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Chapter 22
Rexa’s absence was filled with an awkward silence.
Dorothy glanced at the quiet Lyle and then spoke first.
“Rexa is a bit unique, but she’s not a bad person.”
“As for Miss Babarin, I’ve heard quite a bit as well.”
“You mean about Rexa?”
Was Rexa really famous enough for people to talk about her? Dorothy frowned as she thought, but nothing came to mind…
Ah. That must be it. She remembered something.
A legendary story known among those “in the know.” There was a brief period when Rexa was called the oddly titled “Sweetheart Queen Crab.” How it started remained a mystery.
At one point, Rexa had as many as ten boyfriends. A nickname earned for having more boyfriends than an octopus has legs. But there was something even more remarkable than that.
Even while juggling ten relationships, Rexa had the skill to avoid making enemies with any of them. She even seemed to remain friends with some of those boyfriends.
It must have been around then that Dorothy lost interest in Rexa’s romantic escapades. Once, while they were out together, she asked who the men greeting Rexa were, only to hear they were all her boyfriends.
Recalling the past she had long forgotten, Dorothy defended Rexa awkwardly.
“Rexa… was certainly famous. She’s attractive, after all.”
Dorothy tried hard to emphasize Rexa’s charm, to preserve their fragile friendship, but Lyle didn’t seem impressed.
“I’m her friend, so I say this, but she really is remarkable. It wouldn’t be strange if you were interested in her, Lyle.”
“I’m only interested in you, Dorothy.”
Lyle stated firmly. Dorothy nodded. Hearing him say something obvious so decisively was oddly reassuring. At least his mind was sound.
“By the way, Dorothy.”
Lyle called her with a serious expression. Dorothy responded kindly.
“Please, speak freely.”
In a solemn voice, Lyle began.
“If you couldn’t marry Duke Cameon, did you plan to remain single forever? To never meet anyone else?”
“Huh?”
Sometimes Rexa complained that Dorothy’s fantasies were excessive, but it seemed Lyle was no different. Why ask that? It had nothing to do with him. Constantly bringing up Duke Cameon, knowing Rexa’s past… does he enjoy gossip?
“Um…”
Dorothy hesitated, unsure how to answer Lyle’s intense gaze. Part of her wanted to be completely honest, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it when looking into those eyes. The more suspicious he was, the more she wanted to deny anything else. She smiled wryly.
“I’m sure things will go well with Duke Cameon, so I’ve never imagined anything else.”
No need for imagination. If someone novel came along, they could elope, or else just pretend to like the Duke.
“You know how sincere I am about Duke Cameon, don’t you, Lyle?”
Taking the opportunity, Dorothy spoke freely about her unrequited love. She put on an act of pitiable hopelessness, feigning someone trapped in the quagmire of unreturned affection.
However, despite Dorothy’s passionate performance, Lyle didn’t seem impressed. Emotions truly seemed dry in him.
“That’s enough.”
His response was cold.
“Lyle, I don’t know why you always doubt me, but I really like Duke Cameon. I even know his number-one prized possession.”
Lyle’s eyes held a smirk.
“Duke Cameon has a number-one prized possession?”
“Of course! He likes a small painting hung beside the third pillar, which you reach by descending the right staircase from the bedroom and walking along the secluded first-floor corridor. He goes to see it every morning, so it must be his most cherished item.”
Obtaining that information was no small feat. Watching Dorothy beam with pride, Lyle asked skeptically.
“You also know what the painting looks like?”
“Of course. It depicts a field full of white flowers. I’d love to see how beautiful it is myself.”
“Dorothy, are you familiar with the layout of the Duke Cameon estate?”
“Oh, I didn’t memorize it on purpose. I just have a good memory. Maybe that’s the power of love.”
Dorothy shyly boasted of her memory, politely adding a humble disclaimer.
“That’s not something to be brushed off. That’s stalking.”
Stalking! I only memorized it because I have a good memory! Dorothy felt slightly annoyed but had to admit he was right. Still, hearing it from a drug-dealing criminal rubbed her the wrong way. She added defensively.
“But anyone can learn the layout of the Duke Cameon estate if they put their mind to it.”
“?”
Dorothy pouted.
“It’s easy.”
“?”
“Anything about Duke Cameon is easy to know.”
“What are you talking about?”
Despite his underworld connections, Lyle sounded surprisingly naive.
“Ask any information broker. The Duke’s every move is the cheapest and easiest information in the empire. Honestly, the Duke’s estate isn’t that secure.”
“……”
“My contacts say the estate has so many people around that information is easy to get. The estate’s interior map was even provided as a courtesy.”
While Dorothy explained efficiently, Lyle’s expression remained stiff. Huh. For someone who seems to know everything in the business, he reacts surprisingly. Maybe he’s a bit behind the curve.
“That makes no sense.”
“What doesn’t make sense? I’ve studied the Duke thoroughly! And I need to know such things. If there’s a ball at the Duke’s estate, how else would I meet him? Opportunities come to those who prepare in advance!”
To avoid an accidental encounter, one must know escape routes. Naturally. Lyle countered strongly.
“Dorothy, you’ve never attended a party with the Duke, nor do you intend to, correct?”
How does he know that?
“Oh, nonsense. I love parties! If Duke Cameon is there, I’d of course attend.”
“Yet you’ve never met me there.”
Lyle spoke as if he were the Duke himself. Ridiculous.
“Excuse me, Lyle. What does me enjoying parties with the Duke have to do with meeting you?”
No answer. See? Even he realized it was strange and couldn’t respond. Dorothy smiled victoriously, about to change the subject, when Lyle suddenly asked another odd question.
“Is the information broker you deal with expensive?”
Sometimes it was hard to keep up with him. Why ask that now? Dorothy, ever understanding, answered simply.
“A little?”
Dorothy remembered the leather pouch of gold coins she handed to her regular broker, too heavy to carry with one hand. Still, it felt insignificant to her.
“Then let’s make a deal. At a cheap price.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll provide information about Duke Cameon.”
“You, Lyle?”
Lyle chuckled faintly at her distrustful gaze.
“I know you doubt me, Dorothy, but I really know Duke Cameon well.”
“Is it because you don’t have money?”
Today’s earnings from drugs were a month’s living expenses. He looked fine, but maybe he was poor. Still, can a fully healthy man skilled in swordsmanship have no money? Even a passing cat would be incredulous. Or perhaps he was fired for incompetence, despite appearances.
“If that’s the case, I can introduce you to a good job. Oh, a wholesome one, of course.”
Dorothy scanned him head to toe as she spoke. Lyle laughed dryly.
“I said wholesome, really.”
“I’d think you meant something not wholesome. And I don’t need money.”
Despite the smile, Lyle spoke seriously.
“What I want is information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. As I said, I’m looking for evidence to eliminate certain troublesome people at once. Strangely enough…”
Lyle’s deep hazel eyes pierced Dorothy’s. Under his persistent gaze, she felt a twinge of discomfort.
“You might be able to help with that matter, Dorothy.”
“Me?”
Dorothy had often helped others, but being explicitly asked to help was rare. She smiled brightly.
“Alright.”
She said so cheerfully. Helping someone wasn’t difficult or mentally taxing, at least for her. Besides, she and Lyle shared a unique bond, each having helped the other in the past.
After all, today Lyle had helped Dorothy—protecting her from Norobin and silently posing as Rexa’s ex-boyfriend before Countess Rollo.
Even if Lyle was a poor drug dealer, Dorothy believed he wasn’t a bad person. If Rexa had heard, she’d likely have scolded, saying that’s exactly what a con artist wants. Dorothy chose not to overthink.
Her instincts whispered that Lyle sought nothing from her but her pure goodwill. He had no ulterior motives. She could tell from the way he looked at her.
“We have a special bond, you know.”
Dorothy winked.
