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Chapter 9
“May the gods’ blessing be with you.”
“Thank you, Father.”
The priest had just left Luna’s house.
Thanks to the payment she had received from her client, everything had gone smoothly.
She hired a new servant and summoned a priest to cure her grandfather’s chronic illness. The money she had finally managed to earn disappeared in the blink of an eye.
She needed another commission.
For an ordinary middle-class noble family, it wouldn’t have been an overwhelming expense, but for Luna, it was a painful amount to spend.
Even so, she had no regrets.
Her grandfather’s illness had gone untreated for so long. Seeing him recover his health at last was more than enough.
“Luna, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. Now that I’ve regained my strength, I can take care of the rest myself. You must never perform another purification.”
“…”
“And will you please meet Count Mond? I already promised him before you left, so there’s no backing out now. Just this once, my dear.”
Having regained his health, Baron Alonso Aderet persistently pressed his granddaughter.
To him, it was far better for his only remaining family to live a stable life through marriage than to continue suffering while purifying dreadful curses.
“Grandfather, I’m going to tell the Count that I wish to break off the engagement.”
“If you dislike the Count, I’ll find another groom with better prospects in the eastern territories.”
“I don’t want to get married! You saw it yourself—I solved everything! For the time being, you’re only eating meat dishes. No, from now on I’ll make sure you eat nothing but meat!”
“That doesn’t make me happy at all, you foolish girl!”
“Grandfather…”
His sudden outburst made her voice tremble.
She had never heard him speak so harshly before.
Seeing the conflict on his granddaughter’s face, Baron Alonso let out a long sigh.
“Think about my age, child. When I die, there won’t be anyone left to protect you. I want you to meet someone you can trust and rely on. Marriage is the closest thing to that.”
“You could just stay healthy for a very, very long time. But I still don’t want to get married. I… I just don’t know.”
Truthfully…
She didn’t even want to know.
She understood what her grandfather meant.
But she also knew she didn’t want to marry.
She had only just resolved the matter with the Raven Guild.
Why should she immediately marry into another family?
Why should she depend on someone else when there were still things she could do herself?
Because purification made her sick?
Just because of that?
“I’m going out for some air.”
“Luna.”
“You should get some rest.”
She was glad she hadn’t eaten dinner.
Otherwise she would have thrown it all back up.
The cold wind pierced her warm heart.
Like the dry leaves crumbling beneath it, her spirit seemed to shatter into tiny pieces.
Everything she had struggled so desperately to achieve felt as empty as a handful of gold coins that vanished the moment they were earned.
Without a destination, Luna wandered through the streets.
She walked and walked until the tears gathering in her eyes dried in the wind.
Eventually, she reached the town square.
Slumping onto a bench, she looked up at the sky.
The lavender sunset was breathtaking.
Yet it looked beautiful to everyone except her.
“…?”
Just then, an unfamiliar cloak settled over her shoulders.
Her thoughts had been so muddled that she hadn’t even noticed someone approaching.
“Didn’t I tell you to recover completely? What’s with this pitiful state?”
“Sir?”
Startled, Luna looked up.
Standing within the giant shadow cast by the sunset, she met a pair of sky-blue eyes.
She stared blankly at Khalid.
It was the first time she had seen him properly dressed.
Despite his refined appearance, he was dressed all in black like a wandering traveler who belonged in a mining town.
Looking him over, Luna realized she herself had rushed out without even putting on a shawl.
For some reason, the cloak he had draped over her shoulders felt pleasantly warm.
Frowning slightly, he sat down beside her.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Luna suddenly grabbed his hand.
“What are you doing?”
Khalid frowned at the unexpected contact.
“Since we happened to meet… would you like another purification? Don’t you need one?”
Of course he does.
He needs me.
Who cares if I’m upset? I’ve found someone willing to fill my purse with gold.
As if she hadn’t been depressed just moments ago, Luna smiled sweetly.
“That’s certainly an enticing offer.”
“But I’d rather hear it after you’ve recovered.”
He wasn’t so easily persuaded.
Slipping his hand from hers, he instead pulled the cloak more securely around her shoulders.
I feel perfectly fine…
Is he still worried because I collapsed last time?
He probably wanted to make absolutely certain she was healthy before attempting another purification.
Still…
It was a little disappointing.
“Why are you wandering around without even eating dinner?”
“Then why don’t you buy me dinner?”
“There was… something that happened.”
How had he known she had skipped dinner?
Feeling like he had seen right through her impulsive escape, she answered more sharply than intended.
“I will.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you just ask me to buy you dinner? You need to eat if you want to recover quickly.”
Luna stared at him blankly before arriving at her own conclusion.
He needs purification just as desperately as I need money.
Fine. I’ll give him exactly what he wants.
Seeing that their relationship was clearly beneficial to both sides, she nodded.
* * *
One dish after another was placed upon the restaurant’s pristine white tablecloth.
Every plate looked luxurious and irresistibly delicious.
“Eat as much as you like.”
“I’m going to eat until your wallet is empty.”
“I suppose mercenary mages really do have crude manners.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Luna elegantly sliced into her steak.
She might naturally possess proper table manners, but if speaking casually helped conceal her identity, she welcomed it.
She absolutely couldn’t let anyone discover who she really was.
She had neither power nor influence.
If trouble arose, she would have no way to defend herself.
Don’t get exposed.
Determined, she picked up her fork.
Then…
A broad shadow suddenly fell across the table.
“Luna Aderet? What a surprise. Did you come here to see me?”
“Arne… Ovis…?”
Luna froze as she looked at the large man with brown hair.
Why does it have to be him?
The moment he called her by her full name, everything was ruined.
She glanced sideways at her client.
At some point, Khalid had already pulled on a black mask that covered his nose and mouth.
“You didn’t know? This restaurant belongs to my family.”
“It’s disappointing that you weren’t actually here to see me.”
“To think you’re having dinner with another man.”
“What does that have to do with you? If I’d known this was your family’s restaurant, I never would’ve come.”
“It has everything to do with me.”
“The woman who’s going to become my wife is already dining with another man.”
“Did you forget? I clearly rejected your proposal. How can you shamelessly say something like that?”
“But I haven’t given up on you.”
Luna’s face twisted in disgust.
Seeing her reaction only delighted Arne.
He slowly licked his lower lip.
“Just accept it already.”
“No noble in the East is willing to marry into a family drowning in debt.”
“I’ve told you over and over again.”
“The only person who’ll take you is me—the heir of the Ovis Merchant Company.”
“Are you seriously going to keep saying such ridiculous things?”
Luna nearly blurted out that Count Mond still intended to marry her.
Then again…
Whether it was the rude old noble from the capital or this arrogant merchant, both were equally unbearable.
Why is this jerk exposing my family’s situation in front of my client?
He was obviously trying to humiliate her.
Everything was falling apart.
Piece by piece, her circumstances were being laid bare against her will.
Arne leisurely studied her.
Her complexion, healthy only moments ago, had gone pale.
The more upset she became, the more entertaining it was.
Leaning one hand on the table, the brown-haired man slowly lowered himself toward her.
“Luna.”
“Whatever you do with this guy… it ends today.”
He whispered as though he were granting her an enormous favor.
Luna was speechless.
Is he insane?
He simply refused to understand.
She had rejected him repeatedly.
Yet he continued acting as though she were already his lover—his possession.
“I’ll say it again!”
“I hate arrogant people like you who think they’re better than everyone else.”
“I have absolutely no intention of marrying you.”
“So please, just get lost!”
Her voice rang loudly enough to make her chest ache.
Unfortunately…
For Arne, her anger was simply another gift.
“Oh dear.”
“Our Luna is angry?”
“That’s scary.”
“I’ll leave for today.”
He sneered the way he always did when teasing her.
Then he reached toward her plate.
Clenching and opening his fist—
The steak suddenly burst into flames.
The meat burned black in an instant, becoming nothing more than a hard lump of charcoal.
“Now that looks like a meal fitting for the two of you.”
“Well then… enjoy.”
Luna stared back and forth between the ruined steak and Arne.
He had always been obnoxious.
But never this rude.
Today…
He genuinely seemed insane.
She was so dumbfounded that she could only stare at him as he walked away.
Her lips parted and closed without sound.
If she could, she wanted to smack him over the head and ask if he’d lost his mind.
Crash!!
At that very moment, the huge man she had been glaring at suddenly crashed face-first onto the floor with a tremendous noise.
The commotion instantly drew everyone’s attention.
Luna blinked her wide eyes in astonishment.
Her client had openly stuck out his leg and tripped Arne.
