Chapter 49

Chapter 49

[Woohoo~ Congratulations, Irina!]

[It looks like you’re about to get Minion 1 and Minion 2 at the same time.]

“That’s right.”

The quest related to Yen Kavitz was unexpected.

I thought I’d need to gain Yen’s approval to hire him, since it said I needed to achieve a certain amount of sales to hire Yen Kavitz.

But that wasn’t it. 

The amount specified in the quest was what Yen needed to earn to be employed by me.

“So, System…”

[Yes? What is it, Irina?]

Late at night, as the lights were starting to go out, I was barely holding onto the stand, suffering.

“Is it possible… to contact… Luwin…?”

Making a sound like ‘Urghhhh’, I crouched down on the ground.

I was fine until just now. 

I lamented my weak body.

[We can’t… contact him.]

[Sorry, we don’t have that power.]

[Oh my, you overdid it, didn’t you?]

Normally, the average amount of ice cream I can make is about 250. 

But because I was feeling good, and suddenly people started flooding in, I pushed myself a bit more and filled all 300 waffles that Apple had prepared.

At first, I was fine, thinking, ‘Huh? What’s this? Has my divine power increased?’, and I was zipping around.

[That’s right. Meanwhile, you were talking with Yuri and hiring Yen.]

[Our Irina worked so busily~]

The aftermath hit when I was left alone. 

After sending Yen and Yuri home, as I was cleaning up, suddenly a terrible headache overwhelmed me.

“Wow, how is this exactly like a hangover?”

I grumbled to the system while dry heaving a few times. 

I wiped the tears from my eyes and clutched my head.

It felt like my head was about to split open.

Suddenly I’d feel fine, but the moment I relaxed, the aftermath would hit so hard I couldn’t think straight. 

I wasn’t confident I could walk home on my own.

“Oh my, I’m dying here.”

[For now, Irina, let’s sit down and rest a bit.]

[Take some deep breaths too.]

[Wrap the robe tighter around you.]

If it weren’t for the magician’s robe I got from Luka, I really might have frozen to death in this splendid capital.

The area in front of the theater, which was bustling with people just a little while ago, was now empty and desolate. 

The unlit theater lights only added to the atmosphere.

“Oh my, I’m dying…”

Where’s my hangover cure?

[It’s in the North.]

[Looking now… hmm! It’s reading a book in front of the fireplace.]

I’ll have to go back once I feel a bit better.

I didn’t intend to stay out this late, but somehow it ended up like this.

Just as I was dozing off, leaning against the stand with the robe’s hood pulled over my head, a shadow fell over me.

The shadow was quite large, and when I suddenly woke up and lifted my head slightly, my vision was filled with a huge body.

“…Ah.”

I raised my head along a man’s chest.

“Lord Cassis?”

The distance between Cassis and me was so close that even when I lifted my head, I couldn’t see his face clearly. 

Moreover, Cassis was standing with his back to one of the few streetlights, casting a shadow on his face, making it even harder to see.

However, I could tell it was Cassis because of the strange comfort I felt on my skin as I got closer to him.

‘That’s right. And there was also that strangely cozy scent.’

I smiled as I recognized the familiar jawline.

[I see. But Irina, I don’t think this is the time to be happy.]

[Cassis seems a bit angry too…]

That can’t be. 

Thinking about all the things I’ve done in the North so far, from his position as the master, there were plenty of things that could have been unpleasant.

But Cassis never showed anger, let alone said anything unpleasant.

[Oh my.]

‘Whether he’s that generous or just uninterested in worldly affairs… anyway, Cassis doesn’t know how to get angry.’

“Lord Cassis, what brings you here?”

“Irina.”

I stood up towards Cassis, who had been motionless until now and had just barely called my name.

“Ah…!”

But that didn’t last long. 

I sat back down with a groan, all due to the aftereffects of excessive divine power consumption.

“Irina, are you alright?”

Thinking I was about to collapse, Cassis called out to me in a loud voice I’d never heard before and grabbed me.

He sat down on the ground, almost falling, while holding onto my shoulders.

The gaze that had been so high above was now right in front of my face.

“Good evening, Lord Cassis.”

“…Is this the time to say it’s good?”

Cassis spoke after a brief pause, as if trying to suppress some emotion. 

I could feel some pent-up emotion in his voice.

‘Is he worried? Or angry?’

[I told you! I said he seemed angry!]

Reading Cassis’s expressions is quite difficult.

He usually maintained a cool, expressionless face.

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to smile. 

I quite loved those moments when his usually cold face would relax.

And now…

I smiled brightly, pretending not to notice Cassis’s concern.

“Of course! I was so worried about how to get back after overdoing it today.”

And how did you know to come pick me up, Lord Cassis?

I leaned slightly towards Cassis, who was crouched right in front of me. 

His hand on my shoulder tightened.

He caught me.

“Our Lord Cassis, such a precious person, out and about in this weather, at this hour, because of me.”

“…”

“Such precious knees touching the ground like this, I feel ashamed as your servant.”

I giggled and pointed at Cassis’s coat dragging on the ground. 

Cassis responded to my reaction with a still humorless voice.

“Does someone who claims to be ashamed say that while laughing?”

“That’s because I’m happy.”

“I’m not happy.”

Cassis immediately denied my words.

I stared at Cassis blankly. 

His red eyes looked almost black, perhaps because we were in a place without much light. 

With those dark eyes, he spoke without expression.

“I was worried.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes. Irina needs to be sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

Cassis didn’t react to my apology for a while, then stood up first.

For a moment, as the person in front of me stood up with a stiff expression, my head tilted up to follow him.

I must have looked up at Cassis with quite a pitiful expression without realizing it.

Because as soon as our eyes met, Cassis’s expression softened.

He finally cleared away his stiff expression and sat back down with a deep sigh. 

Once again, Cassis and I were at eye level.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I think I’d feel much better if you held me, Lord Cassis.”

“That’s a relief then.”

He finally smiled as if he couldn’t help it. 

He stood up first and extended his hand to me. 

As I placed my hand on his solid one, a strong force gently lifted and supported me.

Following him, there was a black horse snorting ‘prrr’.

Cassis put me on the horse first, then lightly mounted behind me. 

I tried to maintain a stiff posture, but it wasn’t easy on the fast-moving horse. 

Eventually, my body brushed against Cassis’s chest behind me a few times.

“…You can lean back.”

Only after Cassis’s voice, tinged with a sigh, reached my ear could I fully entrust my body to him.

My mood had already improved, and I giggled as I quickly leaned my body fully against Cassis.

I could feel his body tensing up defensively even through the thick fabric.

[What’s this, Irina? Are you seducing Cassis now?]

‘What if I am?’

[…Cheering for you?]

At the weak chat, I just slightly curled up the corners of my mouth.

This was the first time I’d seen him show anger to this extent. 

For a moment, I almost felt upset, but in the end, Cassis was kind, and so he finally extended his hand to me, lifted me up, and even put me in front of him on the horse.

I shouldn’t worry him.

[Why?]

Well…

‘Because I like Cassis.’

The word ‘like’ can contain various emotions. 

It could be the love for a lover, affection for a sibling, or loyalty to a lord.

It’s none of these three, but I like Cassis.

Because he was my violet knight, and that knight had been my first love for a long time.

It’s not that I want to do anything with him right now. Just…

‘I just can’t ignore him.’

He keeps catching my eye.

[Why?]

‘Because he’s a warm person even when he’s angry.’

Why was he only described as the cold Grand Duke of the North in the original work?

‘I keep thinking about him. So when I look closer, I keep growing fond of him.’

[Really?]

‘I hope he becomes happy.’

The path Cassis and I have to take is long and difficult. 

It’s even more so for Cassis, who has to go to war directly to save the world.

As soon as we arrived at the mansion, which was much warmer than when I first came, I stretched, saying I felt like I would live.

Cassis watched me for a while as I took off my robe, saying it was warm, then suddenly gripped my hand tightly. 

To me, who looked up at him with a questioning face, he whispered as he loosened his grip:

“I hope you won’t do it while hurting yourself.”

He threw those words at me and disappeared without waiting for an answer.

“Miss Irina? Let’s talk for a moment.”

After that, I got scolded once by Roen. 

Then I was scolded by my maid Betty, and even by Apple.

But Apple had some sense. 

He lectured me about how dangerous it is for a woman to wander alone in the capital at night while feeding me warm bacon potato soup.

“You’ve grown a lot, Apple?”

“Miss Irina, this is not the time for that.”

Roen, who was standing beside me with his arms crossed, nodding along with Apple and making a fuss, cut off my rebellion in one swift stroke.

“Do you know how worried Lord Cassis was?”

“I know…”

Because he knew, he was wandering the streets in this weather to come get me.

“No. You don’t know, Miss Irina.”

“How do you know that, Mr. Roen?”

“Do you know how long I’ve been serving Lord Cassis?”

I searched through the settings of the original work. 

I think there was a description that he had been serving him since they were very young.

“I studied together with Lord Cassis. We learned how to write together, learned ancient languages, learned swordsmanship…”

“Yes.”

“I’ve hardly ever seen Lord Cassis push away someone he’s let into his circle.”

Roen said firmly.

“Lord Cassis only pushes someone away when he himself is hurt, festering, and festering again, to the point where he might end up hurting another of his people.”

It was mentioned in the original work that Cassis had a strong attachment to his people.

I remember that he didn’t let just anyone into his circle, but once he did, he was quite obsessively attached.

The female lead would have been the first person he let into his circle in a short period of time, after not letting anyone in for a very long time.

“…”

The only difference between the original work and now is that back then, he had an abundance of everything, so betrayal wouldn’t have been so painful.

It would hurt, but he had the luxury to stand up again somehow back then, which he doesn’t have now.

“If you’ve entered his circle, take responsibility.”

“I won’t betray Lord Cassis. I will do my best to work for the glory of Luwin!”

Roen slammed his hand on the desk and stood up abruptly.

“I’m not talking about betrayal. Ah, of course, if you do betray him… I’ll use everything at my disposal to eliminate you!”

I was startled by the sudden loud voice.

Roen had put aside his light and playful demeanor from before and was glaring at me with a fierce look.

“If you’ve entered Lord Cassis’s circle, you’ve received his heart. Don’t worry him, don’t leave him, and do well on your own.”