Luna, Did You See That? You Saw, Right?
"Luna? Why are you here?"
"Why do you think? Of course I came because I'm in charge."
"Didn't the Madam tell you?"
Luna blinked up at me, looking completely clueless. I'd clearly asked her not to send any women over. The Madam had to know, since she was busy with her own hangover recovery right now. Damn it. Madam, what kind of job are you doing?
Blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, Luna sidled up to me today with her usual sly grin.
"By the way, Store Manager, do you know...?"
"Know what?"
"That thing you gave me last time... I used it, and..."
But her voice didn't reach my ears. My head was filled with thoughts on how to hide Dmitri. If the women from the lake ran off after locking eyes with him, there was a way to track them down. Simple. Send Luna to chase after the escapees, pinpoint their locations, and bring them back myself. Not all the women at the lake were just selling their bodies. There was an intelligence unit inside—elite operatives selected from those skilled enough in tracking and reconnaissance to operate outside. And she was the best spy among them.
Luna wasn't just selling her body. That was the problem. If someone as capable as her—who could catch runaway women—decided to bolt herself? Who would catch her?
I couldn't lose Luna. No matter what, not her. Anyone else, maybe, but not Luna.
Luna's eyes, mid-sentence, shifted to my side.
No. Her role at the lake was too crucial. If she suddenly fled in the night, it would be a national loss. And if a skilled tracker and mage like her was dead set on escaping...
Could I even find her?
I couldn't be sure.
"Store Manager, are you listening?"
"Huh?"
"I want your feedback. It's from a valued customer, you know? Reviews are important for selling good products, right?"
"Oh, that? Yeah."
Truth was, I hadn't heard a word. What had she even bought from our store?
Catching the look in my eyes, Luna sighed deeply.
"You know, that thing. That..."
"Mm."
It hit me a beat late. The rotor. I'd given her a silver one to match her name. She'd asked for lingerie to tease me, but I'd misheard and handed her a rotor instead. Memories flooded back.
"You're talking about the usage review?"
"Of course. It's just you and me here right now."
"You right now..."
She still hadn't spotted Dmitri. No wonder there was no reaction yet. Good. I could stop it. Stop her from running.
I twisted my body between Dmitri and Luna.
"Store Manager?"
Luna sounded puzzled by my sudden position change. And then—
"Guhk!"
Dmitri's pained grunt as he was shoved backward.
Dmitri, you clueless idiot. Why make a sound now? You should've ducked under the counter smartly. You wanna see Luna get charmed and everyone end up exhausted?
"Store Manager?"
"What?"
"There's someone behind you."
"No, there isn't."
"Huh?"
"I said there's no one there."
Luna, who'd caught sight of Dmitri's form, pointed at me with her jaw trembling.
"Store Manager, there is. A person. A m-m-man, even? He's a man, right?!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"B-but he was definitely a man..."
Luna's face turned beet red. Was it because of the rotor talk? Or... no way.
"He's a man, right? A real man!"
Had Luna ever desperately confirmed someone's manhood like this? Never. Not once.
This confirmed it. She'd seen him.
"He's a man, right?!"
Her face was so red it couldn't get any redder—like a radish, no, redder than a strawberry, ready to burst at a poke.
"You must've seen wrong. Now go grab those condoms."
Minimize exposure. That was the best first aid I could manage.
Luna, flushed to her limit, let out—
"Hnggaaaah!!"
a weird scream and bolted out of the convenience store.
"Luna! Stop!"
I couldn't send her off like this. But no matter how hard I chased, the distance didn't close. Once I confirmed she'd dashed into the Moonlit Lake, I activated the signaler for the Madam.
Damn it. Time to chew her out.
"By the way, she didn't even take the condoms."
I'll drop them off and give the Madam a piece of my mind.
I'm crazy. I'm crazy.
I must be crazy.
Luna, who'd fled into the lake like she was escaping, clutched her burning face and shook her head wildly.
She'd come at this hour on purpose to tease Do-jin with the rotor he'd gifted her last time—as petty revenge(?). She'd subdued Robinson, who insisted on going himself to fetch the condoms, grabbed her killer joke(?), and barged into the store.
But of all times, someone else was there! A man, no less! And she'd blabbed loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear, oblivious.
Normally at this hour, Elena would've clocked out, leaving Do-jin alone. She'd figured even he—who stayed stone-faced through her usual dirty jokes—would blush at her ultimate zinger delivered at full volume.
So she'd thrown open the door without checking.
"Ah, so embarrassing."
Her face felt like it would explode.
Idiot.
She really was an idiot. Why had she yelled like that and brought disaster on herself? She should've checked if anyone was there.
But was it a customer? No, why would a customer be behind the counter? She'd confirmed the store was empty before entering.
Who hides in the counter? New employee? She hadn't heard about that.
Being busy running around as "Jane" meant she was out of the loop on recent news. Hopefully no weird rumors would spread.
Do-jin wouldn't react or gossip, even to her blatant jokes. That's why she'd let loose with him.
Other men were different. Men were lecherous by nature. If a woman dropped sexual innuendos like that, they'd label her a pervert or slut and come sniffing around.
That's why she'd only unleashed her killer(?) jokes on him.
But who was he?
In her panic to hide him, Do-jin had blocked her view—she hadn't seen the man's face. He probably hadn't seen hers either.
Wait, no. She'd said her stage name out loud.
"Ugh. Idiot."
Should she tell the Store Manager and ask him to cover for her? He'd do it if she asked. He was kind like that—acting gruff but taking care of everything.
The only one she could trust was the Store Manager.
But why did he hide him like that?
As her embarrassment faded and her mind cleared, her thoughts slowly turned.
Definitely a man. So why hide him? Someone she wasn't supposed to see? Why? Were they... involved?
Not someone sent by Crown Prince Astur. Her brain, short-circuited by the crude joke being overheard, spun wild new fantasies.
No way? The reason he never reacted to her dirty talk?
No, that can't be. No way.
But what if? He hadn't been that desperate often. He'd been way calmer lifting the forest curse. Same when she mentioned catching the vampire.
No way, no way, no way. For real?
A man. One he didn't want others to see. Alone together. Unfazed by a woman's sexual jokes, but panicked at being caught with a man.
"Oh my, oh my."
Luna's face flushed for a whole different reason. Her imagination was veering into strange territory.
"Catch Luna?"
I'd gone to the Madam to deliver the condoms and warn her about Luna's condition. For the first time in a while, I visited her room wearing the wolf mask. She seemed startled by my visit, greeting me without even hiding her pointed ears.
"Yes. Looks like she saw Dmitri. She might be charmed, so better to preempt any funny ideas with a spell."
The fox-masked Madam twitched her pointed ears as she faced me.
"Is that so? Hmm, that's strange."
"Strange?"
"When I saw her go, my eyes told me nothing would happen."
"Really?"
"Yes. I watched her head straight to your store."
"..."
If the Madam saw it that way, she was probably right. Unlike vague oracles, her eyes were precise.
"Did you use foresight on sending Luna?"
"It was a sudden accident."
"You could've warned me ahead."
"She'd just returned, and a warning wouldn't have changed anything."
The elegantly antique Madam sipped her tea, her lips curving faintly more than usual.
"The tea steeped well today. Care for some?"
"No, thank you."
What I needed now was peace of mind, not tea. I'd come here anxious she might bolt.
"If the Madam says it's fine, then it probably is."
"Hee-hee, did Luna's arrival rattle you?"
Unlike me, she smiled calmly and took another sip.
"Of course. My heart dropped."
Valuable talent had to be protected. Losing her over something stupid was a no-go.
"It's rare to see you this shaken, Store Manager."
"Is it? I thought it happened pretty often."
"At least, it's the first time you've burst into my room without knocking."
"Really?"
I hadn't realized.
"You treasure her."
"She's competent."
"I thought you disliked non-virgins."
"I just don't feel rational attraction, but I don't dislike them."
No way I'd dislike someone as great as Luna.
"You like the Madam too, don't you?"
"Hee-hee, true enough."
She fell silent for a moment, gazing at me. What was she about to say?
She sighed heavily.
"Something wrong?"
"Heard about the oracle?"
Ah. The one the Pope gave me. She knew too?
"Yes, the oracle about the Demon King and Hero appearing. You heard it too?"
"Yes. They asked me to use my foresight. What their descent would bring to this world."
"Did you see?"
Her orange fox mask shook side to side.
"It would shatter my sense of self."
"That bad?"
"Their arrival might reshape the continent's balance."
"..."
The current continent's order centered on the Empire. Surrounding kingdoms existed, but none rivaled its prestige. But with variables like a Demon King and Hero...
The Empire-centric balance might shift.
"I see."
"Not something for you to worry about, Store Manager. We're just a brothel owner and convenience store manager."
"True. Just focus on selling goods."
Why did her eyes look so sad as she watched me?
"Store Manager."
"Yes."
"If the Hero came from the same world as you, what would you do?"
"...Pardon?"
In other words...
"The Hero's another transmigrator like me?"
The Madam didn't deny it.
This was a headache.