Chapter 09
Because she had already walked straight past Halo and left the research lab, she had no idea what kind of expression he had made after hearing those words. But she had a very good idea of what would happen next.
“Miia! Where are you going! Miia!”
Halo’s voice caught at her heels too late, but Hamiel didn’t even look back as she left the estate coldly. Instead of waiting for a tram like usual, she flagged down a carriage.
“To Kyrgis.”
The carriage set off. Halo’s voice slowly faded, and the estate grew smaller and smaller.
Leaning back in her seat, Hamiel let out a long sigh.
‘I messed up.’
She had expected cleaning the lab would provoke Halo, but it seemed she had stirred him up far more than planned.
She shifted her gaze slightly and looked at Pelbre, where the morning sunlight poured down vividly. She had a promise with Rosen at 3 p.m., but it didn’t even feel like 11 a.m. yet.
‘If I stay in Kyrgis, time will pass quickly anyway.’
Shrugging, Hamiel settled into a more comfortable posture. The carriage’s gentle vibration felt oddly pleasant.
When the carriage finally stopped, Kyrgis was already crowded despite it still being morning. Blending into the flow of people, Hamiel felt a strange sense of comfort, as if she had returned home.
The magic market district in Pendra wasn’t unique to Kyrgis, but Kyrgis was the one Hamiel favored.
Unlike other districts, Kyrgis dealt not only in magical goods but also chemical materials. From liquids that could explode if mishandled to suspicious dried herbs from apothecaries—everything could be found here.
No one even knew where these rare items came from, and their effectiveness was uncertain, but that unpredictability was exactly what she liked.
As she strolled leisurely through the shops, Hamiel suddenly recalled the fortune teller she had visited last time.
“You are looking for a helper.”
She had completely forgotten it, but now that she thought about it, the fortune teller’s prediction had been surprisingly accurate.
After a moment of hesitation, Hamiel made up her mind and turned into a narrow alley. Since she had time anyway, she wanted to visit that fortune teller once more before meeting Rosen.
However, her plan collapsed the moment she stepped into the back alley.
“Oh my! That won’t do!”
A desperate plea echoed from the end of the alley. Turning her head, Hamiel’s mouth fell open without her realizing it.
“Won’t do? What do you mean, won’t do?”
With a wicked smile, a man—clearly Rosen if her eyes weren’t deceiving her—tossed a sparkling object into the air and caught it again.
“That watch was left to me by my late grandfather! It’s precious to me! Please, I beg you, give it back!”
“If it was that precious, you should’ve finished the work on time. Your grandfather would be disappointed.”
“T-that’s… please, just give me a week—no, three days…!”
“Nope.”
Rosen shook a finger with a sweet smile. The middle-aged man blinked blankly, not understanding the gesture, and Rosen sighed with a grin.
“When you beg, you don’t ask for time—you say you’ll even sell your eyeballs.”
“Huh….”
It seemed like a rather intense negotiation.
Hamiel stood frozen for a moment, unsure what to do.
She hadn’t expected to witness Rosen, let alone a scene of extortion, intimidation, and property seizure in broad daylight.
‘Should I leave?’
She didn’t fully understand the situation, but it clearly didn’t look normal. Still, even if she left, she was supposed to meet Rosen this afternoon anyway. If she was going to see him regardless, maybe it would be better to greet him now.
“Another thug has shown up again.”
Whispers from the onlookers slipped into her thoughts.
“Is that Kiprix again?”
“Looks like it. That guy was here a few days ago too.”
“If it were me, I’d just give up the patent.”
“If giving up worked, do you think he’d still be suffering? He’d probably have to repay all the royalties he earned so far.”
“Legalized robbery bastards.”
Hamiel glanced around. Despite clicking their tongues and cursing, none of the spectators seemed willing to intervene.
From what she could gather, it seemed to be a dispute over patent royalties. In other words, Rosen’s “behavior” was part of his work.
‘So that’s why he suggested meeting in Kyrgis.’
If you were going out anyway, it was more efficient to handle everything in one place.
Hamiel nodded to herself and carefully stepped forward. She didn’t directly approach Rosen, but positioned herself where he would easily notice her if he turned slightly.
“I found a good item, so I’ll head back today. Please send my regards to your grandfather—?”
As Rosen casually spun the watch on his finger with a bright smile, his words suddenly stopped.
Their eyes met.
Hamiel gave a small nod.
Rosen’s face instantly filled with panic. He hurried over and grabbed her wrist, pulling her quickly into the alley.
“W-why are you here?”
In the blink of an eye, they were in a deserted back alley. Rosen pinned her against the wall and growled softly.
Hamiel steadied her breathing and glanced at his chest. The distance between them was extremely close due to the narrow alley, but the scent of Aranti’s Water Lily was no longer there.
“…Did you remove the diffuser?”
“Yes. Because someone managed to recognize me.”
Rosen clicked his tongue and leaned in, bringing his face close to hers again.
“We were supposed to meet at three, weren’t we? There’s still plenty of time.”
Hamiel nodded.
“Yes, I came early.”
“Where did you start looking?”
“From the part where you said that watch was left by your late grandfather.”
“……”
Rosen sighed and rubbed his forehead. His expression clearly said he didn’t know how to explain this.
Hamiel quickly added,
“I won’t tell anyone. I’ll keep it a secret.”
“What secret.”
Rosen frowned slightly and tapped her forehead.
Hamiel flinched and covered it, and Rosen let out a short laugh.
“If I actually wanted it to be a secret, I wouldn’t have made a scene like that in public.”
“Ah….”
Now that she thought about it, that made sense.
His behavior was different from when he truly wanted something to stay hidden. The fact that he made such a loud scene suggested—
“Don’t tell me… it was on purpose?”
“The more Kiprix is known, the better. There are too many idiots who bring ridiculous inventions and demand patents.”
Rosen clicked his tongue and glanced outside the alley. Fortunately, the commotion seemed to have died down.
“Who was that man earlier?”
“Hm… that’s a long story.”
Rosen hesitated, not immediately answering.
Hamiel tilted her head curiously.
“Do you have your next schedule? Or is there no time to explain…?”
“No, I’m going to eat lunch.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Hamiel realize she hadn’t eaten yet.
She had been cleaning the lab early in the morning and arguing with Halo, so she hadn’t eaten anything. She wasn’t someone particularly obsessed with food, so she had completely forgotten.
But now that she noticed it, a wave of hunger made her slightly dizzy.
“Now that you mention it…”
“?”
“I should eat lunch too. I haven’t had anything yet.”
“Right? Then—”
“Then I’ll see you at three.”
“Wait—what?”
Rosen looked genuinely shocked, but Hamiel bowed slightly and walked out of the alley.
There were several places to grab food on the main street. She could just eat something simple there.
‘Should I go to the cafeteria? A jam sandwich or pancakes would be nice… or maybe waffles.’
“Wait.”
A hand grabbed her shoulder, and Hamiel turned around. Rosen had quickly caught up, looking at her with a dumbfounded expression.
“Are you an idiot? Or are you doing this on purpose?”
“What is?”
“Repeat that?”
Rosen’s face twisted in disbelief.
“If I’m eating lunch, and you’re eating lunch, normal people eat together, don’t they?”
“But I’m not included in Hazel… Rosen’s lunch schedule.”
“Just call me Rosen.”
Muttering, Rosen walked beside her.
“Are you not going to eat?”
“I am.”
Hamiel stopped walking and looked up at him, her green eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.
Rosen smiled as if nothing was wrong—bright enough to look almost radiant—but Hamiel’s expression didn’t soften.
“Are you… planning to eat lunch with me?”
“Yes.”
“But our meeting was at three…”
“What does it matter? We were going to talk anyway. We can just talk while eating lunch—it saves time.”
“Ah.”
Hamiel looked genuinely impressed, as if she had just realized something important.
“I see. I was only thinking about meeting at three.”
“Why?”
“Because… there’s no particular reason for me to be close to Rosen.”
Rosen frowned slightly and studied her face.
She didn’t seem foolish. Her lips were tightly closed, and her calm eyes were steady. But talking to her often felt like dealing with a child in unexpected ways.
“Why do you think that?”
“Isn’t that how it usually is?”
“Usually?”
Rosen repeated, confused. He couldn’t quite understand what “usual” meant to her.
Hamiel continued calmly, as if anticipating his reaction.
“Humans don’t betray those they need.”
“……”
“I need Rosen, but I don’t think Rosen needs me.”
Rosen stared at her silently.
Hamiel added carefully,
“I’m grateful for your kindness, but if you’re only being considerate of me, you don’t need to. Rosen has the right to do what he wants, when he wants.”
She slightly lowered her head.
Watching her, Rosen suddenly understood.
‘Her father passed away.’
Her father was gone, and her older brother had betrayed her. And judging by the lack of mention of her mother, there was likely no one she could rely on.
She had even come alone to Kiprix—despite the conflict with the Price Guild.
He understood now. Why she sometimes seemed like a child.
“No, it’s not like that.”
Rosen finally answered softly. Hamiel slowly lifted her head, and he smiled faintly.
“Honestly, I just don’t like eating alone. I’ve been too capable since I was young, so I’ve never really had people around me. Eating alone for work? It’s tragic.”
“…Huh?”
“Anyway…”
Hamiel blinked blankly at the sudden self-praise.
Rosen grinned and held out his hand.
“Eat with me.”
