"Ugh... Guh..."
I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling.
I had been in the middle of a spirit-tasting session in the village, but apparently, I had fallen asleep at some point.
"No... wait. I know this ceiling."
At first glance, it seemed unrecognizable, but looking closer, it was definitely familiar. It was the village's only inn—specifically, the ceiling of the room I had stayed in once before.
"My body feels so heavy... I'm going to be sick."
Passing out from drinking. This was a first for me, even including my previous life.
"I’m gonna puke... no, I’m okay. I’ll be fine. I have magic."
I had mastered the basics of healing magic. I remembered learning in class that the detoxification spell—Anti-Poison—was actually effective against alcohol.
I cast the spell on myself and felt significantly better. Unfortunately, as a result, I finally processed exactly what kind of situation I was in.
"............Wait, what?"
"Zzz... zzz..."
I heard the sound of quiet breathing right beside me.
A soft warmth and a gentle swell pressed against my chest. And it wasn't just my chest enjoying that soft, bouncy texture; both of my hands were clamped firmly onto a different set of swells, my fingers digging in deep.
"Ugh... Ah... N-no way...!"
"Mmm... Ah..."
My wiser readers have likely already figured it out.
The true nature of the warmth and softness I was feeling... was a woman sharing my bed. Celestine Crocus was right there, tucked under the covers with me.
She was nestled perfectly against my chest, breathing softly as we lay there in an embrace.
"I see... So heaven was here all along."
I’d finally found it. I let the thought drift through my mind in a desperate attempt to escape reality.
Of course, I couldn't look away from the facts forever. I was sleeping in an embrace with Celestine, my hands were firmly cupping her backside, and to top it all off... she was stark naked. Not a single stitch of clothing on her.
"............It's over for me."
"Nng... Oh, Rest-san. Good morning."
"Guh..."
The worst-case scenario. Celestine had woken up.
There was no making excuses for this. I scrambled out of the bed and went straight into a dogeza on the floor.
"I am so sorry! Please, forgive me!"
"Why are you apologizing so early in the morning? I don't believe you've done anything that warrants a formal apology..."
"No, I mean... I feel like I have to apologize. Uh, what exactly is going on here?"
"You’re apologizing without even knowing? It seems you’ve forgotten everything about yesterday."
Celestine gave a wry smile as she sat up, casually pulling the sheets to cover her bare skin.
"Rest-san, you fell asleep after drinking yesterday. I tried casting healing magic on you, but you wouldn't wake up, so I had no choice but to carry you back to the inn."
"Ah... right."
"The reason I’m in here with you is that there were no other vacant rooms. The other rooms have all been rented out to the craftsmen we hired for the alcohol development project, so this was the only room left."
"I see... So this isn't a 'morning chirp' scenario where I dragged you into the room then..."
I felt a wave of relief. Celestine was my fiancée, but premarital relations were hardly encouraged. If I laid a hand on her before the Rosemary sisters, I’d be in for a world of trouble from all sorts of people.
"Oh, but you were the one who pulled me into bed, Rest-san. When I tried to lay you down, you grabbed my hand and hauled me in with you."
"............"
"And besides... I’m quite sure I was dressed when I went to sleep. Did you perhaps undress me, Rest-san? Even my underwear is gone, and I have the distinct feeling I was being touched all over...?"
"I am so sorry!"
I performed another dogeza.
With every ounce of my being, I ground my forehead into the floorboards, desperately begging forgiveness for my insolence the night before.