Hush Now, Saintess! - Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Translator: Yonnee
—
To be honest, it was an impossible task.
Carving a statue alone would take more time.
But for Hamelle, it was possible.
—Can I also make something like a fountain? Of course, I can! I am quite a capable mage.
With her saying that, there was no doubt she was a talent I absolutely had to bring on board.
Though, her slight obsession with beauty was a flaw…
‘I don’t know. It’s said that every genius has a screw loose.’
I decided not to think about it too deeply.
* * *
—I’ll sign the contract. I want to build a fountain here.
Before parting with Roella, Hildeon had succeeded in securing her approval.
However, strangely, he wasn’t feeling too pleased.
—I’ve been through a lot. I really dislike criminals, especially swindlers.
—I think those who deceive others are the worst. You think so too, right?
Perhaps it was because of hearing such words, but a strong sense of guilt about deceiving Roella washed over him.
‘She is someone who stands at the forefront of imperial security for those who have been victimized…’
Hadn’t she smiled genuinely, happier than anyone else when he told her he would investigate?
Testing such a person’s nature… He almost felt like a criminal.
Should he confess now?
“Are you considering whether to confess right now?”
Flinch.
Hildeon visibly flinched, accurately guessed by Hestin.
‘That figures.’
Hestin pushed up his glasses and shook his head.
“You really are soft-hearted in strange ways.”
“That’s not it.”
“You decided to see if the Saintess could be trusted and you’ve only met her twice. That’s hardly enough to weaken your resolve.”
“That’s not what it is.”
“It seems like it is, but fortunately, it’s not.”
Lost for words at Hestin’s pointed remarks, Hildeon didn’t know what to say.
Truthfully, Hestin was right.
Separate from his feelings of guilt, he needed to be firm.
If he half-heartedly trusted Roella, it could lead to a situation that hurts them both.
‘If rumors about the curse spread, she will be suspected.’
Or, she might really be spreading secrets around.
Assuming the worst-case scenario, having absolute trust in Roella was crucial.
Of course, whether she would trust him after he revealed the truth was another issue.
‘What is he thinking now?’
Seeing Hildeon frown silently, Hestin shook his head in disbelief.
It’s strange how he broods with such a scary face when others would be frightened by that.
Well, thinking with a smiling face might be scary in its own way.
Thinking of how sad Hildeon would be when he found out, Hestin spoke up.
“Besides, the Saintess has asked us to investigate an illegal loan business.”
“Yes. The place is called ‘Hambar Pawnshop’.”
“Hambar Pawnshop, huh? Seems like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
“Have you?”
“Yes. I think I saw it in a report submitted by the security forces. There have been several reports, but nothing has been uncovered.”
It certainly is suspicious.
At Hestin’s addition, Hildeon nodded and said,
“They probably hid their real ledgers and only prepared decoys to deceive us.”
“If that’s the case, then they must have hidden them well enough that even the investigators couldn’t find them…”
Muttering as if in deep thought, Hestin’s gaze drifted to his wrist.
The next moment, something seemed to dawn on him, and his expression turned grave.
“What is it? Did you find something?”
Hildeon, equally serious, asked.
“Well…”
What?
“We’ve already passed quitting time. It’s utterly despairing.”
“You really…”
“Truly speaking, I love leaving work on time.”
At his utterly serious words, Hildeon resigned himself.
“Alright. From now on, I’ll make sure you get overtime pay.”
“Thank you. But please try to wrap it up within an hour if possible. I’d rather leave than get paid.”
Pleased with his own response, Hestin pulled out a small notebook.
“For now, I’ll investigate the pawnshop side. How should we proceed with the investigation?”
“Let’s start by hearing the report.”
“Understood. Also, how about arranging a dinner appointment with the Saintess?”
“That wouldn’t be bad… Wait, what?”
Want to read more? Advanced chapters are available on Patreon! (for selected novels only)
≪ Discord ≫
≪ Novel Updates ≫
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
