Rolling in Bed with the Male Lead

"Fine silk here! Precious silk imported from the Elcian Kingdom!"

"How about two copper coins? I can’t go any lower!"

"You’re trying to rip me off! This is what feeds my family!"

The clamor from all directions assaulted his ears. The sounds of goods being bought and sold, the shouts of porters and cart drivers, the clinking of coins, and the clatter of hooves.

It’s been a while.

Moving through the bustling crowd, Richard pulled the hood of his robe firmly down.

Hundreds of shops stretched before him. At each one, busy merchants were trying to sell their wares.

However, all these shops were united under the name ‘Transen.’

In other words, these were the streets of the Transen Merchant Guild.

This was precisely Richard’s destination.

Ding-a-ling—

At the sound of a bell, Richard stepped inside one of the shops.

"Pour another glass! Today’s a day to celebrate!"

"Cheers!"

Filled with boisterous noise, the place was a tavern operated by the Transen Guild.

It was packed with people, each holding a glass of wine. There were ordinary merchants, mercenaries, farmers, and villagers.

It looked like an unremarkable tavern.

But...

Passing through the crowd, Richard quickened his pace as he approached the wooden bar where the tavern owner stood.

It’s anything but ordinary.

Richard stopped.

"Welcome. What’ll you have?"

The elderly tavern owner greeted him amiably.

"..."

Richard’s eyes darted around. At the edge of his vision hung a wooden menu board.

"Ale: Two copper coins"

"Wine: Five copper coins"

"Cider: Three copper coins"

"Bread: One copper coin"

"Cheese: Two copper coins"

It was an utterly ordinary menu.

His watery blue eyes grew cold. There was nothing on it that he intended to buy.

"Owner."

Richard looked at the tavern owner before him.

After pausing for a moment, he opened his mouth.

"Do you also sell ‘wine made from blood’ here?"

The man’s kindly smiling face froze like ice.

At the same time, the noisy chatter abruptly ceased.

"..."

"..."

The gazes of the patrons, who appeared ordinary yet were anything but, all fixed on Richard.

"Follow me."

The tavern owner pressed a small wooden panel on the wall behind him.

Then—

Groooooooan—!

With a loud rumble, one section of the tavern wall slid apart, revealing a worn stone staircase.

A staircase leading underground.

It descended so deeply that its end, swallowed by darkness, could not be seen.

Thud, thud.

Holding a lamp in one hand, the tavern owner took the lead and began to descend.

It’s such a chilling password, no matter how many times I come here.

Clicking his tongue, Richard followed the owner down the stairs.

This was not his first time here.

Could he even count how many times he had visited this ‘secret shop’?

Having discovered the tavern’s secret through his repeated Regressions, Richard had frequented this place.

Here, one could easily obtain items that were difficult to acquire elsewhere.

Precious magic tools, expensive jewels, rare potions.

The sound of their footsteps grew louder the farther they descended.

At some point, the light from above disappeared. Richard continued downward, relying on the lamplight carried by the tavern owner ahead of him.

How long had they been descending?

Just as he began to lose all sense of time, a faint light appeared.

"We’re here."

The tavern owner finally stopped.

Richard was now standing on flat ground rather than stairs. A cold stone floor.

Richard swallowed.

From this point onward, he needed to be on guard.

Lifting his head to look ahead, he saw a single black table. And...

"For a new face to come to this place."

A young man was leaning back on a sofa, watching him with an intrigued gaze.

"Ah, let’s sit and talk first. Have a seat over there."

With an amiable smile, the man, whose striking black hair reached the nape of his neck, pointed to the chair opposite him.

"Yes, thank you."

Richard smiled back, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

"How did you learn the password?"

The man leaned forward to study Richard.

"Only a handful of people know about this place."

His eyes widened slightly, as though surprised.

"..."

Richard merely stared back at him without answering.

There was no benefit in lying, and telling the truth would undoubtedly sound like a lie anyway.

Richard had learned about this secret shop a very long time ago... during his fourth Regression.

"Hmm, well. A secret, I suppose. That’s possible. I understand."

The man smiled kindly, then extended his left hand.

"Your name isn’t a secret, is it? I’m Zahir. And you are?"

Zahir.

He was the owner of the Transen Merchant Guild, which ruled this shopping district.

In other words, he was the Guild Master of the Transen Guild.

"My name, you ask?"

Richard raised one corner of his mouth.

Though he appeared friendly, Zahir was a rather frightening person. Richard could not give him his real name.

"Cailus."

"Oh, my. Your parents must be fearless, naming you after His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zahir clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

"Ah. Are you planning to keep that robe on?"

His black eyes shifted toward the robe Richard had pulled low over himself.

"Yes."

Richard nodded firmly.

He absolutely could not reveal his face in front of this man. More precisely, he could not reveal his ‘eyes.’

"Hmm. Well, all right."

Zahir’s eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction, but only briefly.

"Ah, a guest has arrived, and I’ve been slow to offer my hospitality."

Rising from his seat, he looked back at the wooden shelves behind him.

Numerous bottles of red wine were neatly lined up along them.

Selecting one, he took out a glass and tilted the bottle. A blood-red liquid poured into it.

"Here. Would you like a drink?"

Swish.

He set the wineglass on the table and slid it toward Richard.

"Haha."

Richard laughed.

Madman.

Richard pushed the glass back toward him.

"No, thank you."

"Why? It’s good wine."

Clicking his tongue regretfully, Zahir took the glass back.

"So, what did you come to buy?"

he asked after taking a sip of the red liquid.

"I came to buy a ‘potion that changes one’s appearance.’"

Richard answered without hesitation.

"Ah, that."

Zahir grinned slyly.

"Well. I have one."

He gestured toward the tavern owner, who had been standing behind Richard all this time.

The tavern owner went into a side room and returned holding a small glass vial.

"What are you going to use that potion for? Planning to do something suspicious?"

Zahir asked as he took the small glass vial from the tavern owner and rolled it around in his palm.

"There’s a man I need to seduce."

"Huh?"

Zahir’s black eyes widened for a moment.

"A man? Hmm... Well, I suppose that’s possible."

His surprise fleeting, he shrugged as if to say, ‘So what?’

"So, will you buy it?"

Zahir asked with a sly grin.

"Of course."

Richard nodded.

It was at that moment.

"Good. Then I must receive payment."

Thump.

Someone behind Richard seized his shoulder and pressed down with considerable force.

"...!"

Richard frowned and looked back.

It was the tavern owner.

"It’s only natural to receive payment for goods, right?"

When Richard looked forward again, Zahir had already risen from the sofa and was leaning toward him.

Flap—!

Zahir’s hand mercilessly pulled away the hood concealing Richard’s face.

"Ah, watery blue eyes. Pretty."

Zahir’s eyes curved like a fox’s.

"I like them."

He pulled a dagger from his left pocket. Its sharp tip pointed toward Richard’s eyes.

"..."

Richard let out a hollow laugh inwardly.

No matter how many times I come here, this situation never changes.

He looked past the shoulder of the man threatening him, toward the shelves on the wall and the wine bottles neatly arranged upon them.

Human blood was stored inside them, and each bottle likely contained an eyeball.

Madman.

Zahir was a madman with a hobby of collecting human eyeballs and blood.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!