Episode 24
“A signal, literally. Monsters must have some way to communicate with each other, right? Maybe they want to convey something using magic? I’m not sure, though.”
A signal…
Could it be related to what Karl wrote in his diary? the emotions of the monsters?
If Kasha was right and that flicker of light was the monsters’ language, what could they be trying to say?
Could the endless fight at sea be related to Karl and Elisa’s breakup?
“If you’ve seen enough, I’ll put it away.”
Kasha, who had been staring at me, said while shaking the bottle.
Before I could even respond, he placed the new bottle inside the glass display case.
Then he roughly kicked the bag he brought with him into a corner.
…Is it okay to leave it like that?
Is there no one in this mansion who knows how to keep things clean?
“I don’t know much about these things either. However, Sir Karl had a similar idea. He said that looking at that light gave him a strange sense of kinship.”
“I see.”
“Yeah, anything else to add?”
“Well…”
“No? Then that’s fine.”
Kasha looked at me while wiping his hands with a handkerchief.
Curiosity and interest gleamed in his red eyes.
“Now it’s my turn, right?”
“…What?”
“It’s my turn to ask a question.”
He said with a raised corner of his mouth, but his face didn’t look like he was smiling at all.
I closed my mouth to hide my bewilderment.
It felt like I was prey who had just made eye contact with a predator and couldn’t move a muscle.
“What do you do?”
I was nervous even though it wasn’t a threatening question or anything.
The system window had indicated for some reason that he was suspicious of my identity.
I needed to be careful not to make any slip-ups.
“My job is… to find people.”
I chose my words carefully and gave a simple answer.
“Find people?”
Kasha’s expression changed.
“What kind of people? Who do you look for?”
“Various kinds. From missing noblewomen to suspicious spouses…”
Sometimes, I even find cats.
In reality, I didn’t have much to say since I was still in the early stages of my business.
And since he seemed to know about the Marquis Grayden’s commission, there was no need for me to provide a detailed explanation.
Kasha’s eyes narrowed at my response.
“Is that so? Then, for example, hmm… do you catch fugitives on behalf of others?”
That would be a bounty hunter.
“Or connect clients with secret merchants who deal in items not available on the market?”
Wasn’t he talking about illegal brokers?
“Or perhaps find partners for old bachelors who can’t get married?”
That’s a matchmaker…
What did he think of me?!
Did he think everyone in the world was a criminal like him?!
I didn’t like the way he played with me as if I were a fish on his fin.
But I couldn’t respond emotionally here.
Let’s be as businesslike as possible.
“Of course, such people could be my clients.”
“…Really?”
Kasha furrowed his brows as if surprised.
“Whether it’s a criminal, an illegal merchant, or an old bachelor… everyone has someone who cherishes them, don’t they?”
He looked at me without answering.
“They’re the ones who become my clients. It doesn’t matter who the person is. What matters is that they are precious enough for someone to desperately want to find them.”
Of course, I had no intention of getting involved in real criminal activities.
“Hmm…”
Kasha lowered his eyes with an expressionless face.
It seemed like he was disappointed from not getting the answer he expected.
“To find someone precious…”
Kasha raised his head again.
As soon as our eyes met, the corners of his eyes bent and he smiled.
“Are you sure that everyone has that?”
“What?”
“Someone that cherishes them.”
What the hell did that mean?
I blinked, unable to understand the meaning of his question.
Kasha leaned closer to me.
The dangerous aura that accompanied his deep smile, combined with his striking appearance, created an overwhelming sensation.
As if he were a different person from the guy who had been making idle jokes just moments ago.
“Perhaps there’s someone out there that no one wants.”
His low voice resonated like a whisper.
“Born with a fate they can’t even bear themselves, their very existence becomes repulsive…”
His smile deepened.
“Someone who is abandoned in the end even by those who wanted to kill them.”
I gave no response.
Kasha looked at me patiently and continued.
“Do you find people like that and take them with you too?”
Someone no one wants, someone rejected by everyone?
The sharp words pointed to just one person.
‘Please take me in.’
It was Damon’s face that flashed in my mind. Damon, who had been unusually dependent on me.
Kasha knew.
About Damon.
That was why he was asking these questions.
To find out if I knew Damon’s secret, if that was why I took him in.
“…”
During the brief silence, numerous thoughts flashed through my mind.
However, my contemplation didn’t last long.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Well, I haven’t encountered such a person.”
“Haven’t you?”
Kasha tilted his head, looking puzzled.
I turned my gaze to my reflection on the glass. I was worried it might look awkward, but fortunately, it looked just fine.
I met his eyes again.
“I only look for people who are desperately missed by someone. That’s why they entrust me with their requests.”
His narrowed eyes looked at me.
“There was no one I found that was unwanted.”
A heavy silence fell in the office.
Kasha slowly blinked.
I had answered casually, pretending it was no big deal…
I couldn’t tell how he had taken my words.
Had I given away that I knew about Damon?
I quietly bit my lip.
At least, I could confidently say that about the people I had helped! I had thought with determination.
This was tricky, very tricky.
“There is no such person…”
Kasha murmured quietly to himself.
I nodded quickly.
“Yes.”
“…I see.”
Kasha crossed his arms and gave a slight smile, raising the corner of his mouth.
It was a different kind of smile than before.
“That was a strange question. Don’t worry about it.”
Mission Complete!
It seems your answer wasn’t too bad.
He has decided to reserve judgment on you for now and will wait and see.
1000 cash has been credited as a reward.
‘Tolerant Indifference’ effect activated.
Tolerant Indifference:
The other party has decided to lose interest in you for a while.
Whenever curiosity about you arises in their mind, the song ‘Baby Shark’ will play in their head, making them forget.
Effect duration: Until the other party finds conclusive evidence to amplify their suspicions.
The system window appeared with a cheerful sound effect.
Ah, Baby Shark!
It seems this world had it too. It was quite addictive, I admit.
With such an effect, there was no need to worry about them investigating me later.
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hmm…”
Kasha strode forward and stood right in front of me.
His face was full of amusement, as if he found something very entertaining.
“Lia seems to be quite the interesting person. Sir Karl’s judgment is reliable indeed.”
Lia…?
Did he just call me that? Did he just give me a nickname without permission?
Did he think I would ever allow that?!
“Right, Lia?”
“…I’m just grateful for your kind words.”
Yes, I’ll allow it.
As soon as I met his strangely cold gaze, my tail instinctively went down on its own.
I’ll stick it up again and fight back after leveling up with the cash later.
“I enjoyed our conversation. I have to go now because I’m short on time today, but…”
Kasha said, glancing out the window.
“It would be nice to have some tea together next time.”
“If you can spare the time, I’d be… grateful.”
Actually, I wouldn’t be grateful at all. Please leave me alone.
“Yes, it would be nice to have some snacks with the tea.”
Kasha completely ignored my silent rejection signal and bowed his head, but his gaze lingered on my face.
To be exact, he was staring at my lips.
“Lia’s…”
He playfully raised the corner of his mouth when our eyes met.
“I’m curious about what’s hidden inside those pretty lips of yours.”
AAAA
