"If you dare hurt those kids, I will kill you."
She said it in a deadly tone.
"Please, Eledva… I had no intention of doing any of that.
I just wanted to help my friend—because of the stolen crest seal."
I spoke honestly, then slowly removed my mask—hoping she'd trust me more by seeing my face.
She remained hostile.
Her sharp gaze locked onto mine, carefully studying my features.
As the mask dissolved into thin air, I took a deep breath and introduced myself in a calm voice.
"My name is Alex. I'm a warrior. I'm not part of any organization,"
I said, steady and clear.
After that, I noticed her expression soften just a little.
She wasn't completely convinced, but the tension in her shoulders eased.
Then I began to speak again—slowly and calmly—explaining everything.
Why I came to meet her, the situation with Amber, and the Dacre family's false accusation tied to the stolen crest seal.
As I spoke, I realized something.
Eledva was reasonable. She stayed silent, listening carefully, nodding occasionally as I explained everything in detail.
But then, she frowned, clearly puzzled, and asked:
"…How did you know I was the one who stole it?"
I looked her in the eyes.
At that moment, I couldn't tell her the truth about my regression and memories from the future.
So the only thing I could come up with… was a lie that wouldn't raise too much suspicion.
"I was told by the Dacre family," I said.
Eledva froze.
Her body stiffened, and just like that, the hostility returned to her expression.
"Then why did you lie to me? You must've been hired by them… to get rid of me!"
She snapped, confirming exactly what I feared.
Somehow, Eledva was different from the people I'd met before.
She was cautious—yes—but also more reasonable when it came to communication.
Still, this interaction caught me off guard.
"Please… I don't want any trouble," I said.
"Just tell me where the crest seal is. That's all I'm asking."
I pleaded with her, trying to avoid any more tension between us.
"Fine," she replied after a short pause.
"But you're coming with me. If you're lying or planning to stab me in the back…"
She trailed off, returning to her usual calm, collected self as she slid her blade back into its sheath.
"…I still don't trust you. Not one bit."
This was turning into more of a hassle than I expected.
If she had just told me straight away, I'd be out of her hair by now.
But no—because of the trust issue between us, she demanded more.
I had no choice but to agree.
"Okay… thanks,"
I replied calmly.
"We leave when the sun goes down. Meet me in front of the shop,"
she said, brushing her hair aside before returning to the room where the kids were eating.
Now what?
It was still noon.
What was I supposed to do in the meantime?
Just as Eledva reached for the door, a soft voice called from the other side.
"Sister Eledva, are you going to eat?"
The door opened, revealing a beastkin girl with soft cat ears.
She looked up at Eledva and asked gently.
"Ah… yes, I will. I just finished talking with the mister over there,"
Eledva replied.
In an instant, her demeanor shifted.
The cold, guarded assassin vanished—
Replaced by someone caring and gentle.
Someone who looked genuinely kind.
She crouched down slowly and patted the cat girl's head before taking her hand and leading her to the dining table.
Then, the cat girl glanced back—her eyes meeting mine.
My mask was gone. My face was still visible.
"Mister, why don't you join us?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Both Eledva and I froze.
I stared at the girl—her warm smile was innocent and sincere. She genuinely wanted me to join them.
I glanced at Eledva.
She gave me a deadly stare and mouthed something under her breath "Play along with her.".
"Ah… I was feeling hungry too. Thanks for the invitation,"
I said awkwardly, stepping forward to follow them.
"Mister, Eledva's cooking is the best!"
The cat girl beamed, turning forward again and gently holding Eledva's hand.
When we exited the room and returned to the dining table, most of the kids had already finished their meals.
Noah, too, was gone—probably back upstairs on the first floor.
I slowly took a seat in an empty chair beside a few children who were still eating.
"Wow! Where's your mask, mister?"
"Mister's face looks handsome!"
"Where are you from?"
"Mister, mister! How do you know Sister Eledva?"
The moment I sat down, the remaining kids bombarded me with questions—
All at once, from every direction.
I couldn't even get a word in.
They just kept asking, their eyes wide and beaming with excitement.
"Don't bother this mister!"
A soft voice chirped, cutting off the kids.
They all turned their heads toward the voice.
It was Eledva, returning with a tray of beef stew and some bread.
She walked over calmly and placed the tray gently in front of me.
But just as she did, one of the kids asked a question that made her freeze in place.
"Is Mister Sister Eledva's lover?"
The room went silent for a second.
Then the other kids looked back and forth between me and Eledva, before erupting into excited chatter.
"This is the first time someone came here!"
"Yeah! And he's handsome too!"
"No way!!"
"Sister Eledva never invites anyone unless it's someone she saved!"
I quickly spoke up, trying to gently clear up the misunderstanding.
"Ah… you guys got it all wrong. Sister Eledva and I don't have that kind of relationship. I'm just her colleague."
Eledva immediately chimed in.
"Yes, that's right. This mister just came here because he needed help, that's all."
Without any delay, I quickly devoured the beef stew and finished the bread.
The kids—and even Eledva—watched me in awe.
Once I was done, I stood up and gave my thanks to everyone, especially the cat girl, before leaving the basement and heading back to where Noah was.
"Oh, you're leaving?"
Noah noticed me as I returned.
I nodded, slipping my mask back on before turning to him.
"I'll be back in the evening. Thanks for your help."
He gave me a small nod in return.
With that, I left the shop and wandered around the slum.