Chapter 63

Chapter 63. Please Do Not Lie (3)

“Ghaaaaaack!!”

Jeff sprang up from his seat, threw his head back, and shouted. I smiled bitterly and looked at Luna.

She was grinning.

“What medicine is it this time?”

“A Rosemary-style stimulant. It is fast-acting. His mind should become very clear.”

“Hahh~ hahh, ugh, huh? Wait? What is this? My body feels lighter?!”

After shouting for a while, Jeff lowered his head, clenched and opened his hands, and looked startled.

Beside him, Luna grinned and explained.

“I mixed some medicine into the beer. How is it? Your body feels light, and your head feels clear, does it not?”

“Ohhh! Is that so? The effect is really good. It feels like I drank an entire bottle of Healing Potion! Did you make this?”

Luna nodded.

Jeff knelt to meet her eye level, grabbed her shoulders, and said,

“Luna. Have you ever thought about doing business with me? If this works well… ugh?!”

Jeff stopped speaking and lowered his head. Kal’s powerful fist had landed on top of it.

“Bastard! What are you teaching a child?”

However, at Luna’s answer, he had to smile awkwardly and move his hand away.

Luna crossed her arms and spoke to Jeff, who was groaning.

“Really? Then how are we splitting the profits?”

A short while later, Kal ended up beating Exel by default.

That was because the usually composed Exel unexpectedly lost his temper and flipped over the janggi board.

Mm, perhaps his nerves were on edge because he had not slept.

And now, that same Exel was out in the yard, looking at the distant eastern sky with a calm face, as though he had never lost his temper and flipped the janggi board at all.

I stood by the door and watched him.

At that moment, Mir and Kali approached from behind, wearing black cloaks and with hoods wrapped around their faces, so I quietly stepped aside.

Good heavens. The sight of golems fumbling around and putting on clothes was something I would never forget for the rest of my life.

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD~

The floorboards are going to collapse, you two.

Mir and Kali turned their bodies sideways and bent their waists as low as possible, passing through the door in a comical posture.

I, standing beside the door, and Exel, who turned his head at the sound, could not help but smile in amusement.

The golems finally managed to squeeze outside and approached Exel in the middle of the yard, then stood beside him.

Exel looked at them for a moment with his arms crossed.

It made for a fine contrast. A silver-gray werewolf and two golems draped in black cloaks.

Mm, that is a good picture.

Their heights were similar, but if one had to compare, the golems were a little taller.

They were nearly three meck tall, after all.

I turned my head and greeted Kal, who was walking out with a bow in his hand and a black cloak over his shoulders as well.

“Are you returning now?”

“Yes. We leave after causing only trouble for you. I am truly sorry.”

As he said that, he held out his hand to me. I smiled softly, took his hand, and shook it a little.

The next person whose hand I shook was Jeff.

He held out his hand to me with a soft smile, and I chuckled as I took it.

“I will stop by again.”

“You are welcome anytime.”

The last person whose hand I shook was Narsh.

She had been watching the two men shake my hand from a little distance away.

Then, when Jeff went outside, she approached me, held out her hand, and said this.

“I cannot ask you to kiss my hand, but please be sure to visit someday. It will not be as delicious as Miss Rene’s cooking, but I will prepare many tasty things and wait for you.”

“If the chance comes someday, I will visit.”

I was about to kiss her hand, but I noticed Rene’s frightening eyes beside me and ended up merely shaking it a little.

Ugh! She is not glaring, but if she keeps looking at me like that, she is going to bore a hole through me.

Rene was staring only at me without even moving her eyes once.

Her face seemed to say that if I kissed the back of Narsh’s hand, she absolutely would not let it pass. It was more frightening than being glared at.

I gave Rene a small smile and went outside.

At that, Rene slowly moved as well, came outside, and stood beside me.

Luna stood beside her, and Jimant was nowhere to be seen.

He was probably on the roof again.

At that moment, Kal, who had been saying something to Narsh, approached me, took a heavy pouch from his inner pocket, and handed it to me.

“We have caused trouble for no reason and are now leaving as though running away without even settling it properly. I am sorry. And Mr. Han, Miss Rene. I have one request.

If the Lizard Men and Huria come here, please use this to settle the payment and give them whatever they want and whatever they need. This is all we can do right now. I am truly sorry.”

I accepted it with a somewhat bitter face and nodded.

At that, Kal smiled softly, then slightly bowed his head to Rene standing beside me and said,

“Our estate’s chef would be saddened to hear this, but Miss Rene’s cooking was truly delicious. Please be happy.”

“Thank you.”

Rene said that with a bright smile.

Kal smiled softly, then turned his gaze to Luna, who stood beside Rene with her arms crossed. He simply smiled a little and stepped back again.

This time, Narsh approached.

She gave only a slight bow of her head to Rene and me, then turned her gaze to Luna.

Narsh took Luna’s small hands tightly in both of hers and said,

“Luna? Please, if you ever have the chance, be sure to stop by our house. If you wish, I can even send attendants for you.”

“No need, you immature young lady. Someday, I will walk there on my own feet, so do not die and wait for me. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Narsh smiled brightly and nodded.

Luna rummaged through her pocket for a while, then handed her a neatly folded piece of paper and said,

“They are seeds. Since it is an estate, you must have at least a garden, right? I wrote down how to raise them on the paper, so read it and plant them.”

“What kind of flower seeds are they?”

“If you want to know, do not die and wait.”

At Luna’s words, Narsh nodded with a bright smile and put it into her pocket.

Then, when she rose from in front of Luna, Exel spoke.

“I should practice playing janggi. Miss Tarsis? I will escort them out and return immediately. Then I will see you next time.”

“I understand. Exel, thank you for your efforts.”

Rene said that with a faint smile.

Exel nodded slightly, then glanced at the cloaked golems standing beside him.

Then he simply shrugged a little, turned around, and walked toward the forest as he said,

“Let us go, humans.”

“Damn it! Let us go together. Our legs are shorter than yours.”

“Why are you so full of complaints? Just follow on your own.”

Jeff spoke with a displeased expression, but Exel continued walking forward without yielding to his demand.

However, Narsh and Kal turned back and raised their hands, just as humans always did when parting.

“Goodbye!”

“Please stay well!”

“Safe travels, Miss Narsh! Mr. Kal!”

Rene and Luna, standing on either side of me, turned their heads toward me, but I smiled bitterly and failed to meet their expectations.

I shook my head and said,

“That was not me.”

At that moment, thankfully, Narsh, who was walking ahead, revealed the owner of the voice.

“Mr. Jimant! Goodbye!”

Luna looked up with her arms crossed and said,

“It was Uncle. He must be on the roof again.”

After saying that, Luna went inside first. Rene and I decided to watch the group until they disappeared into the forest.

Whew~ Everyone has gone back now. I should finally be able to live leisurely again.

Thinking that, I slowly turned my head.

I saw Rene, wearing a black blouse and black skirt, with a white apron over them.

“Rene.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you lie?”

“I do not want to tell you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But even so, do not think about asking my body directly like you did earlier. Understood? When you do that, somehow, it feels as though you are not the Han I know, and I also feel extremely unpleasant.

That is not a relationship joined by love, but a relationship joined for a purpose. I truly hate that sort of thing.”

“Was that how it felt? Rene, I am truly sorry. I did not know. Should I kiss you?”

“No. Just hold me.”

With an apologetic smile, I approached Rene and held her against my chest.

Rene gently rested her head on my shoulder and said,

“Let me ask you one thing. Please answer me like this.”

Instead of speaking, I raised my hand and gently stroked her hair. Rene took my action as agreement.

She let out a small sigh against my neck and said,

“You are human, yet you dislike humans. Why do you dislike them?”

“I do not dislike them. Let us just say I do not like them.”

“Do not say that in front of an elf. Going in circles to make the same words a little harder to understand—because it is you, I am saying this, but it looks awful.”

I laughed while holding her.

I hoped no one had seen it. If they had, they would have been shocked.

I buried my nose in Rene’s golden hair, breathed in its fragrant scent, and said,

“You always bathe, do you not? Why do you bathe?”

“To keep my body clean. Why do you ask?”

“Mm. No, nothing. Aaah~ I cannot do it. Honey, I am sorry. I absolutely cannot teach you that much. Can it be something else?”

Rene lifted her head slightly and looked straight into my eyes.

No way. Is she trying to read my thoughts…

However, Rene merely smiled slightly with her eyes and leaned her head against me again.

Rene asked again.

“All right. Everyone has a past they wish to hide. Then something else. You love me, do you not?”

“Of course.”

“Answer me clearly.”

“I love my wife, Rene Tarsis. That is all.”

After hearing my words, Rene smiled brightly.

She moved away from my body, held out her hand, poked my stomach, and said,

“Give it to me.”

“What?”

“Do not pretend you do not know. The thing you received from Mr. Kal earlier.”

I laughed and handed the pouch I had put into my pocket to Rene.

Rene accepted it, smiled broadly, and opened the pouch while linking arms with me as she went into the hall.

I smiled faintly and followed as she led me.

In the end, I was unable to find out why she had lied.