Several days had passed since the little incident with Spur, and Maggie had almost completely forgotten about it.
On the other hand, she also received a reply from the Silver Road Guild Master. The guild master accepted her wish and did not refuse, which at least relieved Maggie.
In this way, when the Duchess arrives at the temple in a few days, her safety can be guaranteed.
However, the contents of the letter were somewhat different from what Maggie had imagined. For some reason, the chairman wanted to meet with her in person to discuss the details of the matter.
Maggie thought he would plan everything out for her so she wouldn't have to worry about it.
As soon as the thought came to mind, Maggie inexplicably felt like a hands-off client. If she didn't take any responsibility, wouldn't the client also feel annoyed?
So Maggie chose a location in Santa Fe City: a tavern with a relatively high foot traffic in Santa Fe City, the Margaret's Tavern.
The decor is elegant and classic, making it a suitable place for business discussions.
Of course, Maggie had never met the president of the Silver Wheel before, so she was still looking forward to the appointed time, since she could meet someone who was shrouded in mystery even in the original manga.
Although the comic says that he was the Duke who stole the opportunity and completely wiped him out, there are no specific scenes depicting it; it's only mentioned briefly in a short passage.
This is also why Maggie suspects that the Duke actually didn't die in the comics.
But none of that matters; we can only confirm certain things once we meet the person.
"Is Master getting ready to go out?"
Perkin stood in the most inconspicuous corner of the corridor and asked Maggie, who was unusually not wearing a saint's robe but a rough linen dress.
The weather wasn't very good today; it was gloomy. Plus, it was just past dusk, and the sun had set, making his snake eyes appear even darker green, and his gaze was deep and devoid of light.
"Yes, I'm going to meet someone who's a bit important today."
Maggie gave a soft "hmm," but didn't specify who it was.
Anyway, it probably wasn't that important to Perkin, she thought.
To meet people who don't meet the temple's requirements in private, people who can't be met openly, Maggie certainly couldn't use her identity as the Holy Maiden of Light. It was also the first time in a long time that she wore a dress other than the Holy Maiden's robes.
To avoid drawing attention, she dressed simply, but this only made her face appear even more dazzling, so she wore a small black veil hat to partially cover her face.
However, when paired together, they didn't quite match, which triggered Maggie's perfectionism.
Although she hesitated until she left the house, still considering whether to change into another dress, she had too few clothes in the temple, and there was nothing more suitable than the one she was wearing.
However, this doorway refers to the secret passage leading out of the garden; she cannot leave the temple openly and honestly.
Perkin pursed his lips upon hearing the answer, but looking at Maggie's mismatched dress, he spoke softly.
"I can accompany my master to buy a new dress."
Maggie was still wondering what to do when she suddenly heard Perkin's words and was a little surprised.
"May I?"
Maggie was surprised.
She thought Perkin hated clothing stores. Last time she wanted to take him to buy new clothes, he seemed to resist every cell in his body. How could he take the initiative to accompany her to buy clothes this time?
"Can."
Perkin didn't explain, but silently turned around, uttered two words, and walked towards the garden, giving Maggie no chance to refuse or accept.
Maggie thought about it and followed after all. Anyway, it was still early, and it wouldn't hurt to go shopping for a bit.
After the sun sets, the streets of Santa Fe are shrouded in a hazy, gray filter. The cobblestones are polished smooth by the footsteps of passersby, and there are far fewer people on the streets.
The streetlights will be on in a little while, which is the perfect time to go out.
Darkness can conceal many things, such as Maggie's unnatural clothing.
Fortunately, there was still quite a while before the time agreed upon with the Silver Wheel Guild Master, so Maggie and Perkin walked along the road toward one of the few clothing stores in Santa Fe City.
Halfway there, Perkin suddenly tugged at her and pointed in another direction.
"That one looks better."
Perkin's words surprised Maggie even more. He actually cared about which store had the best-looking clothes. She actually just wanted to buy any one of them since she wouldn't have many opportunities to wear it in the future.
"good."
However, there was no need to refuse someone's kindness at this time, so Maggie nodded in agreement.
Turning around, Perkin's lips curled slightly. He silently followed Maggie, but instead of walking behind her like servants protecting her, he was now standing beside her, just like... a couple.
The young man was a head taller than the girl, and they walked side by side like an ordinary couple on a date.
Under the cover of dusk and night, lovers conceal their affections and secretly express their unspoken love.
As the two walked, a light rain suddenly began to fall, making the street scene even more hazy. All that could be seen were rows of shops with their lights on.
Neither Maggie nor Perkin was in a hurry. The two of them used magic to keep out the rain and walked slowly towards the clothing store amidst the hurried passersby.
Raindrops hit the ground, stirring up some dust. Besides the dampness, there was a faint earthy smell, but it wasn't unpleasant; in fact, it smelled quite pleasant to Maggie.
The clothing store owner, seeing the rain getting heavier, was about to close the door, but upon seeing two figures walking in the rain, he silently stopped closing the door and waited for the two to come inside to take shelter from the rain.
When they arrived at the shop, they discovered that the two men were magicians, as they showed no signs of getting wet.
No wonder they weren't in a hurry at all.
"Whose clothes are you two looking at?"
Instead of guessing, the boss glanced at Maggie and Perkin before politely asking.
"I want a dress that's not too extravagant or flashy, but also not too plain, and preferably one that goes well with my hat."
Maggie briefly explained her requirements, and the shop owner immediately understood and went inside to find the most suitable dress for Maggie.
Perkin kept his eyes on Maggie the whole time and didn't say a word to the boss.
The dress the shopkeeper brought out was perfect, and Maggie knew she wanted it at first glance. Just as she was about to take out her coin pocket to buy it, Perkin snatched it away.
He had paid in advance without his knowledge.
He even spoke up to stop Maggie when she was about to leave.
"Won't you pick out a couple more? There are many other nice ones here that you can wear later."
Perkin's voice was soft, mingling with the sound of rain, and when it reached Maggie's ears, she somehow detected a hint of expectation or pleading.
Maggie paused, and under Perkin's gaze, she withdrew her foot and returned to the store. For some reason, she felt an urge to buy a couple more items, even though she probably wouldn't have many chances to wear them again.
Although... she felt that something was off about Perkin today, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Maggie had no choice but to give up thinking.
When the two left the shop, the outside was already brightly lit, with streetlights all lit up, and night had officially fallen.
Perkin was carrying four or five exquisite and gorgeous dresses. Maggie hadn't chosen any of them herself; rather, Perkin had led her around, stopping at each one and asking her with expectant eyes, "Does this one look good?"
Perhaps because the dresses were all so glamorous and the women were all so beautiful, she was experiencing a bit of aesthetic fatigue. Maggie seemed like a boyfriend accompanying his girlfriend shopping, only mechanically nodding in agreement.
In the end, Perkin simply bought whichever one he thought looked good.
She didn't pay for it; Perkin paid for it all, even though Maggie is now quite wealthy, and Maggie doesn't know where Perkin got the money from.
"It's time, I should go keep my appointment."
Maggie turned around and spoke to Perkin, who was carrying several dresses.
"...Um."
Perkin's cheerful aura instantly vanished, turning gloomy, and it took him a while to agree to Maggie's request.
After agreeing, without waiting for Maggie to say anything more, he turned into a shadow and disappeared from the spot.
"?"
Maggie could certainly sense Perkin's emotional changes, but she was completely bewildered, a huge question mark appearing above her head. When did Perkin become so unpredictable in his emotions?
Did she miss something?
However, Maggie was more anxious to see the president of the Silver Wheel, so she temporarily put aside the things she couldn't figure out.
...
Inside Margaret's Tavern.
Maggie had just sat down in her reserved spot when a figure appeared opposite her, nearly making her jump up from her seat, but she managed to restrain herself.
"!"
Because the person in front of him was none other than the Archangel El, whom he had met in the Green Forest last time.
Although he wasn't displaying wings and a halo now, she still recognized his face and those seven-colored eyes. They were so easily recognizable that it was impossible for her to ignore them or pretend not to know him.
Maggie is really going crazy. What about her, the president of the Silver Wheel?
How could it just disappear like that?
Could he have been killed by an angel? That would be such a terrible injustice.
Just as Maggie remained expressionless but was inwardly frantic, El spoke up.
"This is our second meeting, Miss Saintess. Let me introduce myself again. In addition to being the Archangel, I am also the president of the Silver Wheel and the person you have entrusted with this task."
As soon as El finished speaking, Maggie felt her composure, which had remained unchanged even in the face of a collapsing mountain, crack.
"..."
She was so shocked by the news that she couldn't speak, and her brain seemed to shut down.
She actually took the initiative to meet with a big shot who seemed to have ulterior motives towards her. Last time, it took Philomona a lot of effort to get rid of him!
“Miss Saint, please don’t worry. I am here to see you today as the president of the Silver Wheel Guild, and I will not do anything out of line to you.”
El seemed to have seen through what Maggie was thinking and comforted her very kindly.
This comforting gesture had no effect on Maggie; instead, it made her even more distraught.
If she believed that, she'd be a fool!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com