Dragon Under the Bed - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2.1

“Really?”

Something seemed off. But it would be unreasonable to rebuke someone based on mere intuition. Christian eyed Milena skeptically. Of course, he knew that Milena was entrusted with cleaning his bedroom, but today his bedroom looked a bit different from usual. So he presumed that someone had assisted her.

“You did it all by yourself?”

“Of course. I always clean the room by myself.”

Well, it would be unusual for anyone other than Milena, his exclusive maid, to notice the mirror issue.

“Good job.”

Upon hearing this unexpected compliment, Milena widened her eyes and simpered. A moment later, she proudly lifted her chin.

“No worries, I only did what I was supposed to. Please go ahead and wash before the water cools.”

“Alright.”

Christian nodded and entered his bathroom. Then, as usual, he extended his arm to choose a bath product from the shelf.

‘Huh?’

The honey banana bath product he wanted to use today was somehow already sitting at the front of the shelf.

‘Is this a coincidence?’

The bath bomb Christian used was situation dependent . The bath products he used varied based on the following weather, schedule, and mood related criteria:

On cloudy days he preferred a refreshing tropical fruit scent; however on sunny days he preferred skin-soothing aloe-based products. When he needed to attend a party, he went for the sensual rose scent to augment his appeal. After a full day of training, he preferred a sweet smelling product like honey banana. And when the weather made his skin dry, he used Olive Oil. On a stressful day he used products with Cypress tree extract.

Since no one could remember his criteria, he made them put all bath products on the shelf.

‘No way, Milena did this!?’

Christian turned to ask Milena, but she had disappeared.

“What are you doing?”

He heard a shrill voice outside the bathroom. It seemed that Milena was berating someone. Even though she tried to whisper it, her distinct and high-pitched voice was easily recognizable.

“Mrs. Molly suddenly asked me, so….”

“Alright, get out of here. Hurry up!”

She kicked that person out and returned to the bathroom.

“Who was it?”

“Oh, just a rookie. Here’s the rose cream that you like.”

She smiled and handed him the cream she was holding.

“Should I help you apply this today?”

Christian shook his head as he stared at the smiling Milena.

“No, there’s no need.”

He thought it was a coincidence that the lay-out of his bath products changed. Milena knew Christian’s routine, so it was possible for her to guess his criteria if she was observant. However, her sudden and unexplained attentiveness made him suspicious. She kept saying things like, ‘Do you want me to shave your back?’ or ‘I’ll be waiting outside, so call me whenever you want.’ She was acting so out of the ordinary.

“Did the new maid make this rose cream?”

“Yes.”

“I should meet her.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve been told a lot that I look better after using this cream. I’d like to thank her at least.”

There was a slight sign of dissatisfaction on Milena’s face.

“You’re already handsome, even without this cream. If you praise a maid who hasn’t been here for that long, she’ll become arrogant.”

Milena, who had suddenly become outspoken, noticed Christian warily staring at her. Bemused, she asked,

“Wh, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing, just go back.”

“Yes, then please make yourself comfortable.”

Milena bowed politely and left. But as soon as she got out of Christian’s bedroom her countenance instantly became bitter.

“Lynn, you little bitch!”

It was clear that Lynn had deliberately come inside while Christian was there. Even after working as his exclusive maid for nearly half a year, Milena had never received any prais. All he ever said was, ‘Stop it, leave’ with an indifferent voice.

Such a self-absorbed person had suddenly praised someone for the first time. Her heart pounded in excitement even though she wasn’t the one who had accomplished this. Milena wanted to work for her handsome master for a long time. She wouldn’t  let anyone ruin her plans.

And to think that Lynn has only been here for a month! A mere maid, with little to no experience, was not worthy of being her competitor. However, when the master showed interest in Lynn, her displeasure soared.

“It bothers me.”

She must do something. Milena walked toward the maid’s quarters with a grumpy face.

***

Christian took the time to wash himself meticulously, and then stood in front of a full-body mirror.

‘I still look great today.’

It was Christian’s habit to appraise himself in a full-length mirror, just before going to bed. On the face of it, it was to evaluate the results of his training efforts. But the bigger reason was to admire his wonderful self.

‘I think the dark circle under my eyes looks decadent.’

But he needed to be careful. If they got any darker, he would look tired instead of decadent. With his healthy diet and regular training, Christian always boasted a healthy complexion. Recently, however, he hadn’t been sleeping well, and had gotten dark circles. In order to maintain his fantastic appearance, this situation had to be resolved as soon as possible, but he couldn’t figure out the cause.

‘When did it start…oh from then on. This discomfort started after I saved her highness from the dragon.’

Christian’s life had completely changed after he executed a deed widely considered impossible. However, as he suddenly became a hero, more and more people were keeping an eye on him.

‘Am I losing sleep because I have a lot to worry about?’

Maybe that was it.

Recently, however, he was unable to get deep sleep and had a recurring strange dream. It was such an embarrassing dream that he couldn’t even tell anyone.