That’s Not What Kissing Means! - Chapter 114

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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That’s not what kissing means!
Episode 114

Jayden felt like he was losing his mind lately.
It was because of Julian’s meddling that I found myself drowning in chaos day after day.
The escort mission I thought would end in a day crumbled to pieces with a single word from Julian.

‘Advisor Jayden, I have some questions. I think we should hold a meeting tonight.’
‘Ah, no! You must be tired. Please go to the Duke’s Mansion right away….’
‘I shall stay at your residence. Surely you have one spare room.’

Julian naturally settled into Jayden’s quarters and remained in his office well into the night.
Jayden found himself in a precarious situation—he had no opportunity to contact Lionel Priest in the Holy Kingdom.
‘Still, I did inform them of the location where the God of Death would appear. Surely they’ll handle the rest on their own?’
It was fortunate that I had sent the letter before encountering this calamity called Julian.
Between Lionel and myself stood a merchant from Oben Territory. He had gladly accepted a substantial sum to serve as our intermediary.
“What occupies your thoughts so deeply?”
At the sharp voice, Jayden snapped back to attention. Across the table sat Julian, staring at him as if ready to devour him whole.
“Ah, well… I’m simply a bit tired.”
The hasty excuse tumbled from his lips, but the moment he spoke, exhaustion crashed over him.
It was only natural—I had been tormented by Julian all day, and now I remained trapped even after leaving work.
Another meeting concerning the merchant guild dragged on. Jayden’s eyes began to flutter shut, growing heavier by the moment.
Thud!
Jayden’s head crashed against the table as he dozed off.
Ow…
When I lifted my head, I met a gaze full of contempt. I felt utterly pathetic.
Yet Jayden’s stamina had reached its limit. I desperately wanted to collapse onto my bed and sleep soundly.
Then Julian made a suggestion.
“Would you like to rest for a while?”
“Y… yes?”
Jayden was taken aback by the sweet offer. I glanced around my office.
All the letters exchanged with Lionel had been burned, and the contact with Oben Territory….
It would surely be recorded as merely one of countless transactions.
“W-well then, I’ll just close my eyes for a moment.”
Fearing Julian might change his mind, Jayden quickly left the office. I yearned for my soft bed.
Once the door closed, Julian waited quietly until the sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
Then he rose from his seat and locked the door from within.
Jayden’s bookshelf displayed ledgers of all their past transactions, arranged by year.
Julian retrieved the most recent record and examined it meticulously.
He tilted his head at the sight of imported goods that weren’t particularly necessary for the Estate. Such supplies rarely made their way to Ashford Estate.
Moreover….
‘Most of these items come from Oben Territory.’
Nearly all the unnecessary imports were trades with Oben.
Julian had keen instincts. His intuition was telling him something significant.
The records from the previous year and before showed the same pattern. The reason Julian hadn’t noticed was because trade with Oben occurred only sporadically.
But recently, the frequency had increased. It coincided with the period when the fires occurred.
‘Oben Territory….’
It was a place where horticulture flourished, particularly flower farming. It had even produced exceptional horticulturists.
Julian neatly reorganized the ledgers. Then he headed toward Ashford Castle.

* * *

Before dawn broke, beneath the pale blue morning sky, Theo and Evelyn walked along the path.
Their destination was the forest located to the east of the Estate.
The forest belonging to the Technicians’ Village was fresh with the scent of grass kissed by morning dew.
“Julian came to see me a few hours ago.”
Theo spoke to her.
He said that Jayden had been meeting far too frequently with a merchant from Oben.
“Each time, the imports were trivial things—fertilizers to enrich the soil, perfumes made from flowers. And they were rarely distributed to the Estate’s residents.”
“That does seem suspicious.”
“I’m planning to investigate that direction. Besides, since there are many horticulturists there, they apparently develop many new varieties.”
“Varieties, you say….”
Evelyn’s eyes brightened.
“You mean flowers?”
If Oben Territory was deeply connected to the Envoy….
Perhaps we could find the source of the Saron Flower more quickly.
“I’ve already assigned someone to watch Jayden. When the merchant from Oben arrives, we’ll dig deeper.”
After walking through the forest for a while, Helena and Donovan came to meet them.
“Have you been waiting long?” Evelyn asked.
Helena shook her head.
“No, we just arrived as well. Would you like to see the magical artifact that Donovan developed?”
Donovan pulled out a long rod wrapped in cloth. As he removed the fabric, the form of an ink pen was revealed—though far thicker and longer than an ordinary one.
“It’s a magical artifact designed to engrave the magical circles that Helena developed. It’s so powerful that it can carve patterns into metal and stone.”
He continued his explanation, saying that it required mana to be injected to operate. This was why Theo was needed.
“The magnitude of mana and the power of the engraving are proportional.”
“I see.”
Theo reached out and infused mana into the magical artifact. The artifact blazed with brilliant light as it received the potent energy.
Helena pointed to the vines beside them.
“At first, I considered carving it into a metal box, but I feared it would be discovered immediately.”
As the vines were swept away, a massive rock revealed itself. Its surface was flat and large enough to accommodate two grown men embracing with room to spare.
Once Theo gave his approval, Donovan immediately began his work.
Holding the magical artifact in both hands, he carved the magic circle that Helena had created into the stone.
With vibrations resonating through the air, deep patterns formed across the solid rock. The mana Theo had infused flowed into every carved groove, amplifying the magic circle’s power.
The completed magic circle was flawless. Evelyn marveled greatly at Donovan’s craftsmanship.
Once the vines were draped back over the rock, it appeared exactly as it had before.
“Still, I’m a bit uneasy about this.”
Evelyn surveyed the surroundings, thinking she might find more leaves to conceal the rock further.
“Then let’s hide it completely.”
“How?”
Theo’s expression suggested the concern was trivial. He immediately began pushing the rock toward the dense undergrowth.
Crunch—
The rock sank deep into the brush under his strength. Not a trace remained in the verdant expanse.
When Theo grasped the thick vines with one hand and pulled them forward, even the excavated ground was concealed.
….
Evelyn stared at him in stunned silence.
Just as at the Bell Tower, she could not even begin to fathom the extent of Theo’s strength.
“Now we go to the Northern Cemetery.”
“Yes, understood.”
Theo moved forward, mentioning that they would place magic circles at all the locations they had spread rumors about, just to be safe.
Donovan followed without surprise.
“Evelyn.”
Theo called to Evelyn, who stood motionless.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
At his concerned expression, Evelyn waved her hand dismissively.
“No, I was just a bit startled….”
“You must have been amazed by Donovan’s skill.”
Theo attributed her shock entirely to the magical artifact’s craftsmanship.
“That’s not quite it….”
In that moment, Evelyn’s eyes met Donovan’s.
Donovan’s lips curved into a soft smile. He appeared thoroughly satisfied.
“Yes, Donovan is always remarkable, no matter how many times I see him…!”
Evelyn clapped her hands and exclaimed.
Let’s just move past this. What’s done is done….
In the north of the Estate stood the tombstones of successive heads of the Ashford Family.
Theo spoke to Donovan, who followed behind him.
“Replace the Gate keeper.”
Donovan’s expression hardened at that.
“Has the administrator done something wrong?”
“Not necessarily. But there’s a strong possibility that Lionel’s spy and he coordinated their stories.”
Theo added that he intended to monitor not just the Gate, but every pathway through which outsiders could enter.
“I look forward to the day Lionel comes looking for us.”
Evelyn echoed his sentiment.
“He will experience the exact same suffering he inflicted upon others.”

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