Chapter 55

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The story goes back to the day before Nonna came to Edward Asher's mansion.

Chester, who was the liaison between Victoria and Mike, was surprised by Mike's words when he visited the house and couldn't help but ask for clarification.

"Are you going to keep watch? On a twelve-year-old girl?"

"Chester, she's not an ordinary twelve-year-old. She's a twelve-year-old who beat me in a match. I want you to keep a close eye on her for a while, especially at night. I don't want her to escape."

"Beat Mike? How did she do that?"

"With martial arts. She's incredibly skilled. She once took down five men by herself without any weapons. If she had a weapon, she might be stronger than you or me. Unfortunately."

"Stronger than Mike..."

Chester was about to say, "That must be a lie," but he held his tongue when he saw Mike's serious face.

Chester is fifty-five years old and has retired from special missions. Having dedicated his life to missions and never married, Chester was at a loss with his post-retirement life. So, he readily accepted Mike's offer to be the liaison.

While he understands the importance of being a liaison, Victoria rarely visits the house. In the end, his life has been spent carving birds and animals as a hobby.

Just as he was leading a boring life, Mike gave him a new order, which made him suddenly enthusiastic, but he was disappointed when he heard the content of the order.

"Anyway, I want you to keep an eye on her for a while. She's Victoria's daughter. Please prioritize her safety."

"That's fine, but what should I do if the girl escapes?"

"Given that she's likely to be full of energy, please spar with her. If you don't help her release her energy, she might interfere with our mission... I have a feeling."

"Understood."

Thinking, "That's ridiculous," Chester set out the next night and arrived at the side of Edward Asher's mansion. Looking up at the room he was told about, he saw that it was on the second floor with no balcony or railing.

"How is she supposed to get out of there?" he wondered, standing at the edge of the night road. On the first day, the girl escaped from her room. As soon as her slim figure stood on the window frame, she leaped to a nearby linden tree.

"Dangerous! What are you doing!"

The girl slid down the linden tree and disappeared behind the wall.

Next, he had to figure out where she would come out from. The servants' entrance was around the corner, quite a distance away.

(What should I do? Should I go to the entrance? Or should I stay here?) he thought busily.

But the girl soon appeared on top of the wall. Chester hurriedly turned the nearby corner and hid to observe.

She silently jumped down from the two-and-a-half-meter-high stone wall and started walking briskly. The girl, dressed in dark clothing, blended into the night. The noble district was full of walls, and there was no place to hide and follow her.

"Can't help it. She's just a kid, so I'll approach her straightforwardly."

Chester decided to approach the girl without hiding his footsteps.

The girl quickly noticed the sound of his footsteps and turned around. She crouched down and took a strange stance, staring at him intently.

"I'm not a suspicious person. Don't worry."

"That line is already suspicious."

"No, no, it's true. I know your mother. You're Victoria's daughter, right?"

Thinking she would be reassured, a strong killing intent emanated from the girl.

"Ah, I see. You're one of those persistent people after my mom?"

"No, no, that's not it. It's the truth."

"Stop. Don't come any closer. I'll attack if you do."

(She's emitting a strong killing intent, but with her build, even if she kicks or punches me, it won't be much of a problem. She doesn't seem to have a knife...)

Chester slowly approached.

The girl started swaying on the spot, still in an unfamiliar stance, emitting a strong killing intent.

Just three steps away from the girl, her slender figure suddenly disappeared. She had jumped diagonally to the left, but she wasn't there.

(Where did she go?) Chester cautiously looked around.

The next moment, the girl leaped onto his back. At the same time, a rope was wrapped around his neck.

"Don't move. If you move, I'll break your throat. Think I'm lying?"

Chester shook his head slightly. The thin rope digging into his throat made it impossible to speak or breathe properly.

"If I jump down now, the small bones in your throat will break. You'll suffocate and die. So don't move."

Chester nodded vigorously, and an unpleasant sound escaped his mouth. He couldn't get enough air. (Should I counterattack?) he thought, but he couldn't predict what the girl would do. If she really jumped down with the rope still around his neck, it would be over, his instincts screamed. He was panicking from the lack of air.

This was the first time Chester had made such an embarrassing mistake.

With a thud, he was kicked in the back by the girl's feet and stumbled forward. At the same time, his breathing became easier.

Coughing loudly, he turned around to see the girl on the wall of the neighboring house.

"Who are you?"

"Hack, I'm Hack, Chester. I was asked by Mike. He said you might escape from the house, hack, hack."

"Oh, is that so? Sorry, I didn't know. I'll come down now."

She jumped down in front of him, making no sound at all.

"So, can you prove that you're not a bad guy who knows Mike?"

"Prove..."

"In the novels I read, bad guys say that to make their targets let their guard down. You know? 'The Messenger from Hell, Del Dorgar.'"

"No, I don't know it."

"Really? You haven't read it?"

"My house is next to the former Countess Yolana Haines' house. Hack, if I show you there, will you trust me?"

"Oh, that house! The one where Miles used to live, right?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go now."

"Will you trust me if I show you the residents of that house?"

"Yes. But if you do anything suspicious until then, I won't hesitate to attack."

"Got it, got it. Should I walk in front?"

"Yes."

As he walked in front of the girl, Chester struggled to hold back his laughter.

This was the first time since retiring that he had experienced such an amusing event. Being nearly killed by a slender girl and then being watched by her while leading her home was embarrassing but hilarious. (What a kid. I never knew such a girl was around!) he thought as he walked.

Mike's words echoed in his head.

"A twelve-year-old who beat me in a match" "If she had a weapon, she would probably be stronger than you or me."

(I almost got killed by a single rope, Mike.)

He had been holding back his laughter, but a "Ku" escaped his lips. Immediately, a killing intent was released from behind.

"Are you going to do something?"

"No, no! Please, spare me!"

After saying that, Chester continued walking, desperately trying to hold back his laughter. The killing intent continued to be released from behind.

"Please, I won't do anything, so stop sending killing intent from behind. It's tiring!"

"You're still suspicious."

"I'm not suspicious. Ku ku ku ku, ha ha ha ha."

Despite trying to hold back, laughter kept welling up and he couldn't stop. His stomach hurt from laughing so much. Wiping away the tears with his fingers, Chester walked while thinking, (What a great job I got.) The killing intent from the girl hadn't disappeared.

Once they entered the house and it was clear that Chester was a resident, the girl finally retracted her killing intent.

From that night on, the girl would almost every night escape from her room.

Chester would go to meet her on horseback, spar with her for an hour, and then take her back. The martial arts she practiced, which she learned in the Shen Kingdom, were quite different from what Chester knew. She moved softly but targeted vital points with precision. Her movements were eerie and relentless.

Thanks to this, Chester found every day enjoyable. He started looking forward to the nights.

About two weeks later, Nonna asked Chester, "Can you teach me how to pick locks?"

"Didn't you learn that before?"

"I think I did, but I forgot."

"Oh, I see. Then, let's start with the locks in this house."

Chester had assumed that Victoria had taught Nonna all the skills of a spy. So, he taught her lock-picking techniques without any suspicion.

Once she could pick ordinary locks without any trouble, Nonna said something unexpected.

"Why didn't Mom teach me how to pick locks? It's easy and useful."

"Huh?"

Chester looked at Nonna in surprise. Nonna smoothly averted her gaze from Chester.

"Nonna, you said you learned it before, right?"

"No, I said I think I learned it. But maybe I was mistaken. I don't think I learned it. But don't worry, Chester. I won't become a thief."

"That's not the point! Ah, I messed up, damn it."

"I'll tell Mom that I asked you to teach me."

"That's not the issue. As an adult... Ah, it's too late now."

"That's right."

"That's not right at all!"

(I have to apologize to Victoria someday. She probably didn't teach her on purpose. I did something unnecessary.)

Chester's head hurt. On the other hand, he found Nonna cute and was looking forward to seeing how much knowledge and skills she would absorb.

Recently, Chester has been tempted to teach Nonna his special skills, which he has never taught anyone else.