Chapter 5 Get Some Clothes

Yana’s Point of View

“Chu! Chu!” Pip squeaked anxiously.

“Fu! Fuu-fu!” Feather chimed in, and I let out a tired sigh as I continued scrubbing the bathroom floor.

They were both worried.

After all, I had brought the largest and most dangerous predator in the world into our home.

“I know he isn’t harmless,” I assured them. “But he’s desperate too. Just like we are.”

“Fu!” Feather argued.

“Come on. A dragon has no use for my fox bead. Those wicked wolves, however…” I continued, wringing out the cloth. “You saw them yourselves. Now that they know where I live, they could come back at any time, we need him to protect us.”

The two sprites fell silent, seemingly beginning to understand my reasoning.

“What about Sparky?” I asked.

“Chu!”

“He’s sleeping? And Lumi?”

“Chu, chu.”

“Alright. As long as none of you provoke our new tenant, we should be fine.” I straightened and gave them a stern look. “You saw what happened with Sparky. We’re no match for his strength. And if the worst happens, if he loses control and tries to kill me, do not fight him. Run.”

“Chu…” Pip and Feather squeaked sadly.

But I meant every word.

Sprites were incredibly fragile compared to beasts born from pure magic, especially dragons. If they pushed their powers too far, particularly in their current state, they could damage their spiritual cores beyond repair.

And they would die.

I couldn't afford to lose them.

They were the only family I had.

My sprites and my cat were everything to me.

Once I finished scrubbing, I grabbed the bucket and splashed water across the floor, washing away the remaining dirt and soap.

“Pip…” I called, and she turned toward me with a little gurgle. “I need water in the bath.”

I pointed toward the enormous tub, and Pip fluttered over to it. She puffed out her tiny cheeks, and a stream of water began to fill the bath.

“Thank you.” Since Sparky was still sick, I used my fox fire to warm the water instead.

Once I was done, I stepped out of the bathhouse and wiped my damp hands against the towel draped over my shoulders.

“I prepared a warm bath for you,” I announced as soon as I reached the room I had prepared for Carcel.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze.

He was sitting on the bed, completely shirtless.

That was the first thing I noticed, my eyes slid hungrily over his huge frame. The towel I had left for him was wrapped securely around his hips, but it did little to cover the huge size of him, because I could see his powerful thighs.

My eyes traveled down the broad expanse of his muscular body before I could stop them. I swallowed hard and immediately snapped my gaze away.

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “I didn't realize you were unclad.”

The sound of shifting bones made me glance back for a split second. The mattress creaked as Carcel rose to his full height, once again making me feel ridiculously small in comparison.

“Where is the bathhouse?” he asked curiously, I pointed toward the doorway.

“Fu!” Feather's familiar voice sounded from behind me as she glided through the air.

“Feather will show you the way.”

“Okay,” he murmured.

I waited until I felt him walk past me and leave the room before finally releasing the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

“Chu!” Pip squealed, her small cheeks turning red.

I ignored her as I practically tore through the closet, searching desperately for something suitable for Carcel to wear after his bath.

“There is nothing in here,” I muttered.

I shoved the clothes aside in frustration. Most of them were women's garments left behind by some of the female guests who had stayed at the inn.

There was no way I could give Carcel something like that. Aside from the obvious problem, none of them would fit him anyway.

The man was ridiculously huge.

“Do we at least have anything left behind by our male customers?” I asked.

Pip shook her tiny head, I stared at the closet in despair.

This was going to be a problem.

But surely there had to be something somewhere in this enormous inn.

I left the room and hurried to the next one, rummaging through every closet and cabinet I could find. At this point, I might actually have to sew him something out of leaves, because there was no way I could have a naked dragon wandering around the inn.

I might be small, but I was still a perfectly healthy young woman with perfectly healthy urges. I shook my head violently, desperately trying to erase the image of Carcel standing shirtless from my mind.

It wasn't working.

“Calm your horses, Yana!” I slapped both cheeks lightly, until they burned red, then plunged my hands deeper into the closet.

My fingers suddenly caught on something.

“A man's robe!” A small smile spread across my face.

It wasn't much, but it would be enough to preserve his dignity until I could find him something better.

---

“What is this?” Carcel asked curiously.

I turned around to find him standing there, watching me with those strangely intense eyes. Water still dripped from his damp hair and slid down his face, neck, and chest, where shallow cuts remained scattered across his skin.

I quickly looked away.

“Something for you to wear,” I muttered, handing him the robe. “I wasn't expecting a guest as big as you, so I didn't exactly have anything prepared in advance.”

He accepted the robe with a strangely lordly expression, as though I had just presented him with something unworthy of him.

“We could go into the village and buy you some proper clothes,” I continued. “Except…”

I hesitated.

“I don't have any money.” I glanced at him.“Do you have money?”

He stared back at me with the same utterly clueless expression.

Of course, he doesn’t remember anything.

“Money is something you give someone in exchange for something you want,” I explained patiently. “Like gold or silver. You know… currency.”

I paused.

“You're a dragon. You should have a hoard of gold somewhere.”

He said nothing, and I sighed rubbing my forehead—this was going to be very difficult.

His eyes narrowed, locked onto me, he looked as though he were desperately trying to force his memories back into place, but I didn't need him to remember.

Because if Carcel regained his memories, there was a chance he would no longer have any reason to protect me.

And right now, his forgotten past was the very thing keeping him here.

“Don't worry about it,” I said, turning toward the door. “Put on your robe and come outside. I'll take you to a tailor in the village. We'll find something that fits you.”

I will ask Baashae, the tailor, to let me pay her back later, maybe when I start having customers again.