Ella had said it as plainly as possible. If not you, I’ll go elsewhere.

‘I can practically hear the gears turning from here.’

No mana stone vein had ever been discovered in the Becarto Empire. Even the vein Marquis Harsen’s family had recently found was of negligible quality.

From a listener’s perspective, it sounded far-fetched.

But at the same time, it was undeniably tempting bait.

“A high-purity mana stone vein…… it’s certainly a subject our master would find very interesting…… but it’s a bit hard to take entirely on faith, isn’t it? There’s no physical proof in front of me, and I still don’t know the first thing about who you are.”

The woman was testing Ella at a measured distance.

Ella nodded and rose from her seat without hesitation.

“Very well. Let’s talk after I bring the physical proof. Whether it’s you or the master you speak of, I’ll have an answer by then.”

“As you like.”

The woman made no move to stop her.

“Then, farewell.”

Ella offered her parting words and left the guild.

The moment she stepped out, she pulled her hooded cape on. She stared at the crescent moon lying on its side, glowing red.

“Deloa……”

Ella had a strong feeling she would end up working with this guild.

She hadn’t expected to secure a proper contract today to begin with. The fact that she hadn’t needed to use the paralysis powder or the dagger was already a relief.

But……

‘They’ll follow soon enough.’

She had thrown out substantial bait, and they would want to verify whether it was real.

Anyone with a head on their shoulders would certainly put a tail on her.

‘I should wander a bit before heading back.’

It wasn’t yet time to reveal her identity. Better to wait. Which meant they couldn’t know about the ruined chapel either.

“Time to go get the toho leaves.”

Ella’s feet moved.

At the same moment, masked figures on top of the guild building set off after her.

***

“There was supposed to be a night herbalist near here……”

All the herbalists Ella had seen in Marian’s memories had their doors firmly shut.

Marian, who had slipped out to care for the street children, couldn’t use her holy power. If even a rumor spread that she was wandering around at night, they would have buried her in scandal without hesitation.

Unless it was an emergency, she mostly bought medicine from herbalists and distributed it to the children.

“D*mn it, of all times……”

But today must have been the herbalist’s day off.

Ella chewed her lip and let out a sigh.

“I’ll have to come back another day for the toho leaves……”

Two doses remained, so she would need to come out again around next week.

Next time, she would make sure to get them before coming back.

Ella was resigning herself to this and stepping out of the alley when,

“Oh ho, what do we have here?”

A group of men surrounded her.

“Hey, pull that hood off. Can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman just from the build.”

A foul smell hit her nose. Drug addicts.

The situation she least wanted to find herself in had arrived.

‘D*mn.’

Ella’s hand slipped quietly into her pocket toward the paralysis powder.

Six of them in total.

If she threw this in their faces and then used the dagger, it wasn’t completely hopeless.

‘Stay calm.’

She had run through this scenario countless times in her head. Now was the time to put it into practice.

Ella gripped the paralysis powder bottle in her pocket.

A man with a protruding belly patted it and smiled unpleasantly.

“Well…… man or woman, as long as they’re pretty, there’s money in it. Strip them!”

Before the man’s words had even finished, something shot out from behind Ella.

A thick arm wrapped around her shoulders. The foul smell that had been stinging her nose vanished, replaced by a clean, cool scent.

It had been a threatening situation, but she felt strangely at ease.

‘What?’

She hadn’t even thought to turn around, and her mouth fell open slightly. She had a feeling she knew what this sensation was pointing to……

Without realizing it, she had taken hold of the arm wrapped around her shoulder.

“Ella……”

The hot whisper that bored into her eardrum made Ella’s body flinch.

Her guess was right. It was Haven.

‘He hadn’t left?’

He should have rejoined the main force by now, and yet he still hadn’t left the Empire.

She was angry about it, and at the same time felt a contradictory relief.

Ella couldn’t even answer, just bit her lip.

“What, what is that. He has company, you bastard!”

The man who appeared to be the leader stumbled back, his belly jiggling. He seemed flustered by Haven’s appearance, which was clearly out of the ordinary even at a glance.

The man shot a look at the others beside him and shouted.

“What are you doing! Grab them! There are two of them, we’ll get more!”

Even now they weren’t giving up, which made it clear their purpose was human trafficking.

The Empire had been plagued by people who kidnapped others and sold them to slave traders. Lately, brazen individuals had appeared who extended their reach beyond commoners to nobles as well.

The resentment of the Empire’s citizens grew by the day, but even large-scale crackdowns couldn’t easily catch them. Every time there was a crackdown, they slipped away like eels, somehow knowing in advance.

This meant the forces protecting them from behind were formidable.

‘All in it together, no doubt.’

Shameless noble scum who built their wealth through this kind of atrocity.

Without even trying to think of names, several families came to mind immediately. Most of them were noble houses that had shown open hostility toward Marian.

‘Worse than beasts……’

Haven suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him.

“Get behind me.”

Ella’s view was blocked by his broad back.

The fierce beating of his heart radiated from his entire body. The hot, intense pulse made the thoughts she had just been having vanish all at once.

A large hand covered Ella’s eyes.

“Keep your eyes closed for a moment, Ella. Don’t look at anything unpleasant.”

Haven murmured softly.

Ella closed her eyes as he said.

Dull thuds and screams flew past her ears. Through the pain-filled groans, the men’s voices burst out in all directions.

“Hey! Look at his eyes!”

“They’re red! He’s a demon! He’s not human!”

“Aaagh! It’s a monster! A monster!!”

What are they talking about?

She was curious about what she was hearing, but Ella kept her word to Haven until the end.

When their voices could no longer be heard, the metallic smell of blood drifted to her nose.

“……Haven?”

She knew he wouldn’t be hurt, but worry came first.

“Are you all right?”

No answer came, and Ella gently opened her eyes.

A calloused hand immediately blocked her view.

“Don’t look yet, Ella…… hah, just a little, just a little longer……”

“Haven, are you really all right?”

His voice was trembling in a way it rarely did. It wasn’t from pain.

An unfamiliar fear.

Haven was afraid of something right now.

‘He’s afraid? Of what?’

In that moment, Ella recalled what the men had shouted.

Red eyes. Demon. Monster.

They had clearly screamed in terror at the sight of Haven’s eyes.

Something flashed through Ella’s mind as well. The red eyes she had glimpsed briefly through the carriage door on the day she entered the palace.

Could it be that……

‘Was it not my imagination after all?’

Whether it was her imagination or not, it wasn’t particularly important to Ella.

Haven was Haven. As long as he faithfully fulfilled his role as her chess piece, nothing else mattered.

Ella took his hand. The faint trembling in it transferred to her clearly.

“It’s all right, Haven. There’s nothing you can’t show me.”

“No, Ella…… this, this is…… you might not be able to accept it either……”

“It’s fine. Whatever happens, I won’t leave you.”

Gently patting his hand, Ella slowly brought it down.

His face came into clear view.

Haven had his eyes closed and his head turned away.

“Look at me, Haven.”

“……Ella.”

“Go on.”

At her urging, Haven bit his lip and turned his head.

Beneath his dark brows, red eyes glimmered briefly. A beautiful, vivid light like deep red pomegranate seeds, captivating and luminous.

“……They’re beautiful, Haven.”

Ella genuinely found his eyes beautiful.

Haven hesitated and spoke.

“You don’t find them…… repulsive or frightening……?”

“Should I?”

He shook his head vigorously.

The way his damp silver hair swayed in every direction made Ella burst out laughing. It looked exactly like a large dog shaking out its fur.

At her quiet laugh, Haven’s tension eased as well.

“My eyes…… you’re really not bothered at all?”

“No, Haven. I think they’re truly beautiful.”

“……”

Haven’s fear had been none other than Ella. He had been afraid she would see his changed appearance and pull away.

Feeling that, Ella found herself unexpectedly moved.

With his expression considerably lighter, Haven said.

“We should move somewhere else and talk.”

Shielding her with his body so she couldn’t see the bloodied men, Haven led Ella out of the alley.