◈ Episode 356: I’m sorry reflected in the water (2)
Rudger walked through the streets of Ledervelk.
The mansion where Casey Selmore was staying was not far from the city.
Steam cars and wagons pulled by golems roamed the roads.
Opposite was a man-made park, and an old man was sitting on a bench feeding pigeons.
Rudger naturally sat down in the empty seat next to the old man.
The old man who was feeding the pigeons opened his mouth.
“Detective Casey Selmore is still staying at home.”
“The reason is?”
“Since I came back from the capital, my complexion has not been good. Rather than having an actual illness, it seems that there was something mentally difficult.”
“Right.”
“I don’t know where I heard the news, but a lot of fans came to us with gifts. Our little assistant girl with us is sending all the visiting guests away. That is all.”
“Good work.”
Rudger took a bill from his pocket and handed it to the old man.
After accepting the money, the old man naturally got up and left the park.
He will now act like a desolate old man somewhere else, listening to what others say and relaying information.
Food Duck!
When the feeder left, the doves took off in unison.
Rudger stared at the second-floor window of a house he could see from where he was sitting.
On the steel railing on the second floor, as if growing plants, blue leaves flow down like a waterfall.
There’s no way the landlord would have allowed that, so it must have been Casey Selmore’s arbitrary act.
Even so, it seems that the rent was paid quite generously, seeing as it was left as it was.
Rudger got up from the bench and walked slowly toward the building.
Just as I was about to enter the entrance, someone came out just in time.
“Really. Don’t people know that sending so many items makes it difficult for the person to handle them?”
A girl who lightly carries a huge load more than three times her own size.
She far surpassed human strength and appeared to be a small and delicate girl, but in reality she was an automaton doll made of steel and mechanical springs.
code beta.
The one called now is Betty, the genius detective’s assistant.
Betty put down all the useless fans’ presents for Casey at the entrance and wiped her hands off.
“hmm. It’s worth taking care of.”
Betty picked up the bouquet of flowers lying on the pile of luggage.
Apparently, the owner of the plant growing on the second floor railing was not Casey.
After packing all her belongings, Betty tried to go inside, but stopped when she saw Rudgar.
“what?”
At first, someone tilted her head when she saw Rudger, but Betty, who never forgot what she saw once, eventually recognized Rudger.
“Ludger Chelsea! Right?!”
“okay.”
“I saw it in the newspaper. Actually, I know because Casey often talks about it.”
To Betty, Rudger was a man whose name was occasionally featured in the newspaper, or whom Casey was oddly obsessed with.
“Did you come here to see Casey?”
“okay.”
“Uhm. what to do Right now, Casey is not in a state to welcome her guests.”
“Are you feeling very unwell?”
“My body is fine. It’s just that I’m a bit crazy. It was weird at first, but it got weirder.”
Was it weird at first?
Rudger laughed because he couldn’t bear to deny that.
“Still, Mr. Rudger Celish seems to know Casey, and since I’m busy right now and I need to leave for a while, I can let you in on the condition that you take care of Casey instead of me!”
“Do you need any conditions?”
“sure! Casey is popular even though she looks like that, so people who claim to be fans come every day. It seems that they don’t even know that it’s a nuisance. Come to think of it, I’m a fan that fits Casey.”
“Right.”
“So I kicked them all out!”
said Betty, posing as if to show off the biceps on one of her forearms.
Of course, on the outside, it was literally the forearm of a slender child without a single muscle.
Knowing how strong her real strength was, Rudgar didn’t laugh at it.
Perhaps with Betty’s power, she could crush even that sturdy industrial steam golem with her bare hands.
Rudger stared at Betty.
‘The success of the choir of steel like Arfa.’
Considering that her name is Betty, her codename must have been Beta.
A child he hadn’t been able to find in the burning laboratory that day.
‘Then whose soul is inside this body?’
Rudger suddenly had an idea.
Perhaps the owner of the soul dwelling in Betty’s mechanical body might be Arte’s younger sister, Sally.
“sleep!”
At that time, a bouquet of flowers was suddenly put out in front of Ludger’s eyes.
“Please take this and bring it inside.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m running out of food, so I’m going to buy the ingredients for the meal. I also pay my utility bills on the way.”
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“… … You are competent.”
“Then please!”
Betty left Rudger with only those words and disappeared in a flash.
Seeing how light his steps were, he seemed slightly happy that he had left the troublesome task behind.
‘This is true.’
Rudger shook his head.
Whatever the case, it was Betty who kept looking after Casey, who was confined to her room.
The reason Rudger was let in like this was probably because he judged him to be someone he could trust.
‘I guess you haven’t heard of what happened between her and me in the past.’
It was very likely that Casey hadn’t told her.
Rudger entered the building with a bouquet of flowers.
Casey’s house is on the second floor.
Rudger climbed the carpeted wooden steps and knocked on the door.
smart.
Even when I tapped, there was no response from the inside.
It is not that there are no people. From what Betty said, Casey is clearly inside.
Rudger turned the doorknob lightly just in case.
Sigh.
A door that won’t lock and opens very easily.
What if there is a thief?
Ludger’s thoughts entered the scene when he saw the scenery inside.
‘what? Is it a pig pen?’
Piles of books, stacks of papers, stacks of newspapers and all sorts of odds and ends everywhere.
It’s not that it doesn’t clean. There were definitely traces of it.
Betty probably did the cleaning too.
However, the reason why it is so messy is probably because it continues to be messy enough to exceed the cleaning speed.
A musty smell that stings the nose.
Have you ever experimented with chemicals in the boarding house you live in?
Rudger moved on, avoiding the litter on the floor.
Ordinary people would think that a place where Beauty stays would smell fragrant or be clean, but that was not the case here.
Rudger looked at the bed in the corner of the room.
Someone was lying there covered with a blanket.
The aqua-colored hair poking out of the white duvet suggested the owner of the bed.
Rudger placed the bouquet on a nearby chest of drawers, then dragged a chair and sat down.
‘Something seems to have been like this recently.’
I never thought there would be someone to take care of the sick in this life.
Rudger looked around the room.
Perhaps because of the red patterned wallpaper overlaid on the wood, the atmosphere of the room looks quite calm.
On the shelves were unknown medicine bottles, statues unknown where they were bought, and glass pottery unknown why.
It’s to the point where I feel like I’ve bought and collected all sorts of things while traveling around the continent.
Rudger glanced at the convex duvet and lightly lifted the end of the duvet.
The face of Casey, who was soundly asleep, was revealed.
Seeing that there was no response even when the blanket was lifted, it was said that he was in a deep sleep.
‘Or maybe I’m mentally exhausted that much.’
It must have been quite a while since I came back from the capital, but it’s about this much.
Rudger studied Casey’s complexion.
She couldn’t even wash her face because she fell asleep, but her skin is clean without a single blemish.
As a person who handles water, does your skin always stay moist?
As I thought about that silly thought, I noticed the dark circles under Casey’s eyes.
Although he was asleep, Casey’s complexion was not very good, as if he was having a nightmare.
He’s asleep now, but even that doesn’t mean he’s sleeping properly.
The body is comfortable, but the mind is not.
So even if you sleep, your mind will be tired, your head will be dizzy, and you will continue to lie down.
Rather than a curse, it sounds like psychological trauma or a huge pressure.
It’s funny. Is that Casey Selmore?
Though her ego was bloated and she was called a genius detective, and trauma did not fit at all.
‘Because each person has their own past that others don’t know about.’
A torn medicine bag was visible near the pillow.
It seemed that he was prescribed medicine because it was so difficult.
‘It’s fortunate that I didn’t get sick of cigarettes or strong medicine.’
ugh
Then Casey frowned and started moaning.
She tossed and turned a few times, and broke out in a cold sweat.
“… … .”
Rudger looked around for a moment and found a washbasin and a wet towel among the clutter.
I lightly stretched out my hand and floated the towel with the magic of [Pyrokinesis], squeezed out the water, and brought it back.
Rudger wiped the cold sweat from Casey’s forehead with a wet towel.
Swoop. Shuk.
The touch was meticulous and even soft.
Casey’s complexion improved even more, as if it had been quite helpful.
“Mu, water… … .”
When I said something to mumble my chapped lips, he asked for water.
Rudger even thought the situation was funny.
To ask for water from someone who can drink water even in the desert if he wants.
Is he a fool who only acts when dealing with Betty, who he usually takes care of?
Looking at it, I could see that Casey’s condition was really serious.
Ludger brought a glass of water and made it cool with ice magic.
The straw was a bonus.
“we are here.”
Rudger held out a straw, and Casey bit into it and began to drink.
Squeak squeak.
The feeling of feeding baby birds.
Casey took her mouth off the straw, probably as if she had quenched her dry throat.
Rudger put his half-empty glass on the table and reached for Casey.
‘I’m not sure if this will help.’
When I lightly evoked energy, a faint energy appeared at my fingertips.
The outstretched aura covered Casey’s body.
A miraculous healing power that is difficult to realize even with modern magic.
It is the power to erase even old burns, but Ludgar doesn’t know if it will even restore a tired mind.
However, as if it were not a meaningless action, Casey’s complexion improved noticeably.
It meant eating right.
It was then that Casey’s closed eyes dimly opened.
“… … you.”
The moment her bluish eyes looked this way, Ludger thought she would blush and scream.
Or get angry while swearing.
However, Casey’s reaction right after that was unexpected even for Rudger.
“… … Sorry.”
The first words she uttered were not anger, accusations, or reprimands.
It was an apple.
“Because of me, I was stigmatized and made to run away… … .”
Rudger’s pupils widened.
why are you apologizing? you don’t have to tell me that
before saying that.
Casey apologized.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“… … .”
At the same time, a tear ran down her cheek.
─No.
All sorts of thoughts raced wildly through Ludger’s head.
-You don’t have to feel sorry for me.
Rather, it was I who used you and led you to do that.
The one who has to apologize for being sorry is me, not you.
You just have to say it as it is.
Even if she didn’t believe the truth, it was meaningful in conveying it.
But what came out of his mouth was the exact opposite.
“Okay.”
“… … !”
“I accept your apology.”
Rudger answered and carefully wiped her tears with a wet towel.
Casey opened her eyes wide, then closed them again with a smile of relief.
Her breathing, which soon became stable, told her that she had fallen into a deep sleep this time.
A sweet and sweet sleep without any nightmares.
widely.
Rudger opened the window using magic to ventilate the stale air inside.
Then, quietly, so as not to wake Casey, he got up and went outside.
As I came out the front door, I bumped into Betty, who had just returned from shopping.
“ah! Have you met Casey?”
“okay.”
“Isn’t Casey in bad shape? sorry. You came to visit me after a long time.”
“Okay. And now that I’m better, I’ll just give her a good night’s sleep.”
“uh? really?”
At that, Betty’s expression brightened.
She immediately ran upstairs to check Casey’s condition.
Rudger looked at it and left with a faint smile.
When Casey woke up from him, it was the evening after half a day had passed and the sun was starting to set.
“You said you had guests?”
“yes. I did not know?”
“I don’t remember very well. Maybe I had a good dream.”
Casey asked as she ripped the hair off her cheek with her fingertips.
“So who came?”
“That person! The person Casey talked to often.”
“Who is the person I often talked about?”
“It’s Rudgar Cellis.”
“… … what?”
You said the man came?
But I remember seeing him… … .
‘uh… … . Wait, could it be?’
Casey’s face instantly turned red.
She staggered for a moment and then fell back on the bed.
“Casey? My face is red. Are you sick somewhere?”
“No, just. I’m a bit dizzy all of a sudden.”
Casey replied as he looked around the room.
I had such a silly thought that the man might have stolen something.
However, nothing in the room was reduced, rather, things that were not there were increased.
What caught my eye in particular was the bouquet of flowers placed on the chest of drawers next to the bed.
“Betty. What is this bouquet?”
“Is that it? It was brought by a guest.”
if you are a guest.
Isn’t there only one guest here?
‘That, more than that, that flower. Isn’t that hibiscus?’
Hibiscus flower with passionate red petals.
The flower language of that flower.
‘The love that no one knew… … .’
Perong!
Casey’s face couldn’t get completely red, and the steam burst from her head.
