IGJDW 04

Chapter 4

Evelyn wondered what Seth meant by “keeping that in mind,” but her attention was soon drawn to the materials she needed for her next task—a white cloth covering a table. She dragged it over, spread it beside her, and asked,

“Um, so, what exactly are you trying to find out?”

“The location where the goods are hidden and the people trading them.”

“Goods?”

“Illegal mana stones.”

Illegal slaves and now illegal mana stones. This ship seemed to specialize in smuggling contraband.

The two men kneeling on the floor abruptly stood up as their identities were revealed. A man standing behind Seth moved in an instant, swinging the scabbard of his sword. The two collapsed without even a groan.

“Wow!”

Evelyn instinctively clapped her hands before realizing this wasn’t the time for applause. Awkwardly, she lowered her hands.

“Just to be sure… you’re not involved in anything illegal, right?”

No matter how important survival was, she didn’t want to assist in a crime.

At her question, Seth’s subordinates flinched, their faces showing clear displeasure. Seth, however, seemed amused as he replied,

“I’m on the side that punishes those who do such things.”

“S-sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. It’s a situation that warrants suspicion.”

The men behind him didn’t seem to share that sentiment, but Evelyn ignored their piercing glares and turned her attention back to the trader. She needed to get to work.

Taking off her gloves, Evelyn slapped the trader, who was pretending to be unconscious. Though her strength was diminished after being starved for three days, she aimed to provoke him, as her ability worked better when the target lost their composure.

Slap!

The sharp sound echoed, and the trader’s thick lips trembled. Evelyn grabbed his neck with both hands and pressed down firmly as she asked,

“Where are the goods hidden?”

“You wretched woman!”

Unable to contain his anger, the trader opened his eyes and glared at her. At that moment, a black substance oozed from his body and began clinging to her hands. Evelyn slapped his other cheek and repeated her question.

“Where are the hidden goods? Speak up, now!”

The black substance crawled up her arm. Her vision blurred, and she felt nauseous, but she forced herself to endure it.

The black substance was an illusion visible only to her. It felt disgusting, but it wouldn’t kill her.

Reaching out with one hand, Evelyn grabbed the cloth lying on the floor. The black substance crawling over her body quickly transferred to the cloth. After a brief moment, it transformed into chaotic black letters scrawled across the fabric.

Her ability allowed her to extract someone’s thoughts through physical contact and transfer them onto cloth or paper. It had its limitations, but it was quite effective for gathering information.

Evelyn scrutinized the cloth with sharp eyes. Most of it was useless information, but there were some crucial details. She read it slowly.

“A secret compartment under the cargo hold? How do you open the secret compartment?”

“…W-what?”

The trader’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at her. The more flustered he became, the faster his thoughts flowed out. Evelyn deliberately lifted the cloth to show him. Seeing his thoughts written on the fabric, the trader panicked and struggled.

“You witch! You devil! Let me go!”

“Who are the people you’re trading with?”

“No! No! Aaaah!”

When the trader saw the names being inscribed on the cloth, he tried to bite his tongue to kill himself. However, the man standing next to Evelyn struck the trader’s jaw and stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth.

“Mmph!”

Evelyn meticulously questioned him about where he met his contacts and how the transactions were conducted. Then, she read through the extracted information to ensure nothing was missing. By the time the interrogation was over, the trader had a defeated expression, having given up entirely.

‘That’s what happens when you engage in crime…’

Evelyn ignored him and stood up, taking the cloth with her. Turning toward Seth, she noticed the wary expressions of the men around him. Their hostility made her suddenly aware of her situation, and a chill ran down her spine.

‘Of course, what was I expecting?’

When Evelyn was a newborn, her wet nurse had been so terrified by the words appearing on the cloth that she had thrown Evelyn. If she hadn’t landed on a bed, she would have died then.

Her parents believed she was possessed by a demon. They didn’t kill her because they feared the demon would transfer to them. Instead, they locked her in the basement and tried to forget about her.

Even her blood relatives had treated her like that—there was no reason to expect strangers to view her kindly.

Evelyn couldn’t bring herself to look at Seth. Strangely, she was afraid to see his reaction. After hesitating for a moment, she finally placed the cloth on the floor and stepped back.

“The information written here is accurate. It should be helpful.”

“Stop right there.”

A low voice froze her in place.

Why was I stopping just because he told me to?

As she berated herself, Seth approached her. His steady gaze met hers as he asked,

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Did I do something to upset you?”

His unexpected reaction left Evelyn confused.

Was he hiding his displeasure? Why? Was it because he coveted my ability? Or was it a matter of pride?

“Eve?”

When his hand reached toward her cheek, Evelyn flinched and stepped back. Seth hesitated, studying her carefully. Evelyn blinked in confusion.

‘Does he really not fear me? Does he not hate me?’

His eyes, his outstretched hand—they seemed to say as much.

It felt strange. This was the first time someone had known about her ability and not been afraid of her. Evelyn bit her lip to suppress her emotions.

“What’s the problem? Tell me.”

His low, whispering voice tickled her ears. Avoiding his gaze, Evelyn lowered her head and confessed,

“I thought you’d find my ability unpleasant.”

“Why? You used it because I asked you to.”

“Most people dislike it.”

Evelyn mumbled hesitantly.

After a moment of silence, Seth turned his head. He seemed to understand the situation as he glanced at his subordinates, who were clearly uncomfortable.

“It seems I’ll need to have a separate conversation with them.”

“Ah!”

Startled, Evelyn grabbed Seth.

“Why?! That makes it look like I tattled on them!”

It was natural for people to fear her ability, but punishing them for it would only make her more hated.

A rookie reporting on her seniors on the first day of work? She’d become a legend in the industry for all the wrong reasons.

Seth chuckled softly as he watched her panic.

“Since you don’t want me to, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Yes. I can’t make someone who’s been through so much because of me look like a snitch.”

Finally reassured, Evelyn relaxed. But as the tension left her body, she suddenly felt dizzy. Seth caught her effortlessly as she stumbled. Startled, Evelyn flailed in his arms.

“Stay still. It’s no wonder you’re dizzy after all that exertion.”

Whose fault did he think that was?

When Evelyn pouted and glared at him, Seth gently patted her. As his hand touched her, a cool sensation spread through her body, and she felt her strength returning.

“Huh? This…”

“Shh.”

Seth silenced her before she could exclaim in surprise. Evelyn immediately clamped her mouth shut. It seemed her recovery was thanks to his ability.

‘Is this some kind of superpower?’

It wasn’t just his looks that were extraordinary.

As Evelyn stared at him in amazement, one of Seth’s subordinates suddenly stepped forward.

“M-my lord, I can carry her instead.”

The man fidgeted nervously, extending his hands. His expression resembled that of an employee watching their boss clean the office. Realizing she was being carried by the “boss,” Evelyn panicked.

“I-I can walk on my own!”

As she struggled, Seth adjusted his hold on her and glared at his subordinate.

“Don’t volunteer when you’re too scared to even approach her.”

The subordinate flinched and lowered his head.

‘Why are you scolding him? Now I’m the one they’ll resent!’

Evelyn glared at Seth, but he ignored her. It seemed he had no intention of putting her down. Resigned, she leaned against him more comfortably. If this was how things were going to be, she might as well take care of herself.

“Morris, take responsibility for cleaning up this place.”

At Seth’s command, the man who had helped Evelyn beat up the trader saluted.

Evelyn glanced at Morris. Having beaten someone up together, she felt a strange sense of camaraderie. She wanted to greet him if their eyes met, but unfortunately, she failed.

Noticing her gaze, Seth frowned slightly.

“Do you have something to say to Morris?”

“No. He’s a senior colleague, so I just wanted to greet him.”

Evelyn whispered softly. Seth hesitated for a moment before heading straight out the door. His reaction made Evelyn nervous, and she asked,

“I am hired, right?”

“Why? Are you having second thoughts?”

“N-no.”

She didn’t regret it, but she was worried. Could she handle the job of chasing down criminals? Everyone else seemed so physically capable—she felt like she’d only get in the way. Watching Seth casually open the door while carrying her with one arm only made her more anxious. Earlier, he had torn through iron with his bare hands. Surely that wasn’t the standard here. She could only hope there was some clerical work she could do.

“My lord.”

As Seth stepped out of the cabin, men dressed in black greeted him. Evelyn instinctively shrank back, and Seth soothed her.

“Is the cleanup complete?”

“Yes. Everything has been taken care of.”

The men, who answered obediently, glanced at Evelyn. Their eyes seemed to ask, ‘Who is that woman, and why is she in our lord’s arms?’

Sorry. I’m the new hire. I passed out after finishing my work, so please understand.

Feeling intimidated, Evelyn lowered her head. Seth turned slightly to shield her and commanded,

“Assist Morris in collecting evidence and finishing the cleanup. I’ll return first.”