Sharp mockery hidden behind a polite veneer.
Thick veins bulged and twitched on the back of Damian’s hand. I moved to pull my hand away quickly, but I was already too late.
As Damian’s rising anger flowed into his grip, a crushing pain shot through my wrist. I couldn't exactly scream my head off at a time like this, so I clamped my mouth shut, but it was only a matter of time before it bruised. No, I was more worried that my bone might just snap right then and there.
However, there was something far scarier than my arm getting mangled.
The moment these two actually started a real fight, my arm wouldn't be the only thing lost, my entire inn would be gone.
“Shut your mouth, human.”
...Well, I'm already keeping it shut.
A low, animalistic growl, like a beast purring with rage, vibrated from Damian’s throat.
How can someone make a sound like that with a human face?
In that strange moment, I actually forgot the pain and stared at him. But that only lasted a second. Every time his glowing red eyes glared at Geoffrey, the grip on my wrist tightened.
Finally, my face contorted in pain. I bit my lip hard, but a pained groan leaked through my teeth.
It was a godsend that I had trimmed Damian’s claws just moments ago. If I hadn't, they would have been buried deep in my flesh by now, drawing blood.
As each minute passed like an hour, sweat poured off me. I gritted my teeth against the pain, but suddenly, a wave of sorrow hit me.
Neither of these guys, not a single one of them, actually cares about me.
If a brawl breaks out here, I’m the only one who’s going to worry about the inn being blown to bits. I felt like a fruit stand owner caught in the middle of a battle between a hero and a villain.
You know the trope. While they’re punching each other, the fruit rolls all over the ground, and the poor extra cries out, "Oh, my cabbages!" That was exactly my situation.
Wait, come to think of it, I am an extra, aren't I? Just as the sorrow started to peak and my eyes began to sting, Geoffrey glanced at me and gave a smooth nod.
“Fine. I don’t have much to say to your kind anyway.”
With that single sentence, the tension between the two men broke, and the atmosphere, which felt like it might explode the inn at any second, instantly settled.
Wait, how did the situation turn around so fast?
As I stood there blinking like an idiot, unable to process the shift, Geoffrey approached me quietly. Damian bared his teeth with every step Geoffrey took, but Geoffrey ignored the threat with ease. He stopped in front of me and held out his hand.
“Hand.”
“…Pardon?”
As I blinked stupidly, Geoffrey gave a gentle smile.
“Give it to me. You’re hurt.”
At those words, Damian looked down at my wrist. Seeing it swollen and red, a look of fluster crossed his face, and he recoiled his hand. I slowly rotated my aching wrist before offering it to Geoffrey.
Just as he had healed my burn before, Geoffrey wrapped his hand softly around mine, and a burst of white light erupted.
The pain gradually faded as the white light flickered out. Even though I’d seen this before, I still stared with my mouth agape at the sheer magic of it. Throughout the process, Geoffrey’s gaze remained fixed on my hand.
“You’re surprisingly compliant when held.”
“Uh… what?”
I ended up giving another stupid response. At this point, I wasn't sure if Geoffrey was talking without context or if my reading comprehension was just lagging. Seeing me standing there with my mouth half-open, Geoffrey’s lips curled into a mysterious smirk.
“I mean, I can only get a hold of your hand when you’re injured like this.”
It didn't take long to realize what he meant. I blinked a few times before giving an awkward nod.
Geoffrey brushed off my reaction and shrugged his shoulders. Then, completely ignoring Damian, he began his usual "lesson-that-isn't-quite-a-lesson."
Of course, the information he shared was exactly what I needed. It wasn't about aristocratic factions or trendy jewelry, I’m not a noble, and the only luxury I know is adding a few extra slices of boiled pork to a bowl of Gukbap. What use would I have for that?
The things Geoffrey taught me were much more subtle, yet vital. old Imperial superstitions, eating habits, proper greetings for guests, and even local customs that would be too embarrassing to ask anyone else about.
They sounded trivial, but not knowing them would make me look like an outsider. In Korea, it would be the equivalent of knowing whether or not to take your shoes off when entering someone’s house.
It’s that subtle territory where, if you mess up, people think, "Wow, that person has no manners." Just look at Damian, even he was watching from the side with a baffled expression. If I really didn't know these things, I would have looked like a total weirdo.
This was perhaps the most important survival skill in this world. I felt like I should be paying 1 gold for this lecture rather than for some useless magic circle. Even then, it wouldn't have been a waste.
As the lesson came to an end, I bowed my head.
“Thank you again for today.”
I meant it. Plus, today there were no unnecessary touches or subtle hints demanding payment. It was a clean trade, no burdensome gold involved, just ending with a smile. It was so pleasant that I actually felt like giving him something.
So, I stood up to go to the kitchen to grab a meal kit for him, but the silent Damian suddenly bolted upright. The sound of his chair legs scraping against the floor echoed sharply.
“Shion, why are you giving that human food?”
“Pardon?”
The look in his eyes was no joke. He looked ready to crush someone with his gaze alone. I thought it was murderous intent, but it was something more complicated.
And for some reason, that look felt familiar.
When was it? Back when I was working a sweet potato harvest part-time, and I got a job picking strawberries for the winter. I remembered the dog there and brought some treats, but I couldn't find him that day. Seeing a cat by the warehouse, I just gave the treats to the cat instead.
I was watching the cat eat happily when I felt a piercing gaze. I turned around to see the dog watching me from a distance. Ears drooping, eyes wide, looking exactly like a creature that had been betrayed.
Damian’s eyes looked exactly like that right now. A face tangled with betrayal, disappointment, and an incomprehensible sense of injustice.
...Wait, what is there to feel betrayed about? Is giving a bowl of food such a great sin?
I ended up scratching my head and answering, “Well, it’s because I’m grateful.”
“You didn't receive any money.”
Since he had watched my miserly tendencies from the front row ever since he was "Happy," Damian’s question came from a place of genuine curiosity.
Of course, I know. To me, the word "free" is the most alien word in the world. I gave Joel a bowl of food because I felt sorry for him when he snuck in, but this time it was out of gratitude. I’m a person with a conscience who believes in fair trade, you know?
I shrugged and hurried toward the kitchen. Naturally, Damian followed right on my heels.
“I didn't get money, but I got information instead.”
“Information?”
Damian looked at me with an incredulous expression, glanced over at the quietly seated Geoffrey, and asked back.
“How is the reason for the feud with the neighboring empire useful in any way?”
I could only offer an awkward laugh in response. See, among the stories Geoffrey told me was this. the reason why the Chevalier and Tarmo Empires became sworn enemies.
Apparently, hundreds of years ago at a banquet, the Tarmo Emperor’s wig blew off in the wind. Seeing this, the Chevalier Emperor reportedly laughed and said.
“Your crown is quite light, isn't it?”
With that one sentence, a battle of pride more persistent than any war began.
But isn't that the Tarmo side's fault? They should have secured the wig better. It sounds like he was just tossing out a witty remark to lighten the mood, but they've been fighting for centuries over a bruised ego?
That story is so famous that even now, people in the Empire say, "Close your mouth before your wig flies off," whenever someone is caught lying.
Seeing my awkward laugh, Damian’s nose twitched.
“And it didn't blow away in the wind, it was blown off by magic. By that mage's family, no less.”
Oh my god, I'm glad I heard that. Even the monster knew, and I was the only one in the dark.
I immediately revised my opinion of the Emperor, from a "witty guy" to just a total jerk. Mocking hair loss is a sin, a true sin.
Damian probably told me that to drive a wedge between us, but it actually made me more grateful to Geoffrey for teaching me such niche trivia.
After quickly grabbing a meal kit from the kitchen, I handed it to the departing Geoffrey. Damian watched from the side with a look that was either sulky or resentful, a gaze full of protest, but I ignored him.
In business, customer management is life. Keeping the VIP happy takes priority over a grumpy part-timer.
“Thank you! You just need to boil this right away.”
Geoffrey bowed his head slightly as he accepted the magic pouch (the meal kit). His fingertips lingered on the pouch strings, stroking them carefully. I expected him to give a quick greeting and turn away, but he looked like he had something to say, so I waited patiently.
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