~CHAPTER 47~
“A visitor?”
“Yes… we received a message from the High Temple. Ah, and here… this is the academy recommendation for the Bella siblings.”
“Oh.”
I quietly accepted the papers Sian handed over and watched his expression.
He didn’t hear anything… right?
It wasn’t just any conversation. It was about hiring someone to assassinate a person.
If he had heard that, then even if the target was a villain, there was no way the leader of the Holy Knights would just ignore it like this.
If Sian had listened, he would definitely have said something like:
“Private punishment must not be allowed. We should let the courts handle it properly.”
…Maybe I think of him too much like a strict old man?
Well, whatever. Looks like he didn’t hear anything, so that’s good.
I had no intention of arguing with Sian. I looked over the documents he gave me.
A lord’s recommendation, consent forms, and a pledge to support the siblings’ tuition until graduation…
Everything was perfect. If I kept the pledge safely and sent the rest to the Royal Academy, it would be handled.
As I gathered the papers, I asked him:
“Who’s the visitor?”
“Someone sent by the High Priest. I’m not sure who exactly, but it’ll likely be a holy knight or a cleric.”
“I see…”
If someone was coming from the High Temple, it was clearly because of the incident involving the imprisoned half-demon child here in our temple.
It didn’t matter to me. Right now my magic was extremely, extremely, extremely low, so even if a group of holy knights came, nobody would discover what I was.
The real issue was Illay…
I’ll just warn him to be careful.
He wouldn’t waste his energy fighting pointless battles against holy knights anyway.
Sian spoke in an apologetic tone, sounding a bit defeated.
“It’ll be uncomfortable, but please bear with it for a little while. I’ll settle everything as quickly as possible.”
“It’s fine. This is your house after all.”
Sure, it would be uncomfortable. But I wasn’t heartless enough to complain to someone who looked this sorry.
Besides, like I said, this really was Sian’s house paid with his own money.
“When are they arriving?”
“According to the message… they’ll arrive tomorrow evening. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll greet them myself and I’ll send them off myself.”
“Alright. Got it.”
I wasn’t planning to care anyway, but hearing that only made it better.
I won’t show my face at all.
I nodded and turned to head back to my room since it was already late.
“Well then, I’ll be going…”
“W-wait, Jerena!”
“Yes?”
He called me in a nervous voice and stopped me.
“Um…”
He sounded like something terrible had happened, yet…
Sian just stood there, lips trembling, unable to speak.
“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”
In the end, he backed out.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
His fidgeting hands, his hesitant expression…
He clearly had something to say.
Hmm.
I chose not to pry. I figured he would speak when the time was right.
“Good night, Sir Sian.”
I left him with a simple evening farewell.
A visitor, huh.
It wasn’t like they were visiting for fun; they had work to do.
In a house this big, unless I go looking for them, I won’t even run into them.
Thinking nothing of it, I lay down on my bed.
What stuck with me wasn’t the visitor tomorrow, but the words Sian never finished.
What was he trying to say?
Sometimes, he looks at me like I’m something precious to him.
Even though the only thing behind that gaze must be duty, I kept thinking about it, probably because of how handsome he is.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Romance? At this point?
Romance is something for beginners in reincarnation. I was too worn down for those kinds of dreams.
I shut my eyes tightly.
***
The next day, I went to see Ifrit.
He had sent a message asking if I could stop by when I had time.
“Ah, you’re here!”
The shop assistants seemed completely used to me now. As before, they led me to Ifrit’s office—
…Actually, no.
Instead of immediately guiding me inside, they kept looking around me, as if searching or waiting for something.
What are they doing?
Two or three of them stared at me from different angles. It was honestly uncomfortable.
“Ahem!”
I cleared my throat loudly as politely as possible.
Only then did they snap out of it.
“Ah, sorry! That was rude of us. Right this way.”
“…Right.”
I followed them to meet Ifrit.
This time, Noah wasn’t with him. Ifrit was alone.
As he listened to my confused explanation, he chuckled.
“Ah, the youngest must’ve wanted to see you again!”
“…The youngest?”
“You know. The little flame you named Latia. All of my employees are fire spirits too.”
“…Seriously?”
“Why would I lie about that?”
He laughed lightly and continued.
Fire spirits were very affectionate among themselves. They missed each other easily. Maybe they cared more for each other than for their king himself, he grumbled half lovingly.
So Latia and the employees saw each other as siblings more than just fellow spirits.
No wonder they kept giving Latia those strange, affectionate looks.
Maybe they expected me to bring Latia today too. I remembered their disappointed faces and decided I would bring him next time.
Anyway, that aside—
“So why did you call me today?”
At my question, Ifrit smiled mysteriously. Then he gestured to the staff near the door.
“You there, bring Theo in.”
Theo? Who was that…?
I stared at Ifrit in confusion. He seemed to understand the question in my eyes, but instead of answering, he just smiled like he wanted me to find out myself.
Fine then.
I sighed and leaned comfortably against the sofa.
It was strange how comfortable I had become here after only a few visits.
Even Ifrit, who had been so intimidating at first, was now someone I could casually argue with and share tea with.
Despite being a demon lord and a spirit king—two beings that should never get along.
Once this cycle ends, I won’t be able to build this kind of relationship again.
Not just with Ifrit. The same went for Zahar, Latia, Bella…
Even Illay treated me a bit differently each loop.
Just like how small details in events changed every cycle.
And Sian too…
If I meet him in the next cycle, will he be this kind to me again?
Probably not. He was the leader of the Holy Knights.
He might try to kill me on sight if I revealed what I was.
The thought made me let out a dry laugh.
Even if I had strong bonds in one cycle, there was almost no chance they would continue into the next.
Tiny gestures, glances, tones, voices, attitudes… each one created endless possibilities.
That’s why I never chased after the people I liked in previous cycles.
When I failed to recreate those bonds, it felt unbearably empty.
Memories, moments, affection… they were paper thin.
Ugh, stop being sentimental.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head lightly.
“Are you dizzy?”
A warm touch brushed my forehead with a gentle voice.
Startled, I opened my eyes. Ifrit was leaning close, looking worried.
“…I’m fine.”
He quietly sat back down.
Click—
Just then, the door opened and the staff spoke.
“Guildmaster, I’ve brought him.”
So I would finally meet this “Theo.”
