CHAPTER 22…………………………

Following Eligos, Zhenya bit her lip in anxiety.

“He hasn’t run into the hero, has he?”

If Eligos had sensed something suspicious or if a problem had arisen, he wouldn’t have arrived at the warehouse so quickly. So, it was probably fine.

Suppressing the nervous habit of lifting her head several times, Zhenya focused on the situation she was in.

Not only the hero, but Zhenya’s own situation was quite tricky. She had been caught trying to lie to Eligos, no less.

“Zhenya, follow me.”

Facing the cold glare of Eligos, who had assessed the unfolding situation, Zhenya found herself dragged into a private meeting.

She had been warned not to cause trouble, yet his gaze seemed to accuse her of having done just that.

“If only those troublemakers hadn’t dragged me into it, none of this would have happened!”

The door to the office was open as if inviting her to follow him in.

Carefully gauging the situation, Zhenya quietly followed him inside.

“So, what’s the report?”

As soon as she entered, his voice reached her. Zhenya quickly composed her expression and sat down. Feeling wronged wouldn’t do any good if she showed it.

“There was a minor issue, but it was resolved.”

“Minor?”

At his slightly irritated question, Zhenya added calmly:

“The problem is that the mirror in the maze was completely destroyed.”

She handed over the inventory list she had been holding. Eligos glanced at it briefly, then placed it on the table with an air of disinterest.

Hm. He clearly wasn’t going to let this go so easily.

“You should claim compensation from the Marquis and the Count regarding that matter.”

Zhenya straightened her back and pressed her lips into a line. She heard a small click of the tongue in front of her.

“Got tangled up, huh?”

It was better to tell the truth than awkwardly lie when the story didn’t match.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“How did it happen?”

“There was a disagreement between the Marquis and the Count.”

The conflict between them had been spun as a full-on fight but was lightly framed as a mere “disagreement.”

“Understandable.”

“The mirror was destroyed, but otherwise, there’s no issue, right?”

Worried that speaking too much might invite more questions, Zhenya deliberately showed a tired expression.

“I’d prefer not to extend the schedule any further.”

That should have been enough. Yet, his pale blue eyes met hers.

“You talk too much for your own good.”

His sharp gaze seemed to peer straight into her mind.

Was he aware of something, or had he just caught her in the lie she tried to tell earlier? Zhenya hid the pang of fear she felt.

“You’re not usually this quiet, though.”

“So… you’ll just let this slide?”

“I trust you’ll give extra hazard pay for today’s work.”

“You seemed like you were trying to cover up that you got tangled up. So does that mean it didn’t happen?”

He clearly wasn’t planning to let it slide so easily.

“But I’ve already been caught, haven’t I? So wouldn’t it be better to take whatever I can?”

Zhenya shrugged boldly.

If he were the Demon King, he might have chuckled at this point, but Eligos’s expression remained cold.

Butler Eligos.

Though he sometimes showed childish sides when with the Demon King, he was fundamentally a far more challenging person to deal with than the King himself.

Most servants assumed Eligos was simply a strong butler, but he was far from ordinary.

Why did arrogant and aggressive nobles struggle against a mere butler? Because he was a demon trusted by the Demon King?

The answer was quietly revealed to Zhenya by Beef.

“Be careful of Eligos. He was originally a high-ranking noble.”

A high-ranking noble. A position held for centuries, not by birthright but through personal strength.

“Moreover, he recognized His Majesty’s potential and was the first to kneel at his feet.”

A former noble who had voluntarily stepped down to serve the Demon King closely, rather than being defeated and stripped of his title.

And the one who had raised the Demon King himself.

He was no easy opponent; a demon as formidable as the King himself.

Showing fear or yielding to him would obviously get one crushed in an instant.

Zhenya met his gaze without flinching, showing no signs of intimidation.

How long had it been? Eligos finally spoke when her eyes began to sting.

“…I’ll let this slide, for now.”

Though suspicion lingered, he seemed willing to stop here.

Zhenya wiped the cold sweat from her palms on her clothes and looked at him.

There was more she had to confirm.

“Don’t you have anything else to say? About killing the servants, I mean.”

She might be stirring up trouble unnecessarily, but ignoring it out of fear would leave her unprepared for what could come.

Eligos turned to her with an expression of mild surprise, removing his monocle and staring at her plainly.

“Do I need to say anything?”

“It wasn’t an ordinary matter.”

Without his monocle, Eligos felt harsher than usual. Meeting his icy gaze made her fingertips chill.

“Would you believe me if I said I did it just because I care about you?”

No one would believe it. Not with that face.

Zhenya clenched her fists tightly.

“No.”

“Good. You’re not that foolish.”

Eligos’s lips curved slightly, but when he blinked, his expression returned to its usual straight line.

He put his monocle back on and continued:

“A warning was necessary.”

A warning. Zhenya shivered slightly, asking:

“To whom?”

Was it a warning for the servants? Or…

Eligos stared at her and replied:

“To anyone.”

“Even me?”

When she pressed the question, he finally gave a genuine smile. It was neither mockery nor a warning.

It was admiration. And it left Zhenya more confused.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Getting a warning just for rumors about dating seemed odd.

“Not yet.”

Purple and pale blue mingled in the air.

Her mouth was dry, her head ached. She didn’t even know what to say.

The only thing she could do was meet Eligos’s gaze without looking away.

“Time’s been wasted long enough.”

It was Eligos who finally broke the eye contact that had felt endless.

“If you behave as you have now, nothing will happen.”

It was a simple retreat, despite having left her completely bewildered.

“As I am now.”

Whatever Eligos knew, he would let it slide as long as she maintained her current state.

“How much does he really know?”

If he knew about the hero, would he have retreated this easily? His warning was far too pointed for him to be ignorant.

What was going on? Questions piled up as Eligos issued a recall order.

“Return to your duties starting tomorrow.”

“…Yes.”

Zhenya left the room quickly, unable to draw any conclusion.

After leaving the corridor, she walked a bit further before stopping in place.

“Where should I go?”

What should she do? She hadn’t felt this lost before.

Clutching her throbbing head and squeezing her eyes shut, the surroundings suddenly erupted into noise.

“Ah, Zhenya! So you got caught up after all?”

“You did well! That could’ve been a disaster.”

The servants of the Demon King had gathered. They spoke excitedly as they circled her.

“But at least it ended safely, so we should take comfort in that.”

“The cleanup is mostly done, but we’ll handle what’s left. The dangerous items are all secured, right?”

“I thought Relazie was a calm person, but nobles are all the same, huh?”

“But he’s still kind, isn’t he? Just be careful when with Count Veris.”

“Did Count Veris and Marquis Relazie really fight and make such a mess? How are you even alive, Zhenya?”

Zhenya frowned briefly at the noisy servants, but gradually, the scattered pieces in her mind began to fall into place.

“The three were summoned by His Majesty.”

“Of course, after causing such an incident.”

“His Majesty will scold you, Zhenya.”

“You can call it a day now, I suppose?”

“Of course, you deserve it for your hard work!”

Right. She had been pulled to Eligos because of an incident in the underground warehouse.

And the reason she had been called separately was to keep the three demons in check.

Why she had to keep them in check was…

The hero.

Thinking of the blonde, blue-eyed hero who had taken down the Demon King in her memory, Zhenya’s foggy mind cleared.

“…I’m not alone.”

She didn’t need to struggle or worry alone.

“Sorry. I just want to go back to my room and rest.”

The hero was in her room. And now, the hero wouldn’t remain silent.

So this problem was meant to be faced together with the hero.

Gently separating the servants without being rude, Zhenya stepped forward resolutely, thinking of the person waiting for her in the room.