Chapter 232 Heaven and Hell
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Myucel… you’re no longer an executive of Keldan. You must vacate this residence immediately.”
The announcement struck her like lightning. Only yesterday she had been a respected Half-Elf officer; today, she was nothing. When she begged for an explanation, the guards told her bluntly: since your success with rare herbs, you’ve achieved no notable results.
”What? No! This house was given to me by Count Keldan himself!” she cried.
But the guards only displayed an official eviction order. Her pleas to see the Honorary Count went unanswered. Even her own attendant and driver refused her calls for help.
”Too bad. We only stayed under you to get close to Count Keldan,” one sneered.
”Yeah, and your carriage? Consider it severance pay. Later!” another spat.
In an instant, the smiles and loyalty vanished. Everyone scattered, leaving her with nothing but a single suitcase.
Dragged onto a public bonnet-truck, she was dropped before a plain workers’ housing block. The guard handed her a key. “This is your new home.”
Inside, she found only a straw mattress, so unlike the spring-coil luxury bed she once enjoyed. She wept, whispering, this must be a nightmare. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the Count. He’ll fix this…
But morning brought no relief. Instead, she was pushed into harsh, repetitive factory labor. The borrowed work uniform chafed, the tasks were alien, and mistakes earned scolding not just from superiors but from fellow workers. Exhausted, she stumbled to the Lord’s manor to demand an audience.
The guards blocked her.
”You’re no longer an executive. Go home.”
”Please! This is a mistake! Let me speak to Count Keldan!”
”Silence! The Lord does not meet with commoners like you!”
Her tears flowed, yet she kept insisting until a familiar voice rang out over the intercom.
”What’s going on out there?”
The soldiers straightened. “Your Excellency! Former Chief of Pharmaceuticals Myucel demands an audience—”
”Former… what?!” Ayumu’s shock was clear. “Wait right there!”
Moments later, his voice returned.
”Guards, good work. But her dismissal was a mistake. Withdraw the order immediately. Pass word to the other departments too. Allow her in at once—and forgive the trouble.”
The guards murmured in confusion, but obeyed.
Inside the gates, Snow and Emilia rushed forward.
”Myucel! We were so worried when we heard you’d been fired!”
The three clung together, weeping with relief.
When she entered the study, Ayumu sat behind a black Lusrith-wood desk, with Yuri, Yuvus, Cartier, and Ninim at his side.
”You’ve had a rough time,” he said mildly. “Lilina, bring Myucel some coffee.”
As they spoke, the truth emerged. A noise in Ayumu’s chambers, Myucel storming out, rumors twisted into tales of her using magic against him—a coup attempt. Rivals schemed, even sabotaged her herb gardens, and opportunists seized the chance to brand her a failure. Meetings were held, judgments passed. In the end, half-truths and lies piled high enough to bury her alive.
And so, her downfall had been nothing less than a royal straight flush of misfortune.
Yet now, reinstated, she thought the ordeal over.
She was wrong.
Pressure closed in from all sides. Ayumu himself summoned her: “Ahem… Myucel. Come to my room later.”
The memory of his past harassment made her tremble. She refused, and whispers spread: Ungrateful! She owes her reinstatement to the Count, yet dares defy him! Even Snow and Emilia urged her, “You really should at least thank him in person…”
One day at a public canteen, she bit into a tough steak—once a luxury, now only gristle compared to the fine filet she had grown used to. The taste filled her with grief. Never again do I want to fall so low…
And yet—going to his chamber might mean facing unwanted hands once more.
(He might try again… but this time, if he does, I’ll fight back. I’ll use my magic, and if needed, I’ll report him to Hiyori Sashima herself!)
Cornered, torn between fear and survival, Myucel realized she could run no longer. She would accept the summons… and brace herself for whatever awaited.
To be continued…
Notes:
• Myucel – Half-Elf from Great Forest, violet eyes and flaxen hair; first in Ch.143; master of herbs, Windmill shockwave; orphaned, no family; rescued by Ayumu and became his healer-knight; gentle yet insecure, once destroyed a party over cream puffs.
• Emilia – Silver-haired, violet-eyed swordswoman–mage, trained in both blade and spell. Introduced with Margaret (Ch.218) during Ayumu’s recruitment of new talent to rebuild Keldan’s forces.
• Snow – Half–Snow Elf (Ch.218), white-haired and blue-eyed with a teardrop mark. Deadly with blade and frost magic, she joined Ayumu’s elite units, rising from a marginal mountain background to valued fighter.
• Cartier – Nelrearian merchant prodigy, striking with soft pink hair and sharp sapphire eyes | First in Ch.144 | Genius at bookkeeping and logistics, granddaughter of a major merchant guild founder | Powerful family ties grant her vast influence | Initially scornful of Ayumu and treats him with cold disdain | Oversees arms and supply distribution while mocking his manners | Unique note: brilliant yet venom-tongued, she insults him as vulgar while quietly accelerating Keldan’s military growth
• Ninim – Once dominant merchant power in Keldan, sidelined by Ayumu’s reforms (Ch.218). Furious at losing control, grinding his teeth as privileges were redistributed across ethnic groups. Symbol of the old guard: influential, ambitious, but undercut by Ayumu’s deliberate balance of power.
• Yuri – Appears earlier as one of Ayumu’s circle (clerical/retinue role). Unlike fighters, he handles softer duties in support and household management.
• Yuvus – Human from Domain Army, handsome and disciplined; first in Ch.163; skilled knight swordsman; no family mentioned; rose quickly and was made Ayumu’s young knight; clashes with Half-Elves, especially Myucel, but loyal to Ayumu; cold pride hides strict loyalty.
• Lilina – Timid daughter of Birene merchants, pushed by her parents to secure Ayumu’s favor like Luruna did. Drawn into his bed through pressure and coercion, she became both a tool of her family’s ambition and proof of Ayumu’s moral lapse.
• Hiyori Sashima – A quiet, caring girl from the library committee, empathetic toward Sanai.
• Sashima – Family name of Hiyori. A quiet, caring girl from the library committee, empathetic toward Sanai. She followed as a Barrier Technique Adept.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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