Chapter 44
“Can I take all the remaining pieces?”
“All of them?”
“Yes. How much would that be?”
Startled by the woman’s serious tone, Noah soon regained his composure and answered calmly.
“Three setas.”
The reason Noah sold only one piece per person was because of a certain scam that had recently become rampant.
People would buy works cheaply from unknown but skilled artisans, then resell them as if they were made by famous craftsmen. Such incidents had already been reported to various guilds. Since Noah couldn’t openly sell works under his own name, there was always the risk of being exploited in that way.
But somehow, with these people, he felt they would treat the pieces with care.
The woman willingly handed over three gold coins, and two knights who had been standing back approached to carefully carry the sculptures away. Watching the mother and daughter disappear into the crowd, Noah turned back to the siblings.
“Let’s wrap up.”
“Uh—yes!”
After tidying up the stall and leaving the market, Noah collected only the balance that needed to be paid as commission to the guild. Then he handed a heavy pouch to the siblings.
“The amount you’re owed is one seta and three keni. It’s best if you only carry that much. You never know when trouble might come your way again.”
Seeing the money inside the pouch, Hans and Ellie were left speechless. Hans asked in a trembling voice:
“Are you sure… we can really accept this?”
“You provided the materials, didn’t you?”
Noah replied lightly. Just then, the sound of bells rang faintly in the distance. After the fourth chime faded, Noah offered a short farewell and turned to leave. If he hurried, he could make it back to the castle before supper.
Or so he intended—
“Wait!”
A sharp voice held Noah in place. Meeting the girl’s gaze head-on, Noah listened as Ellie asked in a slightly strained voice:
“Why are you helping us like this?”
He didn’t really have a reason. Or rather, he did—but it wasn’t something to tell strangers.
But before he could answer, the impatient girl continued.
“I don’t know if it’s proper to say this to someone who’s helped us, but I don’t believe in favors that come without a price.”
“Ellie. Stop.”
“Shut it, Hans!”
As if to say this is all your fault, Ellie glared fiercely at him. Hans fell silent, still aching from where she had beaten him earlier.
Are you insane, you idiot?
When she learned she could have been sold off along with him, Ellie had beaten Hans with her shoe until it raised dust. Her rough words and violent reaction spoke volumes about the harsh life she had lived.
Of course, Noah hadn’t stopped her. Naïveté was no excuse.
“For all you know, we could be swindlers.”
Hans tried to stop his sister again, but Noah’s reply came first.
“Then I’d only be out some money and time.”
Ordinary people would have gotten angry after being spoken to like that, especially after giving help. But his serene demeanor left the siblings at a loss for words.
“I did this for my own satisfaction. Whether you have some ulterior motive or not, that’s none of my concern.”
That was as far as his responsibility extended. What became of the siblings afterward wasn’t something he had the luxury to worry about. He had only helped because he had the means and circumstances to do so—and because, for a fleeting moment, he thought of his mother.
What did it matter if it was a scam? It wasn’t as if they would ever meet again.
On the other hand, he understood why the girl was so suspicious. Her worn dress, unkempt hair, and calloused hands all spoke of a life of hardship.
Noah glanced briefly at those small, work-roughened hands before speaking again.
“Sometimes, a miracle-like kindness in life isn’t such a bad thing, is it?”
Hans might be foolish, but he wasn’t a liar. Noah remembered the heaviness in his chest when he had first seen the sick woman lying in bed at their home. And the face of the girl sitting beside her, gently wiping her mother’s face with a cloth.
Since they weren’t people he would ever see again, Noah deliberately spoke coldly.
“Consider yourselves lucky. Life can bring moments where a fairy appears to grant a wish.”
Though in truth, that role suited someone else better.
‘I’m actually a fairy, and I can’t tell you my real name.’
Remembering what Cordelia once said, a faint smile tugged at his lips—only to fade back into his usual sternness.
“Don’t let anyone know I gave you this money. If you’ve caught the eye of bad people, it’d be wise to pay off your debt and leave this region at once.”
Those men didn’t look like first-time swindlers. Even if connections ran deep and it didn’t change much, at least filing a report was worth trying.
Leaving that last piece of advice, Noah finally turned to go—
“Thank you, fairy!”
Hans beamed at the benefactor who hadn’t even given them a name. Noah flinched slightly at the embarrassing title, but he did not look back.
When Noah returned to the castle, the sun was already sinking toward the western hills. After dismounting at the front gate and crossing the grounds, he tilted his head slightly as he neared the castle proper.
What’s going on?
Workers bustled about inside and outside the castle. Some were dressed too casually to be proper attendants.
“Back already?”
It was Kallia, stepping out just then. Noah bowed his head politely. They entered together, and faint sounds of commotion could be heard deeper within.
As they passed the busy workers and started up the stairs, the noise gradually quieted. Taking in the surprisingly calm and spacious interior, Noah finally spoke.
“Yes, I had some business. But… things seem oddly busy here.”
“Oh, we’re sprucing up a neglected hall. Training will be held there soon, so I’ll probably be busy starting tomorrow or the next day.”
“Training?”
“Yes. That’s why Codi called me here.”
‘If I’m going to do it, it has to be perfect! No one knows me better than my sisters do.’
Recalling Cordelia’s proud words, chin raised high, Kallia covered her faint smile with a hand.
“She really has no sense of propriety sometimes.”
Her tone suggested exasperation, but she didn’t seem upset. Hearing the amusement in her voice reminded Noah of something.
“I made a fool of myself yesterday.”
“No, not really? Well, at the time I did think you might end up crying helplessly.”
“……I don’t cry that easily anymore.”
Stubbornly insisting, Noah only provoked Kallia’s playful streak. She laughed openly this time.
“So you did cry easily before?”
“I didn’t cry often, even as a child.”
At least, not in front of others.
Whenever he cried, chaos followed. Even if he simply scraped his knee, it was those caring for him who got scolded, not him.
After realizing that truth, Noah had made sure not to cry or get hurt in front of others. When he couldn’t bear it, he’d sneak away to find a place where he could be alone.
It wasn’t all bad. After all, that habit had led him to meet Cordelia.
“Should I call you ‘Count’ from now on?”
“As you like.”
“You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me. There’s a difference in rank, and also…”
“Do you mean that sincerely?”
“Hm?”
Kallia’s eyes curved gently.
“My eyes aren’t blind holes. I know you’re no ordinary painter.”
She had only half-suspected when with Cordelia, but seeing him with Isaac had confirmed it. The way Isaac, usually so unflappable, fumbled slightly around Noah—the cryptic words exchanged between them.
Her father might seem lax on the surface, but he was sharper and more thorough than anyone. Even Rick couldn’t outwit him.
If someone could make her father nervous, then they couldn’t be ordinary.
“And your face. I kept thinking I’d seen it before—you look quite a lot like someone I know.”
“Who…?”
“Most likely, your mother.”
Noah fell silent at her careful phrasing. His eyes dropped diagonally to the floor.
Refusing Tyraine’s suggestion to cut his bangs had indeed been the right choice. Even now, people sometimes recognized him in fleeting glimpses—what trouble might arise if his face were fully revealed?
Besides, the more conspicuous one became, the harder it was to keep secrets.
“Oh—Codi?”
At Kallia’s call, Noah lifted his head.
Cordelia, in a green dress brushing her ankles, had been walking toward them from the opposite side. She froze upon seeing them. Her gaze rolled from Kallia to Noah, then stopped.
While Noah hesitated on what to say, Cordelia turned her head away. Without a word, she retraced her steps.
The light, graceful footsteps from before now carried a faint, heavy thump with every step—her right fist clenched tight.
Noah stared off blankly, trying to deny the hollow feeling inside.
“What’s gotten into her?”
Kallia touched her face, puzzled, then glanced at Noah.
“She was so cheerful yesterday. Did you two have a fight?”
“…I said something that must have upset her.”
“She does look pretty upset… but don’t worry too much. Sometimes she gets stubborn about strange things.”
Noah lowered his brows awkwardly at her blunt words. Kallia whispered knowingly, as if reading his thoughts.
“But those parts of her are kind of cute too, aren’t they?”
The gentle tone, full of understanding, eased the tension bristling inside him.
So Noah decided—to be just a little more honest.
“…Yes.”
