"Ah, and it'll take a few days for the tranquilizer from the Magic Tower to arrive. Until then, you'll have difficulty moving..."
I said with a kind smile.
"Right now, there are no people here, are there?"
With the owner changing three times, there was no one from Zahid's faction at the Dyfenril Duchy.
"If only there had been just one trustworthy person who would follow my wishes back then, maybe many things would have been different."
Just as Zahid had once said.
I smiled slyly and pointed to Shulva.
"Now that it's an emergency, I do have authority, right? I'll recommend Shulva as your deputy and leave."
"I'll clean up everyone in this mansion and pick trustworthy people. And I'll guide you on how badly the Duchy has fallen apart and how it can be restored. He's experienced."
Zahid furrowed his brows.
"Even if he's exceptional, you're still eleven. You absolutely need a reliable adult to protect # Nоvеlight # and guide you."
"Well, if you don't like it, fire him. Once the tranquilizer arrives, you'll be free, too."
And Shulva, with an expressionless face, responded.
"That won't happen, Lady Rosie. I'm confident in my abilities."
"I agree. If you're too blind to see Shulva’s abilities, then you're hopeless at reading people. Don’t even think about looking back—just leave."
"I've already paid Shulva a year's salary. Starting next year, you’ll pay him. Write up the contract yourself."
Then, with a bright smile, I handed the bouquet I'd been holding to Shulva.
"Congratulations on the new job, Shulva. I hope you like the position I recommended."
PM 3:37 Wow, this is really ridiculous. So the flowers I told Shulva to pick the prettiest from the flower shop... this is what I meant?
Shulva accepted the bouquet I offered with a polite nod.
It seemed like he truly liked the one he had chosen himself.
"I don't like living a sweet life, Lady Rosie. I am happy being busy and fiercely supporting someone genuinely."
When Shulva had said he was going to submit his resignation to Julian, I immediately recommended this place to him.
"And I’ve already submitted my resignation to Julian."
"Did your brother accept it willingly?"
"Well, he found a new job, so what else could he do?"
Shulva calmly accepted my proposal.
And when he arrived here, it seemed like he liked this new job even more.
"Thank you, Lady Rosie. It clearly looks like a hopeless, chaotic household, but it’s exactly my style."
"I'm glad it matches Shulva’s taste. I also think this place is a mess from top to bottom, so it needs to be completely overhauled."
While we were talking, Ethan was diligently scribbling.
PM 3:38 The bouquet wasn’t for the fiancée but for Shulva... this is getting funnier and funnier.
Zahid had been glaring at it with the expression, ‘If that’s given to me, I’ll throw it away.’ Karma’s a bitch.
"I'm heading out now."
The business was now finished.
I waved at Zahid, who looked incredibly exhausted.
"I recommend doing a complete overhaul. I know you'll do it well, but still, disband the Senate as soon as possible. I hope you can show some mercy and write at least one letter of recommendation for the butler."
And I took care of the butler’s future, which was now full of uncertainty.
"He knew full well that there was a candidate already, but still accepted all the documents. He seems to be a principled man who compromises with injustice. He’s a rare combination of traits."
"What nonsense are you talking about..."
Zahid clicked his tongue but didn’t say anything more.
I patted Fire’s face, who was whining and rubbing against my side.
"I'll see you later."
"Now, you’ll never have to part with Zahid."
I felt Fire’s emotions wash over me.
I felt a lump in my throat and buried my face in Fire’s fur once more.
Fire was the only one acknowledging the time I was changing.
"Don’t make me laugh. I was never going to send Fire to the Temple."
At that moment, Zahid snorted. Fire let out a small sigh towards his master.
"He is pathetic indeed... but he’s still young, so we’ll cut him some slack."
"Hey, you’re only one year older than me, you know?"
Of course, Zahid was never going to send Fire away.
It was only because Fire left on his own that it almost happened.
Anyway, it was a good thing that it didn’t happen this time.
"Alright, then keep watch over Zahid."
I whispered while petting Fire.
"I know you like me a lot, but in the end, you want to be with your master."
Even when we were locked up together, Fire had been waiting for Zahid.
It was when I reluctantly withdrew my hand that had been petting Fire.
Fire raised his front paw and pointed to Zahid. Then, once again, he conveyed his message.
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"
I stared at Fire in surprise. Normally, he could only convey emotions.
"Try harder. Try harder! Don’t stop at emotions! You might be able to read something more—something desperately conveyed by the Divine Beast!"
I remembered what the priests had said to me during the experiments.
"Is that really your desperation right now?"
"Woof woof, woof woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!"
The priests who experimented on me were wrong.
It wasn’t me, but the Divine Beast who should have desperately tried harder...
As I gazed at Fire with a sense of emptiness, Zahid spoke with a suspicious tone.
"You... can communicate with Fire?"
"...I’ve never heard of anyone who can communicate with a Divine Beast."
Zahid’s violet eyes glinted sharply.
"Do you have a lot of spiritual energy? Were you an advanced priest hiding in the Temple? Is that how it's possible?"
I quickly shook my hands to deny it.
"If I had a lot of spiritual energy, would I have left the Temple? I was just an ordinary apprentice."
Zahid narrowed his eyes. It seemed he wasn’t really buying it.
Even now, Zahid despised the Temple. He believed his parents died because of it.
He even knew that the Temple wanted to take his Divine Beast. Zahid hadn’t spent his life trying to destroy the Temple for nothing.
Naturally, he couldn’t help but react sharply to anything related to spiritual energy.
‘Right now, Zahid must think I’m a spy sent by the Temple...’
Advanced priests who were born with a lot of spiritual energy were all loyal to the Temple. So it made sense he would think that.
‘But I can clear up that misunderstanding easily.’
I confidently walked over and grabbed Zahid’s hand.
And I gathered all my strength to inject my spiritual energy into Zahid.
I smiled faintly while still holding Zahid’s hand.
"This is all of my spiritual energy. Can you feel it?"
Zahid, sensing my feeble spiritual energy, slightly relaxed his shoulders.
I muttered in a somewhat deflated voice.
"I wish I had more spiritual energy. How nice would it be if I could stabilize you without tranquilizers..."
I poured all my spiritual energy into him. Then, calmly, I said,
"But sadly, this is all I have."
Once I finished speaking, Zahid looked at the hand I was holding in shock and shouted late in realization.
"Hey! Why are you grabbing my hand like that?!"
"Isn’t it better to have your fiancée gently hold your hand than constantly suspect her?"
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!"
"Y-You’re being too close!"
I quietly looked down at Zahid’s hand held in mine.
I still vividly remembered the wounds that filled that large hand, the hand that had given me the Sacred Relic.
This time, with this hand... I’ll protect you so that no such wounds will ever appear.