30 - Bodyguard

The Lady had reluctantly agreed with his plan, but not after almost two days of trying to reason with her. After what happened, he would rather have a break before diving into politics. It would be safer to stay with her contacts but it would be boring as hell.

She hated the idea, but she also didn’t want to force him to do anything he didn’t want to, or according to her, if it was something he wasn’t ready for. The lady probably already had a plan, but every plan would need preparation, and he didn’t want to spend that time hidden away or under scrutiny.

The first part of the plan was the easiest. The rumors of the lady using an artifact to protect everyone during the goblin attack had made their way around and back to their ears.

As planned, she had only glared at the one who had dared to ask her directly without giving a straight answer. It worked well. None of the survivors questioned or said anything about it. If he had to guess, it was because they would rather have the lady saving them than a random youth.

The second part of the plan needed a little more effort. He would need someone to show him around and maybe help him acclimate to city life. Ake knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid attention forever, but he wanted to at least enjoy his freedom as long as it lasted.

This part of the plan was where the Lady didn’t like the most. He had a hard time convincing her that it would work as he had planned. She preferred him to meet one of her trusted people to lay low, but he would rather not depend on her too much.

Ake pushed himself out of Rinia’s room right before Nisha made her rounds. He turned around only to have the door slammed in his face. Of course, there were plenty of eyewitnesses aside from the blond sailor.

He sighed as if he partially regretted it. Ake would miss her, that was for sure.

Lady Rinia only agreed to this when it was only a few days before they were scheduled to arrive at the capital city. He was willing to take an [Oath] to reassure her of his allegiance, but to his surprise, the Lady was willing to take his word for it.

The woman probably knew that he had little to no option for a white.

Or whatever she had planned would need him to give up more than just his freedom.

“Is everything alright?” Asked the young lady.

“Ah, I’m sorry for you to see that,” Ake sighed. “I guess, I’ll be camping out on the cold deck tonight,” he shrugged.

“Camping? But what happened?” Nisha asked curiously.

“The lady wanted me to remain her little secret while taking all the credit for herself. She’d said it is too early and precarious for me to claim the discovery, the ticket for my fortune, is mine,” he said and shook his head.

“I have no idea what this discovery is, but she is probably right, don’t you think?” Nisha said to his surprise.

Ake hadn’t expected the female sailor to agree with the idea. However, the look on her face told him that she said it based on her experience.

“Why would you say that?”

She sighed and smiled. “It just made sense to me, and you don’t have to camp out as the last unfortunate event has freed a few of the back rooms. It is small but much better than the deck.”

The girl didn’t want to open that can of worms, just yet, and he could understand why.

“Thanks, I’ll take any room than none at all.”

“Just follow me,” Nisha smiled as she turned to lead the way.

He didn’t know if she had done it on purpose, but Nisha's hips swayed fabulously as she led the way. These man’s eyes wouldn’t bulge out of their sockets, but she still had that lovely curve at the bottom. Ake enjoyed the show while not making it too obvious.

“So what do you think?” the girl asked as she opened the door to a small room just enough for a small bed and a little leg room.

“This is perfect,” Ake said as he entered and looked around. “Thank you for going out of your way. If you have anything, anything at all you need help with, please just ask away.”

“No, don’t thank me,” the pretty sailor blushed. “You’ve saved me, remember? And this is part of my job. The airship can’t have anyone camping on the deck,” Nisha giggled at the ridiculous idea.

“No, thank you for not telling anyone about what happened that night, but if you’d believe me, I'd rather sleep on the deck rather than continue this farce,” Ake sighed and shook his head.

“What do you mean? I can’t imagine the lady treats you that poorly.”

“The lady means well, I already know this, but there is no sure future to continue hanging around her skirt, robe, or whatever. I’d rather make a name on my own. Sure, accompanying her in any form is probably every man’s dream, but I know my worth. The fine lady won’t let me go that easily, but at least, now she’ll know that I’m not like those other men. God, what I’m even babbling on,” Ake chuckled, “I’m sorry that you have to hear all that rant.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“I’m sorry for you, but I think you probably are right,” Nisha said and closed the door behind her. “Don’t bother telling anyone, but it was me who came up with the wings, and he just added the fifth, for god’s sake. I would have figured that out in no time at all, and before this, [Gale] Mages like me are crucial for such airships to navigate, but where does my idea bring me? Patrolling the deck as if I have nothing else better to do.”

She strolled over and slammed her butt frustratingly on the bed.

Now he knew why she looked frustrated all the time other than when she was enjoying the view.

“Believe me, I’ve tried everything, but no one, absolutely no one believes it is me, can you even believe that?” Nisha asked, and Ake shrugged as he settled beside her. “To them, I’m just a pretty face who had made the captain’s heart jump a beat. All because I’m a commoner. Now, I have to make all kinds of excuses whenever that man offers me the chance to warm his bed,” Nisha scoffed.

Ake hadn’t seen this coming at all. He was just aiming to earn the girl’s sympathy and work his way from there. Lady Rinia didn’t need to tell him that starting in the capital city of the Kingdom would never be simple, especially when he was alone and had nowhere to stay.

Of course, there were inns everywhere, but a simple commoner, for some reason, could afford a room for himself would raise a lot of suspicion. The Lady was probably right when she said that nobody would expect or notice him for the time being, but he had to go with his guts, or he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

The plan was to get a roof above him for a few nights. After that, he would roam the city until the Lady was ready. It just would be a lot easier working with Nisha who was in the same boat as him.

But he wondered why the girl hated the idea of sleeping her way up. The young Captain was a good-looking man and wasn’t a terrible jerk as he had expected. Most other men at his station could have just forced their way with her without fearing any repercussions. She also was a Sharded based on the light blue marble on her chest, so what was there to lose?

It could simply be her upbringing or principles, but something told him there was something else. It couldn’t be the usual fear of men as she was very comfortable sitting beside him, a stranger, on the bed in a closed room.

“But I have to wonder, why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I do need your help,” she sighed. “I need your help to make the man give up on me. Heck, I’d rather let him witness we are fucking our heads off if that's what it’ll take.”

“I don’t mind helping, well, other than that latter part.”

Nisha’s face became even redder. “No, I mean, I completely understand if you want a break from that. I just want him to think we did, I don’t mean we have to…,” The girl covered her face with her hands as her ears became red.

“I don’t mind sharing the bed with a pretty girl if you think it will help,” Ake shrugged.

She was asking the impossible. Sleeping with a cute, defenseless girl without any altercation would only happen in fairy tales. Human biology would smack such a thing down flat on the ground. No one could control their hormones the last time he checked.

It was never easy to talk about the subject matter, but it was cute when she squirmed at the implication. Ake had never thought he would have this kind of conversion with someone. He let the girl calm down a little before changing the subject.

“But is this why you are walking around in the middle of the night?”

“What else can I do?” Nisha said frustratingly. “The man is so persistent that I can’t even sleep without the thought of him suddenly barging in and calling me a liar. I still need this job, unlike the rich-whores who don’t even need the pay. Those girls gladly sleep their way up. And why is he still trying when he already got a few beauties around his belt?”

“You should already know why he hasn’t bothered to try winning your favor first.”

Ake laid his back on the bed and hit his head on the wall. It was his price to pay when he was already too used to large comfy beds.

Nisha giggled at him, but he just smiled and shot back with a compliment.

“You are really pretty whenever you laugh,” he said, and that shut her up.

Her face became completely red as it always worked, at least, eight out of ten. He didn’t mean to flirt, but it was fun to see her reaction.

The small bed size also forced him to leave his feet hanging a little, but it didn’t bother him that much. The awkward moment lasted for some time until Nisha could talk without her head imagining things.

“Do you also think that man is just trying to secure me, in extension, my ideas, all for himself? No, don’t answer that,” the girl groaned. “I know he is doing exactly that. Why else has he kept talking about airships whenever he talked to me? The captain had no interest in me but only my ideas. I’m such a fool!” Nisha sighed and laid her back on the bed.

They shared the tiny bed, shoulders to shoulders, while he tried to figure out a good enough answer. How he could be in such a situation so calmly was a little strange. He was acting out of character if he must say.

Had he had enough fun in bed with the Lady until he became one of those Chads? Had he graduated from being the loveless, desperate simp? Or should he thank the shards for keeping him cool?

“No, you are a smart woman, well, if you did have figured out the wings,” Ake chuckled when the girl poked his side in protest.

“And I also think you can get another paying job easily, but you are a lot better than this man-whore. I’ve done it just to save my sorry ass.”

Nisha turned towards him and pressed her modest chest at him. He knew he shouldn’t have flirted when her small hand began to roam.

“But you’ve made a noble lady hooked, that means you are at least that good in bed, right?”

“No, I’m great, but I don’t think you can afford me,” Ake said, and Nisha giggled at the lame joke.

“Somehow, I already knew you’d say that,” she smiled. “And I’m glad that the others are wrong about you.”

“How so?”

“Well, if I’m with another young man and in our situation, his hands would already be all over me, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, probably,” Ake replied.

Nisha then rested her head on his chest and let out a long, relieved sigh. She nimbly took his hand and let it rest on her back as if they were lovers.

“I know it is not fair for you, but just let me sleep for a while. Wake me up later if you can’t help it,” Nisha added with a sudden yawn.

And before he realized it, she was already fast asleep. The young lady slept so well as if she hadn’t slept all this time. Her fear was probably real if it had forced her to lose sleep.

The girl moaned softly in her sleep as he pulled her closer. Ake sighed as he was being promoted from the bed warmer to whatever this was.

A literal bodyguard?

The things a poor commoner had to do for a little bit of freedom, eh?