Chapter 37
Whatever it is, looks like they're reconciling now?
Watching Daisy and Troy embrace so intensely left a nagging feeling in my heart.
Troy isn't some third-rate villainous side character—he must be Jelly's love rival. They're building such a poignant backstory over there, yet our Jelly shows no sense of crisis, just yawning from behind.
Whoa, even its fangs are showing. It wouldn't look this bored during the dullest drama. That guy's gonna regret this hard later—is he okay with that?
“It's fine. The kids will be safe. The Lady will find them.”
“That person will?”
And suddenly, all eyes turned to me.
“Yes. I promised.”
Daisy gazed at me desperately. I owed her a debt in my heart, had words to hear from her, and even without that, I couldn't just stand by with a clear conscience knowing the kids had vanished.
“That's a relief….”
Troy visibly relaxed. We've just met, so why trust me so much? Is it that? Like how your department's thug-like boss looks reliable when fighting other departments?
But anyway, I said I'd find them—how exactly?
The most suspicious Troy wasn't the culprit. The director, huh. I'd missed the detective story cliché. Well, Troy appearing too early for the villain anyway.
Don't forget this is a novel world. No need to overthink it.
‘Let's think carefully.’
Putting the current situation into rom-fantasy terms, this is the sub-couple's storyline, right? Daisy, traumatized by human trafficking, overcomes betrayal from the person she trusted—like an axe to the foot—and grows a step further.
Then the hint is this Summoning Circle? I'd wondered why it suddenly appeared here, but it fit plausibly.
In the original story, Daisy probably sought help from Jelly or Kanna instead of me. They'd come to assist, see this drawing, and realize the villainess Evangeline was behind it.
Kanna would've deduced it instantly, having seen the drawing when kidnapped by Donau.
Whoa. If I hadn't come to help Daisy, the villainess's infamy would've piled up more? The original story's coercive force is scary….
Anyway, since I never showed her the drawing, the director must've seen the one in the temple, just like the convent priest. Good thing it finally burned.
“Jelly, can you pick up the scent?”
“No. The air's heavy and dizzying—hard to even breathe.”
I felt something similar entering this room. Then it's obvious.
‘Wind spirit!’
The director summoned a wind spirit to erase the smells. If Jelly shone here, the incident would end too soon, so they nerfed it to block Jelly's abilities.
Thus, the culprit's inside!
Not among us, but in this building. There must be a secret passage somewhere.
If she'd taken the kids far away, no need to use a spirit to confuse scents.
And in this situation, the most suspicious is that wardrobe.
Secret doors are usually behind bookshelves or wardrobes. And just now, a rat jumped out from it. It wasn't exiting where it entered—it was scratching at the door. The rat clearly came through another passage into the wardrobe.
“Miss?”
I felt around the wardrobe's back wall thoroughly. No button or anything? Nothing after groping hard, so I pushed the door with force. Then the wardrobe wall tipped backward.
Do secret passages usually open this crudely? Anyone seeing would think I broke it.
“What is this….”
I knew it! Beyond the hole, stairs led underground. As expected in a novel—plugging in clichés makes things progress smoothly.
A gust blew from below. What's that foul smell? Sensitive-nosed Jelly pinched its nose roughly and muttered.
“Smells this bad—why didn't we notice?”
Probably the spirit blocking it. Wind spirits pull tricks like that sometimes.
“Are they down here?”
“Probably.”
I said that, but it was nearly certain. A hidden door appeared? Then 100% below.
“Secure the papers before we go down.”
Spirit and magic might clash, collapsing the building, or we might not retrieve them later—better secure evidence now.
At my words, Kanna unconsciously grabbed the document folder, hesitated, then handed it to Daisy. Probably wary of ruining another paper I entrusted like last time.
“Thank you….”
Daisy clutched the papers tightly, crumpling them. Nothing else needed? Looking around, Pudding jumped from my arms.
“Pudding? Not coming?”
Pudding nodded, baking bread over the Summoning Circle. Well, we've dragged the kid around too much.
“Then guard this place well.”
Run if dangerous. I stroked Pudding's chin and grabbed candles.
“Let's go down.”
We filed through the wardrobe.
“A basement like this underground….”
“First time for me too.”
The candle flames flickered. Pitch black with no light, so we descended the stairs carefully, gripping walls. Fortunately, not too deep. Just one floor difference?
“Faint soup smell.”
That recalled the cookware in the orphanage dining room. Not an offering for ghosts—cooked to feed kids down here. Eaten below, so only cooking traces left above.
Then the hungry murmurs came from below too? Basement not deep, so sounds could leak up easily.
“They're really here.”
“Should we split up to search?”
With kids confirmed, Daisy and Troy grew urgent.
“No.”
I understood, but absolutely not. Splitting means ambushed and hurt.
The director might use the spirit to attack. But we have a werewolf mage with full physical and magical prowess!
“No need. Jelly, you know the way from here, right?”
Not sure the principle, but Jelly's nose revived since opening the secret passage—can entrust guidance now.
“Scent's spread too wide to distinguish well, but I'll try.”
Jelly, grasping the gravity this time, nodded obediently without 'me again?' complaints and led.
“Bigger than expected. Half the orphanage building size.”
The basement was quite spacious and dark. Rare candles on walls, but so faint they'd snuff with one breath—useless.
“Here? Or there?”
Even Jelly seemed lost. It led to a bedroom with beds. Trinkets or toys scattered atop—Daisy teared up seeing them.
“The kids' things.”
Locked underground, lived here. Passed the bedroom again, following Jelly. Not far before it stopped.
Jelly peered inside, stopped. Arrived?
***
No pain came even after Yulma closed his eyes. Did Ranan succeed?
“Ugh….”
At the director's pained groan, Yulma cracked his eyes. But the sight was utterly unexpected.
The man she'd brought restrained her from behind like a hug. Her hand stopped midair, blocked. He'd gripped hard, drawing groans from her.
The director soon dropped her hand. Yulma quickly backed away; the blade clanged on the floor.
“Yulma… can I open my eyes now?”
“Absolutely not! Who told you? Never turn, plug ears quietly!”
Kids' patience at limit, Yulma yelled. They didn't hear the clang, right?
“Can't you let go?”
Director barked, but Melek didn't budge. Yulma was baffled. Why stay tied passively before if it could dominate now?
Anyway, if the man sided with kids, repressing director much easier.
Then Ranan avoids blood on hands… right, Ranan! Yulma checked him urgently. Ranan slumped exhausted, red on his held knife. Blood?
But director fine? Yulma soon spotted Melek's back in horror. Blood gushed from his waist.
Melek blocked director and took Ranan's strike instead.
That idiot, trembling after stabbing innocent—how planned to handle director.
Oblivious, only director raged at Melek. Why resist now after passive? Like protecting kids. Demon my ass!
“Merai. Please stop.”
Director froze momentarily. She'd heard that somewhere before. Long ago… about twenty years….
While director confused by déjà vu, Yulma judged quickly.
Door open. Man's full ally uncertain, but didn't matter. Good if ours; if hers, injured—won't chase kids.
This gap for director. Yulma eyed Ranan. Fortunately, Ranan snapped from panic. They counted.
Three seconds then. Three, twoo….
“Yulma, Ranan!”
Before final count, intruders burst in. No—saviors?
