How to ruin the original

Episode 8

Nigel safely returned to the inn before sunset.

The inn was bustling with people drinking and eating dinner.

“Ah, Nigel’s back? Are you going to have dinner?”

“…Yes.”

Nigel responded to Andy while avoiding eye contact for no reason.

“Haha! Good choice. The carriage came earlier, so I put your luggage in your room. Check it out later.”

Nigel nodded as he sat down in an empty seat.

“Nigel, you’re more resourceful than you look, huh? Rudin’s Boutique is a well-known place that appears often in gossip magazines. Did you win the lottery or someth—?”

Whack!

“Ouch!”

At that moment, someone hit Andy hard on the back.

“Andy! What kind of rude questions are you asking our guest?”

“Mom!”

It was none other than the inn’s cook.

“I’m sorry, Nigel. My kid is still immature. I’m Julie, Andy’s mom. We met this morning, right?”

Julie smiled warmly.

Nigel nodded.

“I’ll bring your food soon, so please wait a bit.”

“…Okay.”

Nigel replied while fidgeting with his hands.

Not long after, Julie brought the food herself and placed it on Nigel’s table.

Even at a glance, it was noticeably different in variety and quantity from what others were eating.

“This is a sausage and vegetable platter, this is potato and broccoli gratin, this is a meat stew that’s been simmering all day, and this is—”

“Mom! Are you trying to make Nigel burst from overeating?”

Andy, who was serving, rushed over upon seeing the plates piling up on Nigel’s table.

“What? I’m giving it because it’s nice to see someone eat so well. And look at Nigel’s sunken cheeks, he needs to eat a lot and gain some weight.”

“You said I was rude, but aren’t you being even ruder, Mom?!”

Julie awkwardly pushed her hair back at Andy’s scolding.

“Sorry, I’m just a busybody because of my age. You reminded me of my daughter when she was working far away.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

Nigel replied.

As Andy had said earlier, it was a meal he would have regretted missing.

Especially the meat stew, which was just to his taste. It reminded him of the stew Hendel used to make occasionally.

“I’m glad the northern style stew suits your taste.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Nigel looked up while dipping bread into the stew.

“Uh… I…”

“Why are you blushing and getting flustered? I’m sorry.”

“…You don’t have to worry about me, even though you’re busy.”

Nigel replied, lowering his reddened face.

“Don’t worry, I’ve just switched shifts with my husband. If calling me ‘ma’am’ makes you uncomfortable, I can leave.”

“No, no.”

As Nigel hurriedly waved his hands, Julie laughed and sat in the chair opposite him.

“How did a young lady like you come all the way from the north to the capital?”

“Well…”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life. It’s just that there have been scams targeting young girls like you lately, so I was worried. A few days ago, flyers looking for a missing person were all over town.”

Julie’s eyes showed warm concern.

“I’m about to enroll in the academy.”

“Really? Wow, that’s impressive. You must have gotten into a good school to come all the way from the north. Gordon? Mailer? Or did you get into Sienia? Haha.”

“Yes.”

“Haha, I have a good feeling today. Which one? Gordon? Mailer?”

“…Sienia.”

Nigel finally spoke after a pause, feeling a bit embarrassed as if he were boasting.

“…Sienia?”

Andy, who had appeared beside Julie, had his mouth wide open.

“The same Sienia that Princess Aveline attended? Where most students are nobles?”

Nigel nodded once.

“Oh my, how lovely. If you’re this pretty, I can only imagine how proud your parents must be. They must have been thrilled when you got accepted.”

As Julie patted Nigel’s head, his face turned beet red.

“Ahaha, are you shy? Don’t hide your face, it’s okay.”

“I thought everyone who went to Sienia would be stuck up, but here’s a cute freshman.”

Nigel never raised his head until the mother and daughter left.

***

Nigel returned to his room after taking a bath. This time, he washed in hot water instead of cold.

His face was red, perhaps because he washed with warm water, or maybe because he had been teased earlier.

Although he was teased, he didn’t feel bad. In fact, he felt rather good.

Nigel unconsciously touched the spot where Julie had patted his head.

“…This is a strange feeling.”

Always hanging around men, he felt awkward and stiff when interacting with women.

“Yeah, it was the same back then.”

It was when Nigel went to the Northern First Temple for the novice priest exam.

The woman in the white robe he met there had also patted his head, saying he was commendable for his age.

“I decided to go to Sienia because of her…”

It was a brief encounter like a mirage, but their conversation set Nigel’s future path.

“Well, I got in thanks to my own efforts.”

Nigel recalled the grueling entrance exam as he went to bed.

***

Time flew by quickly, and soon it was the day before the eve of the festival.

Nigel said goodbye to Andy and Julie and went to the communication center.

The communication center was packed with people even early in the morning.

Recently, portable communication stones were released for civilians, but their exorbitant price meant few people owned one.

With communication centers all over the empire, there was no need to spend a fortune for a bit of convenience.

“Hey, who is this?”

A voice came from beyond a large magic stone shaped like a vertically long octahedron. It belonged to Allen, who had spent money for a bit of convenience.

“…Could it be Nigel?”

“Yes.”

“Nigel! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”

Allen groaned.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“I had plans to shop for supplies and explore the capital with you…”

“That’s too bad.”

Nigel responded flatly.

“It’s okay! We have three years to hang out together.”

“…”

“Nigel? Hello, Nigel? Can you hear me?”

“Yes. The connection was a bit unstable for a moment.”

“Yeah, the communication centers have been crowded lately, so the line often gets cut. By the way, about the party tomorrow, do you want to meet up before it starts and go together?”

“Um…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to escort you properly. Oh, what?? Sebastian, I need to go now?”

“…?”

“Sorry. I wanted to talk longer, but something urgent came up. Let’s meet at 6:30 in front of the Golden Dragon statue before the party! You’ll find it right away when you arrive at Sienia. See you tomorrow, Nigel!!”

“Wait…”

Click—

The communication was cut off. He only said what he wanted to say.

Nigel’s face crumpled a bit.

He didn’t have anything specific to say, but it still felt off.

Not bad, just off.

“…See you tomorrow, Allen.”

Nigel left a parting remark to the dead magic stone.

***

The decisive day had arrived.

Nigel’s complexion was noticeably dark.

“Nigel, isn’t today the day you’re heading to Sienia? Why the gloomy face on such a great day?”

Julie, who had naturally started speaking informally, looked at Nigel with concern.

“…I’m okay, Julie. It’s nothing.”

The problem was that what was insignificant to others was significant to him.

Nigel couldn’t bring himself to tell Julie that he was anxious about finding the Golden Dragon statue and had barely slept.

“You can eat, right? Since it’s your last day here, I put in some extra effort.”

Nigel nodded.

“Goodness, you eat so heartily, it’s a pleasure to watch.”

Nigel finished his last meal by scraping the plates clean.

“Nigel, a carriage is waiting in front of the inn.”

Andy, who had come in after feeding the horses, gestured outside with his eyes.

Sure enough, there was a carriage with the boutique’s logo waiting outside the window.

It was time to leave.

‘…How could I not find that Golden Dragon? They must’ve made it ridiculously large as it symbolizes the imperial family.’

Nigel tightly shut his mouth and picked up his now heavier luggage.

“You’re leaving already. We only knew each other for a short while, but it’s sad to see you go.”

“Yeah. It was fun having someone my age here instead of just old men all the time.”

“…I’ll drop by when I have time.”

Nigel’s words brightened their expressions.

“Sure, bring a friend next time. We’ll make sure you eat until you burst.”

“Tell us all the fun stories from there, okay?”

Nigel nodded.

“Then… thank you for everything during my stay.”

“Goodbye, Nigel!”

“You’re always welcome here. Visit anytime.”

Feeling warmth in his heart, Nigel climbed into the carriage.

***

Madame Rudin had been in a great mood since last night.

Her eyes bore the dark shadows of overwork, but no amount of fatigue could dampen her professional spirit.

Ding.

Finally, the awaited guest arrived.

“Welcome, Lady Nigel!!”

With about ten hours left until the party, there was a mountain of work to do.

But that also meant they had ten hours to enhance the lady’s elegance.

“Su, Lina, start now.”

Rudin smiled at Nigel, who tried to appear nonchalant.

It was akin to a starved wolf gazing at a