Chapter 08
“Eloise, I’ll take you back. So calm down for now, and take this.”
Gerard placed a fist-sized gemstone that resembled an emerald into Eloise’s hand.
A strange power emanated from the warm gem.
Eloise stared at it as if mesmerized.
“You know what this is, right?”
“A Rainbow Gem…”
When the core that created a Rainbow Hole was destroyed, it transformed into a gemstone.
Naturally, they were extremely rare, and depending on the Rainbow Hole’s rank and size, their prices skyrocketed beyond imagination.
They weren’t expensive simply because they were beautiful or rare.
These cores, called Rainbow Gems, each possessed unique abilities.
Red Gems emitted warm heat all year round.
Green Gems granted flight for a limited time.
Although research was still ongoing, academic consensus held that each gem color likely possessed additional hidden abilities.
In any case, a Green Gem from a Green Hole—classified as high difficulty.
Its value was something an ordinary civil servant couldn’t even dream of.
Eloise stared blankly up at Gerard.
Ownership of a gem belonged to the person who contributed most to destroying the core.
Which meant the person who possessed the most Rainbow Gems on the continent was Gerard.
He often distributed smaller cores to subordinates in the Mage Tower or donated them for research.
But handing over a Green Gem—one of the rarest kinds—so casually was something even Gerard shouldn’t find easy.
“You’re giving this to me? Why?”
Eloise asked, stunned.
“The Green Hole incident was stopped because of you. Everyone will learn the truth, and what you hoped for will come true.”
Exactly one day had passed since Gerard said that.
He never directly explained why he gave her the green gem.
Eloise simply took it to mean that her contribution had been significant.
Another workday arrived as usual.
As Eloise stepped out of her room, she paused and glanced beneath her bed.
The Green Gem Gerard had given her was inside a small pouch under the bed.
If she were someone who regularly bought gold or jewelry, she might have owned a small safe.
But Eloise had never cared about such things.
So she had nowhere appropriate to hide something as precious as a green gem.
On top of that, she shared the dorm room with Merlin.
In a place where privacy barely existed, the least noticeable spot was under the bed.
‘It feels wrong putting something so valuable in such a shabby place.’
Just as she turned away, trying to shake off the discomfort—
“What are you staring at? Did you hide some tasty candy under your bed?”
Merlin suddenly appeared behind her and poked her lower back.
“No! Not at all!”
Eloise yelped in surprise.
Merlin widened her eyes, then furrowed her brows.
“Eloise, you’ve been weird lately.”
“Why? Do I look like I’ve… gone back in time or something?”
Eloise’s voice trembled slightly.
“What nonsense are you talking about? You keep getting startled like that. You look run-down. Why don’t you go to the infirmary?”
Eloise let out a quiet gasp.
“I thought you were going to say something serious. I’m fine. I’m perfectly healthy. And the infirmary is already overflowing just with healers.”
“That’s true.”
Healers, enduring schedules bordering on abuse, collapsed almost daily.
Yet the infirmary was small, and there were far too few medical officers for the number of patients.
It was said to be just as grueling as being a low-ranking civil servant, and lately, fewer people even applied.
“Let’s go. You know the team leader’s been standing by the door checking attendance lately, right? I got scolded yesterday for being twenty seconds late. He’s at peak hysteria. No idea why.”
Merlin complained.
‘I know why. It’s because of me.’
Just as much as the team leader monitored their attendance, Eloise had begun monitoring his.
Once, she saw him stepping out to smoke every hour and wrote a note, secretly leaving it on his desk.
[Total time away: one hour.]
She hadn’t intended to discipline him.
She only wanted him to know that someone was watching.
‘His shocked face after seeing the note was kind of funny.’
After that, he went out to smoke less often, which was a positive change.
But the note had side effects.
Namely, obsessive monitoring of subordinates’ attendance.
“If attendance management were all that mattered, he’d deserve Civil Servant of the Year.”
Laughing together, Merlin and Eloise walked toward the office.
Hopefully today would pass quietly.
Uneventfully.
But perhaps she shouldn’t have thought that.
The office corridor, which should have been dim, was so bright it hurt her eyes.
Not because the lights were on—
But because people who were difficult to look at casually were gathered there.
Eloise stopped short.
“Did… our office move?”
Merlin asked blankly as she looked at the people standing outside.
Eloise glanced sideways at the sign on the wall.
[Support Team]
The sign was clearly there, written neatly.
So the office hadn’t moved.
Which meant they had come to see someone.
At that moment, among all the radiant figures, one man stood out most.
Gerard turned his head.
When he spotted Eloise, he strode toward her with a refreshing smile.
“You’re finally here, Eloise.”
Eloise’s eyes widened. She rose onto her toes and whispered behind her hand.
“Uh… were you waiting? Is this about the Green Gem? Is the Holy See demanding it back? Or the imperial family?”
Her misunderstanding was reasonable.
Blocking the office entrance were:
Vice Pope Servan Vandes, with his long silver hair.
Crown Prince Noah Norvark, proud of his golden hair.
Vice Director Morgana Raven of the Demonic Energy Management Bureau, with her short red hair and sharp expression.
And finally, a woman with long, shimmering silver waves.
She was Natalija Duna, the healer with the highest healing power among the A-rank healers of the Demonic Energy Management Bureau.
Natalija was a healer carefully protected by the Disaster Response Headquarters and the Bureau.
Because she was the daughter of Duke Duna.
Eloise swallowed hard.
‘All the faces of the Disaster Response Headquarters are here.’
She had known she would face them eventually.
But this was far too early.
She had hoped to meet them after earning a promotion—at least when she could stand somewhere near their feet.
Not now, when she was barely worth the dirt under their nails.
Worse, the expressions and gazes they directed at her were far from friendly.
Eloise subtly stepped into Gerard’s shadow.
The corner of Gerard’s lips twitched slightly.
“Eloise, let’s talk inside for a moment. I know how important you consider working hours. That’s why we came here.”
Eloise’s lips parted slightly.
So what Gerard meant was—
Since they couldn’t summon her, he had personally brought these distinguished figures all the way down to the basement.
‘Work hours be damned—I should be the one going up!’
She wanted to shout that.
But she held back.
“May I ask what this is about?”
Eloise whispered so only Gerard could hear.
But her voice was so quiet that he didn’t catch it.
He bent down slightly.
“Could you say that again, Eloise?”
The sudden closeness, the intensified scent of Gerard—
Eloise sucked in a breath.
The Gerard she reunited with in her second life behaved as if personal space didn’t exist.
“Wait, don’t come closer. It’s better if you speak from there.”
“Eloise, healing is something I receive only when necessary. Is there really a need for us to meet on days like this? I would prefer no unnecessary contact.”
Back then, when Eloise stepped forward once, Gerard stepped back twice.
In her previous life, he had pushed her away so hard it felt like falling off a cliff.
Normally, he was polite and kind, helping her whenever she was in trouble.
But he wasn’t affectionate.
His kindness was the price paid for healing.
That Gerard had changed.
Now he offered kindness and warmth to Eloise, who had given him nothing.
What was this kindness the price for?
“Sir Gerard, how much longer do we have to wait?”
At the sharp voice, Eloise’s shoulders flinched.
