was no way she could say ‘that’s right’ and take her seat.
She turned to Li Yong since she didn’t know what to do. He already took the seat opposite the crown prince.
“There’s no way you could change his mind in this case. Hurry up and sit.”
Since the Imperial Guard Li Yong already said that, Yui Mei meekly sat down.
The dishes were served immediately, and dishes of appetizers were lined up.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
Right after the crown prince said that, Li Yong extended his arm, and took bite-sized pieces from the dish with his chopsticks.
In normal cases, though, the superior ate first.
‘As I thought, poison testing, huh.’
Poison was probably not a concern in the dining room of an inn like this, but maybe it was important that they followed protocol regardless of whether it was necessary or not.
However, the one who should do the poison test was supposed to be her, the person with the lowest status among them.
Yui Mei noticed that with a start, so she took her chopsticks and plate and imitated Li Yong, getting bite-sized portions from the serving plates.
Li Yong raised a brow, but she ignored him and ate one piece.
‘So yummy!’
The thin noodles dressed in sauce was refreshing, and the char siu also aroused her appetite.
“Cr, er, Lord Ming, it’s very delicious!”
“Really? That’s great.”
Yui Mei unintentionally reported, and the crown prince who was about to get his food paused and laughed happily.
Hi everyone, Hanazakura here, thanks for reading, I’m grateful to you guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace schedule of release is every Mon, Wed and Fri.
Please feel free to join us at our discord channel for release updates and more! Hope to see you there! We also have our Novel Updates page, if you enjoy what you are reading, feel free to leave a star rating and review, we appreciate it. I’ll be releasing an extra chapter for every 25 ratings we receive, as my token of appreciation.
I also finally launched my patreon! If you enjoyed the chapters and feel like you want to read more, please feel free to drop by. ;D Currently, you can get 5 advance chapters. This is not mandatory, but I’ll be forever grateful for your support! ?
My Ko-Fi page is also up! Please do check it out if you would like to support me as I strive to provide high quality, manually translated chapters. Extra chapters will be released when Ko-fi goal is met! Thank you very much (deep bow)! I’ll continue doing my best!