âTell it, then. All of it.â Park Noah dared, gritting her teeth, and then let go of the collar of Adrianâs shirt.
Adrian caught her arm and whined, âHey, Iâve been cleaning up all for you these past few days, and youâre repaying my generosity by being so mean? I donât even want much. Just once a week. You donât like that either?â
ââ¦..â
âLetâs meet and do something fun. Letâs just accompany each other in the name of bringing back memories.â
ââ¦..â
âWhy do you look at me as such a filthy fellow? Iâm trying to offer a win-win negotiation. I see that dragon up close, and you learn from me how to control its mana.â
Adrianâs babble was the most amusing to Park Noah. Unable to quench her interest, albeit suspicious, she asked. âDo you really need to? Why do you like Mu so much?â
âAll wizards fear dragons. Itâs a dragon that came back to the world after five hundred years of disappearance. How could I not be interested in such creature as the Minister of the Magic Department in Laurent?â He grinned, placing a soft pat on Park Noahâs cheek.
âWhat do you say, a second deal?â He stretched his arm outward.
At the corner, Kyle Leonard stood with his arms folded, observing their âsecretâ exchange. Park Noah glanced over her shoulder briefly and then muttered.
ââ¦Iâll think about it. So keep your mouth shut for now.â
âWell, according to your orders.â
Although there was no explicit confirmation, Adrianâs eyes gleamed in triumph while the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smirk as if he had won what he wanted.
âIf my face and name appear on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow, it will be all your fault. Youâll never see a dragonâs tail, let alone a dragon. Do you understand?â Park Noah threatened, narrowing her eyes at him.
âMy Ellie has a pretty threatening face, too. All right, I promise.â Adrian raised Park Noahâs right hand and pressed his lips softly against the back of her palm. Then, he let go of her before she could snatch her arm back, and bid his farewell.
âIâll see you at Tezeba, then, Eleonora. Oh, donât stare so fiercely. Sir Leonard, I can return to Lunazel now.â
âPlease return as fast as you can. Thereâll be a car waiting outside.â Kyle Leonard replied formally.
Park Noah breathed a sigh of relief. However, it could only last so long.
ââ¦Then, Miss Noah. Let me see.â
âYes, yesâ¦â
Shortly after Adrian left, the cold-hearted investigator changed his attitude and began to pour an earful of lecture.
âNo matter how disconnected she has been from the world, Miss Noah hadnât even looked at the newspaper in the last two years? The faces of the ministers of each department appear on the front page of the newspaper every day. Havenât you seen his face? Are you uncivilized?â
ââ¦Do you know I feel like a piece of crap when I talk to you?â
âWhat if anything happened to you? I just wanted you to get to Battuanu without a fuss, but⦠Usually, you donât like to lift a finger, but why do you have so many events going on?â
If I stay still, I will get this nagging for a month, Park Noah thought. She quickly frowned and touched her forehead. âOh, my headâ¦â
âThat doesnât work anymore.â
âIâve been feeling chilly since morning. I just want the butler to take care of me.â
ââ¦..â
âI was really sick. Donât you feel a fever?â She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her cheek and the back of her ear. It was the investigatorâs usual way to check her temperature.
Kyle Leonard paused for a moment and not long after, exhaled a sigh. He then held the back of her neck firmly with one hand, feeling the heat. âHave you been to the hospital?â
âYes, Iâve got the medicine, but itâs not working.â
âHand.â
âHand!â Park Noah repeated, stretching her arm.
Kyle Leonard grabbed her wrist and checked the flow of mana. Park Noah, too, could feel her irregular pulse.
âYou used Muâs magic. What happened to the Ministerâ¦â Kyle Leonard narrowed his eyes, looking directly at Park Noah.
âOh, I couldnât help it! If I didnât borrow Muâs power, I was going to be assassinated. Then I was trapped in the bedroom, so I was forced to get help from Mu because I tried to subdue him. Thatâs all.â
âIf you didnât know it was the Minister, who the hell did you think it was?â
âI donât know, but he was my sleeping partner.â