There’s Something Special About Her Chapter 33

I politely bowed to Dupon Clanshier.

“My name is Runelk Eins. It’s an honor to see you again.”

“Are you planning to keep in touch with an action squad member, Deacon?”

Dupon Clanshier didn’t respond to my greeting and instead looked at Deacon Gold.

Still, it wasn’t a situation where I could feel offended or disappointed.

To a low-ranking action squad member, an executive was truly like a living star.

Someone who was way up there, as high as the sky.

Deacon Gold was the unusual one for calling out to me first as I passed by, putting out the cigarette he had been smoking, and acting so happy to see me.

“Of course, Brother. Isn’t Rookie my benefactor?”

“Yeah.”

Dupon Clanshier gave a small laugh and left first.

“Keep getting along well.”

Before leaving, he lightly patted Deacon Gold on the head several times.

Deacon Gold watched Dupon Clanshier walk away with an affectionate look, then belatedly explained, seeming a little embarrassed.

“He’s been around since I was very young, so sometimes he treats me like a child like this.”

“I see.”

It was a rather pleasant scene to watch, but there wasn’t much sincerity in my smile.

Just before going up the stairs and entering through the main gate, Dupon Clanshier had glanced back at us, and the corners of his eyes had been slightly curved.

‘He actually enjoys watching other people get into awkward situations.’

It was a good thing I was quick to notice things.

An ordinary person would have been sweating quite a bit by now.

I guess the water downstream really does stay clear when the water upstream is clear.

Since he was Killian Knox’s subordinate, it seemed he had inherited his temperament too.

“Why don’t we go to my office and have some tea together?”

I nodded while hiding my displeasure.

“Call me if you need anything.”

The aide, who now naturally brought tea for Deacon Gold and me, politely bowed before leaving the room.

Unlike the tea in Deacon Gold’s cup, which gave off a sweet fruity scent, the tea in front of me was reddish-brown.

‘Did that guy give me something weird on purpose?’

I glared once at the door the aide had left through, then carefully brought the teacup to my lips.

Fortunately, it wasn’t bad.

It was black tea with a deep bitter aroma and a fresh, clean aftertaste.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Ah, yes. It’s good.”

“That’s a relief. I brought it in because I thought Rookie would like it.”

“Your aide seems to be good at making tea.”

“He should at least be good at something like that.”

Deacon Gold casually said something cold as ever and drank his tea.

But by now, I had to agree with his assessment to some extent.

His aide might not be very good at locking the doors properly, but at least he was good at making tea.

However, when Deacon Gold put down his cup again, I noticed that the rough shackle-shaped bracelet was still locked around his wrist.

As if he had noticed my gaze, Deacon Gold gave a bitter smile and said,

“That’s right. I’m still being subjected to the mana-blocking punishment.”

“You still look much better than last time.”

“I’ve been wearing this for so long that I’ve gotten used to it. Not being able to use mana is still inconvenient, though.”

“That’s a relief.”

I answered calmly, but I was quite surprised inside.

He had gotten used to the mana-blocking punishment?

It didn’t hurt anymore and was only inconvenient?

That made no sense.

The mana-blocking punishment wasn’t the kind of punishment you could simply get used to.

If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a severe punishment given to people who committed serious crimes.

Even so, the reason Deacon Gold had recovered so well was probably because he was a strong person.

I meant physically strong.

He seemed to be much tougher on the inside than he looked.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“The mana-overload drug Rookie told me about last time. As soon as I heard about it, I thought, ‘This must be it,’ and immediately went to report it.”

“If you reported it…”

“The Duke. So I thought my punishment would be much shorter.”

Deacon Gold tilted his head and ran his fingertip over the shackle.

“But instead, it got longer.”

“It didn’t get shorter?”

“You think it’s strange too, don’t you, Rookie?”

“Did you hear why?”

At my question, Deacon Gold answered with an uncertain expression.

“The Duke said, ‘It’s punishment for not properly locking the door.’”

“Oh, no.”

It was because of me.

Because I had sneaked into this office and looked at the secret documents, Deacon Gold’s mana-blocking punishment had been extended.

Once I thought about it that way, he suddenly looked different.

The face that had seemed perfectly fine just a moment ago suddenly looked a little pale, and he even seemed so fragile that he might collapse if someone gave him a light push.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Please, let me do something. Anything.

I asked desperately out of guilt, but Deacon Gold, who had no idea what was going on inside my head, suddenly burst out laughing.

Don’t laugh.

It makes me feel even guiltier, so please don’t laugh.

“Ahahaha! You really have a cute side, Rookie.”

“I don’t.”

I really don’t.

But at my firm answer, Deacon Gold was now even wiping tears from his eyes.

“Haha, something Rookie can do for me… Hmm, what would be good?”

He rubbed his smooth, spotless chin as he thought, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

“I’ve got it. Tell me what’s troubling you, Rookie.”

“What’s troubling me?”

What are you going to do with that?

Wouldn’t it be better to ask for money or a gift instead?

“If you need one of my weaknesses…”

“Pfft, that’s good too. But for now, I’m curious about what’s troubling you.”

“Hmm.”

It was a really difficult request.

What was troubling me?

Had I ever eaten and slept as well as I had been lately?

I couldn’t think of anything at all.

I was about to tell him to ask for something else when—

“I’m excited to give Rookie some advice about his troubles.”

Deacon Gold reached for his teacup with a smile, and the shackle on his wrist rattled.

‘Damn it!’

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of something I could make up, even if it had to be a lie.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a ‘trouble,’ but there was something that annoyed me because I couldn’t figure out what to do about it.

“It’s really nothing serious, but…”

“Yes?”

“There’s a superior I want to make a good impression on, but she isn’t the type to open her heart easily.”

Of course, I was talking about Gisela Lott.

How could I win over someone who was so uninterested in me that even calling her my supervisor felt meaningless?

“Hmm, I’d say that counts as something serious. I can see why you’d be worried.”

Deacon Gold became serious too and muttered,

“Is your superior the type who is easily swayed by flattery or bribes?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Then she’s actually more difficult… If she were the type who cared a lot about money, you could just slip her a gold bar. That would make things easy.”

“Exactly.”

I didn’t have a gold bar, but I still had the gold gift money left in a bag inside my wardrobe.

But if I tried to bribe Gisela Lott, it would definitely have the opposite effect.

“I think she’s just the type who has a high wall around herself rather than caring about material things.”

“Ah, yes. There are people like that.”

Deacon Gold clicked his tongue once at the end of his sentence.

“Those people are the most troublesome. If they don’t convince themselves first, they won’t listen no matter what someone beside them says.”

“Exactly! That kind of personality!”

Could he possibly know Gisela Lott?

When I opened my eyes wide with suspicion, Deacon Gold shrugged.

“Actually, I’m that kind of person.”

The smile he added was a little awkward.

“But there are advantages too. Once you let someone inside your wall, they become one of your people. I tend to become a reliable ally to them.”

“Then what should I do to get over that wall and get inside?”

“Hmm. If it were me, I’d start by building a new wall around Rookie.”

I felt like I could understand what he meant, but at the same time, I was completely confused.

As I kept tilting my head, Deacon Gold smiled gently and continued.

“If your superior really has a personality similar to mine, it won’t be easy to get over that wall. Unless she opens the gate herself.”

“But I don’t see any future for me in this situation.”

“You probably just need time. Everyone would want someone like Rookie on their side. Just don’t try too hard to do everything perfectly. What’s important is not doing the things your superior dislikes. Eventually, that’s the kind of person I come to trust.”

“…It’s already too late. I’ve already blown it.”