Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Traffic Control (1)
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"Ugh..."
Arselia opened her eyes amid a throbbing headache, squinting at the blinding sunlight streaming through the window.
A pounding ache throughout her head and a burning thirst.
Forcing her heavy body upright, she looked around, taking in the unfamiliar sight of the room.
"Where...?"
"You're awake."
Still groggy as she tried to piece together the memories from last night, the door opened quietly, and a familiar voice reached her.
"...Sion?"
"This tea is good for hangovers. The young master uses it often too."
She accepted the cup filled to the brim with the brown tea on the tray and cautiously took a sip.
Bitter yet refreshing to her insides.
"Mmm, thank you."
She drained the cup in one go to quench her body's desperate cries for water, then wiped her mouth, stifling an involuntary sigh of relief.
Sion silently set the cup down on the table and held out her dress, which she had brought along.
"I washed it while you slept. It's fully dried, so you can put it on right away."
"Th-thank you."
"The young master just asked me to."
"Pardon?"
"Don't you remember last night? He said he couldn't send you home like that, so you should stay the night."
As she spoke, Sion efficiently began tidying up as if it were routine, helping the still-dazed Arselia to her feet and ushering her into the bathroom.
"You're the one who's about to join us as the 'executive director,' aren't you, Chairwoman Rosenheim? Since you're the young master's choice, this much is only natural."
"R-right."
Everything you need is inside, so take your time washing up, Sion said as she closed the door. Arselia blinked in bewilderment.
As the sleep gradually cleared from her mind, fragments of last night's memories surfaced.
Normally, she never drank to the point of losing control of her body, and even if she did, she always kept her wits about her.
But she'd forgotten that the person she'd been drinking with wasn't her usual business partners or clients—it was Julian, the one who had recognized her dreams and extended a hand.
Was it because the constant thread of tension had finally loosened? Or the fatigue from the all-day meetings and overtime?
Even drinking at her usual pace, she hadn't been able to withstand the onrush of intoxication...
Scattered, fragmented pieces of memory.
Her tongue loosening, stumbling into Julian's arms.
Tears welling up as she whined about how tough it was.
"Uwaaaah...!"
Recalling only embarrassingly vulnerable moments, she shuddered under the shower's stream, overcome with shame.
Whether from the alcohol or the humiliation,
the cold water cooled her feverish body and the heat rising to her head.
"Hoo..."
She meticulously washed up using the bathroom amenities, then stepped out wrapped in the hanging robe.
"This way, please."
"What's that?"
"A hot air blower. The young master calls it a 'hair dryer.'"
Sion, holding the oddly curved tool, sat her down in a chair and began drying her hair.
The perfectly warm breeze made her eyelids heavy again, but Sion's voice snapped her back.
"The young master had business and left early. He said he was sorry he couldn't even have breakfast with you and to pass that along."
"It's fine. We're business partners—being busy is par for the course. Actually, please tell him I'm sorry for taking up his time."
"He'd probably say it's no problem. It's not finalized yet, but you joining us is a done deal, isn't it, Chairwoman?"
"True... Um, by any chance, did he see me..."
Seeing Arselia's ears flushed red to the tips, Sion's eyebrow twitched faintly, but she replied without a hint of reaction.
"I brought you here, so no need to worry."
"...I see. Thank you."
Relieved that Julian hadn't seen her asleep in bed, yet feeling a strange twinge of disappointment, she clamped her mouth shut.
Her chest tickled with emotions she couldn't quite put into words, leaving her fingers fidgeting idly.
"All done."
Not long after, fully dressed and styled with Sion's help, she was shown a mirror.
"Perfect. Thank you for your help."
"Not at all. I was just following the young master's orders."
Arselia rose and met Sion's gaze.
Above all, her striking beauty was impossible to ignore—even compared to herself.
Up close, it made sense why Julian hadn't fallen for her charms at their first meeting.
Not a hair out of place, despite drinking late into the night.
Though lighter than the formal attire she'd arrived in after the party ended.
Arselia was tall for a woman, but Sion was just a touch taller.
Yet beside Julian, her swishing tail had been lively; now it hung still, her ears seeming slightly drooped.
Like a dog left home alone after its owner heads to work in the morning.
"Thank you for today. Let's meet again soon. I'll be in touch."
So Arselia smiled and extended her hand for a shake.
Best to smile in moments like this.
Sion eyed the hand for a moment before grasping it.
"...Anytime. Contact me when it's convenient."
With a light wave, Arselia left the hotel under Sion's escort.
In the carriage, gazing out the window lost in thought, but even that didn't last long.
The unusually clear roads got her there quickly.
She absentmindedly twirled a lock of hair before dropping her hand.
"Good morning!" "Welcome, Chairwoman!"
Heading straight from the hotel to the guild office by carriage, Arselia nodded lightly to the familiar greetings and ascended to her office.
The guild staff whispered softly, watching her climb the stairs.
"The Chairwoman looks a bit different today."
"Yeah. Coming in late for once?"
"Doesn't she usually head out at dawn?"
"Heard she pulled an all-nighter last night."
"Wasn't there a full guild meeting yesterday too?"
"Something good happen? She seems in high spirits."
Closing the door and sinking into her chair, Arselia let out a long breath.
"Haaa... Finally settling down a bit."
Leaning back with a creak, the familiar ceiling seemed to ground her.
The hotel room she'd just left was still vivid, but seeing her own office ceiling made her feel truly back.
"Time to get started?"
New documents on the desk—added this morning, perhaps.
A faint smile escaped her; finally back in her element.
Lately, anything involving Julian made her heart race, scattering her focus.
"Hmm, there must be a better way to handle this..."
After wracking her brains with groans, a knock—"tap tap"—made her look up.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion, Chairwoman. The Guildmaster wishes to see you."
"...Tell him I'm on my way."
Setting down her pen at her father's summons, she stood.
Of all days, why today? She had a hunch, but it didn't feel like good news, dampening her mood.
Weeeeng! Clank clank!
The workshop buzzed with incessant noise and billowing steam.
"Damn, forgot my earplugs again!"
Sion always brought them, but coming alone this time, he'd forgotten.
Pushing through the ear-ringing clamor and the grating metal grid floor, he opened the heavy door.
Closing its substantial weight behind him cut off the noise like magic, though his ears still rang.
"Huh? Boss! What brings you all the way here?"
The chair spun with a whirl as the girl looked up, pushing her goggles atop her head.
"Came alone today? Where's big sis?"
"She's handling something else, so just me today. You still calling Sion 'big sis,' huh."
He pulled up a chair and sat.
Nice soundproofing in here.
"She's big sis, duh. Anyway, this is rare. Boss out and about solo."
The girl hopped down from her chair with a thud and approached.
"Drink?"
"Appreciate the thought, but gotta hit another spot right after."
"You'll collapse like that. You look beat already."
"Ran through till last night— that obvious?"
"Kinda? You usually hide it well. Today it's plain as day."
"...If even you can tell, time to do something about it."
"Take a break. You're busier than most humans—it's worrying."
"Wish I were a long-lived race like you."
He eyed the petite girl before him—no, an adult dwarf hybrid whose growth had stunted due to her mixed blood—Veril.
"Different races for a boss? Kinda curious, yeah."
With that, Veril showed him a blueprint covered in dense formulas and diagrams.
"Here about that thing I mentioned last time?"
"Better to hear it straight from the engineer. Besides, I wouldn't get this stuff anyway."
"You gave the idea but can't follow it? Unbelievable... Well, you're always been one of a kind."
"You all know the tech side better anyway. I'm just the boss footing the bill—that's enough."
"Fair... Alright, short version."
"Hmm..."
He half-grasped the barrage of terms and analogies, half didn't.
In my past life, I was sales, not tech.
Good at packaging and selling, but only needed the basics on the product.
Back then, I'd cram all night on specs when needed...
"So basically, it works like..."
The explanation dragged, so he invoked boss privileges.
"Bottom line: it can be done?"
"Mmm, possibility-wise? Yeah."
"But dev costs will be high."
"Spot on."
"More time and budget, huh... Time's fine, but can't stretch the budget further."
Her head drooped sullenly at the budget news, tugging a bit at him...
"You know the original budget was already over what we planned."
"Y-yeah, true. With more time, we can probably make it work."
"Good enough. Not urgent—take it slow."
Viable with time? Purpose of the visit achieved.
"Oh, and next month—four weeks from now—full meeting, everyone. Remember that."
He called out to her heading back to the workbench now that boss approved.
Second reason for the trek here.
Needed to gather everyone to sort out the business structure before the hotel's official opening.
Could send a letter, but she'd ignore it unless he said it in person.
Piles of unopened envelopes in the corner attested to that.
Past summons he'd sent had been "eaten" like this—headache inducing.
Or maybe the noise drowns 'em out.
"Meeting? Me too?"
"Yep. You included."
"Four weeks... Got it. I'll focus till then—no worries!"
Veril donned her goggles and sat at the bench.
In person, she'd remember.
Hyper-focused to a fault, but smart as hell.
Most of the hotel's cutting-edge gear? Her and second bro's doing.
Leaving Veril engrossed, oblivious to his exit, he left the noisy workshop.
"Ha... Really wanna clean up her place and relocate once."
Gazing at the overcast sky, Sion's absence hit harder today.
Sion... Hurry back...