"Eloise, let me escort you back. So calm down first and take this."
Gerard placed a fist-sized gem resembling an emerald into Eloise's hand.
A strange power emanated from the warm gem.
Eloise stared at it, entranced.
"You know what this is, right?"
"Rainbow Gem..."
The core that produced the Rainbow Hole had transformed into a gem upon its destruction.
These were naturally hard to obtain, and their prices soared to absurd heights depending on the Rainbow Hole's rank and size.
It wasn't just valuable because it was pretty and rare.
Each core, known as a Rainbow Gem, possessed unique abilities.
The Red Gem emitted a constant, year-round warmth, while the Green Gem granted flight for a limited time.
Research was still ongoing, but the academic consensus held that each color of gem hid even more abilities.
In any case, this was a Green Gem from a Green Hole—one classified as upper difficulty in攻略 level.
Its price was, of course, staggeringly high, far beyond what any ordinary civil servant could dream of.
Eloise stared blankly up at Gerard.
The ownership of such gems belonged to whoever made the greatest contribution to destroying the core.
As such, Gerard possessed more Rainbow Gems than anyone else on the continent.
He often distributed smaller ones to his Magic Tower subordinates or donated them for research.
But handing over a rare Green Gem so readily? Even for Gerard, that had to be no small feat.
"You're giving this to me? Why?"
Eloise asked blankly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"The Green Hole crisis was averted thanks to you. Everyone will find out about this, and what you've always wanted will come true."
It had been exactly one day since Gerard said those words.
He hadn't directly explained why he'd given her the Green Gem.
But she'd more or less interpreted it as acknowledgment of her massive contribution.
Work hours arrived right on schedule, as always.
As Eloise stepped out of her room, she glanced furtively under the bed.
Tucked away in a small pouch beneath it was the Green Gem Gerard had given her.
If she were the type to buy gold or jewelry, she might have owned a little safe or something.
But Eloise had zero interest in that sort of thing.
As a result, she had no proper place to hide something as precious and expensive as a Green Gem.
Moreover, she shared this dorm room with Merlin.
In a situation offering not even a speck of privacy, the least conspicuous spot was under the bed.
'Feels wrong stashing something so valuable in such a dingy place.'
She swallowed her unease and turned to leave.
"What're you staring at? Got some tasty candy hidden under there?"
Merlin had snuck up behind her and poked her in the small of the back.
"No! Nothing like that!"
Eloise yelped, startling upright.
Merlin's eyes went wide before she frowned.
"Eloise, you've been acting weird lately."
"Why? Do I... seem like I've gone back in time or something?"
Eloise's voice trembled faintly.
"What kinda nonsense is that? You keep jumping at shadows—your body's probably worn out. Why not hit up the infirmary?"
Eloise let out a low gasp.
"Oh, is that what you mean? I'm fine. Perfectly healthy. Besides, the infirmary's swamped just from healers treating other healers."
"True enough."
Healers endured schedules bordering on abuse and collapsed left and right, day after day.
Yet the infirmary was too small for the patient load, and there was a severe shortage of staff.
Rumors had it that working there was as grueling as being a bottom-rung civil servant, so applicants had been drying up lately.
"C'mon, let's hurry. You know the team leader's been standing at the door clocking our arrivals? I got chewed out yesterday for being twenty seconds late. Guy's hit peak hysteria lately. No clue what's eating him."
Merlin grumbled.
'I know exactly why. It's because of me.'
The team leader monitored their attendance as closely as Eloise monitored his.
She'd once caught him stepping out for smokes every hour or so and left a note on his desk.
[Total one hour away from your desk.]
It wasn't meant as any real reprimand—just a subtle reminder that someone was watching.
'His shocked face when he read it was hilarious.'
His smoke breaks had decreased afterward, which was a positive change.
But there had been a side effect: stricter oversight of his subordinates' attendance.
"If attendance checks were an Olympic sport, he'd win employee of the year."
Eloise and Merlin giggled as they headed to the office.
She hoped today would pass without incident—an ordinary day, nothing more.
But had she just jinxed it?
The office entrance, which should have been dim, was lit up so brightly it hurt the eyes.
It wasn't the lights—they were off. It was because people one rarely saw in person had gathered there.
Eloise came to an abrupt halt.
"Did... we move offices?"
Merlin asked blankly, staring at the group.
Eloise glanced at the sign on the wall.
[Support Team]
It was written there in bold, perfectly straight letters.
The office hadn't moved. These people had come looking for someone.
At that moment, one man stood out even among the luminaries—Gerard, radiating brilliance. He turned his head.
Spotting Eloise, he flashed a bright smile and strode toward her.
"You're finally here, Eloise."
Eloise's eyes widened. She rose on tiptoe and whispered behind her hand.
"You were... waiting for me? Is it about the Green Gem? Is the Papacy trying to smooth things over? Or the imperial family?"
Her misunderstanding was understandable.
The figures blocking the office entrance were, in order: Vice Pope Cervan Bandes, with his flowing silver hair.
Crown Prince Noah Norvark, boasting his golden locks.
Vice Director Morgana Raven of the Magic Management Bureau, with her sharp features and red bobbed hair.
And finally, a woman with long, sparkling silver waves cascading down her back.
She was none other than Natalija Duna, the A-Rank Healer with the highest healing power in the Magic Management Bureau.
Natalija was a healer under the close watch of both the Disaster Response Headquarters and the bureau.
And that was because she was the daughter of Duke Duna.
Eloise swallowed hard.
'All the big shots from Disaster Response HQ are here.'
She'd known she'd have to face them someday, but not this soon.
The time she'd hoped for was after she'd proudly advanced and could at least stand on their level—not as a lowly civil servant not even worthy of scraping their boot soles.
Besides, the looks and expressions they directed at Eloise weren't exactly friendly.
Eloise quietly slipped into Gerard's shadow.
The corner of Gerard's mouth twitched faintly.
"Eloise, let's talk inside for a moment. I know how seriously you take your work hours. That's precisely why we've come all the way down here."
Eloise's lips parted slightly.
In other words, Gerard was saying he couldn't just summon her whenever, so he'd personally brought these dignitaries down to the basement...
'Forget work hours—shouldn't I be the one going up there?'
She desperately wanted to shout it, but held her tongue.
"May I at least know what this is about?"
Eloise whispered just loud enough for Gerard to hear.
But her voice was too soft, and he didn't catch it. He leaned down.
"Could you say that again, Eloise?"
The sudden closeness, the intensified scent of him—Eloise swallowed.
Gerard, reunited in her second life, acted like personal space was a foreign concept.
"Wait, don't come any closer. It's better if you stay there and we talk."
"Eloise, healing is only necessary on the days I need it. Do we really need to meet on days when that's not the case? I'd prefer we avoid unnecessary contact."
In the past, when Eloise took one step forward, Gerard retreated two.
In her previous life, he'd pushed her away so hard it felt like he might shove her off a cliff.
The Gerard she knew had always been polite, kind—even eager to help when she was in a bind.
But he'd never been affectionate.
His kindness had always been payment for her healing.
Yet now, this man had changed.
What was the price for the kindness and warmth he lavished on the current Eloise, who had given him nothing?
"Lord Gerard, how much longer must we wait?"
Eloise's shoulders jerked at the sharp voice.
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