Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 75

#75. Action (2)

2024.05.14.

About an hour later, Belladonna arrived at the Gaia Hotel, panting as she looked up at the weathered sign.

It took way longer than I thought…!

Whether it was because it had been a while since she’d been to Astanya or because her memory was failing her, she had gotten lost and wandered around quite a bit on her way from the Papal State.

Ah, I’m already tired. What if Fabion isn’t here?

Belladonna swallowed hard and approached the reception desk of the Gaia Hotel.

“Welcome.”

The old man standing at the reception desk said without taking his eyes off the ledger. He seemed to be the owner of the hotel.

Instead of answering, Belladonna handed him a piece of paper she had written in advance.

[I am looking for an elderly magician among the guests.]

The owner, who had been checking the paper she handed him, finally raised his head.

He stared at Belladonna, who had her face covered tightly with a robe, and then opened his mouth.

“Are you perhaps a magician as well?”

Uh… Uh-huh!

Belladonna nodded her head in confusion.

If I say no, he won’t let me in!

Perhaps intrigued by the word magician, the owner moved his upper body closer to her.

“An elderly magician… We have a wide variety of magicians staying at this hotel. And as you know, we ordinary people cannot easily judge the age of magicians. Some of them can change their appearance. Do you still seek an elderly magician?”

“……”

“Hmm… By the way, can you perhaps perform magic that can change your appearance? You look quite young at first glance, but are you showing me your true self right now?”

“……”

“Ah, seeing you, a magician with a robe pulled down low, reminds me of when I was in Suriat [a fictional location] a few years ago. I was twenty-eight years old at the time, and I got lost and met a magician in a forest…”

I’ve been caught wrong….

Belladonna, who had been standing still and listening to the owner, clenched her fist slightly.

The owner of the Gaia Hotel was said to be friendly to magicians, but this man was not only friendly to them but also a magician mania who loved magic itself.

And he’s so talkative…!

The owner soon began to chatter about the magician he met in Suriat and the magic he enjoyed.

“So, once I took his staff and…”

The owner’s story showed no sign of ending.

At this rate, the story won’t stop…!

Unable to bear it any longer, Belladonna reached out and slammed the note that read, ‘I am looking for an elderly magician among the guests,’ with her fist.

Surprised by her momentum, the owner finally shut his mouth.

“Ah, I’m sorry. My story went off on a tangent. I can’t help myself when it comes to magic stories… If not an elderly magician, I do know one who looks old. I’ll bring him down right away.”

As he left his seat, Belladonna let out a small breath.

I almost wasted my time, but I’m glad.

After a while, Fabion appeared behind the owner, who was coming down the creaking wooden stairs.

Belladonna, who had been sitting on a chair in the lobby waiting, was so happy to see him that she almost jumped up and took off her robe.

Fabion approached her with a puzzled look on his face.

“You were looking for me…”

Belladonna glanced around to avoid the owner’s gaze, then turned her body slightly and showed him her face by slightly removing her robe.

The wrinkles around Fabion’s eyes deepened as his pupils widened as he recognized her face.

“Oh, no, what brings you here?”

Feeling that things were going smoothly, Belladonna smiled slightly and pointed outside.

It’s a bit much here, shall we go out and talk?

Fabion, realizing her intention, quickly got up from his seat.

“L, let’s get out of here first.”

The owner, who had been subtly listening to their conversation at the reception, looked disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped.

They went to a nearby restaurant and took a seat in the most secluded location.

Belladonna, who had taken the innermost seat, took out a notebook she had hidden inside without taking off her robe.

“This is…”

She pointed to the paper she had attached to the notebook.

It was a note she had written in advance before coming here.

[I found it in the old chapel. But it’s written in a language I can’t read.]

Fabion, who had checked Belladonna’s note, quickly reached out and opened the old notebook. He quickly flipped through the pages and scanned them with his eyes before opening his mouth.

“These are ancient languages. It’s only natural that you can’t read them.”

Ancient languages…? Was the Saintess someone who could speak ancient languages?

“It seems she was worried about being discovered by others, so she wrote it in a language that no one uses anymore. But even for me, who has experience with various languages, I can’t immediately interpret this sentence, and I’ll have to look up a dictionary and translate it one by one.”

So, even though it will take some time, I can still check the contents?

Belladonna nodded her head, feeling proud of her small achievement.

She didn’t know what was written in the notebook right away, but she thought that it could be solved somehow because Fabion knew the way.

I guess I can find the remaining two clues in this way?

“I’ve been visiting the Papal State steadily, but… I haven’t been able to see you for the past few days because you’ve been busier. The confessional is said to be fully booked…”

That’s why I came to find you!

Fabion smiled and nodded as if he understood her feelings.

“You did well. You have shown wisdom and resourcefulness in providing this help, so I don’t have to worry.”

After that, they communicated through writing, discussing where Belladonna had found the old notebook, how she had found the three keys related to it, and how she had come to this place.

Fabion praised Belladonna’s resourcefulness and gave his own opinions on where the Saintess might have gone and where she might have hidden things inside the Papal State, continuing various conversations.

‘I should have asked you sooner!’

Belladonna recalled the futile efforts she had made over the past few days as she listened to Fabion’s more detailed advice than she had expected.

She was very disappointed, and Fabion comforted her.

“It’s not that there’s no gain at all. At least you know for sure that there is no evidence in the places you looked at in advance.”

Still….

Belladonna pouted her lips and leaned back in her chair.

Then, Belladonna, who had inadvertently checked the clock on the restaurant wall, was startled and straightened her upper body.

“……!”

Oh, already…? Half a day that I promised with Rosie was almost over.

I think I have to go back now…!

Fabion, who noticed that she didn’t have much time left, tidied up his seat and said.

“Ah, has the time already passed like this? Then, shall we go back now? Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine.”

Yes! Let’s not worry!

With Fabion’s support, Belladonna smiled slightly and got up from her seat.

As they got up one by one and left the restaurant entrance, Fabion turned to the left and said.

“I’ll go this way. If you go straight, you’ll find the library. You can probably find an ancient language dictionary there.”

Belladonna nodded to him and pointed to the opposite side. I’m this way!

The way to the Papal State was in the opposite direction from him.

“From now on, I will visit the Papal State every day. I will be wandering around the garden from after lunch until the Saintess’s schedule ends in the evening, so you can find me whenever you need me.”

That’s a relief… Belladonna smiled with a more reassured heart.

If she could see Fabion often, she could exchange the evidence she found much faster. Then the progress will be smooth!

“I’m sorry I can’t take you to the Papal State.”

Oh, no. Fabion should hurry up and interpret the ancient language here!

“Then, go carefully!”

Belladonna waved her hand at Fabion, who was bowing to her.

As he turned his body completely, Belladonna also turned her body to the opposite side.

Well, shall I go now?

It took an hour to get here, but now that I know the way, it will definitely take less time to go back.

I felt good because I was starting to see hope.

Belladonna took light steps with her legs, which had become heavy from walking longer than she had expected.

‘…Huh?’

At that time, a very familiar and longed-for figure caught her eye.

‘Just now…’

Belladonna, who was stunned for a moment in surprise, quickly turned her head in that direction.

She opened her eyes wide and looked around.

The huge figure that was walking past her and striding forward felt very familiar.

A much larger body than others, a thick upper body, dark skin tanned by the sun, and a large sword on his back….

‘Could it be… Escalion?’

As soon as she thought of his name in her head, her heart began to beat loudly.

Belladonna moved her legs as if possessed and approached the place where the man had disappeared.

‘Where is he? He was definitely here a moment ago…’

Belladonna hastened her steps, fixing her gaze on something as if she had lost something.

Is it really Escalion? If that’s true, what’s he doing in Astanya? He said he wouldn’t watch the anniversary event, so did he change his mind?

Could it be… Did he come to see me?

As she walked through the crowd, she had tens of thousands of thoughts in her head.

Some of them made her expect, and some of them frustrated her, but more than that, she wanted to find that man and check his face.

‘He definitely passed by here…!’

Just when she thought she had lost the man for good, the back of his head reappeared in the distance.

It was not difficult to recognize him because he was much taller than ordinary people.

Belladonna quickly moved her body and followed him.

Perhaps because the anniversary event was not far away, there were many people on the streets of Astanya.

She dug through the people who were pushing towards her and barely caught up with the large man and grabbed his arm.

‘Escalion!’

With her small hand strength, the man who was looking into the distance turned his head.