No Evil Lady in the World (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 49

At first glance, the house appeared extremely narrow, yet once inside, the scenery changed entirely. Gretel felt as if she had stepped into a strange labyrinth.

First, upon entering through the door, a very cramped space appeared—almost indistinguishable from a ruin. Along the walls, whose corners bent grotesquely in what might have been a pentagon or hexagon, stood shelves reaching all the way to the ceiling, containing nothing but trash.

Without saying a word to Gretel, the man pushed one of those shelves slightly to the side. Surprisingly, the shelf—which had seemed immovable—shifted just enough to create a gap wide enough for one person to pass through. Gretel stared blankly at the man’s hunched back as it vanished into the darkness, then hurriedly followed him.

The interior was even more spacious than the outside and filled with a pungent, acrid stench. On one side stood a large iron cauldron, and Gretel thought she never wanted to know in her entire life what was boiling inside it.

And countless medicine bottles… Suspicious herbs and mysterious powders scattered atop what looked like a makeshift countertop.

Gretel immediately realized what kind of place this was.

The man spoke.

“Who referred you here?”

Gretel hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure if it was safe to mention Jocelyn’s name. How had Head Maid Jocelyn even known about such a place? Her mistress had ordered her to accept whatever was given without asking any questions. That must mean Jocelyn had visited here before…

Seeing her hesitate, the man quickly urged her in an impatient tone.

“Out with it, quickly! I’m a busy man. If you’ve got nothing to say, get out. This isn’t some cough syrup shop for riffraff.”

“I—I came from the duchy. On… an errand.”

The man’s expression changed. Gretel thought his face resembled damp animal hide—old animal hide, at that… Watching his slack, sagging mouth made her want to retch.

The man said,

“So you came from the duchy? I see. Wait here a moment.”

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