For the next five days, Shen's routine was incredibly mundane.
Every morning, he left his home and made his way to the university library. Not for work, of course, but simply to find Erica.
However, his efforts yielded absolutely nothing.
He checked the front desk, the archiving annex, and even the small coffee shop and the restaurant she occasionally frequented during her breaks.
He discreetly asked some of the other library staff, but they only offered vague, unhelpful answers, mentioning that she had requested some time off or was simply 'busy'.
Where could she possibly be?
Shen thought, leaning against a towering oak bookshelf and rubbing his temples in frustration.
Whatever business she involves herself with outside her work hours, it's keeping her entirely away from the university. It looks super suspicious.
He couldn't shake the lingering worry.
After all, in this world, people disappearing for days at a time usually meant they were either deeply entangled in dangerous Beyonder affairs, currently being hunted by an evil god's cult or a suspicious organization, or already dead in a ditch somewhere.
Since he couldn't find her at the library or any of her usual places, or even around the university,
Shen decided he had no other option. He needed to find Erica, or at the very least confirm if she was okay.
First, let's go to her house and check if she is at home.
He navigated the bustling streets of Backlund, heading toward the commercial district where the Halloway family ran their business.
The Halloway Tailor Shop was located on a respectable, well-maintained street corner.
It wasn't the most extravagant establishment in Backlund, but the polished glass windows and the elegant, tasteful mannequins displayed out front clearly indicated that they catered to wealthy merchants and nobility.
Shen arrived at the front door, reaching out his hand to grasp the polished brass handle.
Before his fingers could even make contact, the heavy wooden door was violently slammed open from the inside.
Smack!
The thick, solid oak door struck Shen squarely in the face with the force of a battering ram.
The sheer, unexpected impact lifted him entirely off his feet.
He flew backward and crashed heavily onto the hard cobblestone pavement.
Shen lay flat on his back, his head spinning dizzily as a sharp, throbbing pain spread across his nose and forehead.
Then a wealthy, pompous-looking man dressed in an overly extravagant, highly tailored gentleman's coat stormed out of the shop.
He paused for a brief second, looking down his nose at Shen sprawled on the ground, and sneered in absolute disgust before briskly walking away.
"Humph, do these beggars have nothing better to do than lie around, even in this place?" the man muttered, his silver-tipped cane clicking loudly against the cobblestones.
Shen sat up slowly, rubbing his bruised nose.
He stared incredulously at the retreating back of the wealthy nobleman.
What the hell is wrong with that bastard?! And did he just call me a beggar?!
Shen complained internally, absolutely stunned by the man's horrific manners.
First, he slammed a door into my face, knocked me flat on my back, and he doesn't even have the basic human decency to apologize? I am the victim here, damn it!
Shen sighed heavily, shaking his head. He brushed the dust off his coat and pushed himself up from the ground.
He stepped forward, reaching out for the brass handle once more.
Smack!
The heavy wooden door was abruptly slammed open from the inside again, striking Shen in the same spot on his face.
The force knocked him backward for the second time in less than a minute.
He crashed back onto the cobblestones, staring blankly up at the gray Backlund sky.
Shen's lips twitched violently.
Is this some fucking joke?
Shen thought furiously, rubbing his increasingly tender nose.
What is wrong with the people in this building?! Why is everyone aggressively throwing the door open like they're breaching an enemy fortress?!
As Shen lay on the ground, mentally questioning whether his decision to come here today was right or wrong, a man hurriedly stepped out of the shop.
He looked to be in his early forties, but he exuded an incredibly elegant, refined aura. He was dressed in a neat, perfectly tailored waistcoat and trousers.
He had light brown hair, a meticulously groomed beard of the same color, and wore gold-rimmed glasses that framed sharp, intelligent sapphire-blue eyes.
The man looked around the street with a worried, highly frustrated expression.
Then he saw that the pompous, wealthy man had already vanished down the street in his carriage, and he let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.
Just as the man turned to walk back inside the shop in defeat, his gaze fell downward.
He froze, staring in surprise at the young man currently sitting on the cold cobblestones, aggressively rubbing his red, bruised face.
Shen looked up through his fingers. "Mr. Henry?" he said, his voice laced with genuine surprise.
It was Henry Halloway, Erica's father. Despite being in his forties and running a demanding business, the man still looked remarkably young, energetic, and undeniably handsome.
Henry Halloway blinked, pushing his gold-rimmed glasses slightly up the bridge of his nose. He stared at the young man on the ground for a long moment in surprise. "Are you... Shen? Shen Akivil?"
Shen felt a sudden, warm burst of happiness. He smiled genuinely, deeply touched that the man still remembered him.
After all, it had been almost a year and a half since Shen had last visited the Halloway home.
Man, he still remembers me; what a good man!
Shen thought, preparing to politely get up, dust himself off, and offer a proper, respectful greeting to his friend's father.
"Yes, Mr. Henry, it is me, Sh—" Shen began, pushing himself up.
He froze completely as Henry's surprised expression instantly morphed into a look of profound, unadulterated disgust.
"You really are that lazy, worthless rascal," Henry sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "The one who wastes his time hovering around my precious daughter like a highly persistent and annoying fly.
"And why the hell are you sitting on the floor in front of my shop like a beggar? Don't you have something better to do with your miserable life?"
Shen's eye twitched violently. His warm, happy mood instantly shattered into a million pieces.
Rascal?!
Shen complained furiously in his mind.
Since when did I become a worthless rascal?! And do I look like I'm sitting on the ground to beg?! I'm sitting on the ground because you and your stupid customers keep violently slamming a goddamn door in my face! And here I thought this man was great.
Swallowing his immense frustration, Shen sighed heavily, shook his head, and stood up, carefully dusting off his trousers. He forced a polite, entirely strained smile onto his bruised face.
"It is nice to meet you again, Mr. Henry, after such a long time," Shen began, desperately trying to maintain basic conversational etiquette. "How is your day going? I hope it has been a pleasant—"
"Cut the nonsensical, flowery pleasantries," Henry interrupted sharply, crossing his arms over his chest.
He glared at Shen as if the young man were a stain on his polished shoes. "Tell me exactly why a lazy rascal like you is here begging on the streets, and on top of that, doing it right in front of my shop. Are you here to ruin my business?!"
Shen's lips formed a tight, straight line.
Oh, Big Boss, Evernight Goddess, give me patience.
"Well, you see, Mr. Henry," Shen explained, speaking slowly and clearly as if explaining a basic concept to a child. "I am not begging. I was just about to enter your shop properly like a normal person, but someone abruptly threw the door open with the force of a cannonball, and it knocked me flat onto the ground."
Henry stared at him for a moment, clearly not caring about the explanation in the slightest. "Humph, fine," the older man grunted dismissively, turning on his heel and marching back inside the shop.
Shen sighed again, following the hostile man inside.
As he stepped through the threshold, Shen took a quick look around.
The interior of the Halloway Tailor Shop hadn't changed drastically since his last visit.
The air still smelled pleasantly of fine fabric, chalk, and lavender.
The long wooden cutting tables were impeccably clean, and large, ornate mirrors lined the walls.
The only major difference was the display; numerous new, incredibly fashionable, high-quality garments were neatly arranged on wooden mannequins, showcasing the latest Backlund winter trends.
Just as Henry and Shen were about to sit down in the plush waiting chairs near the front window, a voice called out from the back rooms.
"Henry, dear? Did you manage to catch him?"
A beautiful woman stepped out from behind a heavy velvet curtain, carrying a ledger in her hands.
She wore an elegant, flowing dark dress that perfectly complemented her pale skin. She had jet-black hair tied back in a neat bun and striking emerald-green eyes that were identical to Erica's.
Her facial features held a strong, undeniable resemblance to her daughter, though her demeanor was vastly different.
She was Delphine Halloway, Erica's mother and Henry's wife. While Erica possessed an elegant yet sharp, intensely scholarly demeanor, Delphine radiated an aura of elegant, welcoming gentleness.
When Delphine's emerald eyes landed on Shen, she stopped in her place, her face lighting up with genuine, pleasant surprise.
"Oh, my! Who do we have here?" Delphine smiled warmly, walking forward and rubbing his head affectionately. "Isn't this little Shen? It has been so long! Did you grow taller?! How have you been doing these days, sweet boy?"
Shen shook his head to break free from her head-petting; he felt his cheeks burn with intense embarrassment.
He was a grown man now, so being called 'little' and petted on the head by his friend's mother was really embarrassing.
"I have been doing quite well, Mrs. Delphine," Shen replied, offering a slightly awkward smile. "Just working and roaming around the city here and there."
From the side, Henry immediately let out a loud, highly dramatic scoff of pure disdain. "More like wasting away and achieving absolutely nothing like a rascal."
Delphine turned sharply toward her husband, her gentle demeanor instantly shifting into a terrifyingly stern glare. She lightly smacked Henry on the head with her heavy ledger.
"Ow!"
"Now, Henry, how can you say such a rude thing to a child?" Delphine scolded him softly, though the warning in her tone was clear.
She turned back to Shen with a slight smile. "Shen has been working very hard at the university library, and he has even taken on several private tutoring jobs for wealthy students. I heard all about it from Erica just last week."
Henry blinked, looking at Shen with an expression of mild but reluctant surprise. "A lazy loafer like you is actually working a respectable job? Now that is a genuine miracle."
Shen stared at the man, complaining bitterly in his mind.
What do you mean 'lazy loafer'?! It looks like this man still holds a massive, completely irrational personal grudge against me just for being close friends with his daughter!
Now that he looked back on it, Henry Halloway was notorious in Shen's memories for being an incredibly, almost pathologically doting father.
When it came to Erica, this intelligent, handsome man instantly devolved into a highly protective father and an utter fool.
Because Shen had been such close friends with Erica during their younger years, Henry naturally assumed Shen was scheming to steal his precious daughter away, and immediately began holding petty, relentless grudges against him.
The same treatment had been applied to Aldric Renhe, the other close friend in their trio who had eventually gone into the trading business.
Whenever the three of them were together, and this man saw them, Henry had practically hunted the two boys down, making sure to physically loom over them like a wraith every single time he saw Shen or Aldric anywhere near Erica.
But now that Aldric had left Backlund to pursue his trade routes, Henry's entire focus of fatherly paranoia had been diverted solely onto Shen.
The sheer amount of insults, passive-aggressive jabs, and brutal public roasting this man had put Shen through over the years could fill an entire list.
Why me?
Shen thought with a grim face, genuinely wanting to cry without tears.
I am not even romantically involved with Erica yet! I mean, sure, she is an incredible beauty and highly intelligent, but we are just close friends for now! Why do I have to suffer this hostility?!
"Enough about your library work and how much 'effort' you are putting into your life," Henry said, waving his hand dismissively and cutting off Shen's internal suffering.
He narrowed his sapphire eyes, leaning forward. "What exactly are you here for, Shen Akivil?"
Shen forcefully pushed the irritation aside and focused his attention on the primary reason he had come.
"Oh, yes, I was just about to ask," Shen said, his tone turning serious. "I am actually here to see Erica. You see, I haven't seen her at the library for almost five days, and she hasn't visited any of her usual places."
"I was getting quite worried about her safety, so I came here to ask if she... is home, or if you know... where she is."
As Shen spoke, his voice naturally began to lower. He watched in growing nervousness as Henry's expression rapidly shifted from highly dismissive to a look of restrained, boiling anger.
Shen didn't need to read the man's thoughts. He knew exactly what kind of violent, overprotective storm was brewing inside Henry's mind.
The moment Henry heard the words 'here to see Erica', the doting father's mind completely short-circuited.
This hormonal rascal really is here specifically for my daughter! He is actively tracking her movements!
Does this bastard genuinely think I would ever allow him to lay a single, filthy finger of his on my precious little girl?!
Henry's face began to turn a dangerous shade of red, his mouth opening to deliver what was surely going to be a devastating, highly personal insult.
On the side, Delphine saw her husband preparing to erupt like a dormant volcano. She sighed, shaking her head in deep exasperation.
Without the slightest hesitation, she raised her heavy ledger and smacked Henry squarely in the back of his head with more strength than before, halting his train of thought before it could derail completely.
"OW!"
"Oh, dear," Delphine smiled warmly at Shen, completely ignoring her husband, who was forcefully rubbing the back of his head in shock and with a betrayed expression. "Yes, Erica is perfectly safe. She was actually here earlier this morning."
"She mentioned she was incredibly busy with a highly complex research project for a professor and had to go out early to gather some specific materials. As for you not being able to meet her, it seems you two have just been unfortunately missing each other."
Shen absorbed the explanation, instantly heaving a massive sigh of relief internally.
Thank goodness.
Shen thought.
If she was here this morning and doing just fine, it means she hasn't been kidnapped by cultists or shady people; she is safe.
From his seat, still rubbing his head, Henry sneered and added his own unhelpful commentary. "Heh. Maybe my daughter has finally grown incredibly tired of your lazy face, and that is why she is actively avoiding you."
Shen stared at the man, completely lacking the energy to even formulate a reply to that level of petty hostility. Instead, he turned his attention back to Delphine, deciding to change the subject entirely.
"How has the tailoring business been doing, Mrs. Delphine?" Shen asked politely.
Delphine's warm smile immediately faded, replaced by a look of deep, genuine exhaustion. She sighed heavily, placing the ledger on a nearby table.
"It has been incredibly difficult recently, Shen," she admitted, rubbing her temples. "There are some severe complications with our suppliers. And since the winter has arrived, the demand for heavy coats and specialized fabrics has skyrocketed. It has become much colder than before, and we simply don't have enough time or hands to prepare all the massive orders."
She glanced toward the back rooms with a frustrated expression. "Erica is already so busy with her own important research; we cannot ask her to pause her life to help us sew. It has become a nightmare, especially with how incredibly rude and demanding some of the nobles are being about their deadlines."
Listening to his wife's frustration, even Henry momentarily dropped his petty grudge against Shen. The elegant man ran a hand through his neat hair, his face etched with genuine stress.
"Even that pompous idiot from today," Henry spat, gesturing angrily toward the front door where the wealthy man had exited earlier. "He was being completely unreasonable! He stormed in here demanding we prepare a massive, highly detailed order for his entire family before the New Year!"
"Does he even own a calendar?! The New Year is in a week and a half! And we already have dozens of other complex orders we haven't even started on!"
Shen listened intently to their mounting frustration. His Rising Star potion was halfway digested. If he wanted to finish the digestion, he needed a new field.
An idea instantly sparked in his mind.
Isn't this just perfect? I was about to ask Erica for this type of job anyway.
"Maybe I can help," Shen offered, leaning forward in his chair.
Henry blinked, staring at Shen as if the young man had suddenly grown a second head. Then, he let out a loud, incredibly disdainful laugh. "Hahaha... haha, you? Help us? A lazy loafer like you will only delay our work and ruin expensive fabrics! Besides, do you even have a single hour of experience in the tailoring field?"
Delphine frowned deeply. She reached out and smacked her husband, again, on the back of his head for the third time. "You shut your mouth, Henry," she scolded sharply, before turning a highly apologetic look toward Shen.
"I deeply appreciate the kind sentiment, Shen," Delphine said gently, her tone like a mother but firm. "But the high-end clothing business is not some easy, casual work you can just pick up to help out for an afternoon."
"Especially with how we operate. We make clothes for wealthy merchants and demanding nobility. Crafting their garments with exceptional quality is an incredibly difficult, highly precise task. There is absolutely no room for minor mistakes, or our reputation will be ruined."
Shen sat up straighter, looking Delphine directly in the eyes.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Delphine," Shen said, his voice entirely serious and laced with unshakeable confidence. "I am a remarkably fast learner. You just have to teach me the basics for a few days, and I promise I will be able to learn the craft and genuinely help you clear your backlog. Please, trust me. I can manage it. Just give me three... no, two days. Two days of training will be more than enough."
Delphine looked entirely surprised by his intense conviction, but she remained highly skeptical. "I don't know, Shen... learning high-end tailoring in two or three days is simply not physically possible for anyone."
"If you genuinely want to learn the trade, maybe you should wait until after the New Year when we actually have the free time to take on an apprentice."
As Delphine was gently trying to reject his offer, Henry suddenly held up his hand, cutting his wife off completely.
Henry closed his sapphire eyes, taking a deep, slow breath. When he opened them again, the anger and disdain were entirely gone, replaced by an expression of extreme, deadly seriousness.
"Enough, Delphine," Henry commanded smoothly, folding his hands together. He locked his sharp gaze onto Shen. "Alright, Shen Akivil. I will agree to your ridiculous proposal. I will personally train you for exactly two days. If you are not able to learn properly and prove yourself useful in those two days, you will immediately drop this foolish idea, and you will leave my shop."
Though Henry spoke with a serious, almost righteous tone of a master taking on a challenging student, inwardly, the man was laughing like an absolute maniac.
Hehehe... hahaha! Henry celebrated wildly in his mind. You damn brat, you actually want to learn tailoring?! Fine! I will teach you!
I will work you so hard and make sure you learn just how grueling and agonizing this work truly can be!
I'll break your spirit so thoroughly that you will never dare to show your face near my shop, or my precious daughter, ever again! Learning in two days? Two days, my ass! I'll make sure you want to quit it in just one hour!
Shen, possessing incredible perception and a deep understanding of the man's petty nature, could practically feel the malicious intent rolling off Henry in waves.
Shen's lips twitched uncontrollably.
Really? Sir I could practically feel your absolute malice from across the table, Mr. Henry. You aren't even trying to hide your evil aura.
After finalizing the verbal agreement and setting a time for him to return and begin his 'grueling' training the following morning, Shen finally excused himself, eager to get back home and rest for a while.
He politely said his goodbyes, turned around, and walked toward the exit.
Just as he reached out, his hand hovering just inches from the brass handle...
Smack!
The heavy oak door was violently slammed open from the outside.
It struck Shen squarely in the face for the third time that day, knocking him entirely off balance.
He crashed backward, hitting the floor and clutching his bruised nose in absolute agony.
What is wrong with you crazy people?!
Shen lampooned furiously, tears of genuine pain pricking the corners of his eyes.
Are you all actively trying to break my head with this damn door or something?!
Sigh, man, for these types of situations I really wish I had a Clown's intuition, like ability, to see if there is someone on the other side of the door.
Just as he was complaining and lamenting internally, preparing to shout at the newest attacker, a highly familiar, melodic voice rang out above him, filled with surprise.
"Shen? What are you doing here?"
Shen froze, the pain in his nose momentarily forgotten. He lowered his hands and looked up from the floor.
Standing in the doorway, framed by the pale Backlund light, was Erica.
She was still just as breathtakingly beautiful as he remembered. Her light brown hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, and her striking emerald-green eyes were wide with genuine shock.
She wore a beautiful, highly practical blue winter dress with snowflakes designed on it, carrying a stack of thick research books in her arms.
She looked down at him, completely stunned to find him sprawled on the floor of her family's shop.
Shen stared up at her, momentarily dazed by her sudden appearance after five days of searching.
"Erica..." Shen said in a surprised tone.