Mr. Olsenford shook his head and put the ring back onto his rough finger:
"Thank you for your kindness. Something happened between Haila and me. Was she the one who told you not to mention it? She's always like that, but I'm still sorry that you didn't tell the truth. I thought you could have become a friend."
Listening to him, Shade looked at Mr. Olsenford's friends setting the fires, doing his best not to show too much contempt:
"To me, you and your wife are both strangers. I met her first, so I agreed to her request."
"You sympathize with my wife? You guessed there's a problem with our relationship?"
Mr. Olsenford asked with a frown, his gray-blue eyes reddened by the firelight.
Shade smiled.
"I'm not someone who likes to meddle in other people's affairs. Besides, compared to me, your wife obviously understands you much better. Of course I would pity a woman suffering setbacks in love, but I know absolutely nothing about either of you apart from your names. In that situation, guessing at someone else's circumstances based on my own ideas, even taking the initiative to help them, is something that only happens in knight novels."
For Shade, someone had to clearly ask him for help and offer a clear price—even if it was only one penny—before he would consider lending a hand.
Last summer, when you helped that woman find her child, you didn't consider the price.
"She" suddenly said with a laugh.
"That was for psychological satisfaction. Besides, that woman wasn't strange at all."
Shade replied inwardly. Mr. Olsenford nodded.
"I think I understand what kind of person you are now. Compared to being a novelist, you're actually more suited to being a detective."
"Coincidentally, I'm working on a detective novel. Just like Delarion's