Chapter 67: The Notebook and the Elf

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The Notebook and the Elf

Hesia was wide awake now. He stared in disbelief at Zoya, who was mere inches away.

Although they’d had brief conversations and fought side-by-side, the current situation—with the "midnight contract" taking effect and her hand exploring a precarious area—forced him to wonder—

’Is this mysterious Moon-eyed Elf’s purpose related to Salamakis’s contract?’

However, Zoya just stared at him blankly, her amethyst eyes looking flustered and helpless in the moonlight.

She kept her lips pressed together, not uttering a word.

Of course, in truth, she didn’t know what to say.

If she spoke now, even the quietest sound could wake the others in the room.

And then, how would she explain being pressed against him with her hand on his abdomen?

As for Hesia, the feeling of weightlessness slowly faded.

The first thing he did was check his Status.

His Attribute values were stable, with no signs of being drained.

[Bloodline Solidification] had indeed perfectly negated the contract’s effects.

Confirming that the greatest threat had been dealt with, Hesia breathed a sigh of relief.

His attention then returned to the "trouble" before him.

He shot Zoya a look and gestured silently toward the door—

Just like that time during the night watch, he was telling her: ’Let’s talk outside.’

Zoya seemed to freeze for a moment before she understood. Then, she gave a slight nod.

The two of them carefully rose from their bedding. Like a pair of thieves, they tiptoed out of the house and melted into the cool moonlight.

Belte’s snores provided the perfect cover for their movements. No one noticed the two people missing from their sleeping spots.

Except for the dog.

Bruce watched their retreating backs but didn’t follow. He just lay on the ground, staring at the closed door.

Walking along the moonlit village path, Hesia’s mind raced, piecing together the strange events of the evening.

’Something was wrong with me tonight. I got tired way too early. That shouldn’t happen right before the Curse is supposed to hit...’

He glanced over his shoulder at Zoya, who was following behind.

That unique fragrance still lingered faintly in the air.

’The fragrance is coming from Zoya.’

’That fragrance is why I was sleeping so soundly.’

’If the intense discomfort of the contract taking effect hadn’t jolted me awake, I wouldn’t have woken up at all.’

’So, if her actions have nothing to do with the contract... what is her real goal?’

He recalled certain details he’d vaguely noticed before.

’Zoya’s gaze always seemed to drift over to him, intentionally or not. And her eyes often landed on his lower body?’

’And just now, her hand had indeed been searching in that direction.’

’If he hadn’t confirmed that she was an Elf, he’d almost suspect a disguised Succubus had infiltrated their party!’

However, a man’s Intuition told him that Zoya’s actions weren’t born of malice, nor did she have any of *those* kinds of "improper intentions."

There had to be another reason.

By this time, the two of them were some distance from the house.

Hesia saw a gentle slope just ahead and was the first to walk up it. Then, he turned and stopped.

There was a profound logic behind choosing this spot.

The reason was that after reaching the top of the slope, he found he could finally look at Zoya at almost eye level, or perhaps even look down on her slightly!

’Heaven knows why, but when they both stood up straight, he was somehow only about the same height as this Elf Maiden, and maybe... just maybe... a tiny bit shorter?!’

’But that must be because Zoya’s a woman, so she just looks taller! I’m still growing!’

Anyway!

No matter what!

Regardless!

’Hesia was firmly convinced that he would definitely grow taller in the future!’

But for now, the slight height advantage afforded by the terrain helped him feel a little more psychologically balanced.

Hesia—now literally looking down on her—regarded the Zoya below and decided to be the first to break the silence.

"Did you hypnotize me?"

Zoya’s hands twisted together helplessly. After a long silence, a soft syllable escaped from beneath her mask.

"Yes..."

Seeing her act like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, Hesia found his serious mood inexplicably softening.

People tend to show extraordinary tolerance and mercy when faced with a high-Charm target.

Right now, those panicked, helpless purple eyes under the moonlight, along with her slightly lost expression, were silently subjecting him to a remarkably effective "Charm check."

The result was that most of Hesia’s anger inexplicably dissipated, and he even felt a slight urge to tease her.

He deliberately put on a stern face and said in an "I’ve-seen-through-it-all" tone, "Hmph. I knew you were going to hypnotize me! That’s why it never worked. I was just pretending to be asleep! Bet you didn’t see that coming, huh?"

Zoya was visibly stunned. She looked up at him in surprise, her purple eyes filled with confusion.

She tilted her head and refuted him honestly, "Don’t know... why you woke up."

But then, as if confident in the effectiveness of her Magic, she added earnestly, "But. You were affected. You slept very soundly."

"..."

Hesia almost lost his composure.

But once the arrow is loosed, there’s no calling it back. He had to bite the bullet and continue the act. "I let you think I was asleep on purpose. In reality, you’re the one who’s been caught, Moon-eyed Elf."

"!"

The moment the words "Moon-eyed Elf" left his lips, Zoya’s pupils dilated, and her body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Although the lower half of her face was still hidden beneath her mask, Hesia could sense her breath catch and her lips part slightly.

’Good. I’ve taken back the initiative.’

Hesia knew this was the perfect time to question her.

"Relax. I don’t know you; I just figured out you were a Moon-eyed Elf from various clues. I won’t tell anyone. Now, talk. Why did you hypnotize me? What is your real objective?"

Then, he added emphatically, "Come clean. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to tell the captain and Laila everything that happened tonight."

Zoya hesitated, her gaze drifting involuntarily to Hesia’s waist.

"The dagger..."

Huh?

’The dagger?’

Hesia froze, following her gaze to his waist—

There, tucked into his belt, was the strange dagger he had gotten from Thun.

"Because of this dagger?"

Zoya nodded.

"You mean you hypnotized me just to steal this dagger from me?"

Zoya shook her head vehemently. "Not steal!"

She seemed to struggle to form the words, searching for the right term.

"I... touch... it."

Hesia: "..."

’What kind of strange reason was that? She wanted to touch a dagger? So she had to hypnotize its owner in the middle of the night and then go feeling around for it?’

He racked his brain, trying to recall the dagger’s origin—it was a gift from Thun, and along with it came David’s adventure journal...

’The journal... an Elf...’

A flash of inspiration struck him!

’Wasn’t there an Elf Ranger named Alina in David’s adventure party?!’

’Could this dagger be connected to that Elf?’

With this thought, he immediately asked, testing the waters, "Do you know an Elf named Alina? This dagger... was it hers?"

However, Zoya’s reaction once again took him by surprise.