“I put quite a bit of effort into this, you know. Let me enjoy it for a moment. You were surprised at first too.”
Penelope’s jaw dropped. It wasn’t her brother—it was Elizabeth herself!
Ahwin clicked his tongue in irritation.
“This is why people say you have a terrible personality.”
“Ah, I won’t deny that,” Elizabeth replied playfully, winking with one eye. She quickly added,
“But Ahwin, don’t you think your attitude toward me has changed drastically? I thought we could remain friendly.”
“Friends?”
Ahwin’s face froze, as if she had said something utterly unthinkable.
The atmosphere turned icy, as if a block of solid ice had settled between them.
Clearly, there had once been romantic feelings involved on one side, but now it felt as though they were mortal enemies.
Sensing trouble brewing, Penelope quickly intervened.
“Why don’t we go inside somewhere? I can feel people staring at us out here.”
Ahwin glanced at Penelope and raised a brow, then relaxed his expression. Elizabeth, watching him, offered a bitter smile.
“I know a good place. Shall we go there?”
“That sounds perfect,” Penelope replied hastily, eager to escape the tension.
“This way, then,” Elizabeth said, leading the way. Penelope followed closely, her parasol in hand, while Ahwin scowled but trailed after them in silence.
Penelope stole a glance at Ahwin. With his hood pulled low, she couldn’t clearly see his face, but his stiff demeanor was evident.
‘He’s in an even worse mood now.’
In the original story, Ahwin no longer harbored feelings for Elizabeth by the end. This must be what things were like post-conclusion.
‘It makes sense, but I didn’t expect it to feel this... real.’
Elizabeth led them to a small tavern. It seemed to be closed during the day, as there wasn’t a single soul in sight.
Elizabeth casually pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door as if it were her own home.
‘Oh, I think I remember this place from the original story.’
It was the hideout Elizabeth used to gather information. Here, she met various allies and made critical decisions that shaped her life.
The interior of the tavern was dim and quiet.
Elizabeth walked toward the kitchen while Ahwin pulled back his hood and locked the door from the inside.
Their movements were so natural, as though this were routine for them. Penelope, meanwhile, felt like an awkward outsider.
‘This is... uncomfortable.’
She stood there, taking in the tavern’s interior, before glancing at Ahwin. He caught her gaze and motioned with a flick of his finger toward a door at the back.
“Come on. We’re going inside.”
“Oh, okay.”
Following Ahwin’s lead, Penelope trailed after him hesitantly.
When the door opened, it revealed a cozy, moderately sized room.
With a small gesture from Ahwin, a magical light orb hanging from the ceiling glowed a warm orange, illuminating the space.
Just then, Elizabeth entered with a tray of beer mugs.
“Here, take one,” she said cheerfully.
“Beer?” Penelope asked.
“This is a tavern, after all. It’s all we’ve got at the moment. Unless you dislike beer?”
“No, I don’t dislike it,” Penelope replied quickly, shaking her head.
In her previous life, she had often found joy in cracking open a beer after work and drinking herself to sleep. Since becoming a noble, she had refrained for appearances’ sake—most nobles drank wine—but if she had the chance, she would have eagerly indulged.
Ahwin shot her a sidelong glance and commented,
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“I actually like beer,” Penelope insisted.
“I’ve never seen you drink it,” Ahwin retorted.
Penelope flinched.
“That’s because I never had the opportunity to drink beer at the manor.”
“Have you had the opportunity elsewhere?”
“Well... no, but...” Penelope trailed off awkwardly.
Penelope pursed her lips, rendered speechless by Ahwin’s relentless meddling.
Sensing her irritation, Ahwin hesitated for a moment before speaking with a slightly flustered expression.
“If it’s that important to you, just have a sip. Or fine, one glass should be okay.”
At that, Elizabeth burst out laughing—a bright and cheerful sound. Penelope felt her cheeks grow hot in response.
Am I letting my guard down too much around the heroine?
Penelope awkwardly cleared her throat and schooled her expression back into neutrality.
Elizabeth, still smiling, addressed Ahwin in a teasing tone.
“I’ve never seen anyone stand up to Ahwin like this. Let her drink it. Is it really necessary to be this overprotective over a single beer?”
“You’re saying that because you don’t know how frail she is,” Ahwin retorted sharply.
“Ah...”
Elizabeth trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words in the face of Ahwin’s overprotectiveness.
Can you tone it down a little?
Resisting the urge to stomp on Ahwin’s foot, Penelope boldly took a large sip of beer, foam and all.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
Ah, this is the taste!
Ahwin watched her with an odd expression before asking, “Is it good?”
“It’s amazing. Can I come back here again?”
“Do as you like,” Ahwin replied, his tone softening, as if his mood had improved.
Elizabeth, however, now looked at Ahwin with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.
“Now, may I finally have a cozy conversation with Penelope without interruption, Tower Master?”
“Pfft... Cough, cough!”
Penelope nearly spat out her beer, choking on the sudden revelation.
Did she really just call him the Tower Master out of nowhere?
The beer felt like it was stuck in her throat.
Ahwin, clearly startled, glanced at Penelope before turning to glare at Elizabeth. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows but quickly recoiled, her expression startled.
“What? She didn’t know about Ahwin’s identity yet?”
“No. But thanks to you, now I do,” Penelope said dryly.
“Oh, I just assumed you already knew... Are you very surprised?”
“Well...”
Penelope glanced between Elizabeth and Ahwin. Ahwin avoided her gaze, looking down at the floor.
After a moment, he cautiously raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression somewhat apprehensive.
“You really didn’t know? Not even a little? I thought you might have suspected.”
“Well, I kind of guessed. I hoped it wasn’t true, but eventually, I just decided to accept it if you ever revealed it yourself.”
“...”
Ahwin’s gaze wavered slightly, his emotions unreadable.
“That’s all?”
All? Penelope hadn’t even mentioned the most critical part yet. She firmly added,
“Just so you know, I don’t have any money. You’re aware I’m not wealthy enough to afford the Tower Master’s services, right? The wages I owed you were settled last time, so there’s no going back now.”
“...What is that supposed to mean?”
Ahwin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He raised his voice, sounding incredulous.
“Wait, are you saying the issue was my pay?!”
“What else did you think it was? Was there another issue?”
Ahwin shook his head in exasperation.
“Never mind. Let’s drop it. The more we talk about this, the more exhausting it gets.”
“Sounds good to me,” Penelope replied quickly.
That went smoother than I expected. What a relief.
Penelope chuckled inwardly, surprised at how easily the topic had been brushed aside.
Still, she hadn’t expected Ahwin’s identity to be revealed so unceremoniously. Of course, she had known for a while, but there was a significant difference between realizing it privately and having it openly confirmed.
Just then, Elizabeth clapped her hands together and said,
“So, there’s no problem between the two of you, right?”
Ahwin’s glare turned sharp, and Elizabeth flinched, retreating behind Penelope for cover.
Understanding Elizabeth’s plea for help, Penelope quickly redirected the conversation.
“Oh, right! I prepared a small gift for you, Betty.”
“Really? What is it? I’m so curious!” Elizabeth replied eagerly, her mood instantly brightening.
Penelope pulled a box from her bag and handed it over.
“It’s nothing much, just a thank-you gift for inviting me to the imperial banquet. I had such a wonderful time, thanks to you.”
“I wasn’t expecting that, but I’m delighted!”
Elizabeth opened the box with an excited expression. Inside was a set of cosmetics in elegant glass jars.
Elizabeth picked up a jar containing a cream with a lovely pale green hue and examined it curiously.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a cosmetic made with green herbs. If you use it alongside the soap, the effects are even better.”
“Wow, so Halo is making cosmetics too? Why didn’t I know about this? If I had known, I would’ve bought it ages ago!”