Cindy.
Woojin was the type to listen carefully to what people around him said. Perhaps he might realize something he hadn't noticed before.
But no matter how much he thought about it…
"…Cindy isn't that kind of person."
He considered the possibility for a moment, just in case, but it was nonsense. Woojin said this firmly and began walking further inside the mansion.
Arwen felt doubtful.
'It definitely seems like an item with personal intentions behind it.'
When dealing with someone else, people inevitably reveal their inner thoughts in various ways. Even a small glance or gesture can carry hidden meaning.
In the same sense, there is no such thing as a gift without a reason. An emblem that is only given to members of the family. Could someone really hand that over without any selfish desire?
While walking with suspicion…
The butler who had been guiding them through the mansion stopped in front of the office and knocked on the door.
"Master of the guild. Several guests have arrived."
"Come in."
A blunt voice came from beyond the door. The butler responded to the command and entered the office, and they followed behind him.
The room was filled with the faint aroma of tea. A girl who looked to be in her late teens was sitting at the desk, resting her chin on her hand.
She didn't look to be in good condition. The girl's complexion was pale. Her hair was disheveled, and dark shadows hung over her face. Her eyes had no vitality, like those of a rotten fish.
That hollow gaze swept across the faces of the guests… then suddenly her eyes widened. The girl stared blankly in their direction.
Woojin muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Why does your face look so gaunt?"
"..."
He gestured toward Cindy.
"Come here."
As if drawn by the gesture, Cindy slowly walked toward them. The way she walked looked unsteady, almost like a sleepwalker.
Sensing something was off, Woojin quickly stepped forward. Cindy collapsed halfway into his arms.
Her shoulders began to tremble.
"…Sniff… sob… oppaaa…"
Then the sound of crying burst out like a dam breaking. Cindy began to cry loudly, tears pouring down like beads of rain.
Those tears soaked Woojin's clothes.
Arwen, standing beside them, was startled.
'Can someone really cry like that?'
It was pure sobbing without the slightest hint of pretense. She had never seen someone cry so sorrowfully in her life.
Cindy crumpled her face like a child and tried to speak. Her words kept catching in her throat, making her cough and choke repeatedly in between.
Woojin patted her back, trying somehow to calm her down.
But it was hopeless.
"Hey… this is bad."
Now at a loss, Woojin gestured to the others around him.
"Everyone wait outside for now. I'll bring her once she calms down."
"That would be best."
At times like this, there was no other option but to wait until the crying stopped.
They decided to postpone introductions for later, and Woojin's group retreated from the office to escape the tidal wave of tears.
The butler who followed them out made a suggestion.
"I will guide you to the reception room."
"Thank you."
Since guests had arrived, he probably intended to serve tea and refreshments. With nothing else to do, Claire nodded readily.
They followed behind the butler.
Arwen walked slowly while recalling the scene she had just witnessed.
'…What exactly was that?'
Woojin and Cindy.
The way the two treated each other was somewhat difficult to understand. What should she call that relationship?
After thinking for quite a while, Arwen asked Claire, who was walking beside her, for advice.
"What kind of relationship do those two have?"
Claire replied without much thought.
"They seemed like family."
Family.
A common relationship that could be seen anywhere.
But from someone else's perspective, it was a relationship that felt very distant and unfamiliar.
A priest of the dark order had no family. There were only rivals to defeat.
In that sense, the scene she had just witnessed…
'…I envy it.'
It made her long for it.
***
Only later did Woojin realize the problem.
When Woojin had gone missing, Claire and Bow didn't take it too seriously. They knew what he was capable of.
But Cindy was different.
'I've never shown off my strength in front of Cindy.'
There had never been a situation for that.
When he was with Cindy, they usually just rested and chatted casually. Because of that, Cindy seemed to think Woojin was merely a somewhat special mercenary with a bit of skill.
So when rumors began to spread that Woojin had died fighting a dragon…
Cindy was overcome with the fear that she might lose another family member. She endured it without showing it outwardly, but the moment she reunited with Woojin, the emotions she had been suppressing all this time finally burst out.
'This is my fault too.'
Woojin sighed and continued gently patting Cindy's head as she cried.
After quite some time had passed…
"…Sniff."
Cindy sniffled. Her eyes were still red, but the tears had stopped.
Woojin looked at her face and laughed.
"You're a grown lady… what is this?"
Embarrassed, Cindy lowered her head slightly.
Woojin rummaged through his clothes and took out a handkerchief. He used it to wipe away Cindy's tears and runny nose.
"Let's go outside and eat some snacks."
"…Okay."
After crying so much, it would probably help to lift her mood with some sweet desserts.
They walked outside. Guided by the butler, the two moved along the hallway.
Cindy tightly held Woojin's hand and followed closely behind him.
The mansion's butlers and maids looked at them with surprise. It was the first time they had seen their guild master act in such a childish way.
As they continued walking…
Before long, they entered the reception room.
Woojin's companions were already there, drinking tea and eating snacks.
Cindy cautiously asked,
"Oppa, who are those people?"
Woojin had been planning to introduce them anyway.
First, he gestured toward Arwen.
"This is Arwen. She recently joined us. I guess you could say she's something like my assistant."
"Lady Cindy. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Arwen spoke politely.
Cindy looked at her with a wary expression.
"That person is your assistant?"
"I mean, that's the kind of role she has."
"Really?"
Cindy murmured, tilting her head as if suspicious. But since she had nothing else to say, she let it pass.
Woojin continued introducing the others. He pointed toward a squirrel that was eating a biscuit.
"That one's name is Coco. Our pet. He may be small, but he's pretty strong."
"Piyat."
Coco waved his little hand as if greeting them. Seeing that, Cindy's expression noticeably softened.
"So tiny and cute."
It seemed she had taken a liking to the squirrel.
Lastly, Woojin gestured toward Claire, who was sitting across the table.
"Her name's Claire. She's a mage from the Magic Tower. Smart and versatile."
After saying that, he added one more line.
"She's my girlfriend."
"…What?!"
Cindy's eyes instantly turned fierce.
Not noticing this, Claire smiled kindly and spoke up.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Cindy! I've heard a lot about you from Jin."
Claire voiced a hopeful suggestion.
"Would you call me big sister?"
Cindy answered sharply.
"No!"
Judging by the situation, it seemed the two would need some time before they could become close.
***
Before long, the sun began to set. The sunset dyed the entire sky crimson.
It was time for dinner.
Everyone headed to the mansion's dining room and gathered around the table. Maids hurried back and forth carrying dishes and drinks. To celebrate the reunion, lavish and expensive foods were laid out across the table.
Pasta sprinkled with thinly shaved truffles, a roasted suckling pig with an apple in its mouth, and various kinds of braised and grilled seafood.
It was truly a feast.
However, Claire hesitated, unable to pick up her utensils.
"Um… Miss Cindy?"
"Yes?"
Cindy replied curtly. She was practically glued to Woojin's side like a piece of gum.
Claire spoke cautiously.
"The dish in front of me seems a little strange…"
She gestured toward her plate.
In front of her was a large pie. It looked perfectly baked, but several fish heads were sticking out from its crust.
Seeing it, Woojin couldn't help but admire it.
'Wow… that looks terrifying.'
Sardine pie.
It was his first time seeing it in person. The kind of bizarre food that usually only appeared in internet horror stories.
Cindy explained flatly,
"It's a local specialty from this region. A rare delicacy you can't easily find elsewhere, so I hope you enjoy it, Miss Claire."
"Um… this is actually my hometown. We don't have food like this here. I've never even heard of it."
This port city was Claire's hometown.
Hearing that, Cindy replied dismissively.
"Please eat a lot."
"…Waaah…"
Claire's face fell as if she might cry.
Watching the situation unfold, Woojin finally spoke.
"You shouldn't joke around with food."
"It's actually pretty tasty, Oppa."
"Cindy."
When he called her name in a reproachful tone, Cindy pouted slightly… then gestured toward a maid.
The maid picked up the sardine pie, handling it as cautiously as if it were an explosive. The monstrous dish soon disappeared from the table.
Cindy suddenly apologized.
"I'm sorry. I think the joke went a little too far. What kind of food do you like, Miss Claire?"
"Anything is fine."
Claire answered cautiously.
It seemed this was her first time sitting at such a grand banquet, and she looked quite intimidated.
Woojin answered in her place.
"Claire likes wine."
"Really? Then we should open a new bottle."
When Cindy murmured that, the butler standing nearby quickly moved.
Before long, he returned with a bottle of wine.
After uncorking it, the butler poured the wine into a strangely shaped glass vessel. Then he gently swirled it—an operation commonly known as decanting.
The butler poured the wine into Claire's glass.
Claire took a sip.
Immediately, she smiled in amazement.
"Wow, the aroma…"
She kept sipping the wine in admiration before asking curiously,
"What kind of wine is this?"
"I think it's called Noche Veluar. Aged… about twenty years, I believe."
"…."
Cindy said it casually.
Claire was deeply shocked. She stared blankly at the wine in her glass.
Woojin asked her,
"How expensive is it?"
"I don't know. I've only heard the name… I've never even tried to look up the price."
It was a wine so expensive that even nobles rarely drank it.
Cindy spoke with a smile.
"I'll give you a few bottles as a gift. If you want more, just let me know anytime."
"Th-that's too much."
A single glass of such an expensive wine was more than enough.
Claire waved her hands frantically as she said so.
But Cindy didn't seem to mind at all.
"It's really fine. My business has been going well lately, so I've got plenty of money now."
"Really?"
Woojin suddenly grew curious.
"So what kind of business are you making money from these days?"
"It'll arrive soon."
"What will?"
Just as he asked that, the maids pushed in a food cart.
On top of the cart was a massive clam.
The shell was abnormally huge—larger than the upper body of an adult.
The maids opened the shell wide.
Inside the shell, which was as big as a bathtub, was a stew filled with clam meat.
Seeing this, Woojin asked,
"That's an enormous clam. Are you using something like that for a food ingredient business?"
If someone ran a food business with clams that big, they might make a lot of money.
That was what Woojin had thought when he said it, but…
Cindy grinned and replied,
"Oppa. That's a pearl oyster."
"…What?"
It was an answer that completely defied common sense.
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