Chapter 39: Heilon (2)
‘Red hair and golden eyes…’
My mind was still sluggish from being so absent-minded. I would have to remember this later. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
The man looked down at me with a worried expression. “Are you okay?”
I nodded belatedly. “Yes, I’m okay. Also, I’m sorry.”
As I glanced downward to avoid his gaze, I noticed a tie pin with a black jewel rolling around on the ground. It seemed that the man had dropped it when I bumped into him.
“It looks like it fell because of me.” I reached out to retrieve the tie pin, but as soon as my fingers lightly touched the surface of the jewel, the black color changed to red in an instant.
“What is this…” I hesitated, feeling embarrassed, while the man picked up the tie pin himself. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
He smiled gracefully and made eye contact with me. “It’s not a gemstone, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
“That… is that a mana stone?”
Mana stones are a type of gem used by mages to contain their magical powers. Usually, they are employed by ordinary people who can use a bit of magic or by magicians whose magical power is unstable, helping them to perform magic more smoothly.
“Yeah… and judging by the reaction of this stone, you must be a magician.”
I had heard that mana stones react to magicians, but since I was adept at controlling my own mana, I had never used one before. This was the first time I had seen it in action.
I frowned slightly. “It’s a skill that I’m not particularly proud of.”
“You are very humble. If the mana stone reacts this strongly from just a light touch, your skill must be exceptional.” The man slowly rolled the tie pin and said admiringly, “Besides, the color is very vibrant.”
Come to think of it, if my memory served me right, a clearer color in a mana stone indicated greater magical power. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Suddenly, the man smiled—a smile that was objectively attractive.
“You’re quite talented. My name is Arrendt Clovis. If you don’t mind, may I ask for your name?”
‘No, don’t ask!’
Seeing his face, I slowly backed away. As soon as I heard him mention his name, I immediately remembered who he was. I tried to manage the tension in my face and forced a smile.
“Ce… my name is Celine.” I accidentally gave a false name. However, since he didn’t know who I was, I couldn’t reveal my true identity. I felt guilty towards Celine. Ugh. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
When Arrendt heard the name I gave, his face momentarily lit up with curiosity. He must have found it strange. Judging by my appearance, he likely assumed I was a noblewoman, but I hadn’t provided my surname.
Fortunately, he didn’t press for more information.
“It was an honor to meet you, Lady Celine. I hope we have the chance to meet again.”
I grabbed the hem of my skirt and greeted him informally. “Yes, me too. It was an honor to meet you, Marquis Clovis.”
Then I turned around without hesitation and walked briskly towards the area where Celine and the maids had set up the mat.
I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten him. How crazy. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
As I recalled that name, a flood of memories burst forth. I had been trying to remember who was in the finance department for a while, but I had forgotten due to my busy schedule, either in the north or the capital. Now, I remembered. It was him.
Arrendt Clovis.
He was a secondary character, known for his unsavory traits. In terms of personality, he was a so-called bad man, a rogue. Of course, in front of Eunice, the female lead, he was infinitely kind and polite.
That wasn’t the main issue here. The problem was that he played a decisive role in turning Fiona—who was praised as a great magician in the plot—into the final boss. Fiona became the final boss because she made a contract with the Darkness and couldn’t control its power. There were many reasons why she signed with the Darkness, but Arrendt was the pivotal factor. And the body I possessed was Fiona’s.
Honestly, the reason I forgot about him was simple. I had been focusing too much on Sigren. Moreover, Arrendt was a character who appeared in the middle of the story. I didn’t expect to encounter him now, before the start of the original work. The capital city had a huge population, so the chances of meeting him here should be very low, yet here I was. How unlucky could I be?
‘A rogue, a bad guy. He treats everyone poorly, but he is kind to the woman he loves.’
It was definitely an interesting and thrilling character from the female protagonist’s perspective. However, from a third-person standpoint, and even in real life, this type of character was the most annoying and someone people should avoid.
I’m sorry to say this about a character I created, but to be honest, arrendt was truly a very unsavory person, despite his polite appearance.
If Abel was an open-minded yet hot-tempered character, Arrendt was someone whose outward demeanor was vastly different from his true nature. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Ugh… Forget it. If things go wrong, I might have to deal with him first. To live a good life as Fiona, I would eliminate any characters who tried to turn me into the final boss.
I laughed oddly. My head felt a bit off due to the unexpected situation. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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