Chapter 37
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37
I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but it looked like they’d made up. Watching Daisy and Troy in their intense embrace left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.
It seemed Troy wasn’t some third-rate villain but Jelly’s rival for Daisy's affection. While those two were having a heart-wrenching reunion, our Jelly didn’t seem to feel the slightest sense of crisis, yawning in the background.
Good grief, I can practically see your molars. He wouldn't look that bored watching a dull soap opera. That guy was going to regret this later. Was he really going to be okay?
“It’s alright. The children will be safe. The Young Lady will find them for us.”
“Her?”
Suddenly, all eyes were on me.
“Yes. Because she promised.”
Daisy looked at me with desperate eyes. I felt indebted to her, there were things I needed to hear from her, and even without all that, my conscience wouldn't let me stand by while children were missing.
“Thank goodness…”
Troy looked visibly relieved. This was the first time we’d met, so why did he trust me so easily? Was it like that phenomenon where even a boss with a trash personality seems reliable when they’re fighting another department on your behalf?
But still… I’d said it, but how was I actually going to find them?
Troy, the most suspicious person, wasn't the culprit. The Director… I’d missed a classic mystery trope. Then again, Troy had appeared far too early to be the true villain.
I had to remember I was inside a novel. There was no need to overthink it.
‘Let’s think this through.’
If I apply the rules of a RoFan novel to this situation, this is a subplot for the secondary couple, right? It’s likely a story where Daisy, who has trauma related to human trafficking, is betrayed by someone she trusted but overcomes it and grows as a person.
In that case, is the hint this summoning circle? I had wondered why there was a summoning circle here of all places, but now I could make a plausible deduction.
In the original story, the person Daisy sought help from probably wasn't me, but Jelly or Canna. They would have come to help, seen this drawing, and realized that Evangeline was behind the incident. Since Canna had seen the drawing when she was kidnapped by Donau, she would have deduced the truth instantly.
Wow. So if I hadn't stepped in to help Daisy, the Villainess’s infamy would have skyrocketed? The narrative force of the original work is truly terrifying…
Regardless, since I never told anyone about the drawing, the Director must have seen the one hanging in the temple, just like the priests of the monastery. I’m so glad that place finally burned down.
“Jelly, can you catch a scent?”
“No. The air is heavy and stifling; it’s hard to even breathe.”
I’d felt a similar sensation when I first entered this room. Then it had to be that.
‘A wind spirit!’
The Director must have summoned a wind spirit to erase the scent. If Jelly were to play an active role in this episode, the incident would end too quickly. He must have been nerfed to prevent him from using his abilities.
Therefore, the culprit is in here!
Of course, I don't mean there’s an accomplice among us, but that they’re still inside this building. There must be a secret passage somewhere. If they had taken the children far away, they wouldn't have bothered using a spirit to muddle the scent.
And in this situation, the most suspicious object was that wardrobe.
Usually, bookshelves or wardrobes serve as secret doors. And a rat had just popped out of that very wardrobe. It hadn't squeezed out from under the door; it had been scratching at the door from the inside. The rat must have entered the wardrobe through another passage.
“Miss?”
I carefully ran my hands along the back wall of the wardrobe. Was there a button or something? I searched busily, but when nothing turned up, I gave the back panel a hard shove. With a groan, the entire back wall gave way and fell inward.
Do secret passages usually open this crudely? Someone might think I just broke it.
“What in the…”
I knew it! Beyond the gaping hole was a staircase leading down into a basement. As expected of a novel world, things proceed smoothly once you apply the clichés.
A gust of wind blew up from below. “What is this foul stench?” Jelly, who was sensitive to smells, roughly covered his nose and muttered, “The smell is so pungent, why didn't I notice it before?”
The spirit probably blocked it. Wind spirits sometimes have abilities like that.
“Will they be down there?”
“Most likely.”
I said it casually, but I was almost certain. A hidden door appeared? They were one hundred percent down there.
“Make sure to take the papers before we go.”
The building might not survive a clash between spirits and magic, and we might not get a chance to grab them later. It was best to secure the evidence now.
At my words, Canna instinctively grabbed the file, hesitated for a moment, then handed it to Daisy. It seemed she was worried she might make another mistake, like letting the papers get ruined by water.
“Thank you…”
Daisy clutched the documents so tightly she nearly crumpled them. Was there anything else we needed? As I looked around, Pudding hopped out of my arms.
“Pudding? You’re not coming with us?”
Pudding nodded and settled into a loaf on top of the summoning circle. Well, I suppose I had been dragging the little one around quite a bit.
“Then keep a good watch over this place.” And run if it gets dangerous, I added silently, stroking Pudding’s chin before grabbing a candle.
“Alright, let’s go down.”
We filed through the wardrobe one by one.
“To think there was a place like this in the basement…”
“This is the first I’m learning of it, too.”
The candle flame flickered. It was pitch-black, with not a single ray of light reaching this deep, so I gripped the wall and carefully descended the stairs. Fortunately, it wasn't a long way down—maybe one floor.
“It’s faint, but I smell soup.”
At Canna’s words, I recalled the cooking utensils in the orphanage’s dining hall. They weren't offerings for a ghost; they were for feeding the children in the basement. Since they ate down here, only the traces of cooking remained upstairs. Then the voices I heard, complaining of hunger, must have come from down here too. The basement wasn't that deep, so it was plausible the sound could leak through.
“They really were here.”
“Should we split up and look?” Daisy and Troy asked, growing impatient now that they were certain the children were close.
“No.”
I understood how they felt, but that was a terrible idea. If we split up, we’d be ambushed for sure. The Director might even use spirits to attack us. However, we had a werewolf mage on our side, who had both the brawn and the firepower.
“There’s no need for that. Jelly, do you know which way to go?”
I wasn't sure how it worked, but it seemed Jelly’s sense of smell returned the moment the secret passage opened. I could leave the navigating to him.
“The scent is spread so wide that it’s hard to distinguish, but I’ll try.”
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Jelly didn't complain about being put to work again. He simply nodded obediently and took the lead.
“It’s larger than I thought. It feels like it’s twice the size of the orphanage building.”
The basement was spacious and dark. Candles were hung on the walls here and there, but they were so dim they looked like they could be extinguished with a single breath, offering little help.
“Is it here? Or over there?”
Because of the confusing layout, even Jelly seemed to be losing his way. He eventually led us to a room filled with beds. Various items, whether accessories or toys, were scattered across them. Seeing them, Daisy’s eyes welled with tears.
“These are the children’s things.”
So they had been locked in this basement, living here all this time. We passed through the bedroom and followed Jelly again. Before we had gone much further, he came to an abrupt halt.
He stood frozen, peering into the room ahead. Had we arrived?
*
Even after Yulma squeezed her eyes shut, the expected pain never came. Had Ranon succeeded?
“Ugh…”
At the Director’s pained groan, Yulma peeked one eye open. The scene before her was entirely unexpected.
The man the Director had brought with them was restraining her, his arms wrapped around her from behind. He had intercepted the Director’s hand, freezing it in mid-air. He was gripping her wrist so tightly that a groan escaped her lips.
The Director soon lost her grip on the knife. As it hit the floor with a sharp clang, Yulma quickly scrambled backward.
“Yulma… can I open my eyes now?”
“Absolutely not! Who said you could speak? Don't you dare look back! Just stay quiet and cover your ears!” Yulma shouted, sensing the other children’s patience had reached its limit. They hadn't heard that clanging sound, had they?
“Let go of me this instant!” the Director barked, but Melek didn't budge.
Yulma was bewildered. If he was capable of overpowering the Director like this, why had he been sitting there quietly tied up all this time? In any case, if this man was on their side, it would be much easier to subdue the Director.
Then Ranon wouldn't have to get blood on his hands… That’s right, Ranon!
Yulma hurried to check on him. Ranon was slumped over as if drained of all strength, and the knife he was holding was stained with something red. Blood?
But the Director was unharmed. Yulma’s gaze shifted to Melek’s back, and she gasped in horror. Blood was gushing from his waist.
While restraining the Director, Melek had shielded her from Ranon’s attack, taking the blade himself.
That idiot, Yulma thought, looking at Ranon. He’s trembling like a leaf after stabbing an innocent person, yet he thought he could take down the Director?
Only the Director, unaware of what had happened behind her, was furious with Melek. Why was he interfering now after being so passive? It was as if he were protecting the children. A demon, of all things!
“Merai. Please, stop.”
The Director froze. She felt as though she had heard those words somewhere before. A long time ago—yes, over twenty years ago…
While the Director was lost in a wave of déjà vu, Yulma made a quick judgment.
The door was open. She couldn't be sure if the man was truly on their side, but it didn't matter. It would be better if he were, but even if he was with the Director, he was injured now and wouldn't be able to chase them.
This was their chance. The Director was… Yulma locked eyes with Ranon. Fortunately, he seemed to have snapped out of his panic. Together, they began to count silently.
They would move on three. Three… two…
“Yulma! Ranon!”
Before the final count could be reached, an uninvited guest—or perhaps a savior—burst into the room.