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Chapter 19
“Hey there— customer, got anything else you’d like us to handle?”
The man speaking was none other than the owner of the information guild, Twilight.
“So you are…!”
Since I didn’t know his name and could only repeat myself awkwardly, he smirked and answered for me.
“Yan. Just call me Yan.”
“Right… Yan, then. Yan.”
I updated the information in my head…!
I never expected to become familiar enough with someone from an information guild to exchange names, but apparently he wasn’t as wary of me as I thought.
Scratching the back of his neck, he looked down at the state I was in.
“Our client sure seems popular. Are all those gifts?”
“Ah, well… I guess so.”
I smacked my lips.
Could I even carry all this back to the duchy?
Chuckling softly, he naturally took the gifts from my hands.
“I’ll carry them for you, VIP customer!”
“Huh? No, really, you don’t have to.”
I immediately stiffened and snatched the gifts back.
I had no intention of getting any closer to him than this. A clean relationship where I placed requests and he provided information—that was the ideal distance.
If we get any closer and he discovers who I am, that’ll be a problem.
One eyebrow raised, he snatched the bundles from me again.
“I’m telling you, let me carry them! How’re you planning to lug all this around by yourself?”
“No, I said I’m fine! I can carry them! Alone!”
I grabbed them back again. But then he stole them from my arms once more.
“I’m just helping you out, okay? You don’t even have to pay me! It’s a service, service!”
“Your way of speaking keeps changing every five seconds! Give that back, it’s mine!”
“Seriously, I’m trying to help here!”
After several rounds of tug-of-war, the battle finally ended when my pathetic stamina gave out first. The fear that my hood might come off had also played a part.
“Huff… huff…”
The victor was him.
Damn it… one day I’m definitely going to build up my stamina.
This was unbelievably frustrating.
After reluctantly handing him the packages, I tugged my hood lower so the taller man absolutely couldn’t see my face.
Next time I should just wear a veil.
At this rate, I couldn’t relax at all anymore. There was no telling where or whom I might run into now.
Watching me, he grinned.
“Well then, shall we go, customer?”
I followed behind him with the sourest expression imaginable.
Yan naturally headed toward the duke’s estate. The moment I noticed, my expression grew even gloomier.
How did he even know I was going to the ducal residence?
I’d realized it the first time we met, but the man’s instincts were frighteningly sharp. If I ever met him as Lady Evelynn, he’d probably realize instantly that “me” and Lady Evelynn were the same person.
The only thing I could trust was the system’s perception-reduction effect.
“By the way, I wonder if the materials I gave you before were useful.”
At some point he’d completely dropped the awkward formal speech he’d been using.
Not that I particularly cared, though considering I was supposedly a VIP customer…
“…Thanks to you, yes. They were quite helpful.”
“Hm. I still don’t know why you needed information about the Second Prince, though. You’re not planning to misuse it, are you?”
At my sharp reply, he laughed and shook his head.
“And what if I am? Isn’t it strange for an information broker to worry about something like that?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just curious. Do you happen to know the Second Prince personally?”
“…No.”
I glanced at him before continuing.
“If I knew him personally, I wouldn’t have needed to request those materials in the first place.”
“Well, true enough. Fair point.”
The contents hadn’t really been anything worth hiding. Anyone determined enough could’ve dug them up eventually.
But the probing tone in his voice made me frown.
Isn’t this a little… over the line?
Once again, the man was far too curious for his own good.
Before I could call him out on it, however, he seemed to notice my mood and spoke first.
“Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I’m just naturally curious. Besides, I kind of know the Second Prince.”
“…What?”
The words hit me like a bolt from the blue.
I hurriedly grabbed him.
“The Second Prince… You mean His Highness the Second Prince? You know him?”
“Hm? Ah, yeah. I mean, we’re not close or anything… we’ve just seen each other a few times?”
His casual answer made me inwardly sigh in relief.
Holy hell, my heart nearly stopped. Of all people, the head of the information guild I visited just had to know Rakiel.
That explained why the report had contained oddly subjective opinions.
Did Rakiel visit them as a client too?
That was probably the most likely explanation. Since Rakiel intended to step into the political arena, he’d naturally have at least one information guild he frequented.
Still, it’d be better not to ask for information related to the Second Prince anymore.
Even if client confidentiality was supposedly the number one rule of an information guild, you never knew.
As we talked, we eventually arrived at the back entrance of the ducal estate. Yan dumped the armful of things he’d been carrying back into my arms.
“Ugh, heavy.”
“See? You wouldn’t even have made it this far alone.”
“Well… thanks for today, I guess.”
Watching me struggle with both arms full, he grinned broadly. Then he dug through his coat and pulled out a business card.
“And this is a VVIP-exclusive card.”
As he spoke, he placed the small card right on top of the pile.
W-wait, hold on, if you put that there…!
That was supposed to stay hidden…!
“Well then, I’ll be off, customer! Get inside safely!”
“W-wait a second! This is—!”
“No need for thanks. Come visit again sometime!”
With that, he turned around and vanished in an instant.
Leaving me alone with a mountain of gifts… and one problematic business card.
“Damn this stupid business card.”
The card in my hand crumpled miserably.
「VVIP Welcome! An information guild just for you! —Twilight—」
Forget VVIP—because of this damned thing, I’d nearly caused a scene at the back entrance of the estate.
I’d had to put every single item down, hide the card, then pick everything back up one by one!
Thanks to that, I barely managed to sprint into my room before nine o’clock.
I immediately hid my robe, changed into pajamas, and dove onto the bed.
The moment I did, Genie knocked on the door.
“My lady, are you awake?”
“Yeah! Because you woke me up!”
I squeezed the words out through lungs that felt ready to burst.
Wow, that was seriously close…
Every movement had unfolded with perfect timing, like I was completing some kind of timed quest. Even snapping irritably at Genie.
“This! Damn! Business card!”
There was absolutely no way I could grow fond of it.
Terrible design aside, why the hell was I suddenly a VVIP when I’d barely done anything?
I seriously needed to consider changing information brokers. I’d intended to become a regular customer, but absolutely not anymore.
Knock knock.
“Who is it?”
A sharp voice slipped out before I realized it.
The person who cracked the door open was Genie, who had just left.
“My lady, the Duke is calling for you.”
Ah, perhaps…
“His Highness the Second Prince has come to visit.”
At last, the inevitable had arrived.
I stood up with a tense expression—
No, not tense.
An expectant one.
Hm. I wonder what Rakiel is like when meeting him as Lady Evelynn.
The image Evelynn had of Rakiel was so vague I could barely remember it. They’d probably exchanged a few passing words at banquets, but that was about it.
Since this was before my possession, I could only rely on Evelynn’s memories, and at this point it was obvious she’d had absolutely zero interest in the Second Prince.
The maid led me to the First Reception Room.
A place reserved for honored guests among honored guests.
When the door opened, the first thing I saw was a head of red hair.
The Duke and Killian.
And seated above them—
Rakiel Bernhardt turned his head.
Whatever conversation they’d been having, his crimson eyes curved with a faint smile.
Standing behind him was a man who appeared to be his adjutant.
If he was the Second Prince’s adjutant… then that must be Hagen Kirchner. I’d seen the name in the documents before, but this was my first time seeing him in person.
“You called for me, Father?”
Before greeting Rakiel, I addressed the Duke first.
Normally, etiquette dictated greeting the higher-ranked Second Prince before anyone else, but the proud Evelynn would never do that. Considering her personality—viewing every man besides the Crown Prince as little more than stones—it was the appropriate response.
Slightly flustered, the Duke glanced at Rakiel before nodding.
“Yes, you’ve come. Hurry and greet him. This is His Highness the Second Prince.”
Rakiel was watching me with curious eyes.
The perception-reduction effect when I was “Eve” must really have worked, because he showed no sign of recognizing me whatsoever.
Relieved inside, I stepped forward to greet him—
Ding!
[Please choose one of the following options.]
1. “It’s been a while, Your Highness. Your black hair is as dreadful as ever.”
(You sneer while looking him up and down.)
2. “What brings Your Highness all the way here?”
(You glare at him sarcastically as though displeased.)
3. “How has the Crown Prince been?”
(You desperately grab his collar and plead.)
4. “Hm, have you been well?”
(You act completely uninterested.)
