I am the Goddess Destined to be Devoured by the Protagonist - Chapter 14

========== EPISODE 14 ==========

-Not at all. I shall pick you up on the way to the Count’s mansion. Where is the inn located? I will instruct the coachman.

As the Count showed signs of leaving the shop, Bluebird approached and politely gestured toward Sirius.

-Could you spare a moment for me to speak with this gentleman?

-Very well. I shall head out first.

Once the Count left the office, Bluebird whispered as if sharing a secret.

-The Count is quite generous. This amount is more than enough to buy a nice house in the capital.

A house in the capital… Having come from a place where land was scarce and everyone was packed into the metropolitan area, it felt like an astronomical sum.

Count-ajusshi… is he really okay? We didn’t just pull the pillars out from under his house, did we?

No, that’s not it. It’s more like he pulled the pillars out of his own house and gave them to us.

It was the Count who drew the circles behind the number.

-You know you have to come find me again after you finish your business at the Count’s mansion, right?

The ‘Blue Feather’ guild takes a certain percentage of the sale price for brokering transactions. That’s why they sometimes put on all sorts of shows to inflate the sale price.

Though there was no need for that this time.

Since we haven’t received the payment yet, we have to come back here after receiving it to pay the brokerage fee.

-If you try to run away, I will chase you to the ends of the earth.

Bluebird said it playfully, but it didn’t sound like a joke at all. If I were to run away, a novel titled ‘The Guild Master is Obsessed With Me’ would surely be written.

-I have no intention of running away.

-You do seem that way.

Bluebird smiled.

-Sigh… If only all my customers were like you, how easy things would be?

As she said that, she had the look of someone recalling a ‘customer who wasn’t like Sirius.’

I wonder what happened to the customers who ran away. It’s scary just to imagine.

-You may go now. We shouldn’t keep such an important person waiting.

Bluebird waved and sent Sirius off.

The Count’s carriage wasn’t far from the shop.

The carriage looked very expensive.

There were four horses, and their coats were incredibly glossy. I couldn’t help but think that those horses were probably living better lives than most people in this world.

Is it really right to ride something like this to a secret meeting place?

Even if there were no crests indicating affiliation, there were very few people who could afford to ride something like this.

If I were Bluebird, I would have chased him out with a broom. I’d be like, “Are you trying to broadcast to the whole neighborhood that there’s something worth a wealthy noble’s visit here?”

All the way to the inn, people couldn’t take their eyes off the carriage.

Vega was visible through the inn’s window. The child was looking at the flashy carriage as if it were fascinating.

She’s going to be even more surprised in a moment.

I watched the screen with a bit of anticipation.

The moment Sirius stepped out of the carriage, a huge change washed over Vega’s expression. It was as if she wanted to say, ‘🌸Why are you coming out of there, Sirius-nim…?🌸’

Sirius entered the room where Vega was waiting and gently took her wrist.

-I will explain later.

The two were guided to a luxurious guest room. Sirius briefly explained to Vega what had happened to him.

But that only amplified Vega’s confusion.

-Wh, why would a god do such a thing…?

And at the end of the story, she muttered quietly as if she couldn’t believe it.

Why is she so surprised?

I couldn’t even guess what Vega thought of me.

-Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Not long after, the Count returned to the room.

-Before I give you the payment, there is someone who wants to see you. Will you meet them?

-I will.

Since a commoner couldn’t ignore a noble’s request, Sirius had to follow him without even receiving the payment.

The Count walked ahead and stopped in front of a large, antique door. It clearly looked like the room of someone of high status.

There were only two people in the Count’s household who would use a room like this. Since one of them was right next to him, the other one must be inside.

It was a meeting with a person who should have passed away.

The sound of my racing heartbeat echoed in my ears. My intervention had changed the plot of the novel.

I’m doing the right thing, right?

The fact that my actions could save or end someone’s life hit me hard.

Bang!

Just then, a loud noise rang out, making me jump.

Wh-what was that sound? Did something happen?

I only knew that it sounded like it came from inside the room, as if the broadcast supported 3D audio.

Did something happen to the Countess? I turned my gaze sharply to the Count in surprise.

But his reaction was completely different from what I expected. For some reason, his eyes were filled with a mix of longing and affection.

The Count stopped his hand from knocking and immediately grabbed the doorknob to open it. Then, the inside of the room was revealed.

A scene I never imagined filled my vision.

On the wall, there was a mark that clearly looked like it had been made by punching it.

A woman was standing in front of it.

-My dear…

The Count called out to the woman with a tearful voice. I thought he might be crying because the wall was smashed.

At the sound of being called, the woman turned her head. She looked to be about the same age as the Count.

-My strength has returned!

She seemed to consider that fact more important than the fact that she had risen from her sickbed.

I feel bad for the Countess, but I expected her to look like someone on the verge of death. But seeing her in person, she looked like someone who had never been sick a day in her life.

-My Lady…

The servants teared up with emotion at the Countess’s energetic appearance.

-Ah, did that person bring the apple?

I discovered another unique trait of the Countess. Her way of speaking was informal. It was completely different from her husband, who looked like a noble through and through.

The Countess approached Sirius, grabbed one of his hands, and shook it vigorously up and down.

-Thank you! Thanks to you, I was able to regain my strength!

Because his arm was being swung around, Sirius seemed to be choosing his words for a moment.

-Now, now, it’s almost dinner time, so let’s eat together!

Before Sirius could decide on an answer, the Countess excitedly headed off somewhere. That behavior seemed familiar to the Count.

-My wife was a knight who used to be an adventurer.

Then did the gatekeeper act like that even though the master’s wife was a former adventurer?

The more I thought about that gatekeeper, the more hopeless he seemed.

The two followed the Count to the dining hall.

While the couple’s friendly conversation continued, food was placed on the large table. Sirius cut Vega’s steak, as she was clumsy with a knife, into bite-sized pieces.

-May I know your name?

-It is Sirius.

-I see, Sirius. How did you obtain that apple?

-I was lucky.

-Haha. That’s the life of an adventurer. What is life, anyway? You either get a good item like you did, or you get a good spouse like I did—that’s the jackpot.

The Countess stabbed a huge steak with her fork and shoved it into her mouth. Unlike the Count, her lack of formality was a charming trait.

-Ah. How did you know I was sick? I should have asked this first. I feel like there’s an interesting story behind it.

I was wondering why she hadn’t asked.

I waited to see what Sirius would say. He said it nonchalantly, without batting an eye.

-I had a message from a great being.

I’m not great. But it’s okay to sell it like that.

-Ahahaha! That’s a funny story! You’re not going to tell me who that great person is, are you?

-That is correct. But you don’t need to worry, as they are not someone who intends to harm you.

-Right. You wouldn’t give me medicine and then give me a disease, would you?

Why are you laughing so heartily when I might suddenly turn around and give you a disease?

As various conversations went back and forth, the day gradually faded, and the mealtime was coming to an end.

However, the Count and his wife showed no signs of getting up until the table was cleared again.

I wondered why, and I found out the reason a little later.

-Here is the payment. You may check if the amount is correct right here.

Servants appeared with gold coins piled high on a food trolley.

-Here, that is a gift. Keep your money in there.

A servant approached Sirius and handed him—no, practically offered him—a small, luxurious pouch.

So that’s the subspace pouch. I never thought I’d see a staple item of fantasy adventure novels in person.

Though what was more important were those shining gold coins.

In fact, if I hadn’t sold the apple to the Count and put it up for auction instead, I might have been able to earn more money.

Even though it didn’t appear in the novel, there might have been someone even more desperate and wealthier than him.