Killing the Possessor - Chapter 54
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
“Ah, I’m so sorry…”
Daeon stopped the flustered nun as she tried to apologize and immediately dismissed her from following him. He walked out of the room after telling her she doesn’t need to see him off.
“It’s quite dizzying. He came without notice.”
Torea sighed deeply, looking somewhat embarrassed as she smiled. Ren gave her a comforting look and asked,
“Is this how he normally makes visits?”
“No, He’s been donating regularly for years, but this is the first time he has come in person.”
“…”
First time? Why today, of all days?
Ren’s thoughts were interrupted by Torea’s cautious words.
“Excuse me.”
With a slightly uncomfortable expression, Torea began speaking, then smiled sheepishly as she got to the point.
“I’m sorry to ask, but would it be possible for you to escort Miss Camilli? As you know, this area is considered dangerous…”
Ren, who had been thinking along the same lines when he noticed the sun was setting, nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. I was planning to escort her back anyway.”
“Having you here gives me such relief.”
Her previously anxious face instantly brightened. Ren exchanged a few more words with her before stepping out of the building in search of Camilli.
It wasn’t long before he spotted her near the laundry area between two buildings. For a moment, his smile appeared unknowingly, his eyes catching on her bright hair, more striking than the setting sun behind her.
“The sun will be setting soon. I’ll escort you.”
“Eh? No, I’m fine…”
As expected, she responded with immediate rejection, and Ren sighed inside. Although they hadn’t even had a proper conversation yet, her wariness was frustrating.
“As you know, this area is a dangerous one, so it’s better to be cautious.”
“Ah, that’s…”
Her eyes quickly darted around, trying to figure out how to avoid him, but then she suddenly lit up.
“Ah! Wait a moment.”
“…?”
“I’ll just check on that kid real quick.”
She quickly dashed off as if she was afraid he would catch her.
Watching her, with her perfect lady-like appearance, sprinting off in such an unladylike manner made Ren chuckle. He shook his head and sighed lazily before turning to head in a different direction.
First, he decided to prepare a carriage. Being an investigator gave him some leeway to cover things up, but still, it might cause issues in the future to have an unmarried young lady from the Mute family riding in a carriage with the Abyss family crest.
But even after preparing the carriage, Camilli had still not returned.
As Ren gazed at the sun, which had already dipped more than halfway below the horizon, he decided to go find her first.
“Where did that woman go?”
He wandered through the main building and the dining area in search of her. After recalling the direction she had run off in, he headed that way.
Suddenly, he noticed a small opening in the storage room door.
“Miss Camilli?”
He cast a globe of light made with magic into the air and descended the dark stairs. There, he finally found the woman he had been calling for.
“Miss Camilli!”
Rushing toward the woman lying amidst scattered objects, Ren quickly checked her condition.
Thankfully, it seemed she had only briefly fainted, and her breathing was steady. His gaze then fell on the child who was also lying on the ground a bit further away.
“That child is…?”
Wasn’t that the same child who had tripped in front of the Crown Prince earlier?
Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, his priority was to inform Torea of the situation and quickly get the woman to safety. He needed to get her to a physician immediately to ensure she hadn’t injured her head when she fainted.
As Ren moved to pick her up and carry her to the carriage, he heard her murmur.
“I’m not scared…”
Her red lips parted, and a small protest spilled out.
“Miss Camilli? Are you awake?”
“I said…”
In unclear words, she muttered, almost like chanting a spell.
“I’m a Girl Scout. And a black belt in Taekwondo.”
“…?”
“So, I’m not scared… not scared…”
Ren steps frozen. The noises that had been buzzing in his ears abruptly ceased, and a faint ringing in his head took over.
He stared at the fading light filtering through the storage room entrance. Inside his mind, a youthful voice from long ago echoed.
“I’m a black belt in Taekwondo! Not red belt, not brown belt, black belt! I’ve been a Girl Scout for three years! Camping stuff? It’s nothing to me!”
That voice was delicate yet full of vigor and life. Her cheeks, round and rosy like a ripe peach, and her amber-colored eyes, which curved with a smile, were as vivid as ever in his memory.
Her hair, braided in two strands, was still as red as it had been back then.
As red as the sunset painting the sky now.
“…Finally.”
A smile escaped from his slightly parted lips. He looked down at the woman sleeping soundly, unaware.
“You’re back, aren’t you?”
The cold, frozen gaze in his eyes shifted, and it began to glow with a warm fire. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and lifted the corners of his lips.
He had found her.
After waiting for so long, finally.
