CHAPTER 64…………..
Yankeller’s tense, shallow, low breaths hovered by Everett’s ear.
‘Was Yan… very startled?’
Everett pressed his lips tightly together and slowly turned his body.
“Hello, Everett.”
When he lifted his head, he saw Yankeller’s bright smile, like spring sunlight.
That warm smile felt as if they were close friends meeting again after just yesterday.
“H… hello, Sir Yankeller.”
Everett greeted awkwardly. At that, Yankeller let out a short laugh, amused.
“What’s this, Everett. ‘Sir Yankeller’? You used to call me Yan.”
‘I called him Yan? When?’
It must have slipped out unconsciously in a desperate moment, so of course Everett couldn’t remember.
Seeing his surprise, Yankeller grinned mischievously.
“Looks like you don’t remember. That’s disappointing. To me, it’s as clear as if it happened yesterday.”
Pointing toward the plaza, Yankeller spoke.
“If you’re not busy, shall we have some tea?”
Before Everett could answer, he strode ahead decisively.
From his back, Everett could sense he would not accept refusal.
“The tea here is good. When I saw you in the library, you seemed to like tea, so I brought you here.”
“Ah, is that how it looked? It was good then too… I wonder how much better it is here.”
Everett smiled awkwardly and reached out, but his hand did not touch the teacup.
Instead, he quickly picked up a fork, cut a piece of cake, and put it in his mouth.
“The cake here is good too.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste. By the way… Everett.”
“Sir Yankeller, may I speak first?”
“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”
“Sir Yankeller, I don’t know when you learned that I can speak, but… I never meant to deceive you. I’m sorry.”
Yankeller waved his hand.
“No, that’s not something you need to apologize for.”
“In the temple I was so startled that…”
“I know. That misunderstanding was from my own assumption. I should apologize. I’m sorry, Everett.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d been watching you. When you didn’t even scream once in front of the trainee clerics, I misunderstood.”
Thinking of it again, Yankeller gave a dry laugh.
“No, it’s fine. I still had opportunities to speak after that.”
“I never even gave you the chance to respond. I was too busy talking by myself…”
Everett gave a faint smile.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Scratching the side of his head awkwardly, Yankeller replied,
“I’m just glad we can talk like this now.”
The awkward laughter faded, leaving a short uneasy silence.
“Everett, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the library. Work at the temple got busier…”
“I figured as much. When you stopped coming, I assumed you were busy.”
“After that, I tried several times to go find you.”
“You knew where I was?”
“At Kuna Tavern…”
How did Yankeller know she had been at Kuna?
Everett tilted her head.
“But I don’t go to the tavern these days. I’ve been helping at the jewelry shop next door.”
“I see… I see.”
Yankeller kept sipping his tea, hesitant to bring something up.
Everett wondered what he was struggling so hard to say, but quietly waited.
“You know, Everett.”
“Yes, please go on, Sir Yankeller.”
“I… know that you are the diviner, Naz.”
“Cough!”
The cake lodged in Everett’s throat, and she burst into a fit of coughing.
Yankeller quickly handed her his handkerchief.
“Are you alright?”
His worried voice did not reach Everett’s ears.
‘How does he know I’m Naz?’
Choking, she recalled every moment they had met.
She had been so careful not to reveal her identity, yet now both Kyle and Yankeller knew.
It was something she had neither imagined nor expected.
Yankeller handed her a glass of lukewarm water.
“Did I shock you?”
“A little… But how did you know it was me?”
“When I went to find you at the tarot shop.”
“Yes, suddenly a noble made a scene at the tavern and you had to leave quickly.”
“Right. That time, as you opened the back door for me, you said something.”
Covering her mouth with his handkerchief, Everett coughed and muttered,
“I think I said something like, ‘If you go through the alley, it leads to the plaza.’”
He smiled faintly and shook his head.
“‘Take care, Yan.’”
Everett let out a short sigh.
“Ah, I…”
“Yes. You called me Yan. The only ones who call me that are my family and Kyle. And also…”
“And also? Did I say something else?”
“No, not words… The Light Stone I gave you in the library.”
“Ah…”
Everett sighed again, closing her eyes tightly.
She had never imagined a temple cleric would visit a tarot shop.
She had completely forgotten about the Light Stone left among the ornaments.
Seeing her flustered face, Yankeller gave a playful smile.
“There’s more, you know…”
“More?”
“The tarot cards you use.”
Everett suddenly remembered the symbols engraved on the Light Stone.
Yankeller had long frequented Pan’s magic supply shop.
He had bought items, but sometimes sold what he made too.
“Those cards… I made them.”
Everett’s expression lit up in an instant.
She had wondered from the start who could have made such cards, engraved with arcana symbols unknown in this world.
“I really wanted to find out.”
“Oh? Find out what?”
“Who made the cards. I wanted to meet that person.”
At her words, Yankeller’s face slowly turned red.
“You wanted to meet me… For what reason?”
“The symbols.”
“Symbols?”
“Yes, the ones engraved on the cards and the Light Stone. I wanted to ask what they meant.”
Yankeller’s bashful look quickly hardened.
The air turned cold, and Everett grew wary.
‘Why the sudden chill? Is it just because I asked about the symbols?’
She asked carefully,
“Sir Yankeller, did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… It’s hard to talk about those symbols. Sorry.”
“No, I was too forward out of excitement. I apologize.”
To ease the tension, Everett changed the subject.
“You’re a cleric, Sir Yankeller. Why did you visit a tarot shop in the first place?”
“Ah, a friend asked me. Honestly, it took courage. That’s how I learned you were Naz, though.”
Everett let out an awkward laugh.
“I wanted to come see you right away, but temple duties became too heavy. So I ended up so late.”
“I understand.”
“Everett, since the Saintess came to the temple, how has the tarot shop been? I imagine fewer people visit now?”
“At first, yes, but these days it’s not much different.”
Yankeller had also heard that nobles no longer paid donations just to meet the Saintess.
“That’s a relief. I worried it might be difficult, since her arcana and your tarot cards resemble each other.”
“Thank you for worrying. Since you’re at the temple, have you heard any of the Saintess’s prophecies?”
“No, I’ve only seen her in passing. Even if she is the Saintess, a cleric shouldn’t pry about such things.”
Everett gave a short laugh.
“But it’s fine for a cleric to be so skilled at magic?”
At her words, Yankeller’s expression hardened slightly, thinking of Kyle.
“By the way, Sir Yankeller. Before you left the tarot shop in a rush, you said you had a question. What was it?”
When Everett tilted her dark eyes in curiosity, his face flushed red again.
Back then, he hadn’t known she was Naz—so he could have asked.
‘I wanted to ask how you felt about me…’
Now, it was impossible.
With an awkward smile, Yankeller said,
“It’s been resolved. But I’m touched you even remember.”
“As long as it’s resolved. I felt sorry it ended so abruptly that day.”
Everett glanced at the clock on the café wall.
“Time has passed quickly. I told Daisy I’d be back soon—she’ll be worried.”
As she stood, Yankeller hurriedly spoke.
“Everett, remember what you said at the library? That you wanted to learn how to make magical tools.”
“Yes, I did.”
If only he had taught her then, meeting her often through that, would things be different now?
Regret struck him again.
“Why the magical tools?”
“I was wondering if you still want to learn. I’d like to teach you now.”
Back then, before opening the tarot shop, she had more time, and she had wanted to learn partly to understand the Light Stone’s symbols.
Now she had neither reason nor time.
But his sensitive reaction to the symbols made her curious.
Seeing her hesitation made Yankeller anxious.
The only way he could think to see her again was to offer lessons in magical tool-making.
Pathetic—but he couldn’t invite her into the temple, nor freely visit a diviner’s shop himself.
‘What if she says she doesn’t want to learn?’
