I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 62

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 62

 

Somehow, just hearing his voice made her feel a surge of emotion.

 

Looking at Gordon, who seemed flustered as if he hadn’t expected to meet Ponia in this place, she clenched her hands into fists.

 

‘So that’s why I wanted to punch him.’

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“It’s because of you, Baron.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m the forest keeper here.”

 

“…You?”

 

After a brief moment of confusion, the Baron quickly finished his calculations, and a gleam entered his eyes. Those same eyes he had when he came to the manor to explain his business to her father.

 

Eyes that calculated money.

 

“Why did you come all the way here, Baron?”

 

Ponia slowly looked him up and down.

 

“Someone who borrowed money from my father saying business was difficult, yet dressed so well.”

 

Whenever he came to the manor to receive investments, he always wore outdated clothing to appeal to her father’s sympathies, but now he was dressed in fine fabrics worthy of any noble, adorned with plenty of jewels.

 

“Me? I had some business to attend to…”

 

“You abandoned your business to come to this remote forest?”

 

Gordon was motivated by money. You could tell just by how he left without any regrets after extracting all of her father’s money.

 

‘But there’s nothing profitable in Mirban Forest.’

 

“What about the money?”

 

“What money are you talking about?”

 

“The 20,000 gold you took from my father.”

 

The Baron instinctively stepped back while looking at the hammer Ponia was holding.

 

When Gordon visited the Harbel Barony, there were two things he always checked in advance. One was the vacation schedule of the Harbel Family’s butler, and the other was Ponia’s whereabouts.

 

If he visited the manor when both of them were away, things would flow exactly as he wanted.

 

Conversely, on days when even one of them caught wind of his schemes and things went awry, he couldn’t leave peacefully.

 

“Wow, your business must have succeeded? Then, shall we get back the investment money first?”

 

Unlike her father, that family’s eldest daughter who thought terribly about money would somehow get back any money that was borrowed, just like now. She was more persistent than any loan shark he knew, and she bled her targets dry.

 

If it weren’t for Ponia, Gordon would have completely bankrupted the family three years ago in collaboration with the butler who had since been expelled.

 

‘This time I planned to make a big score and leave for somewhere far away!’

 

Of all things, this demon had to be here!

 

He began to suspect that she might have actually followed him all the way here.

 

“Of course I can give you the money. I can give it to you, but… I have companions with me right now. It’s difficult at the moment.”

 

Ponia didn’t miss Gordon trying to escape while glancing behind him. She blocked his path.

 

“Your companions seem to still be on their way, so you should finish our conversation before leaving, right? I also have circumstances that need to be coordinated with you, Baron.”

 

“…”

 

“Baron, I’m speaking calmly like this right now, but actually I’m having trouble controlling my emotions.”

 

“Po, Ponia.”

 

“So please, let’s have a good conversation that benefits us both.”

 

Watching her readjust her grip on the hammer, Gordon swallowed dryly.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Sionel and Chad had come out to look for Ponia, who still hadn’t returned.

 

“Did you confess?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Sionel answered curtly, and Chad looked at him.

 

He had thought the atmosphere between the two of them was somehow subtle.

 

“Nia seemed to want to keep it hidden.”

 

“Because she thinks you know us as cousins.”

 

“You have no intention of going along with that?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

He’s different from before.

 

The current Sionel showed no signs of hesitation.

 

Indeed, saying he liked Ponia in front of Sionel must have been the catalyst for him to realize his own feelings.

 

“Thanks to you.”

 

“…Are you deliberately saying that to make me regret it?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Chad laughed lightly.

 

“It seems like a somewhat selfish confession. Do you think confessing in the current situation will help Nia?”

 

“…”

 

“Nia standing next to Prince Devenham will become a weakness, and it’s obvious she’ll be attacked.”

 

It was meant to provoke Sionel, but it was also the truth.

 

There was no guarantee that the same situation wouldn’t repeat itself even if Duke Debenham’s son, who had lost all authority to his Uncle and gone missing, reappeared.

 

Even if he resolved it, Sionel’s position as the sole remaining heir would have to be built entirely by himself.

 

With his current circumstances, he could never protect Ponia.

 

“I’ve lost many things up until now. In the end, I couldn’t do anything.”

 

Sionel didn’t show any signs of displeasure or make his characteristic sarcastic remarks. He simply looked at Chad with sunken eyes.

 

“The mindset I’ve carried my whole life, the beliefs I’ve upheld. I’ll abandon them all to protect that girl. To save myself and protect that girl who became my reason for living, I’ll do anything.”

 

“….”

 

“Even if I have to throw myself away.”

 

Watching Sionel who didn’t change his expression at all, Chad laughed awkwardly.

 

“You acted like a gentle lamb in front of Nia.”

 

Without her presence, he quickly revealed his true nature.

 

‘He’s just some noble young master who poses no threat to me.’

 

Why was he feeling such a sense of defeat?

 

Chad also had the confidence to abandon everything he had to protect Ponia.

 

However, comparing himself who had nothing from the start with someone who had possessed everything, it seemed the scales were already tilted, and Chad felt anxious for the first time.

 

“Human footprints.”

 

Just as his grip unconsciously tightened on the saw, Sionel pointed downward.

 

“A man’s?”

 

They were adult male footprints.

 

There were three people currently in the Forest. Only Sionel and Chad were men.

 

Without needing to say more, both understood the situation and urgently looked around.

 

Rustle.

 

Then, without hesitation, both rushed into the Thicket where they heard movement, and were left speechless.

 

Ponia was not alone.

 

“Ah.”

 

Ponia, who had been crouching on the ground, slowly stood up and swept back her disheveled hair.

 

“You came?”

 

Realizing their gazes were fixed on Gordon collapsed at her feet, Ponia explained.

 

“He was being too noisy, so I tried to quiet him down and there was an accident.”

 

Though her explanation didn’t really explain anything.

 

Ponia hid the dark gray hammer stained with foreign matter behind her back.

 

Chad leaned close to Sionel’s ear and whispered.

 

“…Who’s protecting whom?”

 

* * *

 

“A businessman you know?”

 

After moving the unconscious Gordon to the Warehouse, they had a conversation.

 

“He’s Baron Gordon Rambo, famous for ruining businesses.”

 

“How do you know him?”

 

“This person took all my money too.”

 

“What?”

 

Ponia glanced at Sionel.

 

Wasn’t he already harboring suspicions about her identity?

 

With various incidents overlapping, things had been quiet for a while, but she didn’t know when he might suspect her again. It was also strange that he no longer seemed curious about her identity.

 

“So you knocked him out because you were angry?”

 

Chad looked at Gordon’s severely swollen neck, then looked at Ponia with sparkling eyes. It was the look of someone who had found talent.

 

How much could she tell them?

 

Ponia restrained her emotions as much as possible and stated only the facts.

 

“I became a forest keeper because of this person too. Of course I was angry.”

 

“You didn’t look like someone who’d fall for scams.”

 

Sionel said this while demanding more explanation with his eyes. Ponia turned her head to avoid the interrogation.

 

Meanwhile, Chad touched Gordon’s head and said.

 

“Should I kill him for you?”

 

“Yes. Yes?”

 

“The money won’t come back, but it might make you feel better.”

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

When she gave him a look, terrified, asking him to say something to Sionel, he nodded.

 

“You’re right, it would be better to get the money back first and then kill him.”

 

Was it really okay for both main characters from the original story to be out of their minds?

 

“Enough! We’ll quietly escort him out of the forest. And keep the monster’s existence a secret.”

 

She sighed at the two who looked disappointed, then suddenly remembered something.

 

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had companions?”

 

* * *

 

His companions, completely unaware that Gordon had been captured, were digging the ground under Ron’s guidance.

 

“Are you sure it’s here?”

 

“I’m certain! Can’t you dig any faster?”

 

The other men glanced at Ron, who was just shouting without doing any work. Ron shrank back for a moment.

 

Unlike their introduction as businessmen, these men had well-trained bodies like mercenaries and were covered in scars.

 

“Th-there are people guarding the treasure here. And when I came last time, that man with the strange glasses seemed to have seen me…”

 

“Are you talking about me?”

 

A chilling voice came from behind them.

 

“I quite like these glasses.”

 

Chad pushed up his glasses and waved his hand lightly.

 

“Hello, everyone.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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