The Extra Guardian Missed the Right Time to Leave

The hand movements with the revolver also became much slower and more stealthy.

Enrique feigned calm. It was one of the things he did best. He hoped she didn’t let her guard down, so he secretly hoped for a little more information into the flames of his own magic…

He asked Eugenia another question.

“Do you think you know a lot about guns?”

Eugenia tilted her head. She looked like she had been asked a very strange question.

“It’s not that I know very well. Just as much as other people know. That’s exactly it.”

What did the weapon look like and how was it used? Just that much. Eugenia, who gave the short answer, shrugged her shoulders. Her face looked like there was something wrong with her. Meanwhile, Enrique regained his composure and quickly finished cleaning his revolver.

He brought the gun to his waist, placed it in his gun belt, and covered it with his robe. It was as if they were trying to hide it.

At that time, Eugenia asked brightly.

“But why are you asking that?”

“Just… It’s fascinating.”

What on earth was so amazing? Eugenia looked like she still didn’t understand. Enrique added as if making an excuse.

“Because ladies are usually not interested in things like this.”

Eugenia laughed lightly.

“That’s because I’m not a noble lady.”

“Hmm.”

That’s why it’s more of a problem. Enrique swallowed his words.

This ‘revolver’, or gun, that he has is a product that was recently developed, or rather, a new weapon. Only a very few people, including Enrique, even knew of its existence.

‘But, Miss Eugenia knows that?’

Enrique inadvertently parted his lips and closed them tightly to prevent the sigh that was about to escape.

Eugenia’s reaction was both ordinary and unusual. Even though she knew about guns and silencers, she asked him if there was anything wrong with that. Enrique suppressed his desire to interrogate her right away and opened his mouth.

“Let’s start from here.”

“Yes it is.”

Eugenia closed her front, putting her hood back over her head. She was about to walk out of her alley, side by side, when Enrique stopped.

“Oh, just a moment.”

“Yes? Ah yes. Please.”

Did she forget something? Eugenia looked at Enrique with puzzled eyes. He turned around and walked back a few steps. This was a man who seemed to have never bowed his head once in his life, but he stopped at a certain point and bent his waist. He picked up something that had fallen on the ground and tapped it twice, as if to shake off the moisture.

“Ah.”

Eugenia let out a short sound and blinked her eyelids. What Enrique picked up was her bag of candy. She had lost it and dropped it during a fight with the bullies, but she was so distracted that she forgot to pick it up again.

‘Look at me. I completely forgot.’

Meanwhile, Enrique brought an envelope and held it out to Eugenia.

“Here.”

Even though the bottom and top of the paper bag were quite wet, he was holding it with quite a bit of hesitation.

Eugenia, who had been staring at her appearance, soon raised her gaze. She stared straight at Enrique and then the corners of her eyes fluttered.

“Thank you. I almost forgot.”

He nodded briefly again without answering.

“Then let’s go now.”

Eugenia held her candy bag dearly and walked with Enrique a beat behind her. Several times, she turned the corner of a narrow alley and came out onto the main street, where she could spot people walking up and down the street, although it was nothing compared to the clear day.

She could even hear chatter occasionally. It’s just the same as usual.

Then Eugenia even thought to herself, ‘Maybe what she experienced a little while ago wasn’t a dream?’

Until then, the two just walked without saying anything.

‘Are we perhaps going to a place where we can talk quietly?’

Eugenia thought so, so she didn’t get impatient and waited for Enrique to try her luck first, and diligently played with her feet. The two soon arrived at the foot of the square’s clock tower.

And then, Enrique’s mouth opened. It was as if they were having an ordinary conversation.

“I spoke roughly earlier, but I want to hire you.”

Eugenia was not embarrassed and asked back in a calm voice.

“Can I start by asking why you changed your mind?”

Enrique paused for a moment, as if choosing his words in his mouth.

“At first, I refused because I thought your situation would really bother me. Are you offended by that?”

“Not really. Understand. It was a little dark though. However, I’m curious as to why you changed your mind like this after less than a day has passed.”

“What… Now that I think about it, I think there’s no guarantee that something that bothersome will happen. Albury is so angry.”

“Ah.”

Eugenia nodded her head in sympathy. Although she only met face-to-face very briefly, it wasn’t difficult for her to figure out what Albury’s personality was like in that short period of time. She was the one who whined, or rather complained, about her regrets right before she left, so as soon as she parted ways with Eugenia, she went upstairs and scolded her master. A picture was clearly drawn in her mind.

“What can I say? I think he is a much more generous and tolerant employer toward his subordinates than I thought.”

“Miss Eugenia, whom I met today, knows me so well, so why doesn’t Albury know me? I really wonder.”

Eugenia let out a light laugh of her own.

“You know. Maybe she’s just being foolish.”

“Are you that big and foolish? I’m getting sick of it just listening to it.”

Enrique clicked his tongue and frowned. Even the slight wrinkles along her muscles were stunning. Then Eugenia realized that she had been staring at him too closely and she flinched.

After turning her gaze a little awkwardly, she stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the front of her and walked with only her ears open.

“Well, anyway. That’s why. What changed her mind.”

Enrique cut her off ambiguously.

‘That can’t be everything, right?’

She seemed like she wanted to say something more, but when she couldn’t continue for a while, Eugenia paused for a moment and then added awkwardly:

“Um, yeah. Okay.”

Actually, she didn’t think that was enough of a reason to hire her.

Enrique, who seemed to have been thinking the same thing that Eugenia was thinking of hers, soon opened her mouth again and spoke to her.

“There is no guarantee that the troublesome thing I’m worried about will happen, and even if it does… Since Miss Eugenia is a person with whom we can communicate well, I thought we wouldn’t bother each other. I would say that’s the biggest reason.”

Eugenia could easily read Enrique’s inner meaning between the lines of her words.

‘I thought it would be convenient for me.’

Even if a problem arose, she had to keep quiet about herself. That was Enrique’s condition.

‘Not bad.’

Those words could also be seen as meaning that they, too, would not ask any more questions about Eugenia and her twins.

‘There is no reason to refuse.’

Eugenia thought she didn’t need to waste any more time, so she nodded her head right away.

“I understand what you want to ask me. I can definitely answer that question. My mouth is quite heavy.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Enrique silently nodded his head. The story went quite well, but his dark complexion did not clear up. In fact, Enrique had one more reason that he did not reveal other than the reason he gave outwardly. But he had no intention of explaining it to her. So he pursed his lips.

Enrique sighed and focused all his attention on his waistband. That was the strongest reason for his firm decision to keep Eugenia by his side.

Enrique’s gun belt felt particularly heavy today. Of course she knew it was just his mood. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel that the real gun was heavy.

‘You know guns. What on earth is Miss Eugenia? I need to find out more about this woman.’

He glanced at the side of Eugenia’s face for a moment with his keen eyes, then pretended to calm her down and opened his mouth again.

“I’m glad the story ended quickly.”

“I, too, am grateful to Enrique for changing his mind.”

Eugenia repeatedly bowed her head and expressed her gratitude to him.

“Ah! I have to turn left here. Can we talk about the rest when I visit the inn you’re staying at again tomorrow?”

She said in a rather cheerful voice, pointing to an alley on her side. Enrique then asked, as he turned her gaze in that direction.

“Where are you staying? I don’t know what else might happen, so I’ll take you there.”

“Yes? You’re taking me there?”

Enrique nodded his head.

“There’s still more to talk about.”

“Is there more to be said?”

Eugenia stopped walking and glanced at Enrique, then blinked her eyelids.

“Hmm. The role you will take on will be slightly different from what was announced.”

 

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Translator Note: