Chapter 7

The restaurant 'Ivy' that I was taken to was, as its name suggested, a place with its exterior covered in ivy. Mr. Asher was known here as well. It seemed that the Knight Commander was respected by the people of the capital.

However, the male guide and the female hall attendant who saw me and Nonna being escorted both had a momentary look of "Huh?" which was concerning.

"Is this a place you know well? Was it okay to bring us here?"

"Me? There's no problem for me. I'm a carefree bachelor. I don't need to be considerate of anyone."

"Then I'm relieved. I don't want to be hated by someone who's targeting you."

"There's no such person."

No, there is. There must be a lot of them.

Mr. Asher's tone had become more casual, but was this his true self? Mr. Asher was wearing a black dress shirt, slightly unbuttoned, exuding a mature charm.

A male chief of the floor came to take our order. I left the choice of Nonna's and my meal to Mr. Asher. Soon, appetizers, white wine, and fruit water were brought to us, and we toasted together. It was cute to see Nonna drinking the fruit water with a look of enjoyment.

The appetizers were grilled prawns on skewers with olive oil and small canapés thinly sliced and topped with herb butter, with high-quality ham and chopped herbs on top. The prawns were sweet and delicious, and Nonna seemed to like them, eating them with a happy expression.

I noticed Mr. Asher watching me as I watched Nonna.

"Did I do something impolite?"

"No, I just thought you liked children."

"I like this child more than just children in general."

Mr. Asher had good posture and ate elegantly, surely a sign of good upbringing.

"I hope Nonna doesn't get sleepy after waiting for me to finish work."

"I took a nap. I want to see the room."

Oops, I forgot to keep it a secret. As expected, Mr. Asher frowned.

"Room? A rented room? After the meal? It's dangerous to walk around with a child at night."

"Well, I need to check the room at night to see if it's suitable before signing a contract. Otherwise, I might end up with a bad one."

"In that case, I'll go with you. It's dangerous for a woman and a child to walk alone at night."

Yes, that makes sense. He is the commander of the Second Knight Regiment, responsible for the capital's security. However, if he comes, I won't be able to listen at the doors and walls of the neighboring rooms to check the conditions.

"Is it a bother? But please bear with it. As a guarantor, I can't compromise on your safety."

"It's not a bother at all. I feel reassured."

I replied with a smile and a friendly tone.

The meal progressed smoothly. I cut the meat for Nonna, who seemed unsure how to eat it, and wiped the sauce from around her mouth, feeling warm and cozy.

"What kind of meat is this?"

"It's herb-roasted lamb."

"Hmm."

Nonna seemed to like the lamb. I'll make it for her at home after we move.

After eating our fill, we walked leisurely, and the bell rang nine times as we were on our way to the first potential rental room.

When we arrived at the building, Mr. Asher looked around to check the environment.

"Which room?"

"The corner room on the second floor."

I pointed to a dark window.

I hesitated about so easily revealing our living arrangements to a stranger, but I wasn't sure how cautious a normal civilian woman should be. It's not something an agent would do, but Mr. Asher wouldn't break into our room and kill us.

It's foolish to doubt Mr. Asher's every action. He's not an agent or an assassin, and the chances of me encountering such people are like a miracle.

I remembered the organization's psychiatrist saying, "Chloe has survived for nineteen years without self-destruction because of her resilience."

We inspected two potential rental properties.

Standing in front of the doors and listening politely, we found that the neighbor in the first one was hysterically yelling at someone, scaring Nonna. Rejected.

The second one had several pieces of trash on the stairs, indicating poor management. Rejected.

"Thank you for tonight. The dinner was delicious. Thank you for the meal."

"Neither of the rental rooms is recommended."

"Yes, I agree. I'll look for other options."

Mr. Asher, noticing that Nonna was a bit tired, picked her up and started walking, apparently intending to take us back to the hotel.

"Commander, from here, I'll carry Nonna back. I've already troubled you with dinner and the rental room tour. I can't impose any further. Thank you for tonight."

I said this clearly, but Mr. Asher looked down at me with an expression that seemed to say, "What a troublesome person," and continued walking as if he hadn't heard me.

(What?) I thought, but the Commander spoke without turning around.

"You just arrived in this country from the Kingdom of Randall. I don't know what it's like in Randall, but in this country, it's not safe for a woman to walk around at night with a child. I want to see you safely back."

I see.

"Then I'll accept your offer. Thank you very much."

"That's too formal."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. Still, your Ashberry language skills are impressive."

"Studying languages was a hobby of mine."

"May I ask what you did in Randall?"

I put on an innocent smile.

"Various things. If we meet again, I'll share some stories."

"Looking forward to it."

"Thank you."

When we arrived at the hotel, Mr. Asher carried Nonna to the room again. This time, I took Nonna at the door and said goodbye.

"It was a wonderful evening, Commander."

"Same here. Good night."

"Good night."

Mr. Asher waved and walked away. I put Nonna to bed, changed her clothes, and covered her with a blanket.

I then checked the floor for footprints, having sprinkled a very thin layer of baby powder before leaving. No footprints. No signs of drawers being opened. Of course, there wouldn't be any.

I quickly went downstairs and took a bath to wash my body.

Tomorrow, I'll look for a job first. Once I decide on a workplace, I can take my time finding a room nearby.

When I hurried back to the room, Nonna was sleeping soundly.

"Let's have a fun life together."

Speaking softly to the sleeping Nonna, she slightly raised the corners of her mouth. I hope she has good dreams. I want her to have a happy childhood. I've grown attached to Nonna in just two days.

"I need to find a job."

Although we have enough money to live for a while without working, I want to work. The best would be a translation job I can do from home.

At least, if I can show that I'm a serious and honest person, I'll gain credibility in society.

I slipped into bed next to Nonna and closed my eyes.