LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 22
As Elsez urged them persistently, the two hesitated, glancing at each other, but eventually, they reluctantly brought the utensils and sat at the table.At first, they awkwardly avoided eating, but when they saw that Elsez showed no signs of displeasure, they began eating slowly.After a rare, harmonious meal, Elsez stood up from her seat with satisfaction.Lenny and Mrs. Mas followed Elsez to the entrance to see her off.“Well, I’ll be off.”“Please don’t take on anything too dangerous.”Elsez had told Lenny and Mrs. Mas that she was doing high-paying odd jobs for the guild.‘It’s already surprising for a noble lady to work for the guild. If they knew I was hunting monsters alone, they’d faint for sure.’Thinking that she would need to keep it a secret, Elsez smiled brightly.“Don’t worry.”As they watched Elsez walk out the door, Mrs. Mas quietly whispered to Lenny.“Lately, it feels like she’s become a different person.”“I feel the same way.”“People do change after going through great trials, but to change this much…”“Still, don’t you think she’s better now?”Recalling Elsez’ earlier demeanor, Mrs. Mas nodded. Indeed, the brighter and more energetic Elsez was a pleasure to see.“You’re right. I feel like… I want to root for her.”As they shared their thoughts, a carriage stopped in front of Elsez as she stepped out of the mansion.“Oh my, Elsez. What are you wearing? Where are you going dressed like that?”The person stepping out of the carriage was Elsez’ aunt, Baroness Hervan.The baroness frowned at Elsez, who was dressed in a tunic and pants for ease of movement instead of a noblewoman’s gown.Elsez’ expression also soured at the sight of her.“What brings you here?”“I came because I was worried about you. I heard your steward was caught embezzling and got dismissed recently.”“Oh, so you’re here to fill the vacancy, are you?”“Yes. You’ve never been taught how to manage an estate or its wealth, have you?”Though Elsez’ reply was laced with sarcasm, the baroness seemed oblivious to the mockery as she added with an unknowing laugh.“It’s better to entrust it to blood relatives than to some unreliable outsider, don’t you think? Surely, I wouldn’t do anything harmful to my one and only niece.”Looking at the greed glinting in the baroness’s eyes, Elsez gave her a crooked smile. They were the same eyes her uncle had at her grandmother’s funeral, coveting his share of the inheritance.Disgusting. Repulsive.“You’ve come sniffing around for money, but no matter how many times you try, I’ll never give you my wealth. Don’t bother coming again.”Stung by the sharp retort, the baroness faltered for a moment but soon responded with indignation.“How dare you treat me as if I’m some money-crazed person?”“Are you not?”“You seem to have some big misunderstanding. That wealth means nothing to me. When he returns, it will all become worthless anyway.”‘He?’Elsez narrowed her eyes as she looked at the baroness, who stood with her arms crossed. It was a classic line from a delusional cultist.‘Are there cults in this world too?’For a moment, the thought crossed her mind, but she dismissed it quickly. Whether the baroness worshiped gods or devils was none of her concern.“Then you can stop concerning yourself with whether your impertinent niece loses or gains that worthless wealth.”With a detached tone, Elsez brushed past the baroness.“Elsez! That’s not what I meant—”The baroness grabbed Elsez’ arm urgently, spinning her around. But Elsez had anticipated the move and turned back calmly.Her eyes were colder than ever as she stared at the baroness. Leaning close to her ear, she whispered.“Coming here repeatedly to covet your niece’s fortune…”The chilling words seeped into the baroness’s ears.“It’s really pathetic, you know that?”The overpowering demeanor of Elsez made the baroness instinctively shrink back. Fear of strength and the shame of humiliation washed over her.“Don’t ever come here again.”With a frosty gaze, Elsez walked past the baroness, leaving her trembling hands clutching her dress hem as she watched Elsez disappear into the distance.‘The insolent girl… She’ll regret it soon.’When he returns, she thought, without a doubt. ***** The guild street was bustling from early morning with people who had come to take on quests.Looking at the crowd, Elsez reviewed her plan for the day.“First, I’ll take the Mamarung quest from Cassian and complete it. Then in the evening, I’ll sell the monster core and roots I collected yesterday.”Just planning her day made her feel as if her pockets were already fuller, filling her with a sense of security.Indeed, money was the essential ingredient for happiness.“I have enough money to live comfortably now, so the next issue is gathering information about the demon lord’s power…”The temple library could be checked again once its repairs were completed, but the real issue was the Mage’s Tower.Cassian had some connection to Rashiel, but given the current situation, that option seemed extremely slim.“All I can do is hope the temple has the information I need.”As Elsez organized her thoughts, she arrived in front of the guild. It was then that Reti, nestled in her pocket, pricked its ears with a serious expression and muttered.“…Something’s coming.”“Huh? What’s coming?”“A bad omen!”Before Reti could finish its sentence, a carriage approached and stopped right in front of the guild.The carriage door opened, and a man cloaked in a black mantle stepped out.Sensing movement nearby, he turned his head, looking straight at Elsez.Under the black hood of the cloak, the man revealed himself—golden hair dazzling in the light. It was Astaire.The moment his bright blue eyes landed on Elsez, he froze momentarily.His eyes, which had widened in surprise, soon curved into crescent shapes as he smiled radiantly.“What a coincidence meeting you here again.”At the same time, Elsez’ gaze wavered.“Astaire…?” 3. Hey, give me back my sweet kids (2)Elsez felt the Reti in her pocket burrow deep inside.‘I hoped we wouldn’t cross paths until things were resolved…’It was a face she had known as a friend and colleague for ten years.Seeing that face triggered an instinctive sense of warmth, but at the same time, the image of him casually killing people overlapped in her mind, sending chills down her spine.The way he had changed since their close past felt unfamiliar.Elsez forced an awkward smile and greeted him.“Ah, hello, What brings you here?”“I came to see a friend. What about you, miss?”If it was a friend in this guild, it had to be Cassian.Suddenly, Cassian’s words from yesterday echoed in her mind.‘Recently, similar incidents have been happening elsewhere, so the temple is investigating.’‘He must be here because of that.’That also meant it would be impossible to avoid Astaire while staying at the guild.Eventually, Elsez decided to be honest.“I work here at this guild.”“Really? You must be quite talented. They don’t recruit just anyone here.”At Astaire’s praise, Elsez gave a bashful smile.Just then, a holy knight who had been scanning the surroundings quietly interrupted.“There are too many eyes here. Let’s head inside first.”As the three of them entered the guild, they saw Cassian at the counter, talking to Jack.Cassian looked at Elsez and Astaire walking in together with a puzzled expression.“What? You two know each other?”“Well, you could say we’re a bit familiar with each other’s tastes.”Astaire responded with a sly smile.Elsez, who had been about to nod without much thought, suddenly froze, staring at him in shock.‘That sounds weird! Specify it’s about book preferences!’And those weren’t even my preferences!Seeing Cassian’s face twist with confusion, Elsez hurriedly added an explanation.“Ah, when I visited the temple library before, he helped me out a bit.”Cassian finally seemed convinced.“Let’s go inside and talk.”As Elsez instinctively followed, she stopped, remembering Astaire’s presence.When she was Ruel, they would have normally all talked together, but as Elsez now, it seemed more polite to stay out of their conversation.“Please, go ahead first,”“No, you should speak first.”Just as the two were busy deferring to each other, Cassian, who had already entered the master’s room, called back to them.“Both of you, come in.”“I’d rather keep this as discreet as possible.”“No, you’ll need her testimony.”Cassian gestured toward the master’s room with a nod.Sharing a puzzled glance, Astaire and Elsez followed him inside.Cassian retrieved a sharp, black shard from a pouch on the desk.“This shard you’re looking for—it was found near the magic circle this one discovered yesterday. She’s the first one who found it.”Elsez’s eyes widened when she saw the shard.It was something she had seen before.