"This whole city is like an anthill," Maddy muttered softly to herself, staring into her cup. "The mont a single, giant piece of food drops, every last ant panics and rushes toward it. Now that the ’Hero’s son’ has co ho, their entire attention has shifted straight to him."
A small, cynical smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It was perfect. With Erwin soaking up all the glory and taking credit for "slaying the Demon Lord," no one in Protha would be looking at her. No one would be questioning how a dying girl miraculously recovered, and no one would be looking too closely at a quiet, low-ranking mage.
"Well," Maddy murmured, taking a slow sip of her drink. "It’s completely what I needed. Let them have their savior. It keeps them from gossiping about miracles they aren’t ant to understand."
Johnn set his fork down, leaning across the table with a suddenly serious expression.
"You know what, though?" he said, dropping his voice. "I’ve got a really bad feeling about that ’Hero’s son’ guy. Sothing about him just rubs the wrong way."
Maddy’s interest peaked. Her violet eyes locked onto him, wondering if Johnn’s sharp instincts as an adventurer had picked up on the sa oddities she had noticed in the Guild hall. She leaned in slightly, waiting for a profound revelation.
"It’s his ego," Johnn grumbled, crossing his arms and scoffing. "Did you see the way he strutted in there? Acting like he owns the place just because of his na? He thinks he’s so much better than the rest of us just because his the son of the golden hero and his armor used to be shiny."
Maddy stared at him, her peaked interest instantly deflating.
"Of course," she thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I bet he’s just jealous. It’s just typical n hating other n because they share the sa stubborn pride, or because the other guy happens to be higher up the ladder."
"Ugh," Maddy muttered aloud, taking another sip of her drink. "So this is just a typical petty rivalry. I should have known."
"Hey, it’s not just that!"
Johnn countered, though he flushed slightly at being called out. He quieted down, his tone turning a bit more thoughtful as he looked at the flickering candle between them.
"But... well, I guess maybe he gets that attitude because of what happened to him. He lost both of his parents during the last Demon Lord invasion. He was left with nothing but a massive legacy to live up to. That’s probably why he pushes himself so hard, trying to prove he’s just as great as the old man was."
Maddy paused, her cup hovering halfway to the table. She looked at Johnn, surprised by the sudden flash of empathy from the usually loud-mouthed adventurer.
"Well," Maddy said softly, the harsh edge leaving her voice. "At least you’re still trying to understand him, despite your petty jealousy."
Exactly on tii, the kitchen door swung open and Julie walked back in. In her hands was a large platter of fresh pastries and a tall glass of brightly colored, sweet fruit juice. She placed the juice directly in front of Johnn, whose eyes practically turned into saucers at the sight of the sugar.
"Here you go!" Julie said brightly, dusting off her apron. She looked over the completely cleared platters on the table. "Wow, you really did eat everything! Don’t worry about the ss. As soon as you’re done with dessert, I’ll go upstairs myself to make sure your room is perfectly nice, clean, and ready for the night."
Johnn took a huge gulp of his juice, letting out a satisfied sigh before leaning back with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, Julie... does that an you granted my request from earlier? Are we finally sharing the master suite?"
Julie didn’t skip a beat. She slowly turned her head toward him, plastering the most hilariously fake, rigid custor service smile across her face.
"Of course..." she paused, her smile dropping into a deadpan stare, "...not. Lady Maddy deserves her absolute privacy, and I would never force her to share a space with soone so loud."
Maddy couldn’t help but chuckle, raising her glass toward the girl.
"Excellent judgnt, Julie. You truly have a gift for seeing through nonsense. I appreciate you looking out for my peace and quiet."
Johnn slumped in his chair, looking utterly defeated as he muttered sothing into his juice glass about mages ganging up on him.
Before heading back to the kitchen, Julie turned her full attention to Maddy. She gave her a long, incredibly warm smile, her eyes locked onto Maddy with a deep, lingering stare that felt entirely different from how she looked at anyone else.
As the kitchen door swung shut behind the girl, Maddy watched the spot where she had been standing. A strange, quiet realization settled in her chest. Julie was becoming remarkably attached to her—far more than a regular innkeeper’s daughter should be to a passing adventurer.
"It’s the magic of the forest..."
Maddy thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. After the massive feast was finished, Maddy was escorted upstairs by Julie to her designated quarters. It was the exact sa room she always rented.
"This was the most perfect room... tucked away at the very end of the hallway. Away from everyone else..."
Julie unlocked the door and stepped inside, looking around the humble space with a slight frown.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to take this one, Lady Maddy? You could easily request our most expensive and largest room, and we would gladly give it to you for free!"
Maddy shook her head, offering a faint, reassuring gesture.
"No, this is perfect. I just need a quiet room to spend the night. Nothing more."
Julie reluctantly agreed, a soft smile returning to her face.
"If you say so, milady."
Maddy walked over to the edge of the mattress and sat down, expecting to hear the door close. But it didn’t.
She looked up and realized Julie was still standing right by the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her, simply watching Maddy and smiling. Five seconds passed. Then ten. Julie didn’t move an inch, her gaze entirely fixed on the mage.
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