Okay. Calm down, Amelia Prang.
I pressed a hand against my startled heart and took a deep breath.
“Hoo…”
Good.
“So… you’re saying thieves came here right after you woke up?”
“Correct.”
The suspicious man sitting on the sofa—
No, the grandfather—brushed his hair back.
“A-and then what happened?”
“I killed them.”
“…What the hell.”
Why was he so extreme about everything?
The strength drained from my legs instantly. I collapsed onto the sofa and rubbed my face dryly with both hands. My head was a mess.
Right. Let’s organize this. Organize it calmly.
They said that even in a tiger’s den, you could survive if you kept your wits about you.
So I steadied myself and tried to sort through the situation.
First, thieves broke into my house.
And that grandfather had taken care of them.
Then I suddenly appeared…
Which startled him so badly that he jumped up onto the ceiling.
And after missing the timing to come back down, he ended up making direct eye contact with me standing below.
Wow.
This wasn’t reality anymore. It was a sitcom.
Am I supposed to be thankful for this?
Technically, probably.
Just as I was trying to grasp reality—
“You.”
The grandfather tilted his chin toward me.
“You’re the one who saved me?”
“Uh… yes. I did save you, Grandpa.”
What was he about to say now?
I unconsciously shrank my shoulders in tension.
Not that he cared in the slightest.
“How did you save me?”
“Mm. With compassion and loving care…”
A cold look settled over his face.
His expression practically screamed: Don’t try that pathetic excuse on me.
I obediently shut my mouth.
Tch.
Couldn’t he just let it slide?
At first I was planning to brag about using an expensive potion and demand compensation…
But if I admitted I’d used a potion, he might start prying into everything.
I don’t even know who this guy is.
Gilbert’s identity had been clear.
This old man’s wasn’t.
Mages capable of making potions were already rare to begin with. And a high-purity potion capable of healing injuries like his? Its value would skyrocket.
There was no guarantee his attitude wouldn’t change completely after hearing that.
He could threaten me.
Worst case, I might even get dragged away somewhere.
I just want to live quietly.
Without ever meeting the story’s villain, quietly—
I just wanted to survive unnoticed until adulthood!
Otherwise I would’ve sold the potions myself instead of asking Gilbert to do it for me.
My entire goal was to stay low-key.
“I’ll tell you honestly.”
In the end, I decided to hide only part of the truth.
“I used a potion.”
“A potion?”
Just as expected, the grandfather’s eyes widened at the mention of such a valuable item.
But only briefly.
Soon his expression settled again.
“You mean… a healing potion?”
“Yes. That one.”
“How did you obtain it?”
“I bought one for emergencies.”
No way was I telling him I made it myself.
“Do you live here alone?”
“No. I have an older brother. He’s just out right now.”
Maybe things would be different in Korea, but here I was still considered a child.
If people learned I lived alone, I could easily become a target for criminals.
“For a house with multiple people, it barely feels lived in.”
“…Ahem.”
That hit like a critical strike.
“I just don’t like filling the place with stuff.”
Had he never heard of minimalism?
I deliberately coughed and lifted my chin proudly.
The grandfather stared at me intently.
Like a beast sizing up prey, examining every strand of fur.
After a moment, he asked,
“Does your brother know about the potion?”
“Uh…”
My brain froze at the sudden question.
What was this? Why did it feel so nerve-racking?
“Ah, well… I’m sure he does.”
After all, the brother was completely made up.
There wasn’t a single person who could prove I was lying.
Honestly, it felt like a decent excuse.
The old man looked mostly recovered too, considering he’d casually disposed of the intruders in my house.
But the world was never that forgiving.
“Then I would like to stay here until your brother returns.”
Cough!
I choked instantly.
W-what?! Stay where?!
Coughing violently, I asked,
“H-here?”
In my house?
The grandfather looked puzzled by my reaction.
“Won’t he return soon?”
No! He won’t!
Because he doesn’t exist!
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.
Damn it.
I’d fallen into my own trap.
N-no. First—
“H-he won’t be back for several days. He left for work.”
“He left his younger sibling alone here?”
“I’m unusually independent!”
“It’s too dangerous for a child to live alone. You’re my benefactor as well, so I’ll protect the house. Think of me as a guard.”
“No, you need to think about your joints!”
I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore, but unfortunately this was the best I could do.
“Proud is a place where monsters live. The slightest carelessness will get you killed.”
“I’m a mage.”
A mage capable of making potions, no less!
But I couldn’t exactly reveal the truth after already piling on lies.
Damn it.
So this was why people said one lie snowballed into another.
And I was only realizing that truth now.
I wanted to smack my own head against the wall.
“Why don’t you come back later instead? You know where my house is now.”
“This old man has no sense of direction.”
…Didn’t you just throw thieves out earlier?
“You should go home! Isn’t there someone waiting for you?”
“……”
At my words, the grandfather hesitated for a moment.
Then he frowned deeply and bit his lip.
“…I can’t go back yet.”
“Huh?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“There are still people I need to find.”
Another cryptic answer.
When I tilted my head in confusion, he hurriedly changed the subject.
“Are you worried I might kill you? Don’t be. I’ll even make a mana oath if necessary.”
“Cough!”
Don’t do something like that!
Apparently I wasn’t the only one becoming shameless. The grandfather proudly lifted his chin.
I let out a hollow breath and raked a hand through my hair.
Damn it, what do I do?
A mana oath was a promise sealed with one’s magic.
The problem was that although people called it a “promise,” it was practically the same as staking your life on it.
If the oath was broken, you repaid the price with your mana.
That was the fundamental law of mana oaths.
And for someone capable of using mana, risking mana was no different from risking their life.
This damned R-rated world!
At this point, I had no excuse left.
Even if I kept rejecting him, it didn’t seem like he would back down.
No. I still need to refuse him again.
Just as I resolved myself—
Bang bang bang.
“!”
I hurriedly turned toward the door.
“Amel! Are you inside?”
The bakery lady!
Eureka!
The familiar voice made my body react before my mind could.
It was the woman from the bakery earlier.
I shot up from my seat and inhaled sharply.
“Just a moment!”
The visit was sudden, but who cared?
Right now, she was the most welcome person in the world.
Did I maybe leave my wallet at the bakery earlier?!
A tiny spark of hope flashed before my eyes.
I quickly headed for the door.
I could feel the old man’s piercing gaze on my back, but I deliberately ignored it.
Once I reached the entrance, I straightened my clothes.
But the moment I grabbed the handle, a single question suddenly crossed my mind.
…Did I ever tell her my address?