Beast in the Woods, Deep in the Night - Chapter 32.2

Chapter 32.2

At about the same time, Decius, who was working in the main building of the Black Fang Guild, was confronted by an unexpected figure. It was Edgar, whom he was expecting to return in four days.

“Edgar, you’re back sooner than expected?”

“Because the work finished early.”

His answer was simple. Decius didn’t think his answer was a lie.

The man in front of him didn’t look tired at all. Even though he had defeated the secret laboratory of the Blue Hammer Guild, which was called one of the three great guilds in the Grand Duke’s territory, he was as fine as someone who had just gone for a walk.

He inherited the blood of a beast that could not lose whether it was an argument, a war, or a fight, so it was natural that the work he was leading would end sooner than expected.

‘I thought he’d be back about two days early, but he came back four days early.’

Decius thought that Edgar’s return before Isaac’s group was not unrelated to Christine.

Even more so because he saw her wearing Edgar’s coat.

He had read records that the men of Grand Duke Richard’s bloodline prevented other males from approaching the women they wanted to be their companion by allowing their body scent to permeate them before the imprint. Maybe Edgar instinctively lent his clothes to her with the same intention.

As it was a probable assumption, it was necessary to approach matters involving Christine carefully.

“Are you going to the west side hideout right away?”

“Yeah. Did anything in particular happen in the meantime?”

“There was one particular thing that happened with Miss Christine.”

Decius followed Edgar to the western side of the guild, taking a moment to catch his breath and report on what happened with Ein.

“Miss Christine was trapped in the study where the records from Richard’s laboratory were kept. There was a malfunction in the anti-theft device.”

“…”

“Thanks to the disturbance, I learned that the executive in charge of that place, Ein, was trying to secretly hoard chimeras’ tears, and that he had been in contact with the Blue Hammer Guild to sell information related to the chimeras.”

Edgar was once again intrigued by the story involving Christine. Was it a coincidence that the anti-theft device worked as soon as she entered that place?

It makes a little more sense to interpret that she also wanted to find out something and that she took advantage of the fact that Ein was doing something wrong.

“What was Christine’s reaction?”

“Her reaction? Hmm… She cried because she was scared. I think she thought that Ein suddenly locked her up in there.”

Even as he obediently answered the question, Decius couldn’t help but be surprised. He couldn’t believe that Edgar Richard was really showing interest in women.

“Where is she now?”

He immediately looked for her when he heard that she had even cried. Decius wondered if a romantic atmosphere was finally being added to his ordinary life.

‘Since ancient times, the most interesting romance has been someone else’s romance.’

As the person involved in the relationship was a man who had lived only for the family’s atonement for a long time, he had a great desire that things would go well.

Decius took the lead and led Edgar to Christine’s house, steadily leaking information he hadn’t asked for.

“I wonder if she’s in her house? She will be very happy to see you back early. Even on the day of the library incident, she only talked about you.”

Wasn’t she just thinking about knocking him down on the bed? She must have fully recovered both physically and mentally in the span of a few days, so she was probably waiting for the next opportunity.

“I guess she’ll be happy.”

“Right? She had been wondering all the time when you would be back. Maybe she’s crying, tired of waiting.”

Christine kept sobbing on the day of the library incident. Seeing her large, purple eyes, Decius unconsciously learned that she was a person who cried a lot.

“…”

Edgar was speechless as he looked at Decius, who was completely taken in by the ‘feeble woman in an unrequited love’ act despite knowing Christine’s true identity.

Decius was a smart man, but he didn’t have the unique insight and sensitivity of a chimera, so he seemed to be swayed by her emotions.

Thinking that, Edgar walked over to the room where Christine’s voice was coming from and became speechless.

“Oh my, you…!”

“M-Mr. Edgar?”

“…”

For some reason, she was enjoying a friendly teatime with a group of young chimeras. The children all looked up at him with different hairstyles and blinked.

Edgar found it hard to believe that the chimera children, who were naturally sensitive and wary of humans, were showing intimacy with her.

What on earth had Christine done in those days when he wasn’t around?

“Was I right, Edgar? Miss Christine was waiting for you alone and feeling lonely… oh, I guess not.”

Decius closed his mouth like a clam, feeling embarrassed as if they had caught her having an affair. He felt a chill down his spine as Edgar’s eyes questioned where the woman who was waiting for him and shedding tears of loneliness was.

In a strange silence, Sonia took the courage and opened her mouth first.

“We-we’ll get out of your way!”

Sonia smiled at Christine; a smile filled with support for her unrequited love.

Decius had followed the children out of the building, so Christine was left alone with him in an instant.