The Author's POV

"What's going on in here?"

When I got back from my trip, I was greeted by a thick cloud of smoke.

"Did the mansion catch fire?"

…but how was that possible?

Looking at Amanda, both of us made a dash for the main hall in an attempt to locate the source of the smoke.

Arriving at the large wooden door, I smacked it open.

Clank—!

"What's going on in h—eh?"

In the middle of my sentence, I had to pause in order to rub both of my eyes. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't interpreting what I was seeing incorrectly.

'I'm not high, am I?'

"I'm almost out human. Give me another pack."

"I've already given you two."

"What about it? Can't you see that I'm already almost done?"

"Smoking harms."

Bang—!

"Damn it human! Don't fucking test me!"

"Test you for what? You haven't even paid me anything for the packs!"

"Ah, so it was about the money! Why didn't you say so? I'll reward you handsomely for another pack, so hurry up and give it to me."

"No. I only have one left, and that's for me."

"Damn you human!"

Bang—!

The table fell apart, and the Duchess got to her feet immediately. The anger visible on her face was accompanied by a heaving motion in her chest.

In her mouth was a half lit cigarette.

"Didn't you just say that you'd sell it to me? You a swindler?"

"When did I say I was ever going to sell it to you? I just pointed out the fact that you took two packs from me for free."

"Bastard!"

She cursed again.

"Do you have any idea as to who I am?"

"I don't care."

"I'll fight you!"

'What in the world happened during the time Amanda and I were out?'

I pinched the middle of my brows.

The room was a complete disaster, and the scattered pieces of what appeared to be chairs, in conjunction with the conversation that I had overheard, helped me get an understanding of what was happening.

...It's just that I found it hard to believe.

'I can't believe this is what I return to...'

Before stepping in between the two of them, I let out an internal sigh. Despite how entertaining it was, I had no choice but to put an end to this.

There were more important things at hand.

you going to sell it to me

"No."

"You fuck—"

stop this

maybe I shouldn't

suddenly glared at by the two of them, I was at a loss of what to make out of the situation. It was, if anything, a fairly burdensome

still raised my hands and tried to

I more or else understand the problem. When I have time, I'll get you

appeared that the solution was fairly straightforward. Everything would get back to normal as long as the Duchess was pleased with

"Really?"

Duchess's eyes lit up and she became noticeably less angry as a result. As soon as I saw this, I let out a sigh of relief and glanced over at Jin for

did he

thought to the back of my mind and focused my attention

already completed what I set out to

"Huh?"

had to say,

already? This

completed everything on

her face. She then took the

to narrow his eyes at her, but if anything, this was the

throat, she looked

It's just that I still didn't

"That's understandable."

detail. Whether or not I took the time to explain it to

then. Onto the

hands and stared at the

extended my hand in her direction, she

"What are you doing?"

to hurt you, we've already signed

effect on the Duchess as she still stepped

doing? Why do you want to

soon find out.

"Sto—hgkh."

the Duchess froze on the spot, and my hand soon came into contact with her head. After a moment, a

became hazy, and what appeared to be millions upon millions of spheres of varying hues filled the space

through them very quickly before reaching out with my hand and having several of them fly in

"This is it."

the orbs and inspecting the contents contained within, I channeled my mana, causing a layer

"Next."

few minutes, I looked around for any orbs that might have contained recollections of the others and myself, and I covered them before discarding

there were one hundred pitch-black spheres floating around me. I had long since lost track of time and was thus

the others and myself completely from her mind. It was something that needed to be done in order to make sure that everything worked perfectly, and

a

"This should be all."

With another wave of my hand, my vision shifted, and I suddenly found myself back

Thump—!

able to grab hold of her

gazing at her for a brief moment, he turned his attention

"What did you do?"

looked at him

"You worried about her?"

"No."

"Then..."

"Just answer."

sighed and waved

her forget about us for

"I see."

that had been left on the ground. He flicked his hand, and it vanished into

to erase all evidence of us ever coming into

I smiled at Jin.

pick

pointed out all of the blunts that had been thrown around. There

how much did

rid of

"What about the mess?"

at the broken

"Good question…"

for a moment, I eventually waved