Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 60

Vanessa lowered her gaze nervously to her toes, which curled inside her softly tanned leather shoes.

“I guess you found me quite trustworthy, saying things like that.”

“I just threw it out there, and it worked.”

“Vanessa.”

She wanted to scream at him to stop saying her name. When his low voice drew out her name, dragging it across the floor, it made her stomach churn, and she wanted to run away.

“Do you remember what I said?”

“Knowing secrets is dangerous?”

Gideon chuckled softly at her sharp reply.

“You’ve only been working here for a few days, and you’ve already figured this out. I should say you’re amazing, but I also feel sorry.”

“…Why do you feel sorry?”

“Because I can see that there will be more work.”

“….”

Vanessa stared sullenly out the window.

Even though all the magic stone lamps around the royal castle were lit, it wasn’t very dark, but the fact that it was night didn’t change.

*It’s like this even when there isn’t much work. What will happen when there is a lot of work?*

“You already knew everything before I told you, right…?”

“That’s true, but this part hasn’t been fully shared with the special forces yet. I’m glad to have someone else to work with.”

In other words, they were already short-handed because they were proceeding in secret, and thankfully, Vanessa had noticed the secret first.

When Vanessa only blinked, he chuckled.

“Let’s stop here today. I’ll contact the Minister of Magic.”

“…….”

Vanessa got up with a sulky expression at his words, which hinted they would do something more tomorrow.

*I don’t have to worry about the rent. If I work this much, they’ll give me more money, right? Teacher, I’m doing well on my own.*

But when Vanessa got up, Gideon rose with her. Vanessa stared blankly up at him.

“Are you leaving work?”

“Yes.”

Vanessa bowed to him and walked away as if running away.

However, he was very tall, so his legs were long, and Vanessa’s fast walk wasn’t very effective.

In the end, the two of them came out of the castle gates almost together.

In addition to the sound of Vanessa’s footsteps on the stone floor, Gideon’s footsteps also echoed calmly.

Vanessa couldn’t stand it and turned around.

“Valder Castle isn’t near here, is it? It’s right next to Friba Royal Castle.”

Gideon stared intently at Vanessa. There wasn’t a single thing about his gaze or voice that didn’t affect her.

She couldn’t stand the feelings that kept pushing in every time she tried to suppress them. It made her desire what she couldn’t have.

“Vanessa.”

*Stop calling me that!* Regardless of Vanessa’s inner turmoil, Gideon whispered softly.

“The night is too dark.”

“The night is always dark.”

Vanessa said sharply, and he smiled faintly.

It was strange. His gaze sometimes seemed as uneasy as Vanessa’s. This was probably just her imagination.

“I’ll just take you nearby. I know you’re avoiding me for some reason.”

Still, Gideon was better than her because he was trying to take responsibility for the connection they had.

“Still, I’m worried that it might be dangerous. Isn’t that enough?”

A sweet voice.

Vanessa couldn’t say anything. When she raised her eyes, he was still waiting for her permission.

It was amazing that such a powerful man, who had everything, didn’t act coercively.

Vanessa finally succumbed to her own desires. She wanted to walk the jewel-like streets of Fydom with him.

Her desire was so strong that she couldn’t refuse his offer, even knowing that all her efforts to get away from him would be in vain.

“…Okay. But let’s only go together for a little bit.”

As Vanessa started walking, Gideon, who had finally obtained permission, matched his pace with her. Occasionally, when she glanced up at him, a faint smile returned.

“Is it this way?”

“Yes. It’s a bit far, and the road isn’t very nice….”

“It’s okay. I have nothing else to do.”

“That doesn’t make sense. If a mere Ministry of Magic official has to work overtime like this, the Special Forces Commander wouldn’t have any time to rest. You also attend joint meetings, don’t you?”

“Um….”

Gideon trailed off.

No matter what Vanessa had in mind, her conversations with him were always pleasant. He was always a good listener.

He listened to everything she said and was interested in Vanessa’s trivial stories.

Vanessa unloaded all the depressing stories that were difficult to tell the teacher. She had a lot of stories piled up because she hadn’t been able to meet her friends lately.

“Is there always this much overtime?”

“Well, it varies from department to department, but the Ministry of Magic is always a busy place. And they don’t easily increase the number of people.”

“Why?”

“Minister Tellios is very strict. He’s famous for never bringing anyone in unless they meet his standards. So everyone is very interested in the new Ministry of Magic recruits.”

Gideon lightly winked, and Vanessa wrinkled her nose as if embarrassed.

“I must have made a good impression. Or I looked very desperate.”

As time went on, the conversation became more natural. But as they got further away from Friba Royal Castle, Gideon seemed to check his surroundings several times.

Vanessa somehow became more and more self-conscious. It was no match for Valder Castle.

It wasn’t completely out of the way, but it was still a place with many cheap accommodations, so the streets weren’t clean.

Eventually, Vanessa decided to stop walking together. She was worried that her place would look poor, which it was.

“Oh, um. You can just take me this far.”

At those words, Gideon carefully stopped walking. When she met his eyes, Vanessa scratched her cheek slightly.

“You must be uncomfortable letting me know where you live. I understand.”

“Well… there’s that, but I’m a little embarrassed. It feels like I’m taking the Duke to such a remote place.”

Gideon eventually nodded. Vanessa greeted him and walked forward, but she still felt him standing behind her.

He seemed to be watching her until she was out of sight.

Vanessa eventually turned around and walked backward while making eye contact. A smile formed on Gideon’s lips.

Vanessa laughed because she was amused by herself. She was trying to run away, but what was this?

The laughter of the two people facing each other on the dark, deserted street spread slightly, and Vanessa disappeared into the opposite alley.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

To the Teacher.

As the weather gradually cools, this small accommodation is becoming more livable. Fortunately, there are two windows. What I didn’t give up on was safety and sunlight.

Ah, you’re going to ask what I gave up on, right? I gave up on soundproofing.

The trees outside aren’t as impatient as the trees in the Bamberg Academy forest, so they’re still wearing green clothes. Originally, around this time, Seogoth would be full of red and yellow energy everywhere!

I wonder if the big tree by the lake is still there? The shade under that tree was really the best. I still miss it.

Teacher, I sent you a letter like that before.

I said that the only letters I could send as a student were about academics, so it probably wasn’t very interesting.

So, I wanted to write to you impressively about my work later when I got a job.

But now that I’ve experienced it, there doesn’t seem to be much to write impressively about. So, I feel like I’m going to complete a letter with the same feeling again.

Don’t say that I’m still attending the academy. I belong to the Royal Ministry of Magic!

Anyway, what I want to tell you is that I’m still stuck at my desk, touching paper until the ink smudges on my hands.

Somehow, His Majesty, the very great King of Friba, visited the graduation ceremony and said that he hoped we would ‘win in the new battle.’

That’s right. Graduation was nothing.

This is a worse battlefield because no one tells you what to do. You have to do your job on your own.

And I’ve newly realized that if you get involved in something that isn’t your job, you’ll get hurt.

I got involved in a fairly ‘ 걸쳐진 [overlapping]’ job while working. Thanks to that, I belong to the Ministry of Magic, but I’ve become like a contract worker for the Special Forces.

It’s difficult, but I have to do the work I’ve been assigned, so I can’t help it. I’m digging through past documents every day, looking for any traces.

I promise. From now on, if it seems like it’s not my job, I’ll become a mean official who passes it on to someone else first.

Mean? That’s how I’ve grown into a great adult.

Now, the compassionate Vanessa Rose has disappeared, and only the tired Vanessa Rose, who is trying to protect her own night, remains.

However, you, Teacher, will be able to find the impulsive, impatient, and slightly 허술한 [careless] Vanessa Rose among the past letters.

If you see that friend, please say hello. And tell her how to become great.

I hope that friend is satisfied, but it still seems lacking.

Tired and ruthless,

Vanessa Rose.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

For several weeks, Vanessa searched through the expulsion records of wizards whenever she had time.

She examined the reasons for the expulsion and compared them with the documents kept by the Special Forces to help deduce where the ‘Chimera-making organization’ was active or who they were approaching.

But the amount was so vast that from some point on, it was no longer investing spare time.

Vanessa’s seniors at the Ministry of Magic always took good care of her with a regretful attitude, but they were of no help in terms of work.

Minister of Magic Tellios shook his head and said firmly.

“You’ve gotten involved in the wrong thing.”

Vanessa plucked up the courage to speak to the Minister in a roundabout way.

“Shouldn’t you not be taking people from the original department?”

“That’s true, but the matter is so serious that I can’t help it. Well, it’s not like you’re slacking off on your work here.”

*I see. So, diligence is the problem!*

Vanessa had a great realization. *Teacher, the world is not easy.*

But Vanessa had lived with the strong life view that she had to do what she was assigned, so she could never just pass over the work carelessly. Lina, who used to strike a moderate balance, wasn’t here.

Of course, there were good things about this job.

She could occasionally meet Gideon and talk comfortably, and she had a few more evenings walking with him. Both of them often worked overtime.

When darkness fell, there was no need to be conscious of people’s eyes, so Vanessa joked and talked to him more comfortably. Gideon chuckled lowly and accepted it.

Her heart was pounding so hard that it was no longer surprising.

She gave up on forgetting him by not seeing him. Instead, she wanted to enjoy this feeling happily and hoped that it would eventually become dull and subside.

Then she would become a good friend with him again.

But she couldn’t dare to allow the Special Forces to pass on the work.

Not Gideon, but a Special Forces member she had never seen before!

“So?”

“…So.”

“Why am I doing this!”

When Vanessa shouted angrily, one of the Special Forces members subtly turned his head. When Vanessa gave him a strong look, he eventually took a step back.

“No, I thought it would be better if you checked it together.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s not my job! I’m not Special Forces.”

As Hisop watched Vanessa fire off words, he chuckled from the side. One of the Special Forces members who had tried to pass on the work sulkily left the room.

Vanessa was furious and used magic. It was magic that lowered the surrounding temperature very slightly. The cool energy cooled Vanessa’s flushed cheeks and nape.

Hisop, who had been laughing excitedly, stared at her intently and tilted his head.