TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

    Illustrations: none

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    〈 Chapter 66 〉 Chapter 66. On the Verge.

    (TL Note: In the original text, ‘????’ meant a critical state where something could explode if touched even once.)

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    Being dragged around by the scruff of my neck wasn''t a pleasant experience, as I''ve learned whenever it happens, but I think it''s particularly unpleasant this time.

    The feeling of my shirt being stretched taut and my fragile neck becoming the only support for my heavy body, is something that any normal person, not just me, would try to avoid.

    Of course, it might be someone else’s fantasy.

    But at least, that someone isn''t me.

    Really.

    I just wonder how cats can feel so comfortable in this position. That''s all I''m curious about.

    Creak, creak?

    "—Keh, kehk!? S-Stop! Saelli. No, Lady Saelli!?"

    "Be quiet. Shut your mouth and follow me quietly. While I''m still being nice."

    How is this being nice in any way.

    Is this some kind of joke that only monsters understand?

    Crack, an ominous sound emanated from my back, bent to its limit in the opposite direction as it was meant to bend.

    I was in a strange and uncomfortable position, almost like I was performing a circus act, maintaining a delicate balance with only her hand gripping my neck and my toes barely touching the ground.

    (TL Note: wtf, is this some Michael Jackson move or somethin?)

    The fact that it wasn''t voluntary was the key difference between this and an actual circus act.

    It felt like the slightest misstep would lead to an irreversible disaster.

    If it weren''t for the flexibility I had gained from my years as a mercenary, I would have already tumbled to the ground, making a fool of myself.

    Of course, that didn''t mean my current posture was any better, though.

    Never have I been so grateful for the lack of people around.

    They say that if you can look up at the sky three times a day, you''re living a happy life.

    That''s nice.

    I''ve already achieved one, today.

    "Ueeeeeh—"

    Whoosh, whoosh, the scenery whizzed by.

    Forced into a position where I had to look at the sky, I noticed that we had transitioned from the clean and orderly shopping district to a more run-down area, and I could roughly guess where we were now.

    The outskirts of the city, at its very edge.

    The taller and thicker the buildings, the darker and wider their shadows become.

    Just like there are well-trodden paths people frequent, there are also dark, secluded alleys that people avoid and turn away from.

    We had entered into one of those dark shadows.

    —Whoosh!

    "Whoa!?"

    "Haa...."

    Now that we''d reached our destination, I guess there was no need for her to keep holding onto my neck.

    My body, plummeted towards the ground with a whoosh.

    I wasn''t expecting her to help me up, but she could have at least gently placed me on the ground instead of throwing me.

    And please stop looking at me with that expression, as if you had touched a parasite, after throwing me away.

    I wish she would show me even a third… no, that''s too much to ask. Just a ninth of the kindness she shows to Alice.

    And then, if I were to go to Alice and tell her about this outrageous act, she would probably appear behind Alice out of nowhere and kindly chop off my head before describing the horrible things that would happen to me, it would be truly a tragedy that would make the heavens weep and the earth tremble.

    It''s too much.

    The touch I felt after so long lacked any gentleness that could be called human kindness, reminding me of my pathetic situation.

    And the even sadder fact was that I was getting used to it.

    Heeeng.

    "...Heeeng."

    "What''s with the ''Heeeng'' again."

    Tsk, tsk.

    Even if it’s rotten, it’s still a good tooth.

    (TL Note: Another Korean proverb ‘??? ????.’ meaning that a valuable item retains its original value even if it is damaged.)

    Still, though it was a secluded alley where people rarely came, the only things that stood out were the moss and plants that had grown along the walls, there was no garbage or filth in sight, truly befitting the imperial capital.

    Lying sprawled on the clean pavement, I counted the leaves of a dicotyledonous plant growing beside me, squirming slightly each time her foot nudged me.

    One leaf, two leaves…

    "Stop acting pathetic and get up."

    "...Yes, ma''am."

    Feeling like I might really die if this continued, I quickly got up.

    As the saying goes, ''The law is far, but violence is near,'' Alice, who could protect me, was far away, and Saelli was right in front of me.

    Perhaps it was because I hadn''t eaten properly during my growth spurt, I was relatively short, but even considering that, I felt like a tiny kitten in front of her large frame, her shadow easily engulfing my entire body.

    She opened her blood-red lips.

    "What did I write in the letter?"

    Her vertically slit, bright red eyes glared at me, flashing with a dangerous light.

    Looking into her eyes, I learned that a person could curse someone with just their eyes, without saying a word.

    She is, So, So angry…

    "…Uh, Saelli…ma''am? It’s been a while—"

    "—I asked what I wrote in the letter."

    "Hieeek!?"

    Operation ''Greet with a smile'' was a complete failure.

    Hoping to appeal to the sage''s wisdom that you can''t spit on a smiling face, I tried to move my expression, which was shrunk with fear, into something resembling a smile, but Saelli''s face didn''t soften even as I greeted her.

    Saelli. She was a woman who could throw a punch at a person''s smiling face without hesitation.

    I''m screwed.

    I''m totally screwed.

    That thought alone kept lingering in my mind, refusing to leave.

    "You! Where are you suddenly going with that woman?"

    "....Tch."

    But was I being thrown a lifeline?

    Tap, tap, tap.

    The sound of rapid footsteps, echoed from the alleyway we had come from.

    Following our trail, Remi Akaia came running towards us, panting heavily.

    I was about to wave my hand to greet her, but I had to slowly lower the hand I had started to raise.

    After all, asking for help from her, the very source of the problem, would be the worst possible move I could make in this situation.

    In the end, I had to navigate this life-threatening predicament on my own.

    The lifeline that had seemed like it would save me was actually a bomb that would only make things worse if I grabbed it.

    "Well… you told me not to cause any trouble, and to just stay quiet….that''s what you said."

    "What I meant in that was ''don''t cause any incidents,'' but… well, you seem to understand that well. So, why did you do it? Why is she with you?"

    ".....Um."

    Saelli''s words, interrogating me.

    Honestly, I had a lot of excuses I wanted to make. Sёar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    I was just living an ordinary life at the academy, and it was she who had impulsively entrusted Alice to me.

    Of course, I understood that if Saelli had gone as far as to leave Alice with me, it must have been a serious situation, but still, it was too sudden.

    And besides, Saelli wouldn''t have known that ''Remi Akaia'' was at the Museion.

    But when I thought about Alice''s injured arm.

    And the fact that I hadn''t done anything to help Alice until her mood had taken a turn for the worse, I couldn''t completely deny her words, either.

    "........."

    Since I had no intention of denying or making excuses, I lowered my head as a sign of apology.

    "—Wait, you, I''m asking who you are!"

    "You don''t need to know who I am. And I have no intention of telling you, either."

    Did she sense that the situation was turning sour.

    Or did she instinctively feel that Saelli, standing in front of her, was a crucial piece to solve the puzzle of Alice''s past.

    Remi Akaia strode towards us and forcefully grabbed on Saelli''s shoulder, trying to make her look at her.

    —Squeeze.

    "........"

    "....What the?!"

    But if there was one thing Remi Akaia had overlooked, it was that Saelli wasn''t an ordinary person.

    No matter how much strength she exerted, Saelli''s body didn''t even budge.

    She just looked at Remi Akaia''s face with a disinterested look, as if she didn''t care what she was doing, her hand still resting on Saelli''s shoulder.

    Even I felt a chill run down my spine at that condescending gaze, as if she was looking at an ant, so imagine how much worse must it have been for Remi Akaia herself.

    She shrank slightly.

    But at Saelli''s next words, Remi Akaia''s demeanor changed completely.

    "It doesn''t matter. In any case, I''m taking Alice back with me."

    "—Huh?"

    Those chillingly cold words, I wonder which of the two was the coldness coming from.

    I lifted my head and looked to my side, and saw Remi Akaia''s eyes, devoid of any life, her voice was reminiscent of when she was back at the greenhouse.

    Realizing that her gaze was fixed on Saelli, I sensed the storm that was about to engulf us.

    Unfortunately, it was a storm without an eye, so to speak.

    "Who''s taking who? You, say that again."

    "I said, I''m taking Alice back."

    "...Ha, you seem to think your mouth is the only hole that''s been opened."

    Amber eyes, resembling the moon.

    Blood-ruby like eyes, resembling the sun.

    I could see the gazes of the two people, both unwilling to yield, locked onto each other.

    "...Hngg."

    Life is always so tiring.

    I crouched down and started counting the leaves of the plant growing nearby again.

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