Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Thinking about how she had come to Linden on a whim and failed miserably, Rose felt a surge of self-reproach.

“As a result,” the branch chief’s voice came, sounding as if he was scolding her for her impulsiveness. Rose squeezed her eyes shut.

“Although you are inexperienced, your situational judgment, decisiveness, and potential for growth are impressive enough that we’ve created and assigned you to a special position.”

“A special position? For me?”

“Controlling multiple elements without formulas is inherently difficult. Someone who can manage it in emergencies deserves a special role.”

“You think I’m that talented…?”

Rose, who had lived as a Neutral all her life and never managed to pull off a truly grand spell, couldn’t believe such praise. Seeing her stunned silence, the Chief smiled and finished.

“This special position means selecting criminals or criminal groups as research subjects and personally investigating them in the field.”

“So that means…”

“It’s a combination of desk work and fieldwork.”

At his words, life returned to Rose’s eyes.

“There are some conditions, though.”

He added as if to tether her soaring spirit back down.

“First, no acting alone. You must always be accompanied by at least one Golden Crow operative. Second, thorough investigation reports must be submitted. Every three months we’ll decide if you continue in this special role.”

But those conditions did little to dampen Rose’s excitement.

“Yes, yes! I’ll work hard!”

Nodding repeatedly, completely caught up in joy, Rose didn’t seem to register the restrictions at all. The Chief exchanged a glance with James, who simply shrugged.

When they returned to the Bellamont Hotel, Rose tried to rush straight to her room, but James blocked her path. His steady blue eyes held no room for excuses.

“I said we needed to talk when we got back.”

Rose swallowed hard. She’d done as she pleased until now, but she knew she’d reached her limit.

“…Here?”

She needed to brace herself and hoped to at least postpone the conversation.

“Let’s go to the lounge.”

He suggested, and Rose looked desperately for an excuse to stall, but found none in the hotel corridor.

“Um, I want to change out of these dusty clothes first…”

“It won’t take long. I won’t hold you.”

Even that weak excuse failed. There was no way out.

Eventually, Rose followed him to the lounge.

“Let’s start by dealing with the contract that was left unfinished.”

James brought up the job she’d abandoned after getting tangled in the serial murder case. On the table lay the half-finished contract from that day.

“You remember the terms. One year investigation, monthly expenses paid as stated, with an advance retainer.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“You agreed verbally but joined the Golden Crows before signing.”

“I’m sorry, James…”

“Lift your head. I didn’t call this meeting to assign blame.”

Technically, without a signature, there was no contract, and a verbal agreement carried no legal weight. But Rose wasn’t shameless enough to pretend she didn’t know how much James had gotten wrapped up in her problems.

“Still, I wanted to say thank you and apologize, even if it’s late.”

“For what?”

“…For many things.”

James remained silent, watching her face for a long moment. The ornate clock’s ticking seemed to add weight to her heart. Pressured to speak, Rose forced out words.

“You saved me multiple times despite the trouble it caused, let me stay at this fine hotel, and convinced my uncle to let me take the exam…”

“I wasn’t doing it out of kindness.”

James interrupted firmly.

“As I’ve said, I expect a lot from you. I invested in you because I intend to get something back.”

Not kindness, but investment—that was very James.

“And naturally, I expect a return greater than my investment.”

That threat sent a chill down Rose’s spine.

“What exactly do you expect in return?”

James tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest, then spoke.

“Three top priorities: finding that person, resolving the soulmate mark on my chest, and registering our marriage.”

Rose was frozen when she heard the last one.

“Mythos don’t marry Logosi!”

“I told you, I’m Revis, not Logos.”

“James, marriage is sacred. Listen. First, two people who love each other meet…”

“Rose, I understand your views on marriage, but a marriage can function well without love. You’ve already hugged me and kissed me without love.”

“Wait, that was—”

“If you hate the marriage registration that much, can you accept the other two requests?”

He leaned in, voice lowered.

“Above all, I know my current condition is because of you.”

His hand covered hers. The familiar tingling of his mana spreading from her hand throughout her body made her shiver.

“You carved the mark. You broke my umwelt. You’re why I can see mana now.”

His fingers brushed over her hand.

“And because of you, my body will die if I don’t release endless mana into you.”

Their fingers intertwined, and the hot mana flowing through their contact made Rose tremble.

James had never gone into a mana overflow seizure, but seeing her squirm, unable to meet his eyes, seemed to encourage him to corner her further.

“Ugh!”

Rose couldn’t help but moan softly as she pulled her legs in. The tingling that spread through her felt almost too much to be just mana.

If you’re going to drip it in so slowly, you might as well just flood me all at once—wait, what are you even thinking, Rose Taylor?

Her swirling thoughts broke as the sensation suddenly stopped—James withdrew his hand.

Rose clasped her own hands quickly, missing the warmth that had traveled from her hand deep inside her body.

“That night, you told me your first time had to be with ‘Jack Dillon.’”

“That’s…”

Rose struggled to find words. Back then, she’d needed to act fast and decisively to stop the world’s destruction, and he had been the best candidate.

“Why say that and then run? Because I’m James Dautryche, not Jack Dillon?”

She swallowed hard, scrambling for an excuse, but nothing came.

“If you can’t answer right away, I guess it’s true.”

His smile held a resigned sadness that stabbed at Rose’s conscience.

The truth was, I only needed to sleep with someone—that was the goal. You were the best choice.

That cold truth stuck in her throat, unspoken, because she’d realized too late she had used James like a tool, breaking him and then tossing him aside.

The guilt pressed down on her heart.

“I’ll find that person for you, even if I have to delay joining. I’ll find a way to erase the soulmate mark. The marriage registration…”

“Of course that’s necessary too.”

“James, that’s—”

“Let me finish. I have a proposal.”

He slid the contract toward her on the table.

“First proposal: take on my request as your first official mission.”