Leaving Aiden and May behind, Johan exited the mansion and sat roughly on the garden bench. His hand brushing over his stinging cheek carried undisguised irritation.

“……Um, I wasn’t being harassed! I’m, I’m grateful that you came to check on even a former maid……”

He knew that those words were a shallow lie meant to mediate the fight. Even Aiden, who received that ridiculous gratitude, narrowed his eyes, so it went without saying how lacking in sincerity that trembling appearance had looked.

That’s why he immediately withdrew his magic, but he couldn’t understand why irritation kept rising like some petty human.

“……It’s annoying.”

Johan muttered, furrowing his brow.

Eventually, his slowly rolling gaze shifted to the elderly ghost who was tediously continuing to dig. His sour mood was deflected toward what was irritating him.

His annoyed eyes scanned the golden energy surrounding the ghost. He attempted to penetrate that gap with magic power drawn out like fine needles.

But this attempt failed again too. He had already tried to break that thing several times, but the solid barrier remained intact even against magic power drawn out at high output.

Johan clicked his tongue at seeing the energy that remained quiet as if it hadn’t been attacked at all.

Since Johan had tried to eliminate the ghost, the compass had maintained a vigilant stance like this day and night. As if that old ghost was its true form.

Therefore, he needed to eliminate that thought-form first…. But after her indirect refusal last time, May still showed no intention of handing it over.

Everything was a mess because of the variable called Aiden. It was laughable how he couldn’t even handle one ghost and one thought-form as he pleased. Johan muttered between his teeth out of habit that it wasn’t fun.

‘Really, nothing’s going my way at all.’

He soon lay down carelessly on the bench where he had been sitting.

The magic orb he created above his outstretched hand toward the sky repeatedly grew and shrank. His golden eyes deep in thought meaninglessly counted the drifting clouds.

Though he had made up his mind to leave long ago, why did he keep staying, bringing up all sorts of reasons? In truth, his interest in the thought-form itself had diluted long ago.

It was already foreseeable from when his worry about the woman took precedence over his desire to research it. And that meant… in other words, he had lost his sense of mission early on.

Without even realizing it, Johan had been naturally prioritizing the woman’s requests. If asked whether he could have immediately eliminated it even if the ghost’s barrier had disappeared just now, he couldn’t easily give a definitive answer.

Finding the compass by opening her room door as soon as possible and destroying it, then eliminating the ghost once its barrier was gone—that was the original purpose.

Even his resolve to handle things without earning the woman’s hatred on the surface had somehow become unclear at some point.

“Haah……”

Johan closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.

Being concerned about what had settled in May’s belly and thus unable to act either way and postponing his departure day after day because of that. Perhaps that too was just an excuse.

After all, it was Father who was investigating the compensation for it and looking for a solution. So… he should just leave this matter entirely to Father.

He had already lost his qualification as the right person for the job due to his personal feelings toward the woman.

Having reached that conclusion, Johan furrowed his brows at the strange lingering attachment that remained like a splinter.

Those black eyes looking up at him. The amusing satisfaction he felt when she would follow him around. Her habit of clasping her hands tightly… Even how she would always hold onto something whenever they kissed or their bodies overlapped….

It was inexplicable why that laughably weak strength remained so long in his memory. Johan irritably pondered while trying to scatter the sensations from everywhere she had grabbed him.

“……Enough.”

Even if he had feelings for her, nothing would change.

It was already decided that he would have to leave this place someday. After all, he couldn’t keep playing servant forever. So it would be better to convey his intentions before his heart weakened again and extended his stay.

Finally resolved, he opened his closed eyes. His slowly rolling golden eyes shifted their gaze toward the direction of May’s room.

* * *

A little past midnight.

May opened her eyes wide at the sound of knocking on her door. Because the voice that came simultaneously was Johan’s.

After the confrontation in the morning. Because she had been tossing and turning thinking about him the whole time, she quickly got up and opened the door.

“Oh, Johan……”

The man lifted the corner of his mouth when he heard her stammering his name. Relief washed over her as it wasn’t the cold face she had last seen in the morning.

“Sorry for coming at such a late hour. As you know, there’s a brat who throws tantrums when I go near my master.”

However, May flinched at the following rather caustic words. Hurriedly checking her surroundings in case Aiden might hear, she then pulled on Johan’s arm.

He smiled as he stepped into the room.

“You’re just letting a man in at this hour?”

“Oh, that’s because it’s you, Johan……”

“So you don’t even treat me as a man.”

“Ah, that’s not what I……. I mean……”

“No need to explain. I don’t hate it.”

It’s good that my master sends trusting looks. And….

“You treated me plenty as a man last time, didn’t you?”

Johan mischievously added as he leaned against a nearby drawer. May belatedly understood what he meant and blushed.

Johan, who stood with his hands behind him bracing against the top of the drawer, gestured with his eyes for her to sit. His gaze then moved to the compass placed on the bedside table.

“Seems you forgot what I said about keeping that thing away.”

“Well……”

May answered as she awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed.

“……As I said before, lately I really don’t get any bad feelings from it. It even wakes me up from sleep and um, sometimes even dances. It even shows appreciation when looking at my embroidery……”

“……”

“So I don’t think those are evil actions……”

After saying that, May looked down after checking the man’s reaction. A heavy sigh reached her ears.

“Master, I didn’t explain in detail because I was afraid you’d be scared, but that thing is more cunning than you think. It’s also the kind that feeds on human misfortune.”

“Ah……”

“Waking you up from sleep or dancing…..”

Johan briefly made a sour expression while mulling over those words, but soon spoke with a more resolute attitude.

“All of that is just behavior to win your favor.”

“I thought it had repented……”

“No way.”

Johan wrinkled his nose and smiled as though he’d heard an unfunny joke.

“I told you then. While I’d leave the ghost alone after confirming it shows no aggression toward you, I couldn’t do that with that thing. I said to be careful because it would show its malicious nature one way or another.”

His following words carried strong conviction.

May glanced at the compass and made a gloomy expression. Right…. Perhaps she shouldn’t forget the troubles she had experienced because of that thing in the first place. Even if it had repented as she thought.

Refusing Johan’s request last time was, thinking about it now, quite an immature action. If she ended up in another difficult situation because of this, she wouldn’t be able to blame anyone else.

‘I became weak-hearted thinking it was protecting me….’

When that couldn’t be true. Even though having her deficiencies healed by a dangerous monster was something she shouldn’t do. She pretended not to know that fact, telling herself it would be fine. Maybe she had already been bewitched by that thing, as Johan said.

Her heart slowly began to waver as she reached that conclusion. And the man, who keenly noticed that, opened his mouth again.

“……Actually, I’m planning to leave this mansion once my probation period ends.”

May’s mouth fell slightly open at the sudden declaration of resignation.