There Is No Need To Be Obsessed

“Yeah, I’ve heard that too. That’s downright evil.”

“Oh my god, then he was bragging about the fake as if they were authentic all this time?”

“After pretending to be so conceited, serves him right.”

Cold rebuke fell on Geren.

I gave him the last blow with a broad smile.

“I don’t know how much these fake clothes are worth, but shall we take a good look at them?”

“N-no need! Get away!”

Geren, whose face turned red, ran wildly through the crowd and exit the cafeteria.

People’s booing followed him.

That will keep him quiet for a while.

Before long, I turned to Coco.

Looking at the spot where Geren had disappeared with a bewildered expression, he noticed my gaze and lowered his head in surprise.

“Thank you for your help.”

“You don’t have to lie flat like that.”

I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the leftover stains off his cheek.

Coco’s eyes slowly rose from below up to my face.

“In this guild, only those who are good at work can be prideful. It is never about your family background.”

“Uh…”

“Even if it’s not the case right now, you can still try to make it someday.”

I said with a smile.

“It’s clean now. Let’s say hello if we see each other in the future, Coco.”

“Ah…”

Leaving the stunned Coco behind, I headed for Lia.

For some reason, along with the suffocating silence, strange gazes poured into my direction, but I didn’t pay much mind.

“As expected, you are amazing! It was so cool!”

Lia ran up to me and hugged me.

Although she was fourteen, Lia was much smaller than her peers, so she snuggled into my arms.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the crazy Geren run away like that.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. That was great, Eureia.”

Annie also came closer and exclaimed.

Though late, Yuphon finally arrived.

“What happened? I heard there was a fight.”

Probably realising that I was also involved in the commotion, Yuphon’s gaze soon fell on me.

Annie stepped up and answered.

“It’s fine now, it worked out well, Ms. Yuphon.”

“…That’s good then.”

Still, Yuphon’s expression looking at me was strange.

Come to think of it, it was strange that Yuphon let it slide just like that.

If it had been before, as much as she disapproved of me, she would have left a word of warning as soon as she saw that I was tangled in something like this.

She let me off too easily.

She didn’t even want to listen to what I had to say before.

Soon, I realised why her demeanor had changed. It seemed that she had achieved some results by not ignoring what I said about the Locara tea leaf.

Hmm, that’s unexpected.

I thought she disapproved of me so much that she would either ignore my words or try it after another long while.

It’s not like a person could fill a high-up position if they were not capable, huh?

The mere fact that there was a talent within the Cheshire Merchant brought a smile to my face.

When our eyes met, Yuphon flinched and turned her head away. It wasn’t long before she spoke up again.

“….miss Eureia Craycia, I have something to tell you, but you must be tired today, so take a rest and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Well, if the fuss has subsided, I’ll be on my then.”

With that said, Yuphon left the cafeteria.

Briefly after, the members who hadn’t eaten yet moved busily.

“Sis, we should eat too. Let’s eat together, Annie.”

“May I?”

Annie looked at me and asked. In response, I happily nodded.

“Sure.”

When I answered quickly, Annie’s expression brightened.

The cafeteria was buffet-style.

All one had to do was scoop as much food as they wanted on a gold-rimmed white plate and sat down wherever they pleased to eat.

The food came out quite luxurious, like gourmet.

Having left early in the morning and not able to have a proper meal, I made sure to take enough food.

I’m going to have some dessert too.

Today’s dessert was macarons and grape juice. And macaron was my favorite dessert.

Is grape juice a substitute for wine?

It might have been a coincidence, but everything from dessert to food today was just to my taste.

“Why is there grape juice today?”

Annie’s words soon convinced me that none of this was a coincidence.

As expected, it was Leone’s work.

I was grateful for his delicate consideration and a smile crept upon my lips at his cuteness.

Annie, who happened to see it, said.

“Eureia seems to be very different from what I thought.”

“Hmm, what was your thought then?”

I asked, spreading jam on a piece of bread.

Annie hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Um… When I heard the rumours, I thought you were, to put it mildly, a conceited person.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I thought…”

Annie didn’t end her sentence, but I knew what she wanted to say.

That I was parachuted.

That too came with the label of the vice-chairman’s lover.

I smiled lightly to mean that it was okay and asked again.

“Then what do you think of me now?”

“I think you are completely different from what I used to have in mind. Actually, though I said that no one could stop Geren, in truth, they just turned away because they did not want to mingle with trouble. It was cowardly. And I was no different. But Eureia didn’t. Your confident appearance was so cool. I was so relieved when you crushed Geren!”

Annie then continued shyly.

“I think Eureia is a good person. If it’s okay with you, can I be friends with you from now on?”

I answered gladly.

“Of course.”

At that, Annie’s expression brightened.

After dinner, I went back to my room, washed up, chatted with Lia, and lay down on the bed.

“I’m so glad to see you again, sis… Good night…”

Soon, Lia fell asleep with even breathing.

I lay quietly on the bed and looked up at the ceiling where the candle light shimmered.

In the silence of the night, a light shimmered on my ring.

Seeing the light, I sat up, put on the cardigan I had brought, and opened the door.

(Creak)

At the noise, I carefully looked back at Lia. Luckily, she was completely asleep.

Quietly leaving the room, I passed through the hallway and stopped in front of an old door.

‘There is a door at the end of the hallway, but it was used as storage a long time ago. It is said that the door is locked because it is not currently in use.’

Lia explained when they passed by earlier.

I turned the doorknob. It did not open. I then took a key out of my pocket.

This was the key Leone gave me before joining.

When I insert the key into the hole and turned it, there was a ‘click’ sound.

Turning the doorknob again, this time the door opened.

Inside, it was pitch black.

As I felt for the wall, something got caught on my hand.

The magic stone embedded in the wall reacted to the magic stone embedded in my ring and emitted light sequentially.

Inside was not storage like Lia said, but a spiral staircase stretched toward the ceiling.

I climbed the stairs step by step.

I did not know how long I climbed before I reached the end, and another door appeared.

Again this time, I opened the door with the key.

Just then, a cold wind rushed in.

After tidying my disheveled hair for a moment, I pull on my cardigan and stepped outside.

The scene beyond the door was a wide open garden.

It’s been a while.

This garden was the one I tended during my days as the guild’s owner.

Actually, it was the garden I used to take care of, but I had no talent for growing plants, so I entrusted the overall maintenance to the gardener.

A long time had passed, yet, the garden had clear traces of someone taking care of it.

“Eureia.”

A low voice came along the breeze.

I turned my head toward its direction. As soon as I saw him, I smiled.

“Leone.”