Chapter 79: Feipu Lane 122

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Feipu Lane 122

Judging by how deserted the hallway was, there probably weren’t many suckers willing to pay extra Silver Scales for the reputation.

But... it wasn’t completely useless, either.

After all, wasn’t one of them living behind that door right now?

Before knocking, Hesia quickly composed himself.

He’d felt something was off these past two days.

He was starting to suspect what had happened that night. His emotions seemed to have been unnaturally amplified by some external force.

According to his usual principles, ’What does the life or death of a stranger have to do with me?’

It was just like the matter of finding Annis—he couldn’t care less about her whereabouts.

’Promise to protect an Elf I just met? That’s completely out of character for me.’

He had two suspects: Salamakis, the entity that had whispered in his mind, and Zoya herself.

The "Affinity has increased" notification was objective, but the "Affinity" itself wasn’t necessarily pure.

It was like a Hunter admiring their long-pursued prey. That kind of "Affinity" was more about the satisfaction of watching the quarry walk step-by-step into a trap, an appraisal of its worth.

’So which kind is Zoya’s Affinity for me?’

But regardless, Hesia didn’t plan on taking back his promise.

He decided to play along.

On one hand, he needed this "Affinity" as a key to unlock more valuable entries from Zoya. On the other, he would remain ever-vigilant, waiting to uncover her true nature.

Just then—

[Moon-eyed Elf Zoya Selene’s Affinity for you has increased. Decryption Points +2]

Hesia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Heh, speak of the devil.’

...

Inside the room, a pair of long, fair calves dangled carelessly over the edge of the bed.

As the pages turned and the plot rose and fell, the legs’ owner seemed completely immersed in the story.

Her fair, pink-tinged toes would curl and arch during tense scenes, as if hooking onto something forbidden, then relax and spread out when the plot lightened.

Zoya was lying on her stomach on the bed, engrossed in a novel she had made a special trip to the bookstore to buy last night, completely unaware that the man outside had already labeled her a "suspect."

For her, this was perhaps the first time since escaping her cage that she could truly, completely relax.

There was no uncertainty about the future, only the triumphs and tragedies of the story.

"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK."

The sound of knocking startled her from her fantasy world.

She jolted and scrambled up from the bed, only then remembering she had arranged to go house-hunting with Galen.

Her clothes were already neatly packed, stuffed into a small backpack in the corner.

She had simply been so immersed in the plot of her novel that she had completely lost track of time.

She fumbled to pull on her outer robe, drew up her hood, and put on the mask that concealed her face.

Only after doing all this did she tiptoe to the back of the door.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she glanced back in a panic. Her eyes swept over the bed, making sure the novel was safely tucked under her pillow.

Just then, Bruce’s report came from outside the door:

"Woof! Report! I think Zoya’s behind the door now. I hear footsteps!"

"CREAK—"

The door was pulled open a crack.

A cool, serene fragrance, mixed with the scent of sunlight and old books, wafted out.

Hesia sized up the fully-kitted-out Elf Maiden behind the door and raised an eyebrow. "Did you just... get back from a job?"

"No..."

Hesia watched her, his expression unreadable.

’Is this meticulous disguise meant to hide her face, or to hide her expression?’

’Someone skilled at manipulating others would never let anyone see their true emotions.’

The scales in his mind tipped further toward "Zoya is hiding something."

Seeing her luggage was packed, he said, "Let’s go look for a house."

Zoya nodded. She shouldered her backpack and was about to step out the door, but she paused as if realizing something.

She stole a glance at Hesia. Seeing he had already turned to leave, she used the agility of a Stalker to dart back to her bed. She pulled out the racy romance novel hidden under her pillow—*Master Mage, Your Magic Wand is Poking Me*—and quickly stuffed it into her backpack.

She thought her actions had been stealthy, but she didn’t notice Hesia, who was walking ahead, falter in his step for a split second.

When Hesia turned and saw her nervous, furtive expression, his suspicion grew even stronger.

...

The two of them stood before the public notice board in the town’s central square for a long time, carefully sifting through the listings in the "Housing for Rent" section.

Listings for entire houses were scarce and expensive, far exceeding their budget.

They could only turn their attention to shared rentals or individual rooms.

After eliminating the ridiculously expensive mansions and the basements that sounded dark and damp, and filtering by the "at least two vacant rooms" criterion, a rental notice on "Feipu Lane" finally caught their eye.

Hesia got his bearings and led Zoya and Bruce toward the iconic Bell Tower in the northern part of town.

The area around the Bell Tower seemed to be Rose Town’s wealthy district. The streets were noticeably cleaner and quieter, and the houses were built with more sophisticated materials and designs.

Feipu Lane was tucked away on the edge of this district.

The lane was fairly wide, paved with clean flagstones.

Curved iron trellises were mounted on the high stone walls on either side, overgrown with lush, everblooming roses. Pink and white blossoms cascaded in layers, forming two flowing waterfalls of flowers nearly five meters high that all but obscured the sky.

The ground was paved with permeable bluestone bricks. Along both sides of the path were intricate copper drainage grates and channels, suggesting there would be no standing water even during the rainy season.

Walking through such a lane, the very air smelled of flowers, and one’s mood couldn’t help but soften.

Number 122.

They stopped before an oak door that looked aged but well-maintained.

The doorway was covered in a peculiar vine hung with small, bell-shaped flowers. Hesia recognized the plant—a Knocker Vine.

He pulled on a naturally hanging tendril, and the bell-shaped flowers immediately chimed like wind chimes, the clear, melodious sound carrying into the courtyard.

A gentle woman’s voice came from inside the courtyard.

"One moment, I’m coming."

A few moments later, a serene-looking woman in her forties appeared at the door.

She wore a comfortable cotton dress with a gardening apron, but peeking from the apron pocket wasn’t a pair of shears or a trowel, but an exquisite pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

"Hello," she said with a smile, putting on the glasses and adjusting them. "Are you here to see the house? I’m Cassandra."

"Good day, Lady Cassandra." Hesia nodded politely. "We saw your rental notice on the board. This is Zoya, and I’m Galen. Also..." He stepped aside to reveal Bruce. "We have another companion. He’s very well-behaved. Would you mind? We can pay an extra fee."

Right on cue, Bruce sat up straight, wagged his tail eagerly, and grinned, putting on his most adorable, well-behaved expression.

Lady Cassandra’s gaze fell upon Bruce, and her expression softened immediately. "Oh! What a spirited little fellow! What’s his name?"

"Bruce."

"Well, Bruce, please come in! It’s no trouble. I like dogs. They’re much more sensible than some ill-mannered guests."

The courtyard wasn’t large, but it was orderly and full of life.

One corner was a small vegetable patch with common herbs and vegetables. Another was a small garden bed, where colorful, shade-loving flowers bloomed. There was even an apple tree by the wall, its branches dotted with unripe fruit.

"The rooms are on the second floor. Come, I’ll show you," Cassandra said, leading them up an exterior staircase.

The second floor had a small common area and two adjacent bedrooms.

The rooms were simply but cleanly furnished, complete with a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.

The windows were large and bright. Pushing one open revealed a view of the cascading roses in the lane below and the spire of the distant Bell Tower.

Hesia was very satisfied. The place was quiet, clean, and not far from the Adventurer Guild.

He looked at Zoya, questioning her with his eyes for her opinion.

Zoya was gazing out the window at the crimson sea of flowers. Feeling Hesia’s gaze on her, she nodded slightly. "The roses... are pretty."

Cassandra laughed at her words. "What a lovely voice you have, dear, and good taste, too. Rose Lane is actually at its most beautiful during the rainy season.

"The rain knocks the petals down, and they gather in the drainage channels, forming a flowing, crimson stream.

"A Minstrel used to live around here, and he wrote poems about that ’stream’ every day. The name ’Feipu Lane’ spread because of him."

The group returned to the living room downstairs and sat down.

Cassandra poured them two cups of herbal tea.