Chapter 36
I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. It was surprising, of course. Yuna living with me and Elysia wasn’t something I prepared for—but I wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea. Everything just happened a bit too fast to digest recently, and now all of a sudden I technically gained a little sister.
As I watched my sister tending to Yuna, a realization suddenly struck me.
“By the way, sis,” I said, “What are you planning to do now? You’re obviously not going back to that tavern to work again.”
Elysia placed a finger to her chin. “Hmm… don’t worry about it too much. I guess I’ll find something else soon—we have some money saved up, so we should be fine for a while.”
Kaelon then interjected, “If it’s a job you need, our family could hire you as a maid, we can always use some help.”
I blinked, then looked at Kaelon sideways.
“… A maid?”
Sensing my intent, Kaelon instantly raised both hands in surrender. “It’s not what you think. Do you really think I’m that kind of person? At least have a little trust in me.”
“Real convincing, coming from the guy who couldn’t stop saying commoner until recently,” I joked.
“Urgh-”
Even Lilith’s eyes lit up at her brother’s suggestion as she turned to Elysia with barely contained excitement.
“Really, big sister? You should take the job! That means I get to eat your cooking every day!”
“E-erm… let me think about it for a moment,” Elysia said, clearly caught off guard. Her eyes shifted toward me, silently asking for help.
I merely shrugged, it wasn’t my place to decide for her. Besides, working there might not actually be that bad—at least it was a hell of a lot better than going back to that shitty tavern.
Elysia pursed her lips, thinking it over, then finally let out a small sigh.
“Alright… I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Great! Then we can discuss your pay and what your duties will be,” Kaelon said, leaning forward. “The role isn’t anything too crazy—mostly just housework throughout the mansion and helping out in the kitchen when needed.”
“As for your base salary, it’ll be thirty silver per week. How does that sound to you?”
Elysia tilted her head, weighing her options. Compared to her previous work, the pay was already far better.
“No, that works for me, is there anything else I should know?”
Kaelon snapped his fingers. “Ah—right. I was thinking about this earlier. It might be easier for everyone if you and Caelith just moved into our estate. And Yuna as well.”
“Huh?” Both Elysia and I blurted out at the same time.
“Well,” Kaelon continued, unfazed by our confusion, “since you’re working as a maid now, it wouldn’t be convenient for you to travel back and forth each day. This way you and Caelith can still see each other regularly without worrying about the commute.”
Elysia’s lips parted slightly. “Wouldn’t it be a bit inconvenient for you… having all of us suddenly barge in?”
“Hm? Oh, nah—don’t worry about it at all,” Kaelon waved dismissively. “Our estate has more than enough empty guest rooms to accommodate you guys. And it isn’t that far from Eldreth either.”
“So, what are your thoughts, Caelith?” Kaelon asked.
“Me? Well… I don’t particularly care either way.” I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms with a slow exhale. “If it makes things easier, I’m all for it.”
I was actually leaning toward accepting Kaelon’s offer. After everything that happened, I had no idea if there were still people out there targeting my sister, so having her stay at Kaelon’s place might be a safer option.
Footsteps echoed behind us.
Auntie Shira stepped into the room, tilting her head as her gaze swept over us. “What’s this about moving?
I had wondered where she had been earlier, but it didn’t seem important now. I quickly explained,
“Oh, we’re just discussing having my sister work at the Kaelon family’s estate as a maid. He was suggesting that we might all just move in as well.”
“I’m coming along as well,” she immediately responded, though it sounded more like a statement than a suggestion.
“What? But I didn’t even say anything yet.” Kaelon objected, clearly displeased
In the same monotone voice, she repeated, “I said I’m coming along with them. Do you not understand?”
“That’s not what—” Kaelon started to argue, but then he froze mid-sentence, his expression flickering as if something just came to mind.
He slumped his shoulders and let out a defeated sigh. “Fine… do whatever you want.”
Turning his attention back to Elysia, he asked, “So, when do you think you can start?”
“Do you mind giving us a day or two to pack our things?” Elysia replied.
Kaelon nodded. “Since this is settled. Lilith and I are going to be heading back now, I’ll come pick you guys up in a few days.”
With that, they bid farewell. I escorted them to the front door, though Lilith lingered a little, seeming reluctant to leave just yet. But after a quick call from Kaelon, she finally waved and ran after him, their figures slowly disappearing from view.
I stared up at the sky; it wasn’t particularly cloudy, the morning sun climbing higher. Honestly, I didn’t feel like doing anything today—I just wanted to crawl back into the comfort of my bed and sleep some more.
I’d been pushing myself hard the past few days, and after nearly dying yesterday, I figured I deserved just one day to laze around.
Unfortunately, that plan was quickly shot down when Elysia called out my name.
“Hey, Caelith! There’s something I want you to do for me.”
Next to her was Yuna, and with a quick nudge, Elysia gently propelled her toward me. The girl stumbled a step forward, her head lowered as she fidgeted nervously with her sleeves.
“What’s going on?” I asked, glancing between the two of them.
“You don’t have anything to do right now, right? Then take Yuna out and buy some clothes for her,” my sister said matter-of-factly.
I groaned. “Can’t you do it instead? I’m not exactly a clothes-shopping enthusiast.”
“I wouldn’t have asked you if I could. But I still have to pack up our belongings since we are moving in a few days.”
Yuna frantically shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “I-it’s fine… I don’t need anything. I… I don’t want to trouble big brother with something he doesn’t like.”
Elysia let out an exaggerated sigh. “See? Look what you’ve done! How heartless do you have to be to make such a cute girl cry? Honestly, I can’t believe this is my little brother.”
A retort hovered on the tip of my tongue, but one look at her triumphant expression told me it wasn’t worth continuing. I swallowed my words. And when I turned to Yuna, she really did look like she was about to cry, which made a twist of guilt settle in my chest.
‘Great. Now I’m the villain here.’
“Okay, okay! I’ll do it—just shut up about it already,” I said in resignation.
Yuna still looked hesitant, but Elysia stopped her gently. “Don’t worry about the money. Just listen to Caelith and follow him, alright?”
She gave a small nod, her nervous fingers fidgeting with her sleeves one last time. I crouched slightly to meet her gaze. “Alright, let’s get going, okay?”
“Mm.” A tiny, hesitant smile appeared, and she finally stepped forward. Elysia gave me a quick, satisfied nod.
“Have fun out there Yuna!” she called, waving enthusiastically as I led Yuna out the door.
Yuna stopped and waved back, her eyes now shining a bit more brightly, “Yes!”
“Bunch of useless trash!”
Somewhere in a grand mansion, a scrawny man with violet hair slammed his fists against the table, his voice dripping with venom.
“I paid them so much gold, and they can’t even complete a simple mission!” he spat, sending the contents of his cup skittering across the polished surface.
The maid standing before him trembled in fear as his outburst continued, unable to meet his piercing gaze.
Turning to another person in the room, he barked, “Did you find out where the leader of the Black Wolf Mercenaries is hiding?”
The attendant flinched. His hands trembled as he clutched the report, his throat tightening.
“A-about that Young Master Dorian,” He swallowed hard. “It appears the entire Black Wolf Mercenary has been wiped out.”
“What?”
The man’s body stiffened. The next moment, Dorian closed the distance between them, and then, with a sudden, brutal motion, he slammed his fist into the man’s face. The man crumpled onto the marble floor.
He barely had time to register the pain before Dorian came crashing down—once, twice, again—each strike more brutal than the last. The room echoed with dull thuds and strangled grunts as Dorian rained down his fury.
“Useless pieces of shit!” he roared between kicks. “You can’t even complete one simple job—tell me, right now, why shouldn't I just kill you where you lie?”
The attendant could only whimper in pain in response, as he curled into a feral position, desperately trying to shield his vitals.
After a few more savage kicks, Dorian finally stopped. He exhaled and turned back toward the desk, leaving the man bloodied and trembling on the marble floor.
Humiliation.
That was what burned inside him now. If he wanted something, he took it, no was never an answer. That was how it always had been, and it was how it should have been now.
What he had once expected to be effortless—just like in the past—had slipped through his grasp.
From the information his lackey had gathered, that commoner couldn’t even use magic.
As for Kaelon, he had only just awakened his core—so it shouldn’t have been possible for him to defeat the leader.
Then there was the woman whose voice from the communication crystal still lingered in his mind, like a bell tolling endlessly in the back of his skull.
‘Who in the world does she think she is, making a fool of me?!’
Dorian was long past any rational thought. All that remained in his mind was a single, burning obsession that once he uncovered her identity, he would make her pay for daring to humiliate him.
Eyeing the broken figure in front of him with contempt, he turned toward the maid still standing in the corner and snapped,
“Get this trash out of my sight! Just looking at him makes me want to vomit.”
The maid hurriedly bowed her head and moved to the man’s body, forcing him upright despite the obvious size difference. She struggled to support him, stumbling along the way before finally leaving the room.
With the door closed, the room fell silent except for Dorian’s heavy breathing. His gaze drifted toward the empty space where they had been, he could feel his fury rising in his chest again.
“Enjoy this peace while it lasts, Kaelon,” Dorian muttered darkly. “Because this isn’t over between the two of us… or your filthy commoner friend.”
