Chapter 28
“Hmm?”
Ceres’ eyes widened as she saw the child.
With a deeply frustrated expression, Chaian exclaimed.
“Why are you just letting that kid go? She’s cutting the line.”
Just moments ago, when he tried heading toward the shop entrance, the onlookers were yelling with fiery eyes. Now, they were all silent.
Instead of spewing curses as they had earlier, they wore warm smiles, like friendly neighborhood uncles.
“That child is different.”
“Different, different.”
“What’s so diffe…?”
Creak.
“Yulia.”
“Sister.”
Just then, the shop door opened, and Yulia appeared.
The child’s steps quickened, and she soon leapt into her sister’s arms.
“She’s the owner’s younger sister.”
“Oh…”
Finally realizing the child’s identity, Chaian examined her with a newfound gaze.
Her bright green eyes looked particularly adorable.
“Sister, are you busy today?”
“Why?”
Ceres headed into the shop, holding Yulia by the hand.
She didn’t bother scolding her to stop coming here—it was pointless since she never listened.
“Can you come with me to Dave’s house?”
“Dave’s house? Why?”
Didn’t he run away with his mother?
Could he possibly have returned in the meantime?
“I need to bring something Dave left behind.”
It was something from his academy locker. Today, Yulia had retrieved it on his behalf after raising her hand when the teacher asked for help.
“You never know. There might have been some contact. If we know where they live, we can at least send a letter.”
“…Not sure about that.”
It didn’t seem likely that someone who ran off in an affair would send news back.
Still, looking into Yulia’s hopeful eyes, Ceres couldn’t bring herself to say such words.
“I’ll be done with my work soon. Let’s go together then.”
“Okay!”
“Sit quietly over there for now.”
Nod.
After settling Yulia in her designated seat, Ceres returned to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, many people came and went from the shop.
“One stew, please.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
Chaian finally stepped inside the shop, found a seat, and placed his order.
“Huh?”
Yulia, who had been excitedly watching the customers, suddenly locked her gaze on Chaian.
Since Chaian was also looking at her, their eyes met.
Pop!
“Magic is not hard!”
Yulia suddenly stood up and shouted, making the shop fall silent.
While the other customers looked surprised, wondering what was going on, Chaian, who had momentarily widened his eyes, brushed back his long hair and flashed a radiant smile.
“Yes, I am the great mage Chaian, the author of that book.”
“Wow!”
Yulia clapped her hands, delighted by how perfectly Chaian mimicked the pose from the book’s illustration.
Chaian’s smile deepened, and he spoke in a refined tone.
“So, is your dream to become a mage, little one? Is that why you read my book?”
“Nope. I just read it because all my friends were reading it.”
“Oh… Well, that’s understandable. So, did you enjoy it? Did it spark your interest in magic?”
“Not at all.”
“What?”
“It was super boring. The book was full of stuff about how great the Master of the Magic Tower is.”
“……”
…Yep, they’re siblings.
“Could you sign the book next time you visit?”
“If it was boring, why do you want a signature?”
When Chaian huffed in frustration, Yulia tilted her head with an innocent expression, as if asking why the Master of the Magic Tower didn’t understand.
“That book isn’t something people buy for fun or knowledge. It’s for the picture at the front. Some kids even tear out just that page and carry it around.”
“…Thanks.”
At least they appreciated his face.
“But I didn’t tear the book. My sister said it was ridiculously expensive and that I should keep it intact to resell it later.”
“……”
Only siblings could attack with such painful truths.
***
“Is this the place?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve been here before. Dave’s mom even gave me snacks. Strawberry cake!”
“I didn’t hear about that.”
“It’s because I was visiting a boy’s house. I told Colin to keep it a secret from you.”
“Colin…”
As promised, when the shop quieted down for a bit, Ceres took Yulia to Dave’s house.
It seemed she had visited a few times before with the butler, Colin.
Knock, knock.
Once they arrived, Ceres knocked on the door of Dave’s house.
But even after a long time, there was no response.
Knock, knock.
“…Doesn’t seem like anyone’s home.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Well… how about leaving the stuff with the neighbor?”
“That’s not a good idea. The teacher specifically asked for it to be delivered to Dave’s house.”
So stubborn. Gotta hand it to her.
Eventually, Ceres knocked on the door again.
Should we come back tomorrow?
Creak!
“Who is it…?”
Finally, the door opened, and Dave’s father appeared.
He looked surprised when he saw Ceres and Yulia standing at the door.
“You’re…”
“Hello.”
Dave’s father, who seemed to recognize Yulia, greeted her warmly.
Even though he was technically a noble in name only, his tone was exceptionally polite, likely because Yulia was a member of a noble family.
“The teacher asked me to deliver some things to Dave.”
“Oh…”
Receiving the small bag from her, the man’s face instantly turned sorrowful.
Seeing his bittersweet expression, Yulia’s face also grew somber.
“Thank you.”
“By any chance, have you heard anything from Dave?”
“No. I’m waiting for news as well.”
The man bent down to meet Yulia’s gaze.
“You were very close to our Dave, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“If you do hear from him, could you let me know as well?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. I’d love to offer you some snacks, but the house is a mess… Please take care on your way back.”
After finishing the conversation, the man waved goodbye and started to close the door.
Thud.
But at that moment, Ceres, who had been quiet the whole time, grabbed the closing door.
“Why… Why are you doing this?”
As the flustered man looked at her, Ceres stepped forward and glanced at his attire.
“Looks like you were cleaning.”
“Huh? Oh…”
The man, noticing his rolled-up sleeves and pants, looked embarrassed. His hands and feet were wet, a clear sign that he’d been cleaning.
“Yes. The house has been a bit messy.”
“I see.”
“Well, thank you again for delivering this. Please be safe.”
The man once again bid farewell and stepped back inside.
“Hmm.”
Even after he disappeared, Ceres didn’t immediately turn away.
“Sister?”
At Yulia’s call, Ceres finally stepped back from the door and clicked her tongue.
“There’s a smell.”
“A smell? What smell?”
“The kind of smell healers use with their medicines.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a thing.”
After one last glance at Dave’s house, Ceres hurried back to the shop for the evening rush.
***
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
As Del entered the room, he saw Kainel buried in a mountain of documents on his desk.
Since arriving in the capital, Kainel had been swamped with work. The tasks he had postponed had piled up endlessly.
Most of the issues were related to resources unique to the Golden Land of the North, so he couldn’t take them lightly.
“I’ve brought your meal.”
Kainel took off his glasses and shot Del an irritated look. He had explicitly said earlier that he didn’t need food today.
“You barely ate anything yesterday. This is a special meal I prepared myself, so please, just try a little. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“You’ve been talking a lot lately.”
“Haha, I must be getting old.”
“Are you complaining about age in front of me?”
“My apologies.”
“I’ll eat later. Just leave it.”
“You’ll really eat it, right?”
“…”
“Understood. Please make sure you do.”
Noticing Kainel’s narrowing eyes, Del hurriedly left the room.
Watching him leave, Kainel clicked his tongue lightly.
Has he really gotten older? He’s been nagging a lot more lately.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment