episode_0416

The preparations for Lady Mona Hwang’s book donation event were swiftly underway, and the students who had participated in the suppression team were gradually returning to the academy after taking their breaks.

Since assuming the role of shopkeeper, Mr. Nae-ki was quick to point out the need to tidy up the path from the academy to our general store.

“It’s too dark along this route! Crimes happen in dark places. Since we’re near the academy, if we maintain the path well, our customers will find it much more convenient to visit.”

“But individuals can’t take care of path maintenance themselves.”

In this case, it was necessary to raise a suggestion to the city hall rather than tidy up the alleyways on our own.

Can individuals handle road maintenance?

As if waiting for it, Mr. Nae-ki remarked, “You should suggest it to the city hall!”

“To the city hall? Will they listen to suggestions there?”

“They’ll probably ignore it if I suggest it. But you’re different, being the boss.”

It seemed quite reasonable that if I made a suggestion, it wouldn’t be outright ignored by the city hall.

After all, am I not a noble with some influence?

“But even if you make a suggestion, it won’t be resolved immediately. Administrative processes like that usually take a lot of time. Don’t get your hopes up. It might not make much of a difference even if I do it.”

“Yes. Still, it’s important that the suggestion is made!”

These civil servants are unlikely to expedite the process.

If there’s no progress, I may have to casually suggest installing a few streetlights myself.

So, without much thought, I submitted the suggestion to the city hall. After a few days had passed…

“Wow! Boss, you’re amazing!”

“…Why did this get fixed so quickly?”

The suggested improvements were swiftly implemented, and renovation work began on the street in front of our store.

It seemed that as part of the effort, all dark alleys around the academy, which could potentially attract crime, were being renovated.

Once clean sidewalks were laid down, it was only natural that unsavory characters would think twice about lingering in the area.

“It seems like we got lucky, right?”

Surely, it couldn’t be because of my suggestion that the streets were turned upside down?

Perhaps the timing just happened to align with existing plans.

While attracting more customers due to the improved streets was a welcome outcome since hiring Mr. Nae-ki, it was primarily done with security in mind.

‘Could it be that all this chaos was caused by my suggestion?’

Feeling somewhat uneasy, I decided not to dwell on it further. Asking the city hall why they acted on my suggestion would be a crazy move.

※ ※ ※

“Is this the place?”

“It seems to be. There’s only one general store nearby.”

Two men wearing common hoods approached the general store, navigating around the disrupted road due to construction.

“Luckily, the door is open.”

“Oh!”

The two men entered the general store where business was being conducted.

“Hello.”

“Excuse us.”

“Welcome!”

As the customers entered, a woman who appeared to be an employee greeted them.

Her warm and melodious voice was soothing to the ears.

Trying to be as polite as possible, the two men felt a strange sensation in the woman’s voice.

It wasn’t that her voice was odd; rather, they recognized a similarity in her voice from somewhere.

Unconsciously, the two men scrutinized the face of the employee and soon became astonished.

“The Holy Maiden?”

“Huh? The Holy Maiden? Are you looking for an item called the Holy Maiden?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“We don’t have such an item. What should we do?”

The employee seemed a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze of the two men and hesitantly stepped back.

“Are you looking for something else…?”

They stared at the employee with a piercing gaze, as if ready to devour her.

“Are you a staff member here?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Why?”

“Excuse me?”

Two men’s strange questions made the employee wary.

“Um… It seems like you have something to say, but I’ll call the manager. Manager!”

The employee hurriedly ran away.

“Um, just a moment.”

Sensing a strange misunderstanding had occurred, one of the men urgently raised both hands and said, “We are not strange people!”

“What’s going on?”

Before the two could explain, the manager, who the employee had called, quickly appeared.

A man who could only be seen as someone with a large build and consistent physical training approached with a menacing air.

It was clear that they had been misunderstood as strange individuals.

“We truly mean no harm. We come from the sect!”

“The sect?”

At the mention of the sect, the manager, who had been approaching menacingly, stopped in his tracks.

“Yes! We are followers of the saint. We heard about the great favor we received from her here and wanted to meet her.”

“Saint?”

“Yes. Surely you must know the saint?”

Having a person resembling the saint working as an employee, it was impossible for the manager not to know her.

“You know her?”

Fortunately, as the manager reduced his menacing demeanor, the employee seemed less guarded and breathed a sigh of relief.

While others might not know, he couldn’t possibly pose a threat to her!

“Why have you come here?”

“We are following the saint’s footsteps to gain knowledge! We heard about the deep connection we formed here and wanted to meet her.”

In reality, it was necessary to meet this man to confirm if he was a suitable match for the saint.

But who could have known that someone resembling the saint would be working as an employee?

Thus, they were taken aback, unsure of how to treat the employee even now.

※ ※ ※

People who follow the saint.

They work hard to legitimize the cult as an official sect.

So, despite knowing they follow Fran like fanatics, they did not intervene.

To others, they may seem peculiar, but to Fran, they are beneficial.

However, there was something I hadn’t anticipated.

The fact that I had become Fran’s lover.

As followers of the saint, they would surely be curious about me being Fran’s lover.

‘What kind of person is he, is he mentally stable, does he have good interpersonal relationships.’

They would have investigated me in various ways out of curiosity and undoubtedly came here to evaluate me personally.

The problem was that the person I employed was Fran’s birth mother.

As followers of the saint, they could not have missed the resemblance between Né and Fran.

Even now, look at them.

I was at a loss on how to treat her.

“But who exactly is the employee?”

Né showed them the way to another building, as the second floor was my private space reserved for unfamiliar visitors.

The two tall men looked around awkwardly before returning to start a conversation.

However, their discussion was not about Fran but about Né’s identity.

“Is there a problem with my employee?”

I evaded the men’s question, reluctant to disclose something I had not yet told Fran to irrelevant third parties.

Wouldn’t it be odd to rush to Fran and tell her what happened today?

“She really resembles the saint!”

“While she seems a bit younger, could she possibly be related to the saint…?”

The two men made surprisingly sharp guesses.

“There are so many people who resemble each other; isn’t this speculation a bit excessive?”

“Is it really not true?”

“I have never heard my employee talk about a child. It could be rude to assume that everyone is connected by bloodlines.”

“What if the bloodlines match between the two of you? How much would the Saintess love that!”

It was obvious what they were thinking.

They would be excited at the thought of finding the birth mother for the abandoned child.

Of course, such behavior from them was unacceptable.

“Am I staying quiet because I don’t know about it?”

“It seems you are indeed suspicious of the relationship between the Saintess and your employee.”

“Please refrain from doing anything inappropriate.”

“It won’t be inappropriate; it will be for her benefit.”

“If the two were to reunite in a situation not yet ready, do you think you can handle it if things go awry?”

“Why would you think that…?”

“The two have been separated for a long time. Neither you nor I know the full story.”

To blindly arrange a meeting between the two in such circumstances and expect everything to go smoothly?

“Who do you think you are to meddle like this? I am also cautiously observing from a distance.”

“….”

“….”

The excitement of the two men, who had been eager at the thought of possibly helping the Saintess, quickly subsides.

“If you truly follow and respect Fran, then take what you saw here today to the grave. It’s for Fran’s sake. I have no intention of keeping the two apart. And I understand Fran better than you do.”

Warning the two men not to cause trouble as they clumsily start following along out of gratitude, he speaks in a low voice.

For now, they may keep quiet due to the impact of his words, but it wouldn’t be enough to silence them completely.

People were inherently selfish and moved for their own gain, as was natural.

“Honestly, this should be sufficient preparation.”

Soon, other children would start coming on vacation, so he would have to call Fran here.

But before that, it was necessary to meet Fran first and ask how she felt about her birth mother.

“At least if I prepare in advance, she won’t be too shocked when we meet.”

If it was Fran, she would quickly realize why I asked such a question.

No matter who I was, ultimately, the issues between the two would have to be resolved by themselves.