Chapter 131: An Uninvited Guest
Most of the office staff were natives of King's Landing and had homes to return to after work, so for the time being, only Jaqen, Neil, and his sister Nina resided here. Including Egger and Casey, the five of them didn't even occupy a quarter of the available rooms; space was more than ample.
It was nearly dinner time. Before leaving King's Landing, Egger's meals had been handled by the proprietor of the Albatross Inn, but now that he had moved out, he had to see to it himself.
"Casey, are you familiar with this neighborhood?" Egger asked his young aide. "Lead us to a good place to eat and help us settle our stomachs."
"My Lord... this area is lived in by high officials and nobles. It's my first time here as well."
Egger sighed and looked toward his capable female subordinate. "And Nina? How long have you lived here, and how have you been handling meals?"
"There is a kitchen. I usually whip something simple up for my brother, kon, and myself just to get by," the girl answered softly. "There are restaurants nearby, but eating there is quite expensive..."
"We've spent the whole day running around; don't bother with the stove. Tell Casey where the restaurant is and let him go buy something to bring back."
"Yes."
"First, take me to my room."
As the boss of the Night's Watch industries, Egger's room was naturally the most central and largest in the manor—the one designated as the master bedroom.
"Even though you were away, the cleaners came every few days to tidy up. It's fully equipped; the bedding was aired out just two or three days ago, so you can move right in," Nina said. She paused for a moment before adding in a noticeably lower voice, "I live right next door... if you have any orders, My Lord, you can just call for me."
Hoh, right next door? Is this Tyrion's arrangement or her own? If I ordered you to warm the bed, would you follow that too? Egger shot a surprised glance at the girl. It was getting dark and he couldn't see her expression clearly, but there was a high probability she was blushing again. "Mm. Tell Casey where to get dinner now. Casey, do you have coin on you?"
"I do, My Lord!"
"Then make it quick... and mention my name. See if the owner will let us start a tab; we'll likely be frequenting his establishment from now on."
"Yes, My Lord!"
"Alright, you head back to your room as well. I'll call if I need anything."
"It's getting late. Since it's your first time back, My Lord, let me light the lamps for you."
"Very well." It was pitch black, and navigating unfamiliar surroundings was indeed inconvenient. Egger smiled and nodded to Nina as he entered his chambers.
The girl expertly lit several oil lamps in various corners of the room, instantly illuminating the space. Being alone with Egger in a room containing a bed seemed to make her extremely nervous. She hurriedly excused herself and retreated; her flustered exit made Egger genuinely worry she might trip over something.
The door closed, and finally alone, Egger exhaled. He took off his black cloak, hung it on the rack, and began to inspect the bedroom Tyrion had arranged for him.
As a prominent member of the wealthiest family in Westeros, Tyrion's friends in King's Landing were no ordinary folk. Although the original owner had purchased this house as an investment and had never officially moved in, even the basic decorations and fixtures showed a touch of opulence. The room was large, with a long table and several chairs in the outer area surrounded by decorative furniture. An exquisite mural depicting the Seven Aspects of the God faced the door, dividing the room into living and sleeping quarters. It felt a bit strange for a Man of the Night's Watch to live like this, but a tenant could hardly alter the original owner's property. Egger shook his head, passed the mural, and entered the inner bedroom.
...
A sense of familiarity washed over him. It took Egger a few seconds of confusion to realize why: this room was almost an exact replica of the inn room where he had lived for a long time. The positions of the table, chairs, bed, and wardrobe were virtually identical to his previous setup. Looking closer, even the arrangement of utensils and documents on the desk remained unchanged. He pulled open a drawer; everything was there, right where it should be.
If he guessed correctly, his clothes were likely in the wardrobe as well. Had the wardrobe and desk not been physically different, Egger would have almost believed Tyrion had someone move the entire contents of his inn room here exactly as they were.
There was an obvious benefit to this: it saved Egger a great deal of time in finding things and adapting to a new environment. And time—with the ticking time bomb of Cersei and Jaime hanging over his head—was the one thing the Watchman lacked most.
Thinking of that time bomb, Egger rubbed his temples in frustration. Could it be that I really have to just watch this bomb go off?
After further contemplation failed to yield a solution to the crisis, Egger noticed a row of shelves that hadn't been in his old room. They were lined with books; judging by the uniform covers, they appeared to be every book the Night's Watch industries had printed so far. He walked over and browsed through them—The Seven-Pointed Star, various novels, and some rather unsavory publications... everything was there, including that thick Guide to King's Landing's Nightlife. To be honest, he hadn't actually taken a close look at this famous book that he had printed—a book that contributed nearly a tenth of the industry's revenue. As the boss, that was a bit of an oversight.
Resolved to stop thinking about the time bomb, Egger pulled a book from the shelf, intending to relax his mind—and familiarize himself with his company's products. If he took a liking to anyone, a trip to a parlor tonight wouldn't be a bad idea.
He sat on the edge of the bed with the book, crossing his legs as he flipped through. The illustrations of the ladies were lifelike, but they were still crude compared to photographs. Besides, worries aren't the kind of thing that vanish just because you try not to think about them. After flipping through a dozen pages, Egger eventually tossed the book aside. Rather than looking at this, he'd be better off going to Nina's room to tease her; even without doing anything, just watching her blush and flutter about in her youthful embarrassment would be quite entertaining.
If it weren't for Littlefinger spreading those rumors, Egger might have actually taken action next door. But with fire in his belly and worry in his heart, the mix of emotions left him with little desire to move.
Just then, a cacophony of voices drifted from outside the door, followed by a man's shout: "Nina! Where are you? Hiding again? I know you're back!"
The voice sounded familiar to Egger, but it took him a few seconds to place it. Just who was this man? Confused, the Watchman rose, went to the outer room, donned his cloak, and pushed open the door.
Outside, three Gold Cloaks stood in the center of the courtyard. The leader had his hands on his hips, shouting toward Nina's room.
Egger approached the three men. After a few seconds, he finally recognized the visitor. "Lord Slynt, what brings you here?"
"Egger West... My Lord. I heard you returned safely from the battlefield. Congratulations." The Commander of the City Watch looked Egger up and down with a forced smile and said haughtily, "Where is that female subordinate of yours? I tried to invite her to dinner a couple of days ago, but she kept making excuses about being busy with Night's Watch office affairs. Now that you're back, you can surely give her a day off!"
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