Chapter 54: Be Mindful of Privacy

No, no, no…

No matter how tempting it might be, if you think about it carefully.

That’s Letia, isn’t it?

If it were her own photo, Litt might feel something, but just seeing Letia’s face…

Feelings?

It’s tough, really tough… though only her fists are.

“Ding dong~”

Just then, the doorbell was pressed by someone.

Red was startled by the sudden sound, but once he realized this was his own room, his hanging heart finally settled.

Placing the photo on the table, Red walked out of the room, reached the entryway, turned the lock, and opened the door.

Standing outside was not the boisterous Letia as he’d expected, nor the gentle Litt.

Instead, it was Otto, dressed in formal archbishop robes.

“Good evening, Mr. Red.”

Otto’s voice was very calm.

“About the Assembly Line, there’s a small section that needs your guidance. The new workers aren’t very clear on how to assemble things.”

“No problem.”

Red replied immediately.

This was his responsibility after all, so naturally he wouldn’t refuse.

Just as he was preparing to leave, Red seemed to recall something and asked Otto.

“The drawing of the Core Magic Array—shouldn’t that be entrusted to someone trustworthy?”

Red knew that the most crucial part of mechanical creations was that Core.

While it wasn’t especially difficult, after a large number of products entered the market, in half a year or so, others would definitely decipher it.

But a half-year monopoly would be enough for him to earn quite a bit.

“Of course.”

Otto’s smile didn’t change at all, still gentle, though beneath that gentleness there was a trace of coldness.

“The ones involved in production are all mages who have signed the Highest Contract with us. With the Holy Law as witness, the chance of them leaking information…”

He paused slightly here, then smiled ambiguously.

“Does not exist.”

Red felt as though Otto was hinting at something, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Still, Otto was his business partner, and Red didn’t want to overthink things.

Use people without suspicion; don’t use those you suspect.

“Time waits for no one, let’s go.”

Red still had a mountain of things to do, so he left with Otto.

After walking for quite a while, Otto glanced at Red beside him and spoke.

“Little Litt has really troubled you lately. She can be a bit playful at times. How do you feel about living with her?”

“Playful?”

Red was taken aback.

He really hadn’t noticed Litt being playful at all; she always seemed like an angel descended to earth.

How could she be associated with playfulness?

“Sorry, Archbishop Otto, but I honestly haven’t felt the slightest bit of playfulness in Litt.”

“Heh heh… That’s good, that’s good.”

Otto seemed to understand something.

“But you know, the two of you are a man and a woman under the same roof, so be mindful of your personal privacy.”

“I don’t really have anything private to worry about…”

As Red said this, his voice suddenly caught in his throat.

He’d forgotten something.

The photo was still sitting on his room’s table; he hadn’t had a chance to hide it yet!

What to do?

Should he make up an excuse to go back and hide it?

Red’s face turned grave.

He clearly remembered how he’d been tricked by Toth into buying that little yellow book at some shop.

Thankfully, Litt hadn’t made a fuss about it, and with all the chaos at the time, the whole thing was muddled over.

But… if that photo were seen, it would be a different matter.

The stuff in the little yellow book could be brushed off, but the person in the photo actually existed!

And it was such a private photo…

Normally, except for someone like Letia, who would give a man such a private photo?

Aren’t these kinds of photos something only extremely close couples exchange?

It would definitely cause a misunderstanding, right?

Not that he was afraid Litt would distance herself from him over this.

After all, Litt wasn’t that kind of person.

The point was, if it seemed like he was involved with Letia, wouldn’t it make him look like a loli-con!?

Besides, Letia’s temperament had nothing to do with being a loli at all.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-no… nothing.”

Red shook his head repeatedly.

Go back now?

He really didn’t have a good reason.

And might not make it in time anyway…

There was nothing he could do, so Red could only pray in his heart.

Pray that Litt didn’t go into his room.

***

As evening fell, Litt returned home after a day of busy work at the monastery.

“Ahh… I’m tired.”

Ever since she started playing the role of Litt, Letia felt she’d been forced to become much more diligent.

If it were before, there was no way she’d do all these miscellaneous chores, not even if she were beaten.

Also, ever since the White Church delegation arrived at Dawn Town, it was as if they’d vanished—no news could be found at all.

Maybe to find out, she’d have to start with Dawn Town’s lord—the one who tried to kidnap Tessa, Baphist.

“Come to think of it, was Red holed up in his room all day again today?”

These past few days, Red had been shut in every day, working on the plan for the twenty-fourth floor operation.

Just like he was back at the Blade of Dawn.

So hardworking, so diligent, yet never getting any recognition from anyone.

Liz took his efforts for granted, Bethany just saw Red as her hired help, and Jessica was a bit better, treating Red like a housekeeper at best.

As for herself…

A toy?

Though it felt a bit immoral to say.

But honestly, everyone needs some fun in life.

You can’t play on QQ Space all day, right?

Even girls have cooldowns, you know.

“I’d better go check on him, just in case he drops dead in his room.”

Letia cleared her throat and shifted back into Litt’s gentle voice.

She walked up to the second floor, stopped in front of Red’s bedroom, and gently knocked on the door.

“Knock knock knock…”

But after waiting a long time, there was no response from inside.

“That’s strange, did he go out?”

Litt muttered, unconvinced, and knocked again.

But this time, the door opened right up.

Red’s bedroom door wasn’t locked, just slightly ajar.

Litt turned on the light and saw that the room was empty.

It wasn’t just because there were so few things—Red’s room always seemed particularly bare.

“Where did he go…”

Litt muttered softly, about to close the door, when she caught sight of the table from the corner of her eye.

Sitting on it was the very reward she’d given Red at the time.

Litt walked in, picked up her own photo, examined it closely for a while, then took a sniff of the room’s air.

“The room’s tidy, clean, no strange smells…”

“Red actually managed to resist?”

“I thought he’d use it as spellcasting material.”

While Litt was murmuring, urgent footsteps sounded behind her.

As soon as she heard it, Litt instinctively slipped the photo into her pocket.