Chapter 09

“I don’t want to.”

Ibi’s answer came immediately, accompanied by a silly grin as though she hadn’t even considered thinking it over. Hedius’s eyebrow twitched.

“If you’re worried that I still haven’t let go of my suspicions, then whether you are who you say you are or where you came from no longer matters to me. But there’s nothing to be gained by having you stay here when you aren’t even a thief. As you know, this is a village crawling with thieves….”

“But I’m okay with that! Everyone’s so kind! And Leo asked me to stay with him, too.”

At Ibi’s desperate yet confident reply, Hedius quietly swallowed a sigh.

When it became clear that there was no point in continuing the conversation, his gaze darkened in an instant.

“Tanto will take you as far as the edge of the forest, so don’t worry.”

Hedius opened a drawer and took out an eye mask, handing it to Ibi.

“You should wear this, just in case. If you sleep until you arrive, the journey should be bearable enough.”

Forced to take the eye mask, Ibi widened her eyes and asked,

“Why? I’m not leaving. I told you I’m staying by Leo’s side.”

Hedius raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow.

Does she not understand anything I’ve been explaining to her all this time?

His gaze fell upon Ibi.

Her long, fluffy pink hair. Her large, clear eyes, as bright as the sky on a cloudless day, and her pure, delicate skin.

Above all, her arms looked as though they would snap if someone grabbed them, and she had a striking appearance that was far too out of place for someone who belonged in a thieves’ guild.

If Hedius was the darkness of night, then this woman was a bright morning.

In other words, she stood out far too much.

That was undoubtedly why his eyes kept being drawn to her whenever she wandered around the village.

Hedius was certain that his decision had nothing to do with personal feelings.

He had already confirmed through her actions that she was not after Leo. But even if she was completely innocent, there was no reason to have someone so conspicuous staying here.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he had called her here. If that had been the sole reason, he could simply have ordered one of his subordinates to escort her out.

I must have been beating around the bush too much.

In the end, there was another reason Hedius had summoned Ibi himself.

With an expression that revealed nothing of what he was thinking, he tried to persuade her again.

“Are you really asking because you don’t understand why? As you know, this is a thieves’ guild. It isn’t a place where an ordinary person like you should stay. You could end up getting caught up in danger.”

Ibi tilted her head to the side.

“Does Hess hate me too because I’m not good enough?”

Hedius had never once considered whether he liked or disliked her, and the question left him speechless.

“But this is the only home I have now.”

“Ibi.”

“…I was abandoned, Hess.”

“That can’t be true. Your family must have surely—”

“It’s true!”

“…….”

“They said they didn’t need me. That I’m stupid, useless, and an idiot. That having someone like me around would only make things difficult for them.”

Tears gathered at the corners of Ibi’s eyes.

It was such a pitiful expression that there was no way it could have come from anything but genuine emotion.

“They said I was useless…. So they abandoned me.”

She fumbled with her lips before continuing.

“That’s how I was abandoned….”

Hedius quietly swallowed.

Memories of the past came rushing back, and I lowered my head.

“You want me to take you into a dungeon? Are you kidding me? You look so easy to deal with, don’t you? You think everything is a joke?”

“Don’t ever show your face in front of us again.”

“You should be grateful we’re giving you even this much, F-rank.”

Hedius remained silent.

I could feel his gaze resting on me, but I had no idea what he was thinking.

They said this place accepted people who had been abandoned, so I had desperately tried to appeal to that.

But I was anxious about what would happen if even this failed.

All I could hear was the pounding of my heart, beating rapidly in my ears.

Please…. I can’t leave like this.

The longer Hedius’s unwavering gaze remained fixed on me, the hotter my cheeks became, as though I had been burned.

After a long silence, Hedius finally opened his lips again.

It was only when I could no longer bear his gaze and squeezed my eyes shut that he spoke.

“That will do. I understand what you want.”

His answer came with a short sigh.

“Huh?”

I looked up at Hedius in surprise. But if I had expected a positive answer, his expression was still just as cold.

“That does not mean I completely trust you, so keep that in mind. If you attempt anything foolish at any point, you will not be given the same consideration as you are now.”

Does that mean… he’ll let me stay?

His words were practically a warning, but I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about such trivial details. Relief washed over me first.

Thank goodness. I can stay by Leo’s side.

Then, suddenly, I found myself staring at Hedius’s hand.

When I held his hand the first time we met, his expression changed. He looked almost as if I had gotten hold of one of his weaknesses.

Could it be that he’s the type who becomes weak when there’s physical contact?

Wondering if it would work again, I suddenly stepped forward and grabbed one of Hedius’s hands with both of mine.

“!”

Hedius took a startled step backward, his face filled with surprise, but I knitted my brows and spoke seriously.

“I’ll help you, Hess.”

Perhaps because the atmosphere was more serious than before, he also adopted a solemn expression and met my eyes.

It was as if he was telling me to continue.

“I really mean it. They say that if you take good care of an injured bird, it will repay your kindness many times over. Couldn’t you think of me as a poor little bird like that?”

“…A bird that repays kindness many times over.”

Hedius gave a hollow laugh and spoke in a low, deep voice.

“But what should I do about this?”

He bent slightly at the waist, bringing his face closer to mine.

“I can’t say for certain whether you’re a poor little bird or a cunning wildcat just yet. …I told you.”

The golden eyes beneath the sunlight streaming through the parted curtains flashed brightly.

“I haven’t accepted you yet.”

My eyes shook violently, as though I were facing a storm.

“Hess.”

After staring at me for a while, Hedius straightened his back again.

“But considering how desperately you insist upon your innocence, I’ll give you a chance.”

I let out a huge breath of relief.

I had been given a chance. That meant all I had to do now was prove myself.

If I could only earn his trust….

“But I see you have a habit of grabbing other people’s hands without hesitation.”

Hedius lowered his eyelids and looked down at both of my hands, which were still clutching his as though they were a lifeline.

Then he narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“My, you seem to have quite a bad habit.”

Only then did I look down at the hands holding Hedius.

“Oh. This is….”

Ironically, his hand was incredibly warm.

It was as though a furnace had been lit directly beneath my palm.

Yet, for some reason, the warmth traveling through his hand stirred something inside me, and I suddenly felt a lump rise in my throat. I didn’t know why myself.

It simply felt as though some deep sorrow and pain were being conveyed through his hand.

Why?

Fidgeting slightly, I brought his palm to my cheek and gently closed my eyes.

“…It’s warm.”

So please, trust me.

It was enough to be despised by the people in my memories.

Life here had gradually softened the walls I had built around my heart.

So this must have simply been an impulsive action born from those feelings.

Perhaps my behavior felt unfamiliar to him, because he let out a soft, breathy sigh.

Then, in a voice so low it seemed to sink beneath the surface of water, he murmured,

“You are truly strange. I cannot understand you at all.”

After Ibi left.

Hedius stood by the window, silently watching her retreating figure.

A sudden thought crossed his mind.

Surely not…

He raised his hand.

Even now, a reddish heat like shimmering haze continued to seep from his palm.

It was a power visible only to his eyes.

He wondered for a moment whether Ibi’s mind was somehow unsound and she simply couldn’t feel pain.

But even someone with a mental illness would still be capable of feeling pain.

Hedius found himself wondering about Ibi, but soon brushed the thought aside, running one hand through his jet-black hair.

Whatever the reason, she was the only person who could touch his body without being affected.

It was also true that the moment she touched him, a faint sense of relief had spread through him.

He didn’t even know what to call such a strange emotion.

He could only admit that the feeling wasn’t unpleasant.

If anything, it was refreshing, as though his mind had suddenly become clearer.

Then it would be best to keep her by my side and observe her a little longer.

She seemed quite desperate herself, after all.

And that was when—

“Guild Leader.”

Baron, one of his subordinates who had been hiding like a shadow in one corner of the room, quietly revealed himself.

“Yes. You heard everything, didn’t you, Baron?”

He adjusted his monocle as he answered.

“Yes, I did. But surely you aren’t going to completely let go of your suspicions about her just like this, are you?”

Hedius gave a faint laugh.

“…Well, perhaps for now, let’s say that I have.”

Baron’s mouth fell open in surprise at the unexpected answer.

“Pardon? Are you serious?”

Hedius answered simply by giving a slight nod.

Baron let out a small sigh.

Baron was Hedius’s loyal right-hand man.

Their relationship had begun when Hedius saved him after a nobleman had abused him and left him hanging from a cliff.

From that day onward, Baron had made a decision.

Since Hedius had saved his life, he would serve him until the day that life came to an end.

Above all, Hedius was a man with the ability and strength to stand above others, and Baron had never once regretted his decision.

But now, out of nowhere, a woman had appeared who casually grabbed Hedius’s hand again and again.

Remembering what had just happened, Baron clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.

“But she has dared to be rude to you twice now….”

Baron had never seen anything like this before.

He had never seen someone dare to be rude to Hedius, nor had he ever seen their Guild Leader simply forgive such a person.

But there was one secret about Hedius that even Baron didn’t know.

And that secret was practically the key to understanding Hedius’s behavior.

It was his secret regarding physical contact.

For ordinary people, even the slightest brush of hands against Hedius caused a searing sensation.

It was like touching the wick of a candle that had just been extinguished.

Because of this, people assumed that Hedius was sensitive about physical contact.

But it wasn’t simply because contact caused a burning sensation that Hedius disliked being touched.

What Hedius was hiding was his flame ability.

If someone held his hand or came into complete physical contact with him, they would be burned by his flames.

And unfortunately, Hedius was currently only capable of suppressing the flame aura that had manifested within him. He was unable to control it delicately or flexibly.

Because of that, the aura he had yet to master kept leaking through his hands.

That was why he prohibited everyone from approaching him and had kept his ability a secret.

Even from his loyal subordinate, Baron.

If this secret were to become known to the world, unimaginably terrible things could happen.

There was no reason to let trouble spread beyond his control.

That was his conclusion.

Part of it was to protect the thieves’ guild.

But there was another reason.

I cannot let the world discover Leo’s existence because of me. If they learn that the ominous twin is still alive and well, they may try to kill Leo again.

Hedius suddenly remembered Ibi holding his hand moments ago.

He slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.

“Her objective was not to kidnap Leo.”

“What?”

His gaze turned toward the window.

At the end of that gaze was Ibi, her pink hair fluttering as she ran toward her quarters.

But I cannot say she has no other purpose.

Not yet.