Chapter 60.2

Chapter 60 – Nothing Will Change

Ashia was waiting outside. In a whisper, Ashia asked him, “Are you finished now?”

“Ah… yes. That’s right.”

“It’s quite late.”

“You haven’t gone to sleep yet?”

“Ah, I was going to ask you to prepare some tea.”

“This hour?”

“Not for me, but Kaligo.”

“Ah… His Excellency doesn’t like tea.”

“There are teas that are more effective than sleeping pills. If he plains and says he won’t drink it, then just tell him to drink it instead of nitpicking.”

“…”

She moderately covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a yawn and handed Redin a piece of paper with different types of tea leaves written there.

“Rather than relying on potions, it is better to drink tea for mild symptoms. You can find those probably somewhere inside the Grand Duke’s warehouse. That is a mon tea leaf after all.”

“Yes, I have seen it.”

“Then, I am asking you.”

“Yes…”

Ashia pulled back the shawl over her shoulder and entered her own bedroom.

Moving his gaze from Ashia’s back to the paper, Redin blinked for a moment and couldn’t e to his senses. Would this be the reality of having a Grand Duchess? Although it was said that the employees inside the Grand Duke’s mansion were loyal and talented, they couldn’t check Kaligo’s condition better than Redin.

“Hmmm.”

Redin walked down to the first floor. He prepared the tea as Ashia instructed. Kaligo, who initially refused to drink, downed the tea quietly after he heard about Ashia’s words. And perhaps thanks to the efficacy of the tea, Kaligo didn’t wake up for a long time even after sunrise.

* * *

“Let’s wait for him, Miss Ashia.”

“No, Melanie. Lunch break will be over if I wait for him. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

“His Excellency might be upset if he knows.”

“Don’t wake him up. It seems like he’s finally sleeping deeply after a long time.”

“That’s true, but…”

Ashia smiled as she looked at Melanie who was mumbling. She then noticed the guy walking towards her. “… You went away pretending you would never see me again.”

“As your escort, I ought to do my best in my job.”

Her eyebrows raised at the sudden change in his attitude.

“Ah…”

He must’ve remembered when she said that he shouldn’t let Kaligo lose his prestige because of his attitude towards her. He naturally used honorifics since there were a lot of eyes. Clearly, he was not absolutely a zero-intelligence person…

“I’m glad you think that way, Sir Kyrian.”

“…”

His eyes narrowed. It was a look telling her she was shameless and also cursing her inside. Ashia smiled regardless of his expression and turned her body to summon a gate.

Magic flowed out from Ashia’s outstretched finger in the air. Flamboyantly rocking it, skillfully casting mysterious and plex-looking magic circles. The shining gate soon appeared in the middle of it.

“…”

“Come in. It is later than I thought so we have to move quickly.”

“…Yes.”

The two entered the flickering gate after one another. Coming out of the gate, Ashia and Kyrian looked up at the building in front of them.

Fiddling with the tip of her chin, Ashia murmured, “Hmm… it’s still a long way.”

As expected, the building was still in its miserable condition, contrary to the words that the renovation work would be finished soon. Though the rubble was almost all removed, the framework of the building was still exposed.

“This doesn’t seem like a normal grudge.”

“Right?”

“You must have accumulated many grudges here and there.”

“Yes, my personality is like this as you know, so I get a lot of hate.”

“…”

Kyrian’s sarcastic tone was still there. Of course, Ashia also didn’t seem to care, so he had to stop her from entering the structure.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Ah, are you worried about me?”

“Because… I am your escort.”

“Ah, right?” Ashia snickered as if she was having fun before continuing, “First, I cast magic on it. It won’t fall down.”

“…You’re really powerful.”

“Thank you for the pliment.”

“…”

The remaining debris inside the building were trampled under her feet.

’Haa, when are they going to clean this up and replace the building?’

Ashia let out a long sigh.

“Why did you start a fire with such great power?”

Ashia, who was looking around her shop, turned her head to Kyrian. He averted his gaze, rubbing the pitiful floor of the shop with the tip of his shoes.

“The magic failed.” She continued walking again, saying that it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ll tell you since you’re curious. This is not an excuse, but it will sound like it is.”

“…”

“The person I trusted ruined the magic circle and the ingredients. That’s why the magic failed, and the magical powers inside my body ran wild as a result. I guess that’s why I started pouring out fire magic.” She walked down the part that was once the hallway. “Even my master couldn’t stop me. Recklessness is that dangerous.”

“…So you feel misjudged?”

“Didn’t I just tell you? I am not making excuses, but I am just telling the truth when asked.”

’Phew’

Ashia kept going, waving away the dust floating in the air in front of her. “Why wouldn’t it be my fault? The sin of trusting the person I shouldn’t have trusted, being unprepared for failure. Maybe… there is more if you look into it, right?”

“…”

’Wow, this is a mess.’

She looked at what remained of her bedroom. If she really fell asleep without knowing anything, or if she was just preoccupied with making the potions, she might have been crushed under the collapsing building. She got goosebumps when she imagined it, and thought that it was a good choice to keep expensive ingredients elsewhere.

“… Kyrian?”

“Shh.” Kyrian went to Ashia and grabbed her shoulders. Then, a purple aura flowed down from Kyrian’s fingertips and wrapped around Ashia and himself. “…I felt a murderous intent.”

“Huh?” Ashia blinked. The words, ‘I feel the murderous intent ing from you since earlier,’ were something she was saving for a while.

“I don’t feel anything, though.”

“Why would you think of me that way? I am the best at hiding presence or noticing other people’s presence.”

“Ah…” Ashia looked down at his aura, which was wrapped around them both.

“Stay still, so the aura won’t e off.”

“…Hmm.”

Kyrian said that he could feel the energy of people from hundreds of meters away. It was a little cumbersome in places where there were many people, but there was nothing he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it.

Ashia smiled as she watched Kyrian calmly observe the surroundings.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I just thought you were reliable.”

“…”

“You weren’t just a grown-up.”

“…”

Kyrian looked down at Ashia with a puzzled expression, then coughed and raised his head. “It’s ing.”

“What?”

His eyes were directed outside the building.