Chapter 31
People say that exercise stimulates the appetite.
The restaurant Hesed had reserved had a wonderful ambiance and delicious food. Irina ate until she felt full, which was a rare treat for her.
“Thank you for the meal. I’ll take care of the bill,” she said.
“Did you enjoy your meal? Your companion has already taken care of the bill,” the staff member replied as they left the restaurant.
Hearing this, Irina pouted slightly as she looked up at Hesed.
“You said you wanted your senior to treat you to a meal for encouragement.”
“Spending time with the busy White Tower Master is more than enough of an honor,” Hesed responded, smiling slyly and making an exaggerated bow before lightly kissing the back of Irina’s hand.
“You’re the Vice Tower Master yourself…”
Irina’s hand gently pushed him away with hardly any force. Instead, her cheeks turned slightly red.
She had been fine until dinner ended, but now, as night fell and she had more contact with Hesed, her body started to feel excited again.
‘…Not now. I want to end this rare outing on a pleasant note.’
After over ten days of intimate encounters with Hesed, the effects of the potion seemed to be slowly neutralizing, and her urges were no longer overwhelming. Thanks to that, Irina’s composure quickly returned.
“Anyway, I had fun today. It was nice to take a relaxing walk after so long.”
Recently, Irina had been very busy. About three weeks from now, the biggest festival in the western region would take place, featuring a duel competition among White Tower trainees, so thorough preparation was necessary.
Additionally, she needed to investigate a series of missing persons cases in three cities that had been directly referred to her, bypassing her subordinates. The difficulty level was significant since the requests were handed directly to the Tower Master.
‘Most of the victims are unidentified impoverished people. They vanished without a trace, as if they evaporated into thin air.’
These cases should have been handled by the city’s security forces. However, because the perpetrators were so elusive and the number of victims was increasing daily, there was a request to investigate whether any strange powers like magic or curses were involved.
‘If magic is being used for such heinous crimes, I won’t forgive them! Especially not within the White Tower’s domain.’ Since she had taken this time to enjoy herself today, she would need to focus on work again starting tomorrow.
“And receiving a pretty new pair of shoes in the middle of it.”
The blue shoes that matched her sky-blue dress looked as though they were custom-made, using luxurious materials that made them comfortable to wear.
“And having delicious food in a restaurant with a great atmosphere.”
“I truly enjoyed it too. If my senior would spend time with this disciple like this more often, it would be a great honor.”
“Our dear Hesed would be perfect if he would just keep his mouth shut.”
Irina shook her head and then fixed her gaze on something.
“Look over there.”
She pointed to a fortune-teller’s stall.
“That spot isn’t very good, so they probably don’t get many customers. Shall we visit it to wrap up our outing?”
“If that’s what you want, Senior.”
Hesed didn’t believe in fortune-telling or superstitions, but he was happy to spend more time with Irina and readily agreed.
The stall was set up as a tent. Inside, instead of an old woman or old man, a young man was seated. He had long black hair like the night sky and blue eyes reminiscent of a deep lake, with a kind face that looked incapable of harming even an insect.
‘His face seems familiar.’
Irina tilted her head in curiosity and greeted him.
“Hello.”
“You are my seventh and last customer today. Welcome.”
The man’s voice was pleasant, fitting for someone who talks for a living. The sense of déjà vu grew stronger.
“You’re quite young, contrary to my expectations.”
Hesed spoke in a casual tone, expressing doubt about the man’s abilities.
“The deity I serve bestows blessings according to the depth of one’s faith.”
The man responded skillfully, as if he had encountered similar doubts before.
“Alright, what brings you here today? What would you like to know?”
“I’d like to know when a problem I’ve been dealing with recently will be resolved.”
She asked a vague question, avoiding any mention of the embarrassing details, like the side effects of the potion. Even though Hesed’s help allowed her to get through each day unnoticed by others, it was always better to resolve problems quickly.
Hesed seemed interested in the question as well and stared intently at the fortune-teller.
“Alright. Let’s ask the deity.”
The fortune-teller removed the cloth covering the table, revealing a red crystal ball that looked as if it had absorbed blood. Irina felt a chill and shivered slightly.
Seeing her reaction, Hesed asked worriedly.
“Senior, if you’re not feeling well, should we leave?”
“No, I’m fine…”
Irina insisted, making it difficult for Hesed to say anything further, so he kept quiet. The fortune-teller, ignoring their reactions, began chanting strange incantations.
Somehow, the crystal ball began to glow as if it had a light inside it.
“In one month. Your problem will be resolved within the next month. However…”
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