When I was enjoying some leisure time after returning to the office, I felt a chill down my spine as if a cold wind had blown from somewhere.

“Bless, why do I suddenly feel cold?”

Bless, who had been sitting with his belly against my desk, flew over with a flutter.

—Kyuu kyuu?

‘Are you okay?’

“I’m not sick, just suddenly felt chilly. Like something eerie is happening.”

—Kyuuuu.

‘It’ll be fine.’

As if to reassure me, Bless rubbed his head against my hand on the desk. As soon as I felt the touch of his fluffy feathers, the momentary chill disappeared.

“Your fur feels really nice.”

Bless tilted his head as if interpreting my words in his own way, then flopped down on the desk.

—Kyuu kyukyu.

‘My belly is the softest.’

“Wow, you’re really the best.”

Without hesitation, I rubbed Bless’s belly, which was as soft as dandelion fluff. This feels so good.

As my mind became peaceful, I recalled the events from earlier today. Meeting Potas, being saved by the Guildmaster, and…

‘Olivia. She was quite an appealing woman.’

Olivia, who was bright and not rigid, and above all, beautiful.

I suddenly wanted to become close friends with her.

If I became friends with her, I felt my life would become happier than it was now.

Before becoming Yerena, I grew distant from my few friends while studying for the civil service exam, and after becoming Yerena, no one wanted to associate with me as I was a despised C-rank guide.

Friends were like an unknown entity to me.

But I couldn’t be friends with Olivia either.

I couldn’t become close with Olivia, who would continue to be involved with those three troublemakers.

“Friends… Well, having you is enough, Bless.”

Though not human, he was still a monster bird I could communicate with.

—Kuuu? Kyuuuu?

‘Friends? Those men?’

Those men.

Duncan and the Guildmaster came to mind. They were the only men I’d been close to lately.

“Honey feels more like a friend than Duncan. It’s weird to have butterflies for a friend, right?”

“….”

“But today, I did feel a tiny bit, ant-poop-sized flutter for Honey. He did save us after all.”

My hand was still stroking Bless’s belly, but at that moment, the sensation I recalled was the Guildmaster’s white cheek.

That cheek that was smooth without a single rough spot, and his lips that were plump and unblemished.

I wonder what his lips would feel like.

“…!”

I was startled by my own conclusion.

And it was such an impure thought.

It wasn’t right to want to touch the Guildmaster who was still bound to a woman from his past.

“Bless! This won’t do. Before more inappropriate thoughts come up, I need to work. Though we haven’t gotten a response from Potas yet, let’s research what kind of food they might like.”

—Kyukyu—!

‘Yeap—!’

However, even while looking through books about Potas, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Guildmaster.

If I saw him getting close to Olivia, the two of them together.

How would I feel then?

‘At least it’s fortunate that Honey isn’t the male lead or second male lead.’

Such foolish thoughts kept occurring to me.

I kept letting out deep sighs that could sink the ground.

***

A week had passed since meeting Olivia.

I spent the past week in the office, and perhaps because of that, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

Even Lambert, who I had guided, and Benjamin, who had confronted Duncan at the cathedral, were quiet.

I hoped they would stay quiet like this.

By the way, I should probably visit Potas soon to follow up on the deal I proposed…

The reason I couldn’t easily go to Pandora Forest to meet them was because ‘the original Yerena’s death date’ was approaching.

If I could just get past this day well, the three men would stop ‘being sensitive about my death’ too.

Because their attention would now be focused on Olivia.

With a woman who seemed like Diana’s reincarnation appearing, there’s no reason for them to care about someone like me. Yep, that’s right.

I looked down at the Center’s wristwatch which had been quiet for the past few days.

Perhaps because several S-rank monsters were expected to appear soon, there hadn’t been any monster appearances recently.

The calm before the storm. That phrase came to mind.

But isn’t it too quiet even for that?

Unable to bear the boredom, I let out a big yawn.

‘Haven’t seen Honey around lately either.’

Even the Guildmaster, who had seemed busy before going to find Potas, appeared to be even busier these days.

Since meeting in the forest, we hadn’t had a proper conversation even once.

He would just briefly stop by my office to check if I was doing well before disappearing.

Perhaps because of this, the past times when we cheerfully ate tornado fries together felt like a dream.

When would the day come when we could enjoy leisure time together again?

Next time I meet the Guildmaster, I should ask him when he’ll be less busy. I should suggest eating fries together like in old times.

“Haaam.”

I yawned so wide my mouth could tear, then got up from where I was sitting.

This won’t do at all. I should visit one of the Guildmaster’s other businesses to relieve this boredom.

If I’m lucky, I might even run into him there.

“Bless! Let’s go out!”

At my shout, Bless, who had been dozing off on the small desk, shuddered awake.

Still half-asleep, he flew over with drooping wings and burrowed into my robe.

The robe had a small pocket where Bless could hide.

With Bless tucked away like that, I left the office.

My destination was ‘Got It’.

***

‘Got It’.

It was a café that mainly sold potato bread and potato juice.

Located not far from the guild’s headquarters, it was strangely crowded with customers.

There was a reason why I found it strange.

The interior design looked unfinished and shabby, the chairs were unnecessarily high yet only big enough to fit half your bottom, and in contrast, the tables were ridiculously low.

Even the staff weren’t particularly friendly.

When asked for anything, they would respond like parrots with their hands clasped together:

“Customer, please familiarize yourself with the menu.”

Would it hurt them to just explain?

In short, it was an incredibly inconvenient place!

Yet it was considered a hidden gem known only to those in the know.

Was it because the potato bread and potato juice were delicious?

If nothing else, the food was exceptionally good, so I would secretly come during off-hours to satisfy my hunger.

By the way, Bless also really loved the chewy potato bread.

Even though I came during midday when it was supposed to be least crowded, half the tables were occupied.

After familiarizing myself with the menu, I placed my order and sat in a corner.

I looked around hoping to see the Guildmaster, but he wasn’t there.

Soon after, the server brought out potato bread and juice. Bless immediately popped out and started pecking at the potato bread hurriedly.

“You must have been hungry.”

He was too busy gulping down the potato bread to respond.

Just as I was taking a sip of juice, I overheard the conversation of women at the next table.

“…I heard Chelsea Center is in chaos these days?”

Chelsea Center?

I pulled my hood down lower and observed the women’s faces.

Fortunately, they didn’t appear to be Espers, guides, or Center employees.

Still, it would probably be best to just listen in briefly and return to the office, just in case.

Of course, the best option would be to leave the café right now.

But while I might have left if I hadn’t heard anything, after hearing that Chelsea Center was in chaos, I couldn’t leave.

If I didn’t hear the rest, I wouldn’t be able to sleep all night from curiosity.

Soon, another woman’s voice was heard.

“I know. My acquaintance who works at the Center says investigators from the Imperial Palace are searching the Center thoroughly these days.”

“What are they looking for?”

“This is a secret! I heard it in confidence from my acquaintance.”

As they say, truly secret information spreads the widest.

“Yes, I’ll keep it secret too.”

“You know how a guide from Chelsea Center died inside the Center rather than on a battlefield recently? They say the Center Director is suspected of instigating that guide’s murder. Apparently, they’re looking for evidence of that.”

What? Who’s suspected of instigating whose murder?

Duncan killed me?

It was absurd.

I almost cried out in surprise at such a preposterous claim.

Bless, who had been hurriedly eating potato bread, happened to flutter his wings, preventing me from making a loud noise.

“Phew. That was close.”

I took a deep breath and focused back on their conversation.