Episode 15
First Business Trip (Part 4)
Temia noticed the little bird’s curious eyes sparkling and responded sincerely.
“It’s not that I overdid it. I just did what I could. If something can be done, isn’t it strange not to do it?”
But even after hearing her answer, Lerry still looked unsure.
“My master always said that interfering in someone else’s matters isn’t our job. He told me that whatever we do should always stay within what’s assigned by our superior.”
Then, using his wing to tap the floor like a person would with their hand, Lerry looked quite human. It made Temia chuckle.
“I respect that way of thinking too. If someone refuses treatment because there’s no money, that’s still a valid viewpoint. Labor should be compensated. But I’m not someone who only moves for money. I believe something more important exists between people.”
“And what is that?”
“A bond. A sense of connection. Of course, I know not everyone thinks like me. I grew up in an environment that allowed me to see things this way.”
Temia smiled, feeling a little more at ease. Lerry tilted his head.
“An environment like that? But aren’t you from a commoner background? Were you from a rich merchant family or something? That’s amazing!”
“Huh?! N-no! Definitely not. That’s not what matters here, so let’s move on.”
“Humans sure are complicated. You think about so many things. It must be exhausting. I’ve only ever worried about how to groom my feathers!”
“That’s still an important concern. Everyone has their own struggles. That includes animals and even magical creatures. So maybe just being yourself is enough.”
Saying that, Temia gently placed Lerry on her hand and softly petted him.
With the small, fluffy bird rubbing its head into her palm, she felt her stress fade away.
Still… she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forgotten something…
Just then, Lerry suddenly lifted his head and chirped,
“Um… haven’t we been away for quite a while now? I think the master might be back at the workshop by now.”
At those words, a cold chill ran down Temia’s spine.
She had completely forgotten! She had assumed she’d return quickly and everything would be fine.
She quickly floated Lerry into the air and clutched her now much lighter pouch.
In a dramatic tone, she said:
“Lerry, are you ready?”
“Wh-what? Ready for what…?”
“Let’s go!!”
Without waiting, Temia began running at full speed.
Left behind, Lerry flapped his wings in panic and shouted after her.
“T-Temia! Wait for meeeeee!!”
And so, having gone out without permission, Temia ran and Lerry flew back toward the workshop in a full panic.
—
“Huff… huff…”
Temia arrived at the workshop door, completely out of breath.
The lights inside were off—maybe Lowell hadn’t returned yet.
It was unusual for him to go out at all.
But right now, that rare behavior worked in her favor.
If he had come back already, he would’ve scolded her from head to toe.
Trying to calm herself down, Temia fixed her skirt and quietly grabbed the doorknob.
If she just walked in naturally, as if nothing happened, maybe she could get away with it.
But… why did she feel so nervous?
And then—as if to confirm her bad feeling—the door opened by itself, silently like magic.
Chills ran down her back.
She hadn’t turned the knob. She hadn’t pushed the door.
So how had it opened?
Frozen in place, Temia couldn’t even look forward. She just stared at Lerry beside her.
But Lerry was simply staring blankly ahead, saying nothing.
“I don’t remember sending anyone on a business trip.”
A calm but cold voice came from inside.
It was the workshop master, Lowell, standing with his arms crossed, looking down at her.
Temia instinctively held back the scream rising in her throat and stepped backward.
Lowell smiled brightly and waved a single finger toward the door.
Click!
The door behind her locked with a loud sound.
Temia reluctantly turned her head toward him and bit her lip.
Lowell still had a beautiful smile on his face, but Temia had already learned:
That smile only appeared when he was angry or about to say something sharp.
“Well,” he said sweetly, “shall we talk about what gave you the confidence to abandon your post with nothing but a little note?”
His voice was kind, but the locked door and his expression gave off a strong sense of danger.
Temia forced herself to speak, her back still pressed to the door.
“I-I left a note saying I was on a business trip. I just went out to take care of some urgent work and came back…”
“So urgent that all you left was that? I thought I had to hire a new assistant again.”
Again? That meant someone had left like this before.
Temia had only left a note because she thought he wouldn’t allow her to go if she asked.
Honestly, part of her had wanted to annoy him a little too.
She did have time to explain things properly, but didn’t.
Feeling guilty, Temia opened her mouth to apologize—
—but before she could say a word, Lowell stepped right in front of her.
His expression no longer had a trace of a smile.
She was suddenly reminded how his serious face looked just like the man Lerry remembered from the past.
Same person, after all.
Even though she had seen his smiling face more lately, she realized how quickly she’d gotten used to it.
Staring down at her, Lowell finally spoke.
“I’ve been really busy these days. That’s why I hired an assistant.”
“But that assistant disappeared with just a note and returned this late. I couldn’t even dismiss Lerry because I didn’t know what was going on.”
The longer he spoke, the heavier the mood got.
Temia eventually lowered her head and bit her lip.
Was she going to get fired?
Leaving work during hours, without permission and no explanation, was enough to be dismissed.
Lowell hadn’t even taken off his coat yet. He must have been searching for her or been too shocked to rest.
She didn’t have the courage to act like nothing had happened.
“S-sir… I’m really sorry. It was an emergency. I didn’t even have time to leave a proper note. A mother showed up suddenly, and her child was sick. You know how dangerous high fevers can be for kids. So I…”
“That’s enough. I wasn’t asking you for an explanation.”
“I was talking to Lerry. Didn’t I say? I couldn’t dismiss him because I didn’t know what happened.”
“W-what?”
“I mean, Lerry could have observed everything and reported it to me. If you had run away, he could have tracked you immediately.”
The words that followed stung more than Temia expected.
“Did you really think I’d just believe anything you said?”
“I’m not someone who runs from responsibility!”
“Oh really? And what makes you think I’d trust you so easily? I barely know anything about you.”
“And let’s be honest—you did run away from work. You say it was a business trip, but it wasn’t authorized.”
“There’s even a contract. I almost thought I’d have to track down and punish a runaway employee. Thankfully, it wasn’t that serious this time.”
He shrugged, then gestured toward Lerry behind her.
The little bird, who had stayed quiet all this time, nervously flew over and landed on Lowell’s finger.
