CDMGS 22🌻

22.

The shopkeeper pressed himself flat against the wall.
If there had been anywhere further to retreat, he would have gone.

His eyes were filled with pure fear.

Without saying a word, his trembling hand pointed at the badge.

And he wasn’t the only one. In just a moment, the whole shop fell silent.

There had been a few other customers besides me. But somehow, the moment I finished speaking, none of them even opened their mouths.
They only tried to get as far away from me as possible.

‘…….’

The awkward air. The strange tension flowing around.

I immediately realized what they were thinking.
I couldn’t even get angry—just bit down hard on my lower lip.
I snatched the badge from the counter and stormed out of the shop.

I didn’t look back. I just walked fast, pretending to be proud.
But deep inside, I felt like crying.

I didn’t think it would be this bad.

Yes, I truly hadn’t thought so.

Even outside… everyone still thought of the Duke as the Monster Duke.

The road ahead felt endless. My heart sank quickly into despair.

Cielia

I stared at the sign wrapped in wooden vines.
The exterior was covered in flowers I had never seen before. Odd, but not exactly strange.

Cling!

The doorbell rang brightly as I pushed the door open.
As expected from such a unique-looking shop, the moment I stepped in, various tea fragrances brushed against my nose.

The ceiling was so high I had to tilt my head all the way back just to see it.
And on that ceiling—several windows were set.

Strange vines dangled from hooks above, twisting and tangling all the way to the floor.

At the very back were countless drawers, probably for different tea leaves.

But by now, I should’ve heard a greeting.
There was none.

I carefully stepped deeper inside.

“Hello? Anyone here?”

The vines around me were impossibly long, hanging everywhere.
Honestly, I wanted to touch them. But I didn’t dare.

As a maid who had lived among monsters, I knew better.

Some flowers even had teeth, after all.

Of course, I had acted calm in front of others. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be terrified if I faced one for real.

Still, I walked further inside.

The deeper I went, the thicker the vines became, dangling all the way to the ground.

My view was almost completely blocked now.
If I went further, I would definitely brush against them.

So I stopped.

First, I need to call out the shopkeeper.

That was the priority. I needed someone who could handle whatever might suddenly happen.

I took a deep breath.

“Hell—”

“■■☐?”

“Ahhh!”

Out of nowhere, a face popped up, shoving through the vines!

So suddenly—way too close!

I screamed and grabbed onto something for support.
Unfortunately, it was one of the thick vines nearby.

Thud—!

The moment I grabbed it, a heavy sound echoed.

“……Huh?”

Almost immediately, the world grew dark.
A sudden, suffocating darkness.

No way.

I stiffly turned my head upward.

The ceiling. The windows.

And there—

A massive flower, much larger than any window, hung down.
Its petals slowly shifted, revealing sharp, glistening teeth.

The very flower I had read about in books.
The one the tea shop owner had warned me of.

A man-eating flower.

“Damn it—”

I usually avoided cursing, but I couldn’t stop. The words spilled out nonstop.

The flower, far too big for the window, squeezed and forced its way inside.

Its huge mouth opened, aiming straight at me.

Teeth—so many, jagged, and shining—closed in.

Drool dripped from its mouth, splattering onto the floor.

‘So… this is how I die.’

My hand let go of the vine I’d been clutching as if it were a lifeline.

It hadn’t been a lifeline at all. Just a rotten rope.

In the face of such terror, I couldn’t move.

The flower lunged at me, its mouth wide.
My mind turned hazy, my vision blurred.
My strength drained from me, and I nearly collapsed to the floor.

Screeeeeeeech!

The flower, so close I could almost feel its breath, suddenly shrieked as if torn apart—and pulled back.

“Are you all right, miss?”

The one who caught me just before I fell was the man who had startled me earlier.
Most likely, the owner of this shop.

“I’m sorry, miss. You shouldn’t have had to see that.”

He apologized with an awkward expression.

When he lowered his head slightly, I saw his black hair, shimmering faintly with a bluish tint.
Because of his tall height, I could only see his face clearly when he bowed down a little.

The thing that drew me in most were his blue eyes.

They were sharp, yet the drooping corners made them look strangely unnatural.

‘Well… at least I didn’t die.’

I had been on the brink, but luckily I wasn’t hurt at all.
The moment he held my waist, the flower had flinched and retreated.

But I couldn’t answer. Honestly, what was I supposed to say at a time like this?

Maybe he thought I was angry. His brow furrowed as he tugged at the vine connected to the flower.
Just a little pull—his black hair swayed lightly.

Kiiiieeeek!

A piercing scream echoed from beyond the window.

As expected of the shop owner—handling such a flower seemed like nothing to him.

Of course, judging by how lightly he pulled, the flower’s cry was probably just whining.

At last, I regained my composure. Brushing dirt and small petals from my clothes, I said,

“It’s fine now! Actually, it was my fault for grabbing the vine without thinking… I’m sorry.”

“No, not at all! I only mistook you for ■■☐, that’s why…”

“…What?”

“Ah, nothing.”

He quickly waved his hands in denial.

Come to think of it, hadn’t he said something similar when he first appeared?
A language I didn’t know.

After hearing it twice, I was sure—it was a language I could never understand.

His eyes scanned over me again and again, finally relaxing only once he confirmed I wasn’t hurt.

Then he moved behind the counter, opened one of the many drawers, and casually asked,

“…Did he send you?”

“Sorry? Who—”

Wait.

Suddenly, my head spun violently.
I pressed my forehead and lowered my head.

It was a headache so sharp I couldn’t even describe it.
Was it because I had really almost died?
Maybe my nerves were too tightly wound.

But I had never felt this much pain in my life.

Tap!

“Ah, I apologize again.”

Then, a fragrant scent slipped into my nose.
The moment I inhaled, the pain vanished completely—as if it had never been there.

In fact, my head felt clearer than before I had even entered the shop.

It was a small pile of bright red crushed tea leaves the man had placed in front of me.

‘So he really is a tea expert.’

He looked at my curious face, leaned forward slightly, and rested his arms on the counter.

“Was it Duke Vermanion who sent you?”

“Yes, that’s right. Though… it wasn’t really that he sent me. I just insisted on coming myself.”

Embarrassed, I looked away from his gaze.

Wait.
He spoke about the Duke so casually.
How did he know the Duke had sent me?

Well, the monsters had recommended this place.
Maybe the Duke had been here more than once.

Curious, I looked back at him—

And saw his calm, curious eyes turn suddenly into shock.

Or was it fear again?

“Wait… you insisted on coming here?”