Chapter 91: Chapter 39. Responsibility

The rays of the morning sun slipped into the room from the open window, and fell on my face. I squinted, because various dreams were still flashing before my eyes.She stretched lazily, feeling blissfully tired all over her body. I've forgotten the last time I got such a good night's sleep. And even more so, in such a soft bed…

For some time I just enjoyed this atmosphere, not paying much attention to what was happening around. The annoying old man did not grumble early in the morning, and there was no other noise in the house…

I wonder why it's suddenly so quiet today?

Finally, after lying around a lot, I decided to wake up. I opened my eyes sleepily, but suddenly I saw an unfamiliar white ceiling in front of me. What? Am I not in the hut now?

The drowsiness gradually receded, and I began to focus more and more on the situation.

It slowly began to dawn on me. The interior around turned out to be not at all a wooden hut of Elder Ileas, but more like a room in a hotel. But what am I doing here? Didn't Maxie and I return safely to the mountain last night…?

I finally woke up at the moment when I felt someone's presence nearby. Cautiously turned around, and saw on the opposite side of the bed…

— Are you awake? Elsa asked, who had been watching me for a long time with her head propped up.

I was speechless. But only for a little while.

The next moment, when I discovered that the girl and I had been sleeping in the same bed all this time, which turned out to be far from the last surprise. Carefully looking under the blanket, I saw that I was almost without clothes.

That beautiful dress that I wore on my birthday has disappeared somewhere, and instead of it… There's only one underwear left! Well, at least more decent than from the modern world.

However, this did not improve the situation in any way.

Simply put, I suddenly found myself almost naked in a hotel room. And what's worse… Elsa didn't have any more clothes on than me.

Even a fool would immediately guess what exactly happened here.

When I realized the situation we were in, I clearly felt as if lightning had pierced me at that moment.

She screamed so that all the visitors of the hotel probably heard.

She immediately jumped up, pulling the blanket up to her ears.

— W-what… What happened?!

«Don't you remember?» — the girl was surprised, but since only one shirt covered her, I was very embarrassed to look at her, and all the time I turned away somewhere to the side.

— N-no…! — I could barely find the words so as not to start screaming again, — I want to know! Why do you… And I… it's…!

Elsa grinned, looking at me with interest.

— However, nothing surprising. You were so drunk yesterday that you hardly remembered anything.

— N-got drunk…?! I was even more discouraged. seaʀᴄh thё ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

— Hmm… last night you offered to celebrate your birthday in a bar, and… a little too much. I wanted to take you back, but it was already very late, so I decided to just spend the night at the hotel.

I clutched my head, which suddenly buzzed with unbidden memories. A sparsely populated night bar… A couple of glasses of strong alcohol… then a few more bottles… Elsa, who is trying in vain to take away my whiskey, for which I had a fight. The whole picture popped up clearly in my head.

Even now I felt all the signs of a hangover. My head was splitting when my last vague memory was how Elsa was carrying me somewhere.

I fell into a stupor, trying to figure out how this happened in general.

— And then…? What happened then?!

— Well… we went into the room, and I, as a decent person, just wanted to leave you here. To then return to another one. But you suddenly woke up, and… um… attacked me.

My jaw dropped.

— WHAT?!

— I tried to resist, but you were so persistent… — the girl sighed, — I had to accept.

At that moment, the whole world turned upside down for me. From Elsa's story, I could not believe that I had actually done something like this.

But there was no doubt that I was obviously drunk. After all, I clearly remembered that at some point when she was carrying me on her back, she suddenly saw Rachel Cassius in front of her. And what else is it, if not hallucinations?

Heck… And how did I ever stoop to such a thing?!

— I–I… — stammering, I couldn't say it out loud, — I really did this to you…?

— After you knocked me down, you began to undress, and…

— Enough…! — I immediately flared up, — You don't have to continue!

Elsa's answer made me completely fall out of reality. It seems that in addition to all other «merits», «drunkard» and «seductress» will also be added to my piggy bank…

I wanted to strangle myself with my own hands right now.

Who knew that just a couple of birthday cups could turn into such colossal consequences…! I had no idea that I would not be able to control myself so much.

At that moment, she was ready to collapse on her knees in front of the real Lady Ashford, begging for forgiveness. After all, it seems that since moving into this body, I have managed to tarnish her pure reputation as much as possible.

The image of a noble and innocent aristocrat, which I tried so hard to match, was destroyed in just one night.

But I was worried not only about my own face.

I couldn't believe I'd actually done something like this to an innocent angel like Elsa. She probably hasn't recovered from the severity of the last breakup yet, as here I am…! Maybe she didn't have anything before. Actually, just like me.

Could I ask her to pretend that nothing happened…? Although I hardly imagined that such a thing was possible.

Elsa, apparently, understood what I was thinking now, and sighed heavily.

«Don't blame yourself,» she said sadly, «I know you didn't do it on purpose.»

— I…

— It's okay. Somehow, I'll get over it.

Looking at her sad expression, I felt like an even bigger monster. No! After this, I definitely need to be sentenced to death!

— I–I really… — I tried to justify myself somehow, — I was not myself, and…

— I understand everything, — Elsa smiled tightly, — Probably, for such a noble lady as you, it means nothing. But I… now I don't even know how I'm going to look into the eyes of my late parents.

— What…?

— In my family, if this happens, it is always customary to take responsibility. If this is not done, then the honor will forever be discredited…

I was taken aback.

— Is it really that serious…?!

Elsa nodded with the same gloomy mood.

«But of course I won't force you. You have the right to make your own decision.»

Elsa looked as if what had happened had really left a deep imprint on her. For me, a rich aristocrat, such a thing could mean nothing. But what about her…? Elsa will have to carry this cross through her whole life, becoming a disappointment to her parents. And all just because one day I got drunk, and… did the irreparable.

No. I couldn't just leave it like that. My father always taught me to behave nobly in all situations.

If I really forget about it, I will look terrible even in my own eyes. Since she made such a mistake herself, then… she must also be responsible for the consequences.

Therefore, hesitantly choosing words, I finally decided.

— I'll… take responsibility for you.

— what? — the girl was surprised.

— I–I mean, I'm not going to leave you to deal with this alone…» she faltered, «If you want, you can… become my girlfriend.»

I didn't believe that I had offered her something like that myself, but there was no other way out. It was impossible to rewind time, as well as fix something, so it remained only to move forward. It was still very exciting for me that in this way I decided to connect my life with Elsa.

The girl first looked at me in surprise, then smiled.

— good. I agree.

— Really?! — I was amazed at such a quick answer.

— yes. I think we could be a good couple.

Elsa said it confidently, while I doubted until the last moment. Apart from my previous fake relationship with Rachel Cassius, I had no other experience.

It turned out to be my first real relationship, and I had no idea how to behave. Just because I'd read a whole bunch of romance novels didn't mean I understood how to put it all into practice.

Moreover, in this life I was not going to build a family with anyone at all. Since she didn't know anything about it at all, she didn't want to load her head with excess. A carefree life without any personal relationships suited me perfectly.

Truth… Only up to this point.

— You know… — I admitted uncertainly, — Actually, I do not know what it's like to love…

Elsa was surprised at my words at first, then suddenly got too close. Unexpectedly for myself, I blushed, especially considering that we were still not dressed.

«Then I'll teach you.»

— W-what? — I asked again.

«I'll teach you to love me,» Elsa repeated when she suddenly kissed me.