The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

It was a few hours later, inside Duke Pietro’s office.
Desian rested his hand on his desk, his jaw set as he stared at the pendant. From within, Gemma stared at him breathlessly.
-Why did he ask to borrow me for three days?

‘I checked him out on the way here, and he’s a monster! How could Citrina loan me to a monster for three days? She’s my contractor!’

Gemma was summoned to Duke Pietro’s office.
Gemma squinted at Desian’s expressionless face, but his blank face made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
No matter how she looked at it, this man was darkness itself.
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“You.”
-Yes…

He could hear her. Gemma was frightened and folded her wings.
Desian started reciting Gemma’s profile in an emotionless voice.

“Citrina’s contractor, Gemma. An intermediate spirit, recently awakened from her slumber.”
-Is, is that so? That’s right. I just awakened from a beginner to an intermediate spirit!

She suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes thinking about how awfully difficult it had been.
With the help of the Silmaril, she awakened, so she was not going to be destroyed here. Citrina had tried to reassure her, but it all didn’t make sense. So what was going to happen to her now? It seemed like he might kill her right away.
Gemma flapped her wings a few times in a fit of tears.

“I won’t kill you.”

Gemma became even more frightened knowing he was reading her thoughts.

-Oh, okay. I’m being helpful to Citrina too…you know.

This frightening person with obvious magical strength had been unusually generous to Citrina. So the sneaky spirit made sure to mention Citrina’s name.
There was a heavy, heavy obsession that she could feel directed at her contractor even from deep inside her pendant while resting.
Desian Pietro clearly loved Citrina Foluin.

“Why did I bring you here, Gemma?”
-Um, I’m not sure?
“Soon, Citrina will be a noblewoman.”

Her house may have lost its prestige, but she was on the rise on her own for her ability to work with a nearly-lost species.
Gemma nodded her head. Citrina would be rightly awarded the peerage. She was a contractor to the great Gemma-nim and had managed a decent harvest. [T.L. Note: Harvest meaning that Citrina is doing alright in her business.]
But what’s this all of a sudden?
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“You’ll be a high-ranking spirit.”
-Oh… a high-ranking spirit…I don’t think I qualify yet, do I?
Gemma made a puzzled face.

“Then we’ll have to make you qualify, Gemma.”
-…Huh?
“That’s your job.”
-Oh…

He had asked permission, so it was perfectly reasonable and legitimate. Indeed it was.
Desian explained kindly. The reason was that Gemma was Citrina’s spirit.
It took countless hours to make the leap to a high-ranking spirit. Gemma was a gemstone spirit, so she had to appraise, hold, and smelt endless amounts of gems.

‘Scary!’

Gemma’s wings flapped rapidly as she flew over the desk in his office, imagining the extreme training that lay ahead.

“Oh? Just a minute…”

As she flew over the desk, Gemma saw something lying there to one side. It was the peridot necklace that was the first thing Citrina ever made. There wasn’t even a speck of dust gathered on it.
Was it this monster who had bought it?

“Did you see?”
-…

Desian didn’t even bother to hide it.
Gemma was horrified.

‘I really should be nice to Citrina, really, really nice.’
She thought she had met a gentle contractor, but somehow Citrina had a double life.

-I, I didn’t see anything. I’ll work hard.
“Then you protect Citrina.”
-Ah, I get it.
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Becoming a high-ranking spirit came with having a certain level of combat power. Desian would naturally protect Citrina, but he couldn’t be there all the time.
He knew Gemma wouldn’t be able to talk to Citrina about it anyway.
He tapped slowly on the desk. A palm-sized portal appeared, and the flow began. [T.L. Note: What is flowing out is not described, but I assume it’s some sort of power to help Gemma level up.]
Gemma squeezed her eyes shut.
Alright, high-ranking spirit it is.
I can do this.
Why can’t I? I’m Gemma!
Gemma gritted her tiny teeth and glared at the flow.