Chapter 20
"This way, Lady Raebi."
I entered the reception room beside the bedroom with Han Jihye.
Seeing me freeze after reading the letter, she promptly asked me to explain.
Thanks to that, I found something to lean on in a situation where I had no idea how to respond.
'Though I have no idea how badly I'll be scolded...'
Thinking it was better to take my beating first, I told her the conclusion before anything else.
"You cursed at Lady April...?"
"Yeees..."
Han Jihye spoke in a tense voice.
Judging by Han Jihye's stiff expression, despite always maintaining her composure, it seemed I'd caused an enormous incident.
She demanded a detailed explanation, and I tidied up the details of what had happened in the car before telling her.
After checking even the contents of April's letter, she slowly opened her mouth.
"......There is nothing we can do about what has already happened. Verbal abuse and mind manipulation, too. We'll have to find a solution that will make her overlook this tremendous discourtesy."
"Yes... I'm truly sorry..."
"If you're sorry, you shouldn't lower your head, Lady Raebi. A master's dignity is important even to those beneath them."
"Ah...! Yes."
......Right. At the very least, I mustn't cause trouble for the colleagues working with me.
The water had already been spilled, so I would have to bring a mop or whatever and clean it up myself.
'To do that, I can't be scared.'
If I shrank back, the other person would see me as even more of a pushover. Especially in a situation like this, if I showed weakness to her, my future was obvious.
I decided to turn this crisis into an opportunity and settle things cleanly with April once and for all.
When I straightened my back and looked at Han Jihye, she lifted the letter with a gentle smile.
"Good. Fortunately, judging by the contents of the letter, the situation doesn't seem entirely negative. If anything, I sense curiosity more than anger."
"Really?"
"At least, that's how it looks to me. We have nothing to lose anyway, so let's make good use of that."
"Understood!! Thank you, Ms. Jihye!"
At that moment, as my face brightened, Han Jihye raised her index finger.
"......But please promise me one thing, Lady Raebi."
"Promise?"
"Promise that you will never recklessly use mind manipulation on nobles again. The nobles here in Douglas Kim, as well as other nobles, are not easy opponents. If you make a mistake with ambiguous power..."
This time, you'll only bring their anger down on yourself.
Han Jihye warned me sternly. I agreed with her a hundred times over and vigorously nodded, promising to heed her words.
Afterward, Han Jihye briefed me on April. Having worked directly under the family head in the main building, she was able to provide me with remarkably detailed information.
Her birthday and rank, Awakening type, preferred foods and animals, personality, and so on.
'But...'
The most important thing among all that was the item she currently needed.
I smiled triumphantly.
"That's a relief. It doesn't seem like it will be difficult."
"Hmm...? You can get the item?"
"Hehe... Ms. Jihye, what time is the welcome party?"
Han Jihye glanced at her wristwatch.
"It's at eight. We have about two hours left."
"I'll settle this in thirty minutes. Please leave me alone for a moment."
"Am I not allowed to see it?"
"......Well, the Family Head told me to keep my abilities hidden."
I gave Han Jihye an apologetic look.
Considering the situation, it looked like I was sucking out everything I could get from her and then casting her aside.
But I couldn't recklessly reveal my abilities, either. I still couldn't completely trust her.
In the end, Han Jihye left, saying she understood, though her face was full of curiosity.
.......
Ding-
[Activating skill 'Item Fragment'.]
--------------------------------------
What item would you like to carve?
-Pygmy-exclusive staff
-Pygmy-exclusive dagger
-Piranian's accessory
.
.
.
The woodworking recipes shared with me by 'Set' after I happened to obtain it on the airplane.
I immediately purchased the materials from the shop and began crafting.
***
"I thought you'd run away somewhere... but you came looking for me sooner than expected, Raebi?"
I went to find April as soon as item crafting was complete.
She welcomed the audacious brat who had come looking for her with a frosty smile.
April raised an arm and pointed to a chair, so I quietly approached and sat down.
Seated across from me, she clasped both hands on the table and opened her mouth.
"......All right. Shall we hear your excuse?"
"Well, first of all..."
"Before that, I hope you didn't come here without giving it any thought."
April glanced subtly at Han Jihye behind me. It seemed she was pointing out that I wasn't holding anything in my hands.
Her gaze, which didn't blink even once, clearly conveyed the pressure of 'I won't let some half-baked words get you off the hook.'
......'Jo' and 'Lee,' the powerful families within Douglas Kim. April, the second daughter of the latter.
Appearance aside, she was no one to take lightly.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"I have no excuse. If the same situation arose, I would repeat the same thing again."
......!
The moment I finished speaking, I felt my body rise slightly. It was such precise control that the movement was hidden by my skirt.
By then, her fingers were already pointed elegantly in my direction.
"Hmm...... Go on."
'When did she unclasp her hands?'
Thankfully, the force was still weak enough that the Pygmies didn't react.
I had to settle this quickly before something happened.
"I don't want to quarrel with anyone! So please put the past behind us and forgive me without reservation!"
April's brows drew together.
"What is this......? And if I don't?"
"Then I'll keep trying until you do!"
“……”
Hehe.
The look she gave me was now completely tinged with contempt.
"You're not addicted to 'Drunken Flower,' are you? You don't seem to be in your right mind."
"Lady April. That's a little..."
"Be quiet. Considering the humiliation I suffered, this is nothing. If you weren't ‘Han Jihye,’ you would have been crippled the moment you opened your mouth."
'......'
She wasn't wrong.
Considering what April had done to Park Sang-tae, I should have been grateful that she was only pressuring me this much.
I slipped my hand into my skirt pocket and took out what I had prepared.
"Big Sister, would something like this be enough for you to forgive me?"
"What's that?"
"It's a gift for you. You told me to bring you something you could accept, remember?"
April gazed off into the distance as though all the strength had suddenly left her.
The telekinetic force she had been using on me disappeared as she propped up her chin.
"You're E-rank. And you were only just adopted."
"......That's true, but please at least take a look."
"......"
Don't hesitate. I'm not a beggar, after all.
This was an item made from carefully selected materials bought from the shop.
Of course, plenty of existing items might still outperform it...
'Hehe.'
I opened my mouth once more.
"Please just look at it once! I am confident it's an item worthy of you."
"Phew- ...Ms. Euna?"
April's attendant approached and carefully picked up the small box in front of me.
April tapped the space in front of her with one finger, and the attendant gently set the box down there.
Seeing that, April spoke indifferently.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such crude packaging."
"......S-sorry. I couldn't get anything better right away."
"It's fine. What could I expect from you at this point?"
Maintaining her elegant posture, she clicked the box open.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"Th-this..."
"It's a ring. Would you like to try it on?"
April moved her right middle finger toward it as though hypnotized.
It was ivory-white, with a red gem set in the center and encircled by a subtle gold border pattern.
It was alluring enough to captivate a woman like April, who lived and died for elegance.
I clenched my fist beneath the table.
'I'm confident!'
Although the work was somewhat different from the woodworking I knew, so what? A professional had to ensure that the materials they handled harmonized with other materials as well.
Though I had turned my back on the changing world, I had never neglected my craft in all those years.
That ring was the extreme compression of all the blood and sweat I had shed.
Before long, a dazed word escaped April's lips.
"......How beautiful."
“……”
At her words, I lowered my gaze.
"Many items came out after the Gates opened, but they're difficult to process, so it's hard to change their designs. And yet this has powerful telekinetic magic imbued in it? Despite being this beautiful."
‘Even better than the one I used.’ April murmured that as she rotated the ring this way and that, examining it from various angles.
She admired the ring for quite some time, then gave a satisfied grin and clenched her fist tightly.
The fact that she hadn't taken off the ring meant she had accepted the gift.
Only then could I finally relax.
"I hate to admit it, but I like it. The design and color... clearly Ms. Jihye... Why are you tearing up?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing. I was just worried..."
"Why cause trouble in the first place if you were going to be so scared...? Honestly, you're impossible to understand."
As if you could talk. Besides...
I wasn't scared. I had simply become emotional thinking about the years when, despite all my painstaking efforts, all I had done was fall into ruin.
I was overwhelmed by the unexpected emotion of having my work recognized by someone as discerning and successful among the nobles as April.
‘……My work is being accepted.’
As expected... I had no interest in simply living well under the protection of Douglas Kim. Well, I did have some interest...! Rather, I would use that foundation to create even better items and become an indispensable member of the family.
That was how I would repay them, survive, and earn recognition. Through my own ability alone.
"Big Sister."
"What is it?"
"We're on good terms now, right?"
"Hmm... Yes. For the time being."
April examined the ring with satisfaction and smiled meaningfully.
I blinked and asked her.
"For the time being? Does the gift have an expiration date or something...?"
"What kind of ridiculous thing are you saying? You'll find out the details at the welcome party shortly, so ask your attendant or something."
"You could just tell me..."
A petulant complaint slipped out, since it felt as though the story kept dragging on without ever moving forward.
April stared at me with her chin propped up, then soon stood and approached me.
Then she held out her hand as if offering a handshake.
"If you're that curious... take my hand, Raebi. Then we can get close."
"Huh?"
......What? Was all I had to do shake hands at the welcome party?
I tentatively raised my arm.
But then April slightly withdrew her hand and spoke once more.
"However, if you take this hand, Big Brother Vincent might be sad. Are you still all right with that?"
***
The time for the welcome party arrived.
When I followed Han Jihye to the hall of the main building, I saw a very different scene. Silver-themed chairs and round tables were lined up in rows.
The place had been completely empty when I came earlier that day, but the party preparations had been finished before I knew it.
However, this was the banquet area for after the welcoming ceremony, so I walked through the corridor again and arrived at an auditorium.
As the guest of honor, I took a seat in the front row and waited.
A little while later.
"I present Douglas Kim's new family member! Welcome her with blessings, all of you!"
Douglas's booming cry rang throughout the auditorium. He had the nerve not to use even the prepared microphone.
The nobles gave him a reflexive standing ovation in response to that overwhelming force of presence.
‘Lee’ on the left, ‘Jo’ on the right, ‘Kang’ in the center, and ‘Thebes’ in the back.
I watched the factions I'd heard about from April earlier. I needed to identify the barons heading each annex and avoid getting entangled with them as much as possible.
-Greet them.
I heard Douglas whisper. I crossed my arms and bowed my head.
"Raebi Na Tiernected Douglas Kim. I have dared to set foot in the great cradle of Douglas Kim. I shall go forth with the Family Head's grace held deep in my heart, so please guide this young lamb."
"Welcome her with another round of applause!!"
-Waaaah!!
With the welcome from the Vincent family sounding especially loud, I officially became one of Douglas Kim's nobles.
Once the applause died down, I descended from the stage and went straight to the banquet area in the central hall.
And sat at the designated table...
"May I sit down? Do I not need to greet the Family Head's wife?"
"She isn't particularly interested in adoptees. In fact, your intentions could be misconstrued, so I recommend saving it for later."
"Ahh..."
"No, that doesn't mean you can sit down. There is something you need to do first."
As she said that, Han Jihye pointed somewhere.
April, her hair tied into twin tails, was approaching with someone.
'Are they already forcing me to choose...!'
She stopped in front of me and introduced her family members. I crossed my arms as gracefully as possible and repeated my name.
"'Raebi Na.' I pay my respects to the Baron of 'Athens.'"
"Yes... As I'd heard, you're exceptionally beautiful."
"Thank you."
"I hear you have quite a bit of talent as well?"
'......'
"No. Someone as lowly as me has no talent worth mentioning."
"Do you not wish to leave Thebes? You seem to have thoroughly captivated April in many ways... At that level, I could prepare a place for you here in Athens."
As expected. The baron intended to make his move without giving me time to think.
Apparently, April had spilled everything about what was unusual about me.
‘Vincent...’
I lowered my gaze as if pondering, then quickly scanned to the side. The Vincent family, the Kang family, and the nobles of Thebes were all watching me.
If I rejected this offer, they would probably approach me with the same proposal.
I had thought they would ignore me because I was E-rank... Was this unavoidable?
I raised my head and spoke calmly.
"I'm fine as I am."
"I see. Understood. Then we won't be able to meet easily in the future, with the distance between us."
"Hmm... Would it be difficult for you to come visit here?"
"What?"
The baron fell silent, mouth shut tight. I smiled brightly into that baffled gaze and said,
"I'm going to build a workshop of my own! So..."
Please come visit often!