🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter – 27
In the deep night while Berengela slept,
Theodore slipped out of the townhouse, wearing a black cloak, and met the guild informant who had a blindfold over his eyes.
The informant seemed larger than when he had first accepted the request.
“Uh… Polaris? Are you the one who took my request?”
“No, I am Alias. The difficulty of this request was high, so I, the senior informant, have taken over.”
Cian relayed Rachel’s intentions to Katie.
“So, Rachel plans to lure Theodore in like catching a bug and deal with him herself?”
“Yes. I was even considering bribing the guild informant. After all, all we need to do is make sure the unfaithful man comes to the mansion. I really can’t stand a spy lurking around.”
After thinking for a moment, Cian shook his head.
“There’s no need. I’ll take the request myself. I’ll inform Lady Rachel, so you don’t need to worry about this any further.”
“Your Highness, you’ll take the request personally? Why…?”
Katie, quick to notice things, couldn’t ask further and left it at that.
Indeed. Since the informant could be bought with money, it would have been easy enough to bribe him. So why would Cian insist on taking the request personally?
And why not just take the request, but go so far as to meet Theodore directly?
One could excuse it by saying Sigar had ordered him to keep an eye on Theodore, but he didn’t.
Both Cian and Katie knew that even without any such reason, Cian would have personally stepped in.
Something seemed to ripple in Cian’s heart as he thought of it.
While Cian was lost in thought, Theodore was also seriously pondering something.
“Why is it that getting information on Rachel counts as a difficult request? Did she hide somewhere impossible to find?”
“There was indeed a reason.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Explaining why the request difficulty increased is not part of the request itself. I will charge an additional 2 gold.”
“W-what? 2 gold?”
Having lost his title, estate, wealth, and home, Theodore couldn’t possibly afford such a large sum. Even the 5 gold for the original request had been scraped together by selling one of Berengela’s earrings.
“Do I really have to pay extra for that? This is a total scam!”
“It’s an information request. Anything related to the information itself incurs additional fees.”
“Fine, just give me the results then!”
“Understood. You wanted news about Lady Rachel, correct? Lady Rachel has left the Ellosa mansion and moved to a new residence, where she is living happily with her son.”
After Cian finished speaking, silence fell over the alley.
Theodore frowned.
“So?”
“That’s all.”
“Are you crazy? How is that the end? You have to tell me where she moved, and whether she misses me!”
“The details of the new residence are linked to why the request is considered difficult. Disclosing this requires an additional 5 gold on top of the 2 gold for difficulty explanation.”
“W-what? So… 7 gold total?”
“If you also want to know how Lady Rachel feels about the requester, Theodore, that’s another 3 gold.”
Ten gold! Enough to sell Berengela’s remaining earrings and necklace, and also equivalent to 10 months’ rent at the townhouse.
“This is ridiculously expensive.”
“Information requests are among the most expensive in the guild.”
“Ha. So this is how you lowly folks make a living. You take advantage of good people and fatten yourselves on their money.”
Lowly folks, good people?
Obsessed with his absent wife and squandering money on nonsense, Theodore didn’t realize.
Cian suppressed the urge to remove his blindfold.
Though this wasn’t something he started for pleasure, Cian took pride in the guild and his role as an informant.
He didn’t raise the price just because it was Theodore; it was strictly in accordance with guild regulations.
“…If you don’t pay, I’ll take my leave.”
“N-no! Wait! Please wait!”
Cian silently extended his hand, and Theodore continued cursing.
In the end, Theodore returned home, taking Berengela’s remaining earring and necklace to give to Cian.
“Lady Rachel moved to a large mansion closest to the west exit of the imperial palace.”
“A large mansion? Rachel… how?”
“The Emperor, taking pity on her situation, personally granted her the mansion. Entry is strictly controlled, heavily guarded, and difficult to access, hence the high request difficulty.”
“I-I see…”
“Normally, the guards are strict, but at noon during the guard change, you can sneak in along the north wall.”
That was the time Theodore was supposed to go. Though it was suspicious to reveal the location without paying, Theodore didn’t notice.
“Alright, I need to go immediately. Next question: did Rachel miss me? She must have. Maybe she sighed in secret or cried alone!”
Cian smiled.
Each letter had a value of 1 gold, and he enunciated each letter carefully:
“No.”
The next afternoon, Rachel and Graham spent time in the training hall of the new mansion.
Graham held a long wooden sword, moving slowly.
“Graham, what are you doing?”
With a serious face, Graham smiled brightly.
“I’m drawing stars in the air!”
Indeed, the tip of the sword traced patterns in the air like stars. The movements were precise, without shaking or faltering.
“Wow, amazing!”
“Practicing like this improves sword skills. My master taught me!”
“Really? Your master teaches you so many things.”
“Yeah! He’s really cool! When I grow up, I want to be as amazing as him!”
“Mom thinks you’ll be even cooler than your master.”
“Really? Wow!”
Excited, Graham laughed, still holding his sword. Sword practice clearly brought him joy.
At that moment, a servant approached and politely said:
“Madam, a visitor has arrived.”
“A visitor? Who?”
“Princess Dolorasa Dicarciniak.”
Dolorasa?
Rachel’s eyes widened at the unusual name.
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
It was surprising that a child would visit alone, without a guardian, even if the mansions were nearby.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t refuse the visit of a future daughter-in-law. It was heartwarming that the child came first.
“Let her in. Prepare tea and snacks in the parlor.”
With Dolorasa’s visit, Graham stopped drawing stars and tensed up.
“…Why did she come alone?”
“Maybe she wants to be friends with Graham? Or she wanted to greet you since you’re neighbors now.”
“…Hmm.”
Rachel tilted her head, sensing the child wasn’t particularly pleased.
“Why? You don’t like Princess Dolorasa?”
“Not that. It’s just… uncomfortable.”
Perhaps embarrassed. She seemed somewhat open to Cian, but not yet to Dolorasa.
Graham reluctantly stored his sword and wrapped up his training.
The three approached the mansion entrance. To their surprise, the child was on a white horse as tall as Rachel herself!
Graham froze in shock, and Rachel was speechless.
Even if it was a neighboring mansion, it would be difficult for a child to come on foot, so she had to have ridden. At such a young age, riding alone, Dolorasa was no ordinary child.
Dolorasa quickly dismounted.
“I apologize for coming without notice, Lady Rachel.”
“No, thank you for coming.”
“How have you been?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been well.”
“While riding, I remembered that Lady Rachel would be living here, so I came to greet you. I hope it wasn’t rude of me to come without my father.”
“Not at all, Princess Dolorasa. You’re always welcome.”
Pleased with the warm reception, Dolorasa’s gaze briefly touched Rachel’s chest.
Rachel tilted her head but didn’t pay much attention; Graham and Dolorasa were the focus.
After preparing delicious snacks in the parlor, Rachel intended to give the children space, feeling like a matchmaker.
“Follow me. I’ll show you to the parlor.”
“Thank you.”
Just as they were about to enter,
“Achoo!”
A sneeze came from the bushes lining the exterior wall of the mansion.
“Ah!”
Rachel, startled, pulled Graham and Dolorasa close. Dolorasa ended up in her arms, while Graham struggled against his mother’s grasp.
Dolorasa’s cheeks flushed red, eyes wide.
Graham raised his wooden sword protectively, ready to defend Rachel.
“Who’s there?!”
“Khrb.”
A strange sound came, and the bush shook violently. Soon, a boy’s face appeared, holding leafy branches in both hands.
“Uh… hello, everyone?”
“…Who are you?” Graham asked, and Dolorasa shouted:
“Your Highness, Crown Prince Atreiyu!”
Crown Prince? The one angry about the ruined birthday banquet?
Rachel and Graham blinked in confusion. Atreiyu grinned mischievously.
