Chapter 15
For about two months after resolving the Graydan Marquis’s request,
I had been putting a lot of effort into making this office more livable.
Replacing old furniture, tearing off dirty wallpaper, sweeping and cleaning thoroughly…
Thanks to all that hard work, the office had gone from being old, filthy, and dangerous to just… somewhat old.
“Was this… a place people actually lived in?”
“Then what did you think lived here?”
Only then did the nearby merchants start taking interest in our office.
Apparently, people thought this place was just some haunted building where ghosts showed up when you were bored.
In fact, as the abandoned building gradually became cleaner, rumors spread that a cleaning-obsessed ghost had taken residence here.
Damon and I, who had suddenly been labeled as ghosts, had to awkwardly prove that we were perfectly normal humans.
After clearing up the misunderstanding and becoming friendly, the neighbors began bringing in small requests.
They weren’t as profitable as the regretful male lead case, but they were entertaining in their own way.
Catching a runaway cat using a fishing rod decorated with the feathers of a two-headed, five-colored bird…
Or chasing down a cheating couple in a forest rumored to be full of monsters…
Different world, same people—it really drove that point home.
Still, it was decent pocket money.
But it wasn’t quite enough to cover roof repairs.
‘Still… with all the experience I’ve gained fixing up the office… maybe I can handle it myself?’
Fixing a roof—just remove the broken parts and replace them with new ones, right?
There should still be leftover materials in the storage from last time.
After finishing my calculations, I confidently spoke up.
“Don’t worry. I’ll fix it.”
“…You, Director?”
Damon asked in a slightly doubtful tone.
“There should be leftover materials. I’ll just use those.”
He glanced at the storage room, then looked back at me.
“How do you plan on getting onto the roof?”
“……”
Life really is a series of hardships.
I grew solemn at this unexpected obstacle.
“…Let’s buy a ladder. A sturdy one.”
“A fine plan.”
Damon gave an oddly sincere compliment, then looked up at the ceiling.
“It’s the rainy season, so I’ll just do some temporary repairs for now. We can fix the roof properly later.”
“You’re going to do it alone? But without a ladder, how—”
I trailed off as I looked at him.
‘Huh?’
Something felt off.
Did I always have to tilt my head this much to look at him?
When I first brought him here, he was definitely much smaller than me…
But now, his sleeves had become short, and his pants were nearly half a hand above his ankles.
Noticing my gaze, Damon replied calmly.
“The attic ceiling is low, so it’s manageable. I’ll look for books on repair methods.”
…No way.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve grown taller?”
“?”
Damon tilted his head, puzzled.
“I’m at the age where I grow.”
Why are you talking like an old man?
‘He grew this much in just two months? That fast?’
Because I saw him every day, I hadn’t noticed.
But while I was busy cleaning and fixing the office, he had been growing at an alarming rate.
It was as if he were making up for lost time.
‘I don’t know my age. No one knows when I was born.’
When I had asked his age, Damon answered like that.
He looked to be in his early to mid-teens, so I had assumed as much.
But at this growth rate…
‘Maybe he’s older than I thought?’
Was his youthful appearance just because of malnutrition and that typical male lead baby-face?
If so, that meant his time to shine as the protagonist wasn’t far off…
Watching Damon slowly shed his boyishness made me uneasy.
Aren’t we just getting in each other’s way by dragging this out?!
I need to send him back to his original path quickly.
‘But why isn’t he running away?’
He had plenty of chances.
‘Maybe I haven’t done enough as an obsessive woman yet?’
Anxious, I opened the book <How to Turn an Obsessive Male Lead into a Runaway Male Lead>.
Obsessive Tip: Narrow the distance until it becomes uncomfortable!
Get physically close and make the other person feel burdened.
They’ll quickly run away to escape you!
Hmm. It’s questionable, but it should work.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I really had to go this far.
But I steeled myself again.
He’s not an easy opponent.
I had to make him uncomfortable enough to want to run away immediately.
“Did you find a book about roof repair?”
“I’m not sure. There’s a book titled What I wanted to fix wasn’t the roof, but this rotten world… but that’s probably not it.”
Damon replied without even turning around.
What kind of title is that?
Anyway, now’s my chance.
I quietly approached him from behind.
His neat back filled my view.
Sensing my presence, Damon stiffened.
“Director…?”
He hesitated, then turned his head.
We were so close that I could see my reflection in his eyes.
This should be enough, right?
I casually placed my hand on the bookshelf.
As if I were back-hugging him.
“Why… all of a sudden…”
Damon’s voice came out stiff.
With the bookshelf in front and me behind, he had nowhere to go.
“I need to grab a book.”
I replied, pulling out a random one.
“……”
Damon’s face had turned pale.
Looks like I succeeded in making him uncomfortable.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
I asked as casually as possible.
His hand gripping the book tightened.
…Is it working?
Should I get even closer?
Or is this enough?
‘No, if I’m doing this, I should go all the way.’
Just as I decided to move closer—
Ding.
“Um… excuse me. Is anyone here?”
A woman’s voice came from the entrance.
“Y-Yes! Coming!”
Startled, I hurried away.
My heart pounded like I had just done something wrong.
In my rush, I didn’t even check Damon’s condition.
Hopefully, he’d stew in discomfort and annoyance on his own.
Putting on a professional smile, I stepped out.
“I’m looking for Celia from the Welp Detective Agency…”
A young-looking woman stood at the entrance.
Judging by her simple bonnet and cape, she seemed to be a commoner.
She wasn’t from the nearby shops… maybe she heard rumors?
“Yes, that’s me. Please have a seat. What brings you here?”
The woman sat down with a bright smile.
“I came to request a job!”
She quickly placed a bundle of documents on the table.
Glancing through them, it seemed to be information about a young woman.
“Are you looking to track down a cheating lady…?”
“N-No! It’s not like that!”
Based on past experience, I made a guess—but she waved her hands in shock.
“It’s about Miss Elisa from the Rive Baron family. She’s been missing recently.”
“Are you from the baron’s household?”
“Oh, no. I’m a maid from the Lerint estate…”
Then why is the request coming from there?
We’re supposed to find someone from the Rive Baron family, so why is a maid from another estate here?
Noticing my suspicion, the maid scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“The Rive Baron family doesn’t really care whether she’s missing or not. So my master asked me to make the request.”
“I see. What is your master’s relationship with the missing lady?”
“They were… engaged.”
Engaged. (Formerly.)
