CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 241

Rex was about to climb back into the car, but when he saw me walking inside, he hesitated for a moment. Instead, he chose to walk beside me, matching my pace. He then nodded at the driver, giving a subtle command for him to go inside and park the vehicle first.

We trudged along in silence, Macaron soaring high above us, his eyes darting around like he was on patrol, while Glacier trudged along right behind me.

Finally, we made it to the front door, and there he was—Sebastian, standing there all proper and poised.

"Long time no see, Sebastian!" I called out, giving him a big wave like we were old pals catching up at a barbecue.

That’s when it hit him. He was piecing it together—the girl from that coffee shop where he’d handed over the Arcanum. Back then, she was just some ordinary girl, but now? She looked different, even her Aura has changed.

"Ah... Hello, Miss Lockhart," he said, dipping into a bow that was way too formal for my taste.

"Remillia’s fine," I replied, trying to keep it light.

His eyes shifted to Rex then, sizing him up.

"This is Rex Harrison," I added, gesturing like I was introducing him at a party.

Sebastian gave him a respectful bow too. "Please follow me to the garden while you wait for the young lady," he said, turning to lead the way.

We wandered into their greenhouse garden, this sprawling space bursting with all sorts of flowers—vibrant blooms in every color, meticulously tended like they were prized possessions. It was the kind of place that made you feel like you’d stepped into a living postcard.

After a few minutes of hanging around in that fancy garden, Whitney finally appeared through the entrance. I couldn’t help but notice how Whitney looked like she’d aged ten years since the last time I’d seen her. She was pale, her cheeks hollow, and her eyes had this haunted look, like she hadn’t slept in weeks.

"Why are you guys here?" she asked, plopping down into one of the chairs like she was too tired to stand anymore.

"You weren’t picking up my calls or responding to my messages, so I came here myself," I shot back, trying not to sound too worried.

"And you?" She glanced over at Rex, her eyebrows raised.

"Just wanted to check how you’re doing regarding those..." he trailed off, leaving it hanging in the air.

"You must have seen the news, right? Well, I’m having a hard time cleaning that mess... Anyways, what’s that?" Whitney couldn’t resist asking about the paper bag, her stomach growling loud enough that I could hear it, probably from the smell wafting out.

"It’s a gift," I said, sliding the bag of fast food over to her—burgers, fries, fried chicken, the whole greasy works.

She cleared her throat, putting on this prim face. "You know that I don’t eat these kinds of foods."

But come on, I could see right through it. She grabbed that bag shamelessly and tucked it right by her side, like she was already planning her next bite. I just smirked, knowing she’d eat it later.

"What about that bag?" she asked again, her eyes darting back to it like she couldn’t let it go.

"Oh, these are for Macaron and Glacier," I said, nodding toward the other bag I’d brought along.

"Come to think of it, Sebastian said that you have another monster?" she pressed, leaning forward a bit.

"Glacier," I replied simply. And just like that, in a flash, this massive Frostbane came barreling toward us, settling right at my side with a low rumble. I reached out and gave his head a quick pet, and he growled softly, like he was happy to be there.

Whitney’s eyes went wide as she stared at Glacier, then flicked back to me. "Why is it that your monsters always end up on TV? This is the endangered one that was roaming the streets last year, right? How did you even manage to tame monsters that are almost extinct? Does our government know you own these kinds of creatures?"

I clapped my hands over my ears to drown out her scolding tone. "I have a certificate that I legally own them," I muttered, hoping that’d shut her down for a second.

Whitney let out a deep sigh when she realized I wasn’t gonna listen to her lecture, rolling her eyes like she was dealing with a stubborn kid.

"By the way, where are your parents?" Rex asked, breaking the tension with his usual straightforward vibe.

Whitney glanced at him, her expression tightening. "They’re at the company, trying to sort out this whole mess. I don’t know if we’ll ever recover from it, though."

I opened the bag and pulled out a fresh steak, holding it up. "Glacier, catch!" I yelled, tossing it high into the air. He snapped it up in one swift motion, swallowing it whole like it was nothing. "Good boy now go play," I added, and he lumbered off to roam the garden.

Meanwhile, Macaron must’ve caught the scent of the food because he swooped down and perched on my shoulder in an instant. "Here," I said, handing him the whole burger.

"Thanks!" he chirped, his voice all excited, before flying off to chow down somewhere.

Then I turned back to Whitney, flashing her a grin. "I can help you with your problem."

She crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need your help."

I just smiled wider. "Who says I’m helping you for free?"

"What do you want?" she shot back, her tone sharpening.

"I’ll give you information in exchange for helping your company," I said, leaning in a bit, knowing this could be the start of something big. "I just need armors."

"And what do you need those for?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion, like she was trying to figure out if I was pulling a fast one.

"You know how tamed monsters are getting widely recognized now, right?" I replied, leaning back in my chair. "Make some armors for tamed monsters, and your company will thrive even more. Plus, I want my share—and free armors for Macaron and Glacier, of course."

Whitney mulled it over for a second, her eyes narrowing as she weighed the idea, then she nodded slowly. "You’ll have twenty percent."

"Forty," I countered, not backing down.

"Twenty-five," she shot back.

"Thirty-five," I said, pushing a bit harder.

"Thirty," she offered, crossing her arms.

"Deal," I said, grinning as I reached into my expansion pouch and pulled out a contract and an envelope, ready to seal the bargain. Negotiations like this always got my blood pumping.

Whitney eyed the contract I’d slid across the table, along with that sealed envelope, her fingers hovering like she was itching to dive in.

"Inside the envelope are the perpetrators trying to destroy the reputation of Royal Dominion and your family’s company," I said, keeping my voice steady.

She was just about to snatch it when I pulled it back and tapped the contract instead, giving her a pointed look.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, skimmed the contract, then scribbled her signature. "Done."

I handed over the envelope, rolling up the contract and tucking it back into my expansion pouch. "Make sure to read that carefully—and trust me, all the info in there is solid facts." Alright, time to bail.

"Where are you going?" Rex piped up, sounding a bit surprised.

"Leaving. I still have work to do," I replied, whistling for Macaron and Glacier to come over.

"Wait, how can you go back?" he asked, tilting his head like he was puzzled.

My goodness, is he really that clueless? I’m leaving so they can have some alone time together.

"I have my ways," I said with a wink, waving at them both. "Have fun," I mouthed silently to Rex, before slipping away. Matchmaking on the fly—never gets old.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Sure enough, the next morning, Whitney had already started turning things around. I flipped on the TV while grabbing my coffee, settling in to catch the morning news, and there it was, splashed across the screen like a victory lap.

{Vice-leader and other members of Royal Dominion’s Guild are being interrogated for illegal activities; smuggling, illegal hiring of mercenaries, tax evasion, illegal monster fights...}

That mess was finally getting sorted, but yeah, since those guys were still tied to the guild, it was inevitable they’d take a hit—a temporary drop in rank and a dent in public trust. Still, with all the bad apples yanked out, I could already picture the guild bouncing back stronger, maybe even thriving. And hey, those monster armors I suggested to her? They were gonna be the next big thing, no doubt.

I clicked off the TV, tossing the remote aside, and started getting dressed for work. Just as I was buttoning up my shirt, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I grabbed it, expecting some spam or a reminder, but nope—it was a text from Whitney.

"Thank you for yesterday and I’ve seen that you’ve got the information from Veritas Bureau, please convey my thanks to them as well."

"I’m just doing my end of the deal after all, so make sure you don’t forget yours," I shot back in my reply, keeping it short and sweet.

"We’ve never made them before, but we can whip up as many as you want of the highest quality. Just send your monsters here so we can take their measurements," she texted back, all business-like.

"Don’t forget my shares either," I added, not letting her off the hook.

"You money-grubbing witch. Of course I didn’t forget," she replied, and I could practically hear the eye-roll in her words.

With that settled, I headed out to the company, Glacier lumbering along beside me and Macaron fluttering overhead like my personal escort. The streets were buzzing as usual, but my mind was already racing ahead to what those custom armors would look like. This was gonna be interesting.