Episode 25
Reunion (4)
Panting, Temia finally reached the workshop door, arms full of supplies.
She had walked more than expected, and her entire body felt sore. It had taken far longer than planned, and she desperately wanted to sit down and rest her aching legs.
The man who had arrived before her was chatting with Lerry. When Temia approached the door, the older man stopped and walked toward her.
“I didn’t think it would be so heavy, since you usually just listen and bring back a few things. If it’s ever too much, feel free to turn back halfway.”
Considering his usual aloof behavior, that was a surprisingly kind comment. Then, without hesitation, he casually took the heavy load from her hands. What had felt impossibly heavy now dangled lightly from his grip.
She had always assumed he just shut himself in his room researching all day, but apparently, he was stronger than he looked.
Come to think of it, he’d once effortlessly taken down a bunch of thugs and hauled back heavy supplies. She used to believe his strength came solely from magic—like that time he had thrown her over his shoulder without effort—but maybe that wasn’t the whole story.
Meanwhile, Lowell glanced over at Temia, who was dazedly massaging her sore arms.
“With the way you swing that hoe, I thought you could break through castle gates with one hand. I guess you’re not a typical ‘lady,’ huh, Temia?”
“If you’re that curious about my strength, want a firsthand demonstration?”
“Ah—I just remembered, I have something to do!”
“Hey! Where do you think you’re running off to?!”
No doubt about it—he was just trying to tease her again.
As Temia huffed in frustration, a blue blur darted toward her like a missile. It stopped just before hitting her—Lerry, flapping his small wings, chirped brightly.
“Miss Temia~! Welcome back! You worked so hard!”
“Haa, I’m back. You must’ve worked hard too, watching the shop, Lerry.”
Their cheerful reunion echoed through the air, full of giggles and chatter.
But just as Temia sat down, she heard a commotion from inside.
“Huh? Someone’s here?”
Lerry answered with a hesitant voice.
“Ah, well… actually, a customer arrived early and is waiting inside…”
A customer? She felt a little uneasy, but since she didn’t expect any appointments, she had taken her time returning.
Temia, flustered, stood up and asked with a puzzled voice,
“There wasn’t supposed to be an appointment at this time, right? I usually keep this time slot free since I work at night… I thought the next one was scheduled about an hour later?”
“The client happened to be nearby, so they came early. Since the master was free too, he decided to go ahead with the consultation.”
At that moment, a sharp voice cut in from behind.
“It’s fine. I’ll handle the client. I’ve already sorted the materials I brought. Ah, Lerry, since there’s still some time until the official appointment, have Temia finish organizing the ingredients first, and then she can come assist.”
“I’m helping with this consultation too?”
“It’s easier if someone can fetch ingredients on the spot. Today’s potion consultation involves complex combinations, so I’ll need to test several mixtures.”
“So it’s a custom potion? Do you get those kinds of requests often?”
“Not really. They’re usually tricky, and I don’t take cheap commissions either.”
Lerry, now perched on Temia’s shoulder, chimed in cheerfully.
“But it’s quite popular, so the master does them once a month!”
“Even though I clearly state that the effects aren’t guaranteed, orders keep coming in…”
“But the phrase ‘love potion’ is so enchanting and sweet! Just the name makes it popular. And the customers who’ve bought it were very satisfied too!”
Love potion?
Temia tilted her head, struck by a strange sense of déjà vu. Today seemed filled with talk of love. Was it just that common of a theme? It did show up constantly in poetry and literature classes, after all.
Shaking off the thought, Temia quickly finished sorting the materials and entered the consultation room. Since this was her first time assisting with such a request, she was determined not to mess up.
But it didn’t take long for her jaw to drop.
The moment she stepped inside, she spotted a robe that looked eerily familiar. A cold chill ran down her spine.
And when the person looked up, the face that met hers was one she knew all too well.
“Kaili?!”
“Temia? This is where you work?”
“And you said you had a quick errand! What are you doing here?!”
Caught off guard by the unexpected reunion, both women stared in stunned silence. Temia’s mind blanked in panic.
“I went out of my way to prevent this exact meeting—so why is Kaili here?”
She had assumed Kaili’s errands were confined to the market. Clearly, she had been wrong. Her hands began to tremble.
“Why didn’t I double-check? Is it impossible to keep them apart? Is this… fate?”
Her thoughts spiraled down a dark path. Something ominous tugged at her instincts—as if these two really were tied by destiny.
They stared at each other in silence, and a heavy stillness filled the room.
The man, glancing between the two, spoke with calm clarity.
“Looks like you know each other. Then let’s all sit down and talk—unless you plan to stand all day.”
He gestured naturally to the seats, and the three of them awkwardly gathered around the consultation table. In that painfully tense moment, Temia wished more than anything that this was just a bad dream. But reality rarely went the way one wanted.
The situation had already gone this far. If she tried to send Kailey away now, it would only raise suspicion and resistance. Hiding her trembling hands beneath the table, Temia braced herself.
“Fine. Let’s get this over with quickly and send her off. I’ll make it clear this is private property—she won’t come back if I convince her. Please, let that be enough.”
She knew her thoughts were getting a little irrational—but there was no better option.
Eventually, Temia explained the situation—only to the extent that was safe to reveal with him present.
The man, now crossing his arms, looked between the two women.
“So you sent her out to run errands, and she came back having had a grand old time?”
“W-Why would you put it like that?! It wasn’t by choice!”
It was true that she had tried to keep Kailey close to avoid her running into him. Her gaze darted aside, lips dry from nervousness. Had he figured her out?
The man squinted at her suspiciously, then gave up and sighed. He uncrossed his arms and shrugged.
“Well, whatever. It’s not like you lost much money—it wasn’t mine.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
She had expected more interrogation, but the conversation took a different turn. Still, if it meant the attention moved off her and onto Kaili, Temia was more than happy to take it.
The man, with a devilish grin, pressed on.
“An average commoner family can live comfortably for a month on just ten silver coins. And you two spent six silver on a single fortune-telling? Congratulations—you found the most overpriced scam in town!”
His sarcasm was obvious, but neither girl could say anything.
Truthfully, neither Temia nor Kaili knew what a typical fortune reading cost. Raised in sheltered households and sneaking out without permission, they wouldn’t know such things.
“If you don’t know the way, at least pretend you do—otherwise, you’re just asking to get swindled,” he muttered under his breath.
Luckily—or perhaps unluckily—the two girls didn’t hear his quiet remark. Realizing there was nothing more to gain, the man clapped his hands softly to refocus the conversation.
“No use crying over spilled silver. Shall we move on to the commission?”
Kaili nodded, and the man resumed with a polite, businesslike tone.
“As requested, this love potion is designed to influence emotions. But of course, its effects vary widely from person to person.”
“Any side effects?”
“Good question. Though I must say, that’s rare—most people desperate enough for a love potion don’t care about side effects…”
“Skip the commentary. I don’t care.”
“…Right. If overdosed, it can cause fainting or extreme behavior. That’s why we always emphasize using a small amount. And we include a clear warning: don’t keep increasing the dose just because it doesn’t work instantly.”
“Even if it’s imperfect, I still want to proceed. Please divide it into small doses. I plan to use it very carefully.”
As the two spoke smoothly, Temia jotted down key points on a blank sheet. But she couldn’t stop glancing between them.
Had this happened before too? Had Kaili ever gotten tangled up with this man, even after confessing she liked someone else—only to be humiliated?
She could almost hear Kaili’s cries echoing in her ears. Even though she knew it was just her imagination, the thought made her nauseous.
“Focus. The past can’t be changed. But I can protect Kailey now.”
That thought filled her with mixed emotions—but at least she could be the mediator this time. Thankfully, the two of them didn’t seem to be acting on any personal feelings, just client and alchemist.
But she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Trouble always came from the least expected direction.
Temia clenched her fists tightly. Her breath came fast, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.