Chapter 9 (2/2)
“You should be the one soliciting if you don’t want to starve! You’re the more popular one anyway.”
“When did that ever—”
JINGLE.
The bell tinkled as the door opened. Both of them instantly locked eyes.
“Are they commissioning?”
Lana asked instinctively as she stood upright while Sayre lowered her feet and put on a serious face. However, it was a pretty boy with pitch-black pupils that entered their line of vision. Maybe it was because of the boy’s pitch-black hair and pupils that his face appeared much paler. He gazed at them languidly.
‘He’s so young, but he’s already so handsome.’
There was no mistaking that he was still a child, but his appearance suggested that he would be peerless in terms of looks once he grew up a little more.
‘12 years old? Maybe 13?’ Lana unconsciously began guessing his age as she stood aslant and asked,
“Are you commissioning?”
“Nope.”
“I am.”
Someone else spoke up at the same time as the boorish boy. The voice belonged to a little girl.
“…?”
Lana looked left and right to locate the owner of the voice before she noticed a few fingers waving from below. She peered down and found a pretty and petite girl who stated,
“I’m the guest.”
Lana tilted her head to one side.
‘What is this cute creature?’
They were sisters who had lofty standards since they grew up accustomed to hearing the words pretty and cute, but this was the first time in her life she ever witnessed such an adorable girl that she couldn’t help but gawk.
‘She would be 8 years old at most? Or 9?’ It was hard to gauge her age.
“How old are you?”
“Eleven.”
Such a tiny girl is already 11 years old. But where are the adults? Lana glanced behind the kids with eagle eyes, then crouched down to meet Kynemeia’s gaze.
“Is it only the two of you? Where’s your mom?”
“Why do you need my mom? She went somewhere.”
“Well… Nevermind, where did she go? Is she around here?”
“She passed away.”
Lana was so startled, her eyes flashed back to Kynemeia.
“Huh…?”
“She passed away.”
Kynemeia repeated in a firm tone, ensuring that it wasn’t a mistake.
‘She what?! Passed away? Suddenly? You don’t normally say she went somewhere in this case!’ Lana glanced at Sayre, breaking out in a cold sweat, terrified that she might have involuntarily hurt a child’s feelings. Sayre rose to her feet, feeling distraught.
“Uhm, little girl, where’s your dad?”
“He passed away.”
“Ah…”
Sayre also froze in her spot then. Both of them could taste the uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.
‘This child, how strong…’
Lana then posed another question with a glare, as if she refused to concede defeat.
“… Then how about your grandfather…”
“He passed—”
“We get it. We’re sorry for asking.”
Sayre placed her index finger on Kynemeia’s lips to stop her from talking. Eian, who had been standing aside absently, grabbed onto Sayre’s wrist and removed it.
“Don’t touch her.”
Lana inclined her head.
“Ho, what is he?”
“My bodyguard.”
Kynemeia answered.
“You have a bodyguard too?”
“Do you usually treat your customers this way?”
Lana and Kynemeia said simultaneously. Sayre looked at them both and shook her head.
“Sweetie. I don’t know what you were thinking by coming here, but this is not the kind of guild you’re thinking of.”
“That’s right, kids should leave.”
Lana chimed in. Kynemeia then slowly pulled out something from her neck and displayed a necklace bearing a seal.
“I’m not just any child but Kynemeia Lyonne. Will you accept me now?”