24-Hour Hoebinghwan Consultation Office – Episode 20
“What?”
For a moment, Laura couldn’t react.
‘A reincarnator?’
The “hwan” in Hoebinghwan?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart began to pound on its own. An inexplicable chill seemed to stroke the back of her neck.
Cross opened his mouth again.
“You’re the descendant, aren’t you?”
“Pardon?”
She suddenly thought that his eyes held a strange, feverish heat.
The corner of Cross’s mouth rose.
Madness settled over the intellectual face of a typical scholar.
“That damned Ren bastard—that weakling Biseol who held his leash—are you saying you’re the descendant of that Biseol?”
Laura’s eyes went wide.
‘…This man’s eyes have completely lost it, haven’t they?’
No, more importantly, that Ren bastard? Could he mean the First Emperor?
Is he talking about our ancestor, the one who held Ren’s leash?
‘What the hell is going on?’
Despite her confusion, Laura lowered one hand toward the hem of her skirt.
To grab her dagger.
Her opponent’s eyes had gone mad.
‘If he lunges, I’ll stab him!’
The dagger into that bastard!
It was then.
Smack!
Cross raised his hand and struck his own cheek extremely hard.
“Huh?”
A foolish sound escaped Laura’s lips.
Cross raised his other hand. And brought it down on his other cheek as well.
Smack!
Both of Cross’s cheeks flushed bright red.
But he didn’t stop.
“Damn it!”
Smack! Smack!
He kept slapping his own cheeks.
His face was filled with resentment.
“Damn it! You crazy bastard!”
Cross didn’t even stop cursing himself.
Laura barely came to her senses and tried to stop him.
“C-Customer? Ah, no! Mr. Cross!”
Of course, she hadn’t fully come to her senses either.
“Mr. Cross, at this rate your cheek will burst!”
She genuinely felt as though his cheek would burst.
He gave off the impression of someone who had never once exercised, yet his hand was so heavy that his cheek really seemed about to burst.
“Do not stop me!”
“But—”
How could she not stop him?
Flustered, Laura approached the sofa where Cross was sitting.
“For now, please calm down—”
“This mouth! I must tear this mouth apart! My cheek must burst!”
Smack, smack!
“My lady! What in the world is this?!”
Tom came out of the kitchen in surprise, saw the situation, and gaped.
“Wh-what, is he crazy?”
He was so flustered that his usual manner of speech slipped out without him realizing it.
Then, the front door opened.
Creak.
“Haha, the communication took a little longer, didn’t it? But what am I to do, I’m sorry, something urgent came up—”
Countess Violet poked her face through the front door with an apologetic laugh.
“Oh my!”
And she hurriedly stepped inside.
“Oh my, this person again!”
Again?
That word lingered in Laura’s ears.
‘Does this mean it’s not just once or twice?’
Suddenly, records regarding reincarnators came to mind.
[In the case of reincarnators, various problems occur during the process in which memories of their past and present lives merge.]
[They may experience their past lives through sleep, fall into a coma to absorb all their past lives at once, or undergo irregular absorption of past-life memories during their daily lives.]
“Countess, I’m sorry!”
Violet apologized to Laura and raised her palm.
Smaack!
With a sound loud enough to make Tom gasp, Countess Violet struck Cross’s back hard.
“Cross! Do you want to get fired?”
In that instant, Laura could see reason returning to Cross’s eyes.
She couldn’t have missed it. Those crazed pupils were slowly regaining focus.
“…Ah.”
Cross looked at Laura, Tom, and Violet in turn, then covered his face, laden with frustration, with both hands.
And he bowed deeply.
“…I’m sorry.”
It was a low, subdued voice mixed with trembling.
It also carried deep fatigue and resignation.
“…Sigh.”
Violet let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry, Countess.”
With a much calmer expression, she apologized to Laura once more.
Seeing her bow at the waist, Laura quickly conveyed that it was all right.
“It’s all right.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
A small smile formed on Countess Violet’s wrinkled lips.
‘Hmm, is there something between those two?’
Looking at Violet gazing at Cross with pity, they didn’t look like a simple superior and subordinate bound merely by work.
Ring, ring— Ring, ring, ring—
Laura’s gaze shifted to Violet’s hand.
“Ha.”
Countess Violet couldn’t hide her troubled expression.
Laura recalled what Violet had said as she entered the mansion earlier.
“But what am I to do, I’m sorry, something urgent came up—”
The rest of her words had been cut off because of Cross.
“Did something urgent come up?”
At Laura’s question, Violet answered with a troubled face.
“A problem occurred in the department I’m in charge of. As the person responsible, I ought to go—”
Even as she spoke, she repeatedly checked on Cross’s condition.
Laura guessed the meaning behind that behavior.
‘She probably planned to ask Cross to guide me regarding the tutor position while she went to deal with the problem.’
Ring, ring— Ring, ring, ring—
Even then, the magic communicator kept ringing.
“Hmm.”
“May I ask what kind of urgent matter it is?”
Since Countess Violet seemed to be in a difficult position, Laura deliberately spoke first.
“Currently, our department has a project into which we’ve poured half our budget. A complication has arisen regarding that matter—”
“Then you must go.”
Countess Violet’s eyes widened at Laura’s calm voice.
“Still, will it be all right?”
“Of course.”
If it was a matter that involved half a department’s budget, and she was the person in charge of that department, she naturally had to go.
“You are different from inflexible nobles.”
Only then did Violet’s words, now laced with playfulness as her tension seemed to ease, draw a shallow smile from Laura.
“Aren’t you also a noble, Countess?”
“Hahaha! That I am! But I am a single-generation noble.”
Tom’s eyes, who had been listening silently, grew wide.
Laura was also surprised inwardly, but she didn’t show it.
‘A single-generation noble… Countess Violet might be a far greater person than I thought.’
A single-generation noble title was not passed down to descendants.
But for a commoner to become a single-generation noble meant they had achieved results worthy of recognition by the Emperor and the Council of Nobles.
She was surely a talent the Emperor cherished greatly.
‘Countess Violet. What is this person’s true identity?’
A strange light flickered in Laura’s eyes.
“You are an amazing person.”
“Not particularly.”
Violet showed humility.
‘I thought that being described as a fallen noble with severed connections meant she had followed some noble and the ties were cut.’
This seemed like it needed to be interpreted differently.
It had been exactly a year since the Emperor collapsed.
Her connection might have been the Emperor.
‘And such a person was put in charge of managing the Crown Prince’s temporary tutor?’
At this point, even Laura, who paid little attention to politics, could tell that paths into the political world, the administration, or the military were blocked.
‘Perhaps an outstanding subordinate who will move for the Crown Prince has appeared.’
Laura looked at Violet once more.
Countess Violet appeared to be in her late thirties to early forties. She formed a sly smile, as though she had discerned all of Laura’s thoughts.
“Then may I visit again this afternoon?”
She said, placing a hand on Cross’s shoulder.
Laura hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
“Won’t that be troublesome? I could simply hear the explanation from Mr. Cross.”
Violet seemed to have decided to take Cross away after witnessing his behavior earlier.
But Laura still had things left to say to him.
“Hmm.”
Violet hesitated for a moment.
“Countess.”
Then, Cross lowered the hands that had covered his face.
“I will stay and properly guide the Countess.”
Violet’s eyes widened, as if Cross’s words were unexpected.
“Will you be all right?”
“Yes.”
At his firm answer without hesitation, Violet silently gazed at Cross.
“I’m fine with it as well.”
Not missing that opening, Laura added.
“Hm, still—”
Countess Violet, who had been showing a troubled expression, squeezed her eyes shut at the ringing of the magic communicator once again.
Ring, ring— Ring, ring, ring—
“Then, Countess, Manager Cross will guide you in my stead.”
At the words that seemed to signal she had finally made her decision, Laura nodded gladly.
Without ever looking in Laura’s direction, Cross also opened his mouth.
“I will make sure there is no cause for concern.”
“Yes, I trust you. Not just me, but the Countess is placing her trust in you as well, so do it properly.”
“Yes.”
At Cross’s unhesitating answer, Violet nodded and spoke to Laura.
“Countess, may I speak with you privately for a moment?”
“Yes. Since there won’t be much time, shall we talk as we head outside?”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Laura gestured to Tom.
“Prepare a warm tea for Mr. Cross.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Cross still couldn’t look at Laura.
Laura sent Tom, who was glancing at Cross as if he were a madman, a look indicating it was all right, then headed to the entrance hall with Violet.
Click.
Once outside, Laura looked at Violet with a tense heart.
“What is it that you wish to say?”