IARV 45

Chapter 45

“I need to see with my own eyes to be reassured, so lift your head.”

Ah, please! Don’t show this inflexible personality even in matters like this!

Rai slightly tilted his head, trying to meet my eyes, so I raised my hand to cast a shadow and make it even harder for him to see.

“Ah, no, I’m perfectly fine. I’ll just go ahead first.”

I tried recalling the tone of a servant speaking in dialect, but it only sounded awkward. Staying any longer would just blow my cover and create an embarrassing memory.

I tried to sneak past, but my narrow line of sight was blocked again by Rai’s solid torso.

“I just need to check for a moment, so lift your head.”

Rai stood firmly, as if he would never step aside before confirming my face.

“I just want to confirm that this is a servant I know at the mansion. It’ll only take a moment.”

“You know them?”

“Yes, it seems like a servant of the young lady I know well.”

A young lady he knows? Did Rai have such a young lady in mind? I tried to recall who it could be, but no one came to mind.

Ah, if I knew, I’d probably pretend to be that young lady’s servant. No, Rai doesn’t know every servant in that mansion, right?

If I act shamelessly, that’s something I’m excellent at.

I slowly lowered my hand, half-revealing my face, and looked Rai straight in the eye.

He scanned my face a little longer than necessary. It looked like he was trying to imprint it in his memory, but his expression didn’t change at all.

“Fortunately, you’re unharmed.”

After a brief silence, he nodded, relieved that I wasn’t hurt.

He really thinks I’m a servant. He didn’t recognize me! I completely fooled him. Iba felt more confident and decided to act even more shamelessly.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I was worried you might have been hurt. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Haha, don’t worry, miss. I won’t tell anyone. Just trust me.”

With her very awkward dialect, Rai had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

No laughing. She’s so cute and lovely, but I must resist. If I laugh here, she’ll know I’ve fooled her and be disappointed.

Rai barely managed to maintain his composure. To think he would meet Iba on an errand under Julian’s orders, and in the middle of the market, with Iba dressed as a maid.

Even with her red flower-like hair hidden under a servant’s uniform, he recognized her instantly.

He could tell just by looking at her delicate, pale fingertips.

But wearing a servant’s outfit probably meant she needed to disguise herself, so Rai pretended not to notice.

It was a move inspired by past inspections with Claude, where he had to pretend not to notice things.

Thankfully, bumping her shoulder with his face was a small mistake, and no nosebleed occurred.

“Since you’re unharmed, I’ll be busy and go ahead first.”

Iba continued pretending to be a servant and tried to move past quickly.

“Wait.”

But Rai blocked the way again.

“If it’s an errand for her, I want to help.”

“Huh? Why would the duke help me?”

“I’ve wronged that young lady. I’d like to give her a small gift. Could you bring it along on the way back to the mansion?”

“You’ve wronged someone? I guess you’ve wronged quite a few people.”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.”

I blurted out in surprise—he had conflicts with me and also wronged another young lady? I quickly shook my head as if nothing happened.

“May I accompany you?”

“Hmm… even so, the duke… accompanying me?”

I was thinking how to refuse him without revealing my identity. At that moment, I noticed Julian’s maid disappearing down the alley.

“G-go! I need to chase that maid first!”

Iba urgently pointed toward the maid with her fingertip.

“The woman in the yellow dress… no, the horse?”

“Yes! We absolutely cannot lose her!”

The street was crowded, and breaking through required a large shield.

Iba jumped behind Rai, placing both hands on his shoulders.

Rai’s eyes widened at the sudden contact, his expression momentarily faltering.

“Clear the way ahead.”

“What do you mean…?”

Ignoring his protest, Iba began pushing him forward.

Naturally, he wasn’t someone easily pushed, but because it was Iba, Rai quickly moved along.

“Duke, we can’t lose her! Pick up the pace!”

When Iba raised her voice slightly, Rai focused and increased speed to chase the maid.

Rai’s tall, large figure naturally parted the crowd, and they managed to keep up with the maid.

To avoid being discovered, Iba held onto Rai’s shoulder tightly to control the pace and keep a safe distance.

Rai, though flustered, complied with her.

The maid glanced around and darted into a secluded alley.

“She went down that alley.”

“Understood.”

Rai explained for Iba, who had poor visibility.

The two approached the alley but stopped at the entrance to avoid being noticed.

Iba peeked into the alley from behind Rai, while he checked for other people nearby.

They moved in perfect synchronization without a word.

This was their chance to catch someone at Blanche Mansion colluding with Julian’s minions. After failing at the boutique, they couldn’t afford to miss this.

Who was it, and why were they colluding? Iba swallowed and focused on the alley.

“Earlier, the mansion’s servant was wandering. I thought it was the person you sent.”

“What? Be careful. If someone sees, I’m finished too.”

The maid’s voice was faint. The person responding was obscured from the maid’s view.

“So where have they been lately?”

Reaching out as if familiar.

Since Iba asked for a paper, it seemed the servant was keeping track to collude.

“This time, I didn’t record the movements.”

“Why?”

The spy frowned to see the servant’s face clearly.

“The young lady was recently forbidden from going out.”

“What? Forbidden from going out?”

“The mistress punished her. She doesn’t usually punish, but she seemed very angry.”

“The spirited young lady has done it again, huh.”

“Our young lady is cheerful!”

It was ironic—while colluding with another’s servant, she defended her own side.

But thanks to her exaggerated movements, the servant’s face previously hidden was revealed.

“It was you?”

The voice was familiar; Iba had already half-realized but didn’t want to believe it.

The person who had to accompany her everywhere. Any street, any mansion—someone who could always go with her.

Such a necessary person, indispensable even to nobles.

“It was you, the coachman.”

The Blanche Mansion’s personal coachman was the spy.

Whether going to the Hilton street boutique or a tea party with Rosy, they always moved with his carriage.

‘Miss, did you get good things?’

‘Yes, I bought a dress and I love it. How does it look? Does it suit me?’

‘Any dress suits you, miss.’

‘Seems like the coachman knows a thing or two.’

After leaving the boutique, he naturally received and loaded the items, checking them carefully.

“I didn’t suspect you because you were such an obvious companion.”

Iba had only thought it might be one of her maid attendants. Her head was spinning.

“How long will you stay in the mansion?”

“Today’s the fourth day, so about three more days left.”

“Then we’ll meet here again in four days. Once her going-out ban ends, she’ll be wandering outside again.”

The coachman nodded in agreement.

“We’ll meet next time.”

The maid prepared to leave, wearing her hat low.

When the maid suddenly turned, fearing she’d be discovered, Iba instinctively threw herself forward, hugging Rai’s chest.

“Wait.”

The coachman grabbed the maid in a hurry.

“What’s wrong?”

“Money? You should pay.”

So it was for the money.

Iba peeked out just enough to focus on their conversation.

Distracted by the distant noise, she didn’t notice her own body stiffen in front of him.

“You only told me about the going-out ban. What money could there be?”

“I gave information about the young lady.”

“We only buy information about her movements outside. What happens inside doesn’t interest us.”

“Talking about the young lady’s private matters is huge information.”

Sharing the private affairs of nobles was a serious mistake. Losing trust meant losing work, and other mansions wouldn’t hire them either.

“I asked if she went outside, and you mentioned the ban first.”

“That’s…!”

“We only buy outside information, so we won’t pay for this.”

The maid coldly dismissed the coachman and headed out of the alley.

The alley was short, and her steps were quick. Iba pressed herself into Rai to hide her face again.

She then shouted so she wouldn’t hear any more.

“Hug me!”

“Eh, what?”

“Hug my waist quickly! If we stay like this, they’ll see us!”

Panicked, she forgot her awkward dialect and shouted. With approaching footsteps, Iba tightly hugged Rai’s waist.

She felt his strong arms settle around her, warm and firm.

They just had to wait for the maid to pass.

“Huh?”

Her right shoulder felt heavy. Rai bowed his head, burying his face into her shoulder.

I didn’t expect him to act this way, but at least her side of the face was hidden.

“Uh? Wait, not this much…”

Her body and face were almost completely enveloped in his embrace.

It seemed enough, but he buried his face deeper, his breath brushing against her neck.

“Ugh.”

The strange, hot breath against her skin made Iba finally realize just how close they were.