DHDF 02

The great nobles secretly profited from backroom deals with each household. The House of Edendale would be no different.

‘I’m sure there was an episode in the original story where the heroine shakes up that market.’

Every city supposedly had a branch that managed goods. It wasn’t owned by any single noble; each family would bring items there and the branch would handle the transactions on their behalf. My plan was simple.

Offer an item that would interest the duke. Keep supplying it well, then cut off the trade halfway through so I could create an opportunity to get close to him.

‘I just happen to have the perfect item.’

My “curse.”

My bodily fluids, my body heat, even my breath — everything about me harmed people. It was effectively a poison.

A toxin that left no trace and had never been discovered would be valuable; I was sure I could sell it.

‘I don’t know where the branch is, but I can find it. I’ve got time anyway.’

Normally I was only allowed to go out on Sundays, but I went out more often than that. With new children arriving at the orphanage after losing parents to the plague, the director and teachers were busy, which made it possible.

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth.

“Little one. Where are your parents?”

While I was checking buildings carefully, a man approached.

“Why?”

“I’ve been watching for a while. You seem to be alone.”

At that point his intention was unclear. I narrowed my eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

“They said they’d come later.”

If he’d genuinely approached out of concern for a child, I would have politely declined and left. But if not… he’d try something. The lecherous motive was too obvious.

If I’d been an ordinary child, I would have declined and quickly left. But in my current state, it felt like an opportunity.

‘A test subject to confirm the curse’s potency has just presented itself.’

I played innocent.

“I like cookies.”

I followed the man, pretending not to notice that he locked the door and that the room was tightly sealed. Either he hadn’t meant harm yet, or he felt safe giving me cookies and asking questions.

“Where do you live?”

“What are you doing out here?”

“When will your parents be back?”

He apparently didn’t know I was an orphan. He didn’t strike me as an experienced kidnapper.

“I don’t know. Maybe in the evening?”

I reassured him and examined him closely. I had come to experiment, but the preparation required little from me.

‘My breath alone is poisonous.’

In a confined space, right beside someone, the effect is amplified.

After what felt like about five minutes, he kept frowning and rubbing his brow. Soon he lost his balance and began feeling dizzy and short of breath.

“Ugh, gasp… br-breath…!”

He collapsed.

“…Huh. An adult man reacts like this.”

Maybe thirty minutes passed? I regretted not being able to measure the time. A sandglass would’ve been nice.

I stood up and opened the window. It could be dangerous to remain like that.

When I put my hand near his nose, I felt a very faint breath.

‘I wanted to experiment a little more.’

But I couldn’t get reliable responses from an unconscious subject. I might even kill him by mistake.

I hesitated, then rummaged through the room. There was no axe, but I found some rope. Remembering how to tie knots that wouldn’t come undone, I crossed his wrists and tied them securely.

Bergenes’s methods were assassination-first. I should at least be able to do this.

Then I finished the cheap cookies and waited for the man to wake.

“Ugh, my head….”

“You’re awake?”

“You…! What did you do to me!”

The kindly face was gone. He realized he’d been bound and thrashed, trying to free himself, but it was useless.

Huh, I’d tied him up, and I felt a small swell of pride.

“I only accepted your invitation.”

When I answered casually, he laughed as if dumbfounded. I wasn’t lying. I shrugged, removed my gloves, and grabbed his wrist with my bare hand.

“W-what are you doing!”

“Stay still.”

After a while, his wrists began to swell and he groaned. He retched in agony.

I watched him and drew a clear conclusion.

‘It’s true — I got stronger during the plague. Not as much as in the original story, but still.’

I took my belongings out of my bag. There were many more experiments I wanted to run.

After walking the back alleys until my feet blistered for a month, I finally found the branch.

A purple door and a wisteria-shaped doorbell.

Recalling the phrases from the novel, I swallowed a sigh.

I’d come down an old residential back lane on a whim and found it tucked between walls… It was only about twenty minutes from the orphanage.

I rapped at the door with some resentment, and a deep voice called from within.

“Password.”

…That I didn’t know. I thought hard, then cautiously answered.

“C-cloud-flavored cookie?”

“What?”

“I don’t know….”

There was the sound of something creaking inside, and before long the door opened.

A man so tall his head seemed to touch the ceiling came out, and behind him stood a gaunt, tired-looking man.

They looked surprised to see me. At least that’s how it felt.

“Ah, hmm. I see.”

The tired-looking man stepped forward, bowed slightly to meet my eye level, and smiled naturally.

“You must have the wrong place. If you know the address, I can take you there.”

His unexpectedly friendly attitude put me at ease and gave me courage. This man must be the branch head.

“No, I came to sell something.”

The branch head’s eyes widened and then he looked flustered.

“Oh. I see. Now what do we do… This place doesn’t handle dolls or toys.”

“I know. You only accept odd, rare, or dangerous items.”

Startled by my words, the branch head glanced around in a hurry and then ushered me in. The door shut and the lock engaged on its own.

“Did someone bad send you here? This place is safe, so you can tell me.”

Instead of questioning how I knew about the shop, he worried whether I was being threatened. He didn’t know I was a monster, but he was a good adult.

“I’m fine. It’s not like that. Thank you for worrying.”

“…Are you sure?”

“There’s no unfamiliar presence. I’m the only child in this alley.”

The doorman’s reassurance calmed the branch head.

Before suspicion could arise, I quickly followed the route I’d prepared.

“I once heard an elder of my family talk about this shop. That’s why I came alone.”

“How did your elder know about this place?”

He didn’t think I was a noble customer. No wonder — my clothes were frayed at the hems and my shoelaces were worn, even if neatly put on.

“I don’t know. I don’t live with them anymore, so I can’t ask.”

The path had been sealed perfectly, so there was no way to verify. The branch head groaned and rubbed his forehead.

“Am I too young to make a deal? I’m thirteen.”

I added a year just in case.

“There’s no such rule… Well. Alright. Let’s see what you brought. But I’ll warn you — we don’t accept everything.”

“Of course. I know.”

He led me behind the counter.

I took from my bag a tiny bottle no bigger than a thumb. Inside was the tear I had shed during a solitary stare-down.

Originally I’d meant to prepare onions or something, but I hadn’t been allowed, so I’d had to go through the trouble.

“What is this?”

“Poison.”

I said it confidently.

“It has no color and no smell. If it gets on you, you’ll feel an intense burning and red blotches will appear. Some people even see hallucinations.”

“W-wait. Wh-what?”

“You heard correctly. It leaves no traces, so you can use it without consequences. Very clean.”

That was why ‘Bergenes’ was useful within Lahes’s power base.

‘Instantaneous reaction and strong effect in small amounts.’

In this world, poisoning usually required a long time to accumulate in the body.

Of course, I couldn’t instantly kill someone like the novel’s Bergenes yet. The tears would only become lethal if poured over the body in great quantity.

“I know it sounds unbelievable. I brought it so you could test it.”

It was my first time revealing the curse like this, and I was a little nervous. I put the bottle on the counter.

The branch head seemed to hesitate, but in the end he took my tears. He probably didn’t want to hurt me by refusing outright.

“You must test it.”

“…Alright. Fine.”

“When should I come again?”

“Next week. Come at this time next week.”

“The password…?”

“I’ll tell you that next time.”

I could see he was trying not to give me any openings, but I nodded willingly.

This was leisure — once they discovered its effect, their attitude would change.