Cecily’s body was whole again—perfectly, meticulously repaired. Healed.
The missing limbs and the scars had all vanished, as if the tragedy had never occurred in the first place.
I should probably double-check.
I lowered the hand I had been holding over her and summoned the monitor with a thought. A pale blue panel shimmered in the air, a sight visible only to me.
《Target: Cecily Rainburg》 《Damage Rate: 0%》 《No Repair necessary》
...Yeah, the system didn't detect any abnormalities either.
"No problems here. Just to be safe, run a bio-scan."
I gave a slight jerk of my chin toward the equipment. Sebastian, who had been standing there dazed, snapped back to reality and nodded frantically.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
His voice was thin and high-pitched. The mask of the stoic, collected old butler had cracked, his composure failing him. He was clearly struggling to suppress his overwhelming excitement.
A ring-shaped scanner deployed quietly from the life support system beside the bed. A blue light fanned out in a circle, slowly tracing up Cecily’s body from her feet to her head. Mechanical hums and a faint electronic buzz filled the air.
I pulled a nearby chair over and sat down heavily. While I simply watched the procedure, Sebastian was practically glued to the monitor, staring at the real-time data as it scrolled past. I could see his shoulders trembling.
The scanner made one pass. Then a second, even more thorough pass. As one might expect from the highest-grade model available for private use, the precision scanner spat out a mountain of data.
...And then.
The moment Sebastian saw the final results, he let out a long, shuddering breath, as if squeezing it from the depths of his lungs. He stepped toward me and bowed so low his back was nearly horizontal.
"Mr. Haijima... I don't know how to thank you. Truly, truly... thank you so much."
His voice was thick with emotion. Though he maintained the decorum of a butler, what leaked through was a mixture of pure astonishment, profound relief, and genuine gratitude.
I gave a dismissive wave of my hand and shrugged. Don't mention it. I just did what I was hired to do. Whether the job is hard or easy, the end result is the same.
"Oh, right. I should mention something important."
"Yes?"
"The scan shows her physical functions are fine, but it’ll take a little while for her to wake up. Her consciousness needs time to settle back into her body."
"Understood," Sebastian replied, nodding quietly. The look of suspicion that had been directed at me earlier had almost entirely vanished.
I gave a big stretch and finally let myself relax.
"Alright, I’ll wait here for a bit. You got anything to drink? I’d prefer coffee, if you have it."
"I wish to inform the others immediately, but..." Sebastian trailed off, furrowing his brow in confusion.
I gave a wry smile and held up a finger. "If word gets out that I can pull off a miracle this fast, it’ll be a massive pain. Let me... yeah, let me relax here for about thirty minutes."
I glanced at the clock on my terminal. It was right around tea time, and I had a few questions I wanted answered. If I could get a snack to go with the coffee, even better... but I wasn't going to be greedy.
It was a pleasant surprise. Several types of sweets were laid out on the side table. They weren't fresh pastries, but they were high-end baked goods—the kind of stuff you'd never lay eyes on in the Lower District.
The coffee was also a godsend: real coffee, ground from natural beans.
I breathed in the rich aroma rising from the cup, letting it fill my lungs. As I took a sip, the perfect balance of bitterness and acidity spread across my tongue.
...Yes, this was what coffee was supposed to be. I wanted to find those idiots back home who called that mud-water "authentic" and shove a cup of this in their faces. On second thought, that would be a waste of good beans. I’d just drink it all myself.
Gulp. "Mmm, delicious."
I could feel my face softening despite myself.
While I enjoyed my break, Sebastian remained at Cecily’s side, meticulously recording every fluctuation in her bio-data into his terminal. He had linked it to his mobile terminal so he’d know the second she opened her eyes.
I refilled my cup for a second round and let the aroma linger in my nose. Swirling the cup gently, I spoke up in a casual tone.
"By the way. I heard from Lucia that a certain chip was the reason Cecily ended up in this state."
For a split second, Sebastian stopped moving. It was just a single beat—barely noticeable to anyone not looking for it.
"I heard it went missing," I added, throwing the question out there. "Doesn't seem like the kind of thing that just disappears."
I took another small sip. The old butler remained silent for a few seconds before slowly choosing his words.
"After Lady Cecily fell into that state due to the chip’s influence, the mansion was in utter chaos. Police officials, engineers, representatives from the company that supplied the chip... medical personnel were constantly coming and going. The house was overflowing with people."
Regret bled into his expression as he spoke.
"Naturally, Lady Cecily’s life was our first priority. However, analyzing the chip was also an urgent necessity. But... by the time we realized it, it was already too late. It had vanished into thin air. It is the greatest blunder of my life."
I listened in silence, taking another sip of coffee.
...I see.
Suddenly, a speech bubble floated into view.
《...But there was something off about the scene. There were far more police personnel than necessary. And the bodyguards brought by the related companies—they were far too well-trained. But there is no evidence. Now that the chip is gone...》
So the butler was in the clear. He knew there were suspicious people about, but he hadn't been able to catch them. Gordon’s mention of "trouble" was likely related to this.
Hmm... it definitely didn't look like a simple accident.
Well, I’d heard enough about the others for now. Prying too deep would only make them wary of me. Given what I had planned for later, I’d consider it a win just to have gotten this much out of the butler.
I checked my terminal. The time was right.
"Alright, let's go."
I downed the rest of my coffee, stood up, and stretched. A little sugar after a job really did wonders. Sebastian closed his terminal and nodded, stepping toward me.
"Once again... thank you. Unfortunately, the Master is currently occupied, but I believe Lady Lucia is waiting."
Following the butler’s lead, I returned to the drawing room where I’d first been received. Lucia was there, along with the black-haired maid who had been standing guard in Cecily’s room.
The moment she saw me, Lucia’s eyes went wide and she rushed over.
"W-What happened?! Don't tell me... you couldn't do it...?"
Ah, right. She thought I’d come back because I’d given up. I lightly pushed Lucia back before she could crash into my chest and shook my head.
"No. I fixed your sister. Didn't I?"
Prompted by my glance, the old butler gave a deep nod and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Yes, My Lady. Lady Cecily has fully recovered. She is still sleeping, but she should wake up shortly."
Lucia looked back and forth between me and Sebastian, the meaning of his words taking a few seconds to sink in.
"R-Really...? She's really okay? Oh... Oh, thank you... thank you so much!"
The next moment, Lucia burst into tears and buried her face in my chest.
Hey, cut it out. You’re going to get snot on my jacket.
I let her use me as a pillar for a bit, but eventually decided she was too old to be acting like a child and pulled her away.
"In any case, the request is complete. I'll be expecting that reward."
The stock transfer would take time. It wasn't something that would be finalized by tomorrow, but given the circumstances, I expected things to move quickly. Lucia nodded over and over, even as the maid wiped her tear-streaked face with a handkerchief.
Sebastian reached into his coat as if remembering something and pulled out a slim data chip.
"The Master entrusted me with this—to be handed over upon the successful completion of the request. Please review it at your convenience."
I accepted the chip and flipped it over in my fingers. It looked like any other standard chip. Maybe it was a message, maybe it was information. It didn't matter. I’d check it when I got home.
I tucked it carelessly into my inner jacket pocket. With that, my business in this house was finished. Honestly, I’d worked too hard today. I wanted to get back, eat a decent meal, and crash, but I still had one more thing to do in the Upper District.
I dodged Lucia’s insistence that I stay for dinner with a wry smile and climbed into my car, which had been brought around to the front entrance. I started the engine, and as the chassis gave a low growl, I gave a final wave through the open window to the group seeing me off.
Just then, Lucia came jogging up to the car.
"...Um, this is my personal address. If anything happens... you know, please contact me."
Her eyes were moist, and her cheeks were dusted with a faint red.
If this turned out to be a honey trap, it would be impressive in its own way.
But the fact that no speech bubble appeared gave me my answer.
"I’ll message you from my work terminal... if I’m bored," I said dismissively, accepting the address.
She looked a little disappointed, but her expression brightened almost immediately. She returned to Sebastian and the maid with a satisfied look. The butler bowed deeply, and the maid placed a hand over her heart as they watched me go.
I tapped the accelerator and pulled the car forward. The vibration hummed through me, and the pleasant roar of the engine resonated in my chest. In the rearview mirror, I could see Lucia still waving, and the two staff members remained in their respectful poses.
She didn't stop waving that small hand until the garden trees finally blocked them from view.