Time Healer Ceres

“...Can’t I just finish this first?”

“Do you think that’s going to happen?”

“......”

Clatter.

The spoon slipped from Skal’s hand. Under Lot’s icy glare, he no longer dared to argue.

See? I told you to hurry up and eat.

Lot’s expression when he left the shop earlier had been strange. It was the look of someone who had figured something out.

I knew he’d be back in no time.

“Wait! What about the bill?”

The mercenaries called out as they watched Skal being dragged away by Lot.

Boss should at least pay for the stew we’re eating!

“You can’t just leave like that!”

“Yeah! Pay for our meals before you go!”

Snap!

But one murderous look from Lot had them clamping their mouths shut. His expression said it all.

You know exactly what you’ve done...

“Yeah, yeah. Scold them all you want. They were so easily bought with a bowl of stew. Is that any way to behave, huh?”

“Shut up and follow me.”

“...Yes, sir.”

Skal figured getting scolded together would be less painful, so he tried to drag the others into it too. But one word from Lot was enough to make him fall silent and follow behind him.

“Jay.”

“Yes?”

Ceres watched Skal being led away with a little pity, then called out to Jay, the maid who was clearing away bowls nearby.

“Put it in the ledger.”

“The ledger?”

“The tab ledger.”

“Ah, yes.”

Being a regular doesn’t mean you get to eat for free.

Realizing that Skal had left without paying, Ceres told Jay to add everything to the tab, including the stew he’d eaten while crouched down in the kitchen.

“Then... could you also put our meals under the guild leader’s name?”

Seeing their chance, the mercenaries tried to sneak their own meals onto Skal’s tab.

“Mm, no.”

“.......”

Faced with Ceres’s firm refusal, they had no choice but to finish the stew quietly.

***

Thud!

“—!”

Late that night, Veilks was lying in bed when something suddenly came crashing down toward him. He hurriedly rolled out of the way.

A corpse landed where he had been lying just moments ago, its heart pierced clean through by a sword.

“......”

Veilks recognized the body at once. It was one of his own men.

“They’re getting better.”

A low voice sounded beside his ear. Someone was standing right next to him, though Veilks had no idea when he had arrived.

“It took you a while to notice me this time.”

The man spoke calmly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was Kainel.

“.......”

Veilks was speechless. Kainel’s sudden appearance was startling, but he could more or less guess what had happened.

This man...

The corpse on his bed was the subordinate he had assigned to watch Ceres, a man skilled in stealth and escape.

And now he’s dead.

None of the men he had sent before had returned, either. Veilks just assumed Ceres was responsible, but now he suspected they had fallen to this man as well, Grand Duke Persia.

No, there was no doubt about it. Kainel had killed them. Didn’t he just say that the people being sent to her were getting better?

Then he must have encountered the previous ones too. As if to confirm his suspicion, Kainel continued.

“The others weren’t bad, either.”

They were skilled enough to escape her notice. Ceres had always been exceptionally good at sensing assassins and watchers. But the ones following her lately were on another level.

“...I’m honored.”

Veilks relaxed his stiff expression and put on his usual gentle smile.

“I suppose you took that as a compliment.”

But the smile didn’t last long. The murderous aura Kainel suddenly released sent a shiver through Veilks. It felt like his entire body might be torn apart.

“I don’t need permission, do I?”

Swish.

“To kill these men.”

Figures had appeared around Kainel. They emerged without a sound with swords pointed at him. Kainel’s smile deepened.

“Stand down.”

Swish!

At Veilks’s command, they vanished as quietly as they had appeared. If he hadn’t ordered them to stand down, there would’ve been more corpses in his bedroom. Even if twice as many men had gathered and attacked Kainel, it would’ve been pointless. Veilks knew Kainel’s abilities better than anyone.

A long time ago...

He had faced Kainel himself, after all. A very long time ago.

“You surely didn’t come all the way here just to return my subordinate. Shall I offer you some tea?”

“I don’t really care for tea.”

Step.

Kainel took a step closer to Veilks.

“You know, a long time ago...”

Looking at Veilks kept bringing one particular memory to mind. Kainel had completely forgotten about it for a while, but...

“Less than a month after Grace’s death...”

There was someone who dared to search her room.

“Someone had the nerve to go through her stuff.”

How dare he enter her room...

“So, what do you think I did?”

“......”

The smile slowly faded from Veilks’s face. He knew exactly what Kainel was talking about.

I was careless.

He must have been caught up in the excitement of Grace’s death. Thinking he could finally put an end to everything, he had let his guard down completely.

The black egg...

He had gone to her residence himself to look for it. He had thought it would be faster and safer to search personally than to rely on someone else.

But that was his mistake.

I never imagined the entire residence would be warded.

It seemed to be a spell that alerted certain people whenever a stranger entered. If it had simply been a loud alarm, he could’ve fled immediately. He hadn’t even realized there was a spell in place. It was that subtle. Only when he noticed someone appear behind him did he realize that something was wrong.

“He was an interesting fellow.”

Step.

Kainel moved one step closer to Veilks.

“I didn’t ask why he broke in or what he was looking for.”

He didn’t want to ask anything.

Grace was gone. The mere fact that a stranger had entered the space she had left behind was enough to shatter what little reason he had left.

“The interesting part is...”

Kainel killed him instantly and tore his heart right out. And yet he didn’t die.

“......”

“Even with his heart ripped out, he was still alive. He ran away.”

Kainel didn’t chase after him. At the time, he didn’t have the slightest desire to do so. Once the man had disappeared from Grace’s space, Kainel wanted nothing more to do with him.

“But looking at you brings that day back to mind.”

That distinctive scent... The faint smell of death he’d caught on that man back then. He could smell it on Veilks as well.

I think I also understand something else now.

He thought he finally understood what the man, who had escaped from him, had been looking for in Grace’s residence.

The black egg...

“So I tried it on your subordinate. I was curious whether he’d survive and run away even with his heart torn out, just like that man did.”

Kainel’s smile deepened as he wrapped one hand around Veilks’s neck.

“What about you?”

“......”

“Would you survive if I tore your heart out?”

“......”

For the first time, Veilks’s gaze wavered. The memory came rushing back, as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. He could almost feel Kainel’s cold hand tearing his heart out all over again.

Back then...

His heart was torn out, wounding the soul of his true self within it. He was forced to use all his strength to heal it.

In the end, he had no choice but to fall into a deep sleep. He had to leave everything he had prepared behind and sleep for a very, very long time.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!