IBVFL 18

 Chapter 18

Felix, who had handed the empty cup to Beng Sang, looked at Roten. Although it was phrased as a question, the nuance was almost accusatory.

Roten also seemed a bit flustered by the question. He seemed to be pondering how to answer. My existence was, for now, a confidential matter.

But just like yesterday, his pressuring tone really rubbed me the wrong way, so before I knew it, my words came out sarcastically.

“Starting today, I work here, yo.”

“……?”

Roten and Beng Sang looked at me with surprised eyes. Felix also furrowed his brow and stared in my direction.

“Using informal speech?”
“Nope, yo.”

After a beat, his handsome face grew even more menacing. Ugh, but still!

I was annoyed and wanted to say something, but my opponent was the Young Duke.
He wasn’t someone a fallen noble lady could casually use informal speech with. So I put my little brain to work!

“Seriously, of all things.”

Whether he recognized my effort or not, Felix swept his hair back as if exasperated. He looked extremely displeased.

‘Damn, he’s handsome.’

Even in this situation, his good looks were shining through, which was seriously annoying!

“You work here?” Felix asked, taking a step towards me. His tall stature, standing imposingly, created a strange sense of pressure.
“What floor?”

“Uh, um.”

So, was he asking if I belonged to the Guild or the Merchant Group?

I subtly poked Roten’s side. Finally snapping to his senses, Roten answered for me.
“This is someone the Danju-nim specially ordered us to serve.”
“Ah, so it’s top secret?”

Felix raised the corner of his mouth as if he understood. D-did that work?

I rolled my eyes and took a step back. But almost as soon as I moved away, Felix took another step forward.
“But.”

Then, with a fully hostile face, he glared at Roten.
“Did I ask you?”

Wow, his personality…

I glanced sideways at Roten; he too seemed tense and couldn’t say anything.

Crash bang bang!

A shrill scream was heard from afar.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

A man, hurriedly carrying a coffee cup he hadn’t even finished drinking yet, was panting heavily. It was the same man from yesterday who tried to put the cream uncle’s shop on a tab.
“I really can’t go on like this! You said you were just going to get coffee for a moment!”
“Shut up.”
“You won’t kill me even if I don’t shut up!”

The man, confidently asserting his right to survive, stamped his feet frantically as he looked at me.
“Lady. It feels a bit like déjà vu but… I’m sorry. Our Young Duke has been a bit sensitive lately.”
“Hey.”

Felix called out to him as a warning. But as if this wasn’t the first or second time, the man ignored him lightly and bowed his head to me and Roten.
“I am Meital, the aide and guard serving the Young Duke. Might I, perhaps, ask for the Lady’s esteemed name?”

Hmm, it should be okay to give just my name, right?
“It’s Amelia.”

Just in case, I intentionally omitted my family name. But at that moment, upon hearing my name, Felix frowned.
“Amelia.”

He sounded like he was chewing the word, geez.

The blackened male lead’s voice was truly threatening. Just hearing him say my name once made my heart tremble like this.

“Ahem! Lady Amelia. In that case—”
“Have some tea with me.”
“Yes. That would be better… Wait, what?!”

Meital screamed and looked at him. Roten and I also blinked, speechless.

Beng Sang, who was carefully holding the empty cup, nodded with an excited expression.
“I’ll prepare bread and coffee right away!”

……Sir, I don’t think this is that kind of genre.

And so, I found myself sitting at a round table, treated to Beng Sang’s coffee and bread. Meanwhile, Roten excused himself, saying he had something to do.

The way he looked at me, like a child left by the waterside, made me consider begging him to take me with him…
“You’re annoying.”

Yeah. I figured this guy wouldn’t let me go anyway, so I decided to just stay quiet.

“What’s your relationship with the Danju here?”

Danju. That’s what people commonly called Gilbert, the master of the Merchant Group and the Guild.

But even if he asked, the answers I could give were limited.
“A long-term business partnership based purely on capital and trust…?”
“……”

It must not have been the answer he wanted. Felix frowned with a deeply displeased expression.

‘But it’s the truth!’

Gilbert needed my ability, and I needed money. We contracted under terms that perfectly suited each other, so we were naturally successful partners.

“I didn’t know Gilbert was also exploiting minors.”
“……It’s not exploitation, please call it a cooperative relationship formed with fair compensation and conditions.”

At my words, Felix smiled quietly.

Yeah, he’s not listening at all…

Half-giving up, I picked up my fork.

Just as I was about to poke the sweet chocolate cake, Felix abruptly spoke.
“How old are you?”
“I’m a minor.”
“Give me a number.”

Tch. That didn’t work.

Since lying probably wouldn’t work either, I decided to be honest.
“Fifteen.”
“Fifteen.”

Felix, mulling over my age, tapped the table. Then he asked another question.
“Family. No, should I ask about your status first?”

…Is this an interrogation?

Or is he checking my personal details to hold my earlier rudeness against me?

‘He said I was his first love.’

What love? From the very beginning until now, his gaze has been downright murderous.

Anyone watching would think he’s interrogating me.

“Answer.”
“……I have no family. I’m a善良 (seon-ang-han: good/virtuous) and kind resident of Proud.”

Felix raised one eyebrow. Seeing his reaction, I quickly added.
“That means I’m a commoner.”
“Indeed, if you were a noble, you’d have a personal knight.”

It seemed even Felix thought it was strange for a noble lady to come to a place like this Guild alone.

‘Well, he’s not wrong.’

This was Proud, to begin with. The most notorious underworld district even within the capital. It wasn’t easy for a knight to come to a place like this alone either.

‘In my case, I can protect myself.’

Ever since the rumor spread about the lady who threatened me a while ago ending up getting beaten instead, when I go out into the streets, people just glance at me sidelong, and the instances of them directly bothering me or picking fights have drastically decreased.

“If you navigate the streets so easily, does that mean your skills are quite good?”
“Yes. I’d like to think so?”

I popped the well-baked cake into my mouth. Even I wondered if I was being a bit conceited, but it was true that my skills were decent.

‘I subdued Gilbert pretty easily too.’

That should be enough to have some confidence, right? Since things have come to this, I decided to embrace shamelessness as a virtue.

‘Besides, I was a little scared at first…’

How old was he again? Seventeen? It’s hazy, but I think it was a one or two-year difference.

‘Looking at him now, he seems kinda okay?’

Certainly, thinking of him as my age made him less scary than before. Well, it made sense. The consciousness of an adult was firmly embedded inside me.

I wasn’t the type to have such a small bladder that I’d tremble before a teenager going through puberty. Of course, he was overflowing with intimidation, but separate from that, Felix still looked young.

‘He’s like a budding sprout of a blackened character.’

Moreover, so far he’d only done a bit of an interrogation and hadn’t actually threatened me.

Looking closely, Felix seemed to have very firm personal boundaries.

If an action didn’t affect him personally, he didn’t particularly pick fights or throw tantrums. He really seemed uninterested as long as you left him alone.

He just seemed particularly sensitive lately, as Meital said. Perhaps because I thought he wouldn’t do anything to me, I felt much more at ease.

“By the way.”
“What.”

Felix, who had taken a sip of coffee, answered curtly.

“Why did you call me over here?”