Chapter 20
“…Did you break it?”
The Exarch replied, still looking concerned.
“It seemed dangerous. Are you hurt anywhere?”
He asked this while looking Baeksan up and down.
Belatedly, Baeksan let out a shaky breath. Her stomach still ached from the intense cold.
‘…I thought I was going to die.’
When she didn’t respond and just rubbed her stomach, the Exarch’s expression darkened.
“You should go back. I’ll take you.”
“What?”
“I’ll take you home. And didn’t I say formal speech doesn’t suit you?”
He said this while taking off his outer coat and wrapping it around Baeksan.
Baeksan waved her hands in flustered denial.
“No, but I came with my colleagues…”
“We’re fine!”
The mages quickly responded. They were all slightly flushed and their eyes were sparkling.
“You two go ahead! We’ll follow later!”
“And thank you for saving us!”
“No…”
“Next time, let’s discuss magical formulas together, Master!”
…The mages retreated like an ebbing tide.
Baeksan was dumbfounded, and the Exarch expertly guided the stunned Baeksan outside the brick house.
Only after being escorted naturally as flowing water into the carriage did Baeksan come to her senses.
‘Hot.’
The carriage had already started moving, and inside were just the Exarch and herself.
“Should we head to the Sophs dormitory?”
Baeksan’s lips quivered before she finally sighed.
“Yes. Thank you.”
The Exarch smiled while looking at Baeksan and asked in a gentle voice:
“Why didn’t you come visit?”
…She’d wondered when he’d ask that.
“Too busy making a living.”
The Exarch laughed “Ha ha,” then said softly:
“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”
“…”
You’re sharp, aren’t you.
Baeksan said with a sigh:
“It wasn’t necessary to visit. You said you’d pretend not to know me.”
“There wasn’t really any reason not to come either.”
“There was. It’s very burdensome that you’re a Grand Duke.”
“For someone who finds it burdensome, you speak the most casually among all the people I’ve met.”
The Exarch said this and laughed like a young boy. Somehow, it was a smile that completely dissolved any tension.
Baeksan groaned and touched her forehead.
“And you, why do you keep insisting I come to the Grand Duke’s residence?”
“Hmm.”
The Exarch crossed his arms. A faint smile played on his lips.
“When I first met you, you jumped into that dangerous situation for your friend’s sake.”
He must be talking about when Lira was kidnapped.
“I had my reasons.”
“But you were unarmed, and it was too dangerous for someone with no power to jump in.”
“…”
She couldn’t deny it.
Though she could see information windows, she had no special abilities.
She wasn’t exceptionally strong, nor could she use magic.
‘Yet I acted recklessly again just now. What an idiot.’
Baeksan thought dispassionately.
But she knew that even if time were turned back, she would make the same choice in that situation.
The Exarch seemed to have thought the same thing.
“It was the same this time. How many people do you think would risk danger to protect others at that moment?”
“…I just acted calculatingly.”
Baeksan answered indifferently.
The Exarch gazed at her steadily before letting out a small laugh.
“There aren’t people like that, Minervina.”
“…”
“You’re a good person, and it’s natural to want to see someone like that again.”
Left speechless, Baeksan deliberately maintained a calm face and stared out the carriage window.
Soon after, the carriage arrived at the Sophs dormitory.
The Empire’s only Grand Duke personally stepped down from the carriage and extended his hand to Baeksan.
“I’ll send a physician who can treat internal injuries, so please wait a while. I’ll explain to Sophs, so rest well today. And…”
“…”
“See you again.”
A kind gaze and a voice full of goodwill.
Baeksan deliberately avoided his eyes and said:
“We really won’t have any reason to meet again…”
The Exarch quietly laughed.
“That would be a shame,” he said gently before leaving.
Baeksan watched the departing carriage before entering the dormitory.
Somehow, her face felt hot.
* * *
Thanks to the ‘Ohara’s Lost Item’ incident, Baeksan received some time off.
Fortunately, there was no internal injury, and the doctor diagnosed that the cold that had seeped into her organs would dissipate after a few days of rest.
She also heard that if the Exarch hadn’t destroyed the crystal, everyone present would have been in danger.
‘His judgment was really something else.’
Though it’s not like she’d meet him again anyway.
A few days later, her leave ended.
Baeksan headed to the fourth floor at Elize’s summons and received a deep bow of apology.
“I’m so sorry, Minervina. And thank you. I heard that in that critical situation, you tried to protect our mages…”
Elize was fidgeting anxiously, and seeing this, Baeksan joked:
“If you’re grateful, how about a performance bonus?”
“I’m sorry. Would gratitude from the heart not suffice?”
Now that’s the Elize we know.
Baeksan pretended to grumble a bit before leaving the room.
Her feelings were somewhat complicated.
‘It seems I keep appearing as a good person to those around me.’
While thinking this and heading back to the first floor, someone called out to her at the landing.
“Your name is Mine?”
“…?”
Baeksan turned her head.
A skinny middle-aged man in a baggy robe had approached her.
Brown hair. Sharp, irritable eyes.
She’d seen him occasionally on the second floor.
‘Why would an appraiser from the second floor…?’
His expression wasn’t pleasant. His gaze was disdainful.
After some consideration, she returned an equally disdainful look, which made the appraiser frown.
“Are you a mage?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then what certifications do you have?”
“I don’t have any particular certifications.”
As she answered, she sensed it.
The inevitable had come.
Sophs was Orquenina’s largest appraisal house. Even getting hired was extremely difficult.
All appraisers working at Sophs took pride in working at the best workplace.
Yet here was this young woman who seemed to have no particular abilities, dropping from the sky and monopolizing the Deputy Guild Master’s trust.
‘It’s understandable they’d want to establish hierarchy. Especially since I didn’t even try to get friendly…’
That must have made her look even worse. Being just a newcomer and all.
‘Though I get along well with the third floor mages, occasionally helping them with magical formulas.’
While Baeksan was thinking, the appraiser stroked his chin and gave her an appraising look.
“I am Morinus, in charge of appraisals on the second floor.”
“Ah… yes. Hello. I’m Mine.”
“Which family are you from? I come from the Tollak family, and my father was appointed as a court knight.”
“Umm…”
Court knight…
Was that high ranking? She wasn’t sure.
So she asked:
“Are you nobility?”
“…”
Morinus’s expression crumpled.
Another appraiser passing behind them covered their mouth, seemingly trying not to laugh.
‘What? So he’s not nobility.’
Baeksan didn’t know, but Morinus’s father had only been a single-generation noble, and he himself wasn’t nobility.
Yet he always carried himself as if he were noble.
Therefore, he took Baeksan’s question as mockery and his eyes filled with anger.
“…My father taught me noble refinement. Do you know what one of those teachings was?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Knowing one’s place.”
Oh. So they had such sayings here too.
Thinking how people weren’t so different anywhere, Baeksan let out a sound of appreciation.
Misunderstanding her reaction somehow, Morinus smiled arrogantly.
“I’ve tried to live according to my learning. Thus, I hold no less than seven appraisal certifications.”
…Was that a lot?
She wasn’t sure. Though it was somehow reassuring that it wasn’t six.
Baeksan looked around.
It was lunchtime. Mages coming down from the third floor and appraisers heading down from the second floor were watching with interest.
The highest-ranking mages in the appraisal house gave Baeksan supportive looks.
‘They must know about the Ohara’s Lost Item incident.’
But Elize must have told them to keep quiet, as they didn’t intervene.
‘As for the appraisers…’
Looking at their expressions, half of the second floor appraisers seemed neutral, while half seemed hostile.
That’s how it usually was with parachute appointments.
