A bearded dwarf bowed politely to them in a uniform that was loosely based off a kimono. Robin could see a b.u.t.tonless jacket with wide sleeves. The lapels were loosely crossed over each other and secured with a wide heavily decorated leather belt.

'Ah, it's crossed backwards...' Robin noticed.

"Landsakes! Why are ye greeting us dressed like this? I thought ye were gowin ta do things seriously this time!" Ayva scolded the dwarf with a shake of her head.

"Hmmm. I didn't realize it was customary to cross-dress in this ryokan, wakokami-san." Robin noted.

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"Eh?" Christian did not understand.

"So that means..." Quinn looked more closely at the bearded figure before them.

"Eeeehhh!?" Jasmine and Chelsea exclaimed. Gerard's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Keith shook his head. He was used to seeing dwarves, due to the mountains in the north having rich mines.

The guards remained silent, but they looked at each other, unsure how to react to such a revelation. Liam was also silent. He already knew the dwarf was a female by smell.

"Ach! Ye realized so soon? How? Ah thought mah actin was perfect!" The bearded dwarf exclaimed in surprise. "Ah even sent Marlgurn away fer a bit ta try an trick ye."

"Your kimono is crossed incorrectly." Robin pointed out to the lady. "And your posture gave you away."

"Tch! Old habits truly do die hard." The dwarf sighed.

"Sister, if ye wanted ta pull this off, ye should've warned me first!" Ayva shook her head with a sigh.

"Bleh! Ye'd never let me if'n I told ye I wanted to! That's why I decided it on mah own!" Ayva's sister replied sulkily.

"Good that ye know. Now, shoo shoo! Go an get changed." Ayva shooed her sister away.

"Aye an now ye shoo me away again! Ahm tha wakokame, not ye!" The sister complained.

'Okami' Robin mentally corrected.

"Ah'll treat ye like yer tha okame when ye begin ta act like tha okame!" Ayva jeered. "Now go make yerself presentable!"

"Tch! Alway's ruining mah fun." The bearded dwarf grumbled as she strode off down the left-hand hallway.

"That was...Ayva's sister?" Christian and Keith looked at each other with odd expressions. It was indeed quite strange to meet a bearded dwarf woman.

"All right!" Ayva, clapped her hands to get the group's attention.

"Tha benches over there are fer ye ta take off yer shoes. In tha drawers, ye'll find slippers fer wandering tha building. And in tha cabinet over here, ye'll find our special stilted sandals called gaita."

'Geta.' Robin mentally corrected. She removed her knee-high boots.

'As expected of a magic clothing set, there's no stench at all, despite the near constant use.' She noted, as she slipped into a pair of slippers her size.

"Is everyone wearin slippers?" Ayva asked. "Okay! Ah will lead ye to yer rooms before mah sister tries enny other mischief." Ayva walked with a knowing gait down the wooden hallway to their right.

"Tha walls are quite thin, so if ye wish ta speak, please hold yer yells and yer yelps in until ye go outside." Ayva stopped at what seemed to be a dead end. Then she slid open the door to her right.

"This room is fer tha girls." Ayva said. She then opened the door across from the girls room. In comparison, it was much larger.

"This room is fer tha men." Ayva pointed out.

"Do note, ye'll all find proper hot springs clothes in tha chest of drawers in each room." Ayva notified the whole group.

"Robin, you'll be joining us in the men's room this time, right?" Christian asked, tugging at Robin's sleeve. Quinn, seeing this, nearly spurted out into laughter. Christian wanted Robin to join them in the men's room? It was a good thing Quinn had a darned good poker face.

Robin glanced down at the hand. Then she looked up at the prince, about to refuse. But then she was stuck in difficulty. His gaze which innocently beamed 'There's no way that Robin wouldn't join us, right?' caused Robin to blank on how to refuse him.

Jasmine and Chelsea also looked like they suddenly realized Robin's dilemma. They looked at each other. They had been looking forward to the hot springs so much that they forgot to plan how to prevent revealing Robin's gender.

"Um..." 'Can you stop looking at me like that!' Robin inwardly complained. She was in a bind. She had to refuse him. But how?

At this point, Ayva came to the rescue.

"Ah, wait, wait. Marlgurn wants ta have a good talk with tha young master, here, first. If'n ye dinna mind, o' course?" She cued Robin.

"Oh? Then it would be rude of me to refuse, I suppose." Robin retrieved her sleeve from Christian's grasp, and turned away, not daring to look at his crestfallen expression.

"Then I'll also go-" Christian began.

"No need." Robin replied. "You go and enjoy the hot springs. This shouldn't take too long."

Jasmine smiled behind her hand at Christian's obvious frustration. "Come on, Chelsea. You and I are going to have a good soak in the hot springs!"

"Ah! Ah'll help show ye how ta do things properly." Ayva volunteered. "Tha office is back down the hallway to yer left, and down tha other side in tha new section. ye kinnae miss et!" She told Robin.

"I understand." Robin nodded. Then she smiled cheekily at the group, with a wave of her hand.

"Have fun! I'll be back soon." Before turning around and heading back down the hallway.

'Why is everything working against me right now!' Christian inwardly cried. Yet, his determination only grew stronger.

'No, it's not over yet! I will get him to spend time together with me in the hot springs and deepen our bonds of friends.h.i.+p!'

The poor foolish prince had no idea what kind of trouble he was asking for. What a pity. Everyone who actually did know Robin's situation was determined not to tell him.

-----------

"She said I couldn't miss it..." Robin muttered, meandering down the hallway at a leisurely pace. A set of open doors up ahead drew her attention, as the decoration was clearly more elaborate than others.

'Is that what she meant?' Robin thought as she approached the open doorway.

Glancing inside, the first thing she saw was Ayva's sister, with her kimono hung about her waist, and nothing covering her upper half but her chest binding and voluptuous chestnut beard.

Robin's eyes widened when she realized what she was seeing, and she quickly settled her gaze elsewhere, an embara.s.sed blush creeping on her face.

"Hmm?" Ayva's sister suddenly looked over at the door, seeing Robin there.

"...Ah...pervert~! What on earth are you doing, looking at me in this state of undress!" Ayva chirped playfully, striking a pose. Robin rigidly stared up at the ceiling.

"Um...You're Ayva's Sister, right?" She asked slowly.

"That I am~! Meredith at yer service~!" The dwarf lady replied flirtily.

"Um...well then, Meredith...do you always have the habit of undressing with the doors wide open?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly.

"Why do you want to know?" Meredith drew closer, and winked at Robin.

"Because I am seriously concerned about your mental health." Robin replied stoically.

At that, Meredith burst out into a fit of laughing. "Don't be alarmed, deary. Et was just an honest prank. Ayva told me about yer...condition, ye see."

Robin sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness! But, I beg of you, put on some proper clothes before someone here misunderstands."

Ayva laughed and donned another kimono, this one with a stripped pattern running down the lower half of it.

"Yeah, all that flowery stuff dinna suit me very well. Ah've always looked better in men's clothes. So, now we must get to business!" Meredith closed the sliding doors and sat down at the table.

"Business?" Robin sat down opposite her.

"Yes. Business." Meredith nodded. "Ah've noticed there are a lot of strapping young men among yer group-"

"Hold on." Robin raised her hand. "Before we continue, you aren't going to ask my help in getting you together with any of them, right?"

"Lansakes, no! I would'n think of et!" Meredith chuckled. "What I'm talkin about is gossip."

"Gossip?" Robin asked, confused.

"Aye, gossip!" Meredith nodded, then leaned in and whispered near Robin's ear. "Mainly, which one of them lads is tha one ye dinna want ta know yer a girl?"