Chapter 34

Chapter 34

“A person-finding mission?”

“Since it’s connected to a kidnapping case, it will fall under criminal research, so there won’t be any issues.”

Rose was caught off guard by James’s proposal, expecting more interrogation but receiving none.

“And I will accompany you during the mission. That way, the solo action prohibition will be resolved.”

“Wait a minute, accompany me? What about your company work?”

“I didn’t make a company that would collapse just because I’m gone for a while.”

“James Dautryche himself being away for a long time won’t cause any trouble? What if something urgent comes up?”

James chuckled softly and answered Rose’s innocent question.

“Rose, Dautryche Company has branches and factories nationwide along with a private railway. The whole country is my office.”

That made Rose realize just how enormous Dautryche Company’s economic dominance was.

“So I just need to find the person?”

“Of course not.” He smiled slyly and continued.

“Do you forget the responsibility of spending the night with me? And the responsibility of imprinting the soulmate bond?”

Though the corners of his eyes curled and his lips twitched upward, Rose felt a chill run down her spine.

James leaned back loosely on the sofa, interlocking his fingers on the armrest with a smile.

“Shall we begin talking about that now?”

Rose couldn’t shake the feeling that an unfair deal was about to start.

The nib of the fountain pen glided smoothly across the paper, leaving blue ink in its wake.

[Signed, Rose Stellania Taylor]

One page, two pages, three pages.

Rose’s hand busily moved over the many places requiring her signature.

“What made me like this is definitely your fault, Rose.”

“You imprinted the bond, you broke my Umwelt, and because of that, I can see magic now.”

“If I don’t pour the endlessly generated magic into you, my life is in danger.”

James’s low voice echoed repeatedly in Rose’s ears as she signed, stabbing at her heart without mercy.

“Finding a person, researching the soulmate bond, investigating criminal groups—all three at once. Rose, you’re greedier than I expected.”

James checked the signed documents once more, reminding Rose of the disasters she had brought upon herself.

“Personally, I’m a bit disappointed about the marriage registration, but don’t forget to act as my official fiancée for one year.”

“Ha… yes.”

James, who had been flexible and given ground on other issues, seemed determined to push through the marriage registration.

When Rose stubbornly refused to marry no matter what, he compromised with official fiancée status, and if she still refused, he threatened to break other contracts and demand compensation.

In the end, Rose signed reluctantly, forced to ‘act as his official fiancée for one year.’

“That’s enough for today’s negotiation. Now, get some rest.”

Despite feeling swept away and signing documents she shouldn’t have, Rose knew there was no turning back.

‘Sigh… it’s all my karma, my punishment.’

Back in her room, she quickly peeled off her dusty, sweat-soaked clothes and filled the bathtub with hot water.

The sweet scent of rose-scented bath salts filled the lavish bathroom, tiled with imported stone, as the steam rose.

“I thought saving the world would be easy, but there’s no such thing as easy…”

Submerged in the hot water, Rose sighed deeply.

How did things get so twisted?

She remembered a scientific article she once read titled “The flutter of a butterfly’s wings causes a typhoon.”

Raising her right hand, she examined the ring on her index finger, a keepsake from her mother.

“Mom, am I making the right choices?”

She spoke to the lifeless ring, a memento blackened by time after her return to the past.

“I really don’t have confidence. Mom, Dad.”

From the moment Rose knew she had returned to the past and possessed the unique condition required to summon demons, she had made a decision to stop it.

If it was to save the world, she could fall in love again with someone else or live forever avoiding Mythosi, wandering as a spiritualist.

She didn’t know what life awaited her, but first, she had to prevent the demon summoning.

The most effective way had been for Rose to give up her virginity.

After much thought, she chose James, and as a result, he awakened as Revis, breaking his Umwelt.

Not only that, but he also bore the soulmate bond from their one night together…

“I have to take responsibility.”

Rose clenched her fists tightly.

Living as an artificial Revis with a broken Umwelt and leading a Logos life would be difficult.

The responsibility for making him like that was clearly hers.

“Responsibility.”

The word felt far more embarrassing than she expected, so she ducked her face down into the bathwater.

‘Who am I to talk about taking responsibility for the great James Dautryche, really!’

“The responsibility for spending the night with me. And the responsibility for imprinting the soulmate bond, have you forgotten?”

His voice, his subtle touch, and the magic flooding into her body reminded her of the deep kiss they shared earlier that day.

Exhaling as hard as she could, bubbles erupted wildly in the bathwater.

Only after releasing every last breath in her chest did she lift her face.

Dripping wet, her face was flushed red as if from the hot water.

Maybe her flushed face wasn’t because of the water’s temperature.

Splash! Splash!

Rose scrubbed her face roughly, trying to forget James’s touch.

That day, Rose stayed in the bathroom longer than usual.

A few days later. The western harbor of Linden.

Rose stood on the deck of a luxurious steamer, speechless as she looked down.

“It’s excessive, really excessive. A two-hour voyage doesn’t require such a huge boat.”

The gleaming hull bore the name of Dautryche Company stylishly emblazoned.

“James, you say this is your ship?”

“I also have a personal one, but this is company-owned.”

“You have a personal ship too… what don’t you have?”

“Hmm. I don’t really think about what I don’t have.”

The ease with which he said he didn’t know what he lacked was almost absurd.

“Ah. Nothing personal against other modes of transportation, but there’s no airborne transport faster than an airship. Not yet.”

“Airship?”

“The airship that departs Romberton daily at 2 p.m., owned by Dautryche Company.”

At this point, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say all the world’s wealth was concentrated in his hands.

“The only passengers are me, you, and the company staff. Feel free to relax.”

He offered one hand as if it were obvious.

Rose hesitated for a moment, then carefully took his hand.

From her fingertips, a faint, fragrant magic slowly seeped into her body.

“How is it now? Should I reduce it more?”

“No! It’s fine. It’s incredibly comfortable.”

James, experiencing magic for the first time, had surprisingly mastered its use in just a few days.

Being able to control the magic flow into Rose meant she no longer flinched at his touch like before.

James was pleased she no longer avoided him but felt a little disappointed to miss her adorable startled reactions.

The reason they were on a steamer instead of a train heading to Romberton was this:

Before the missing person search and criminal investigation, they were going to pick up the textbooks and tools Rose had abandoned at her family home to catch up on her magic practice.

Her family estate was on Hilsey Island in western Endor Kingdom, a sacred place for Mythosi and a legendary island in Logosi folklore.

“Rose, is something bothering you?”

James noticed her low spirits even though they were on the way to her childhood home.

“I’m worried because when this fancy ship arrives at the harbor, the whole town will hear the rumors.”

“Rumors?”

“If the runaway daughter of the Stellania Taylor family comes back, rumors will spread everywhere…”

“Rose, Hilsey Island is larger than Linden.”

“James, I told you yesterday and this morning. Hilsey Island is a Mythos island.”

Rose shook her head as if annoyed and continued.

“And like I said yesterday and this morning, I’m famous in Mythos society.”