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Chapter 15
Guildmaster’s Office, Hyde Guild.
After coming straight from the Imperial Palace, Rosalyn’s expression had remained grim.
Even Shion, who had entered to make a report, grew tense by osmosis.
If the guild were about to collapse, Rosalyn would usually say something like—
“We’ll just rebuild it or find another way! Don’t worry, everything will be fine!”
That was the kind of fearless Guildmaster she was. For her to look this troubled meant the problem was no small thing.
And for once, unlike Shion’s usual misconception that everything Rosalyn did was part of some grand plan—this really was a crisis.
Cassis.
Rosalyn stared at the name scribbled across the page.
Erich’s words wouldn’t leave her mind.
“Cassis is the heir of the fallen House of Lebron.”
The House of Lebron.
Even Rosalyn, who ran the Empire’s most powerful information guild, knew little of them.
No wonder—over twenty years ago, the house had been wiped out for treason.
Once rulers of the North, older even than the Aleon Empire itself.
But now, a name erased from history.
I thought I’d find some ordinary weakness to exploit…
That the Empire’s rising star, Young Duke Aindert, was actually the last survivor of a traitor’s house?
She had been hoping for something simple.
An affair, a bit of tax evasion, some smuggling, maybe.
Not this—this is a nuclear bomb.
Tap, tap.
Her pen tip drummed restlessly against the page.
No wonder he insisted on payment in advance.
He must’ve known she couldn’t use the information anyway.
“Arghhh!”
“Rosalyn?”
Her sudden outburst of frustration had Shion calling to her in alarm.
“Shion? Sorry… When did you get here?”
She hadn’t even noticed him enter.
“What’s troubling you?” he asked cautiously.
“Mm…”
They were almost like siblings. Should she just tell him everything?
No… a bomb like this, I have to shoulder alone. I can’t drag my precious deputy into mutual destruction.
Had Shion known, he would have been deeply moved.
Rosalyn thought back to what Erich had added.
“If you want proof, look at his necklace.”
She had doubted him, but Erich had given her a decisive clue.
“Cassis always wears a necklace hidden under his clothes.”
If his tone meant anything, that necklace had to be a relic of the Lebron family.
Rosalyn jotted beneath Cassis: Necklace.
But hidden under his clothes?
She pictured Cassis.
Buttons always fastened to the throat. Gloves on his hands so that not even his wrists showed.
The only bare skin she’d ever seen was his face.
And I’m supposed to peek inside that?
The difficulty’s insane.
If she dared to ask, “You have a necklace, don’t you? May I see it?”—
Her head would be rolling on the ground before she finished the sentence.
So I’d have to make him undress somehow…
Wait. What was she even thinking?
Her face twisted with disgust at herself.
Am I supposed to throw the Reaper of the Battlefield onto a bed?
I’d rather donate all my money to a temple and live as a saint.
Still… curiosity nagged at her.
How did the survivor of a traitor’s house end up adopted into another ducal line and rise to become Young Duke?
At first, she cursed Erich for dumping such a bombshell on her.
But on second thought—this was priceless information.
Information alone was useless. It was the weaving, the interpretation, the timing, and the use that made it valuable.
Yes, the truth that Cassis was a Lebron survivor was a bomb.
But as long as it doesn’t explode, it might just be worth a fortune.
Her modern, capitalist mindset flipped easily.
Step one: verify the necklace.
She had to check Erich’s claim before anything else.
But how?
After brooding in silence, Rosalyn finally blurted out:
“What’s the best way to see inside the clothes of a man built like a fortress?”
“…What?”
Shion blinked in shock.
The Guildmaster asking how to strip a man?
Before the misunderstanding grew worse, Rosalyn added,
“I mean Cassis. The Tiger says he keeps a necklace hidden under his clothes. Suspicious, right?”
She didn’t mention her suspicions of its true origin.
If this blows up, it’s better Shion knows nothing.
She alone would take the fall.
Of course, she had no intention of actually dying.
If there’s money to be made, I’ll make it and feed my people well. That includes our dog Cassis and Leo, the cat I brought back from Erich’s place years ago.
With so many mouths to feed, money was always welcome.
Shion’s expression turned serious.
“So you’ve finally found his weakness.”
“Yeah.”
She brushed off his awed gaze, though his eyes still glowed with respect.
“I’ll get the others to think of a plan.”
“Good. But don’t mention the necklace—just say he’s hiding something.”
“Got it.”
At that moment, the office door cracked open and a cat strolled in.
A golden tabby, same color as Luna but more toasted, like melted cheese.
“Mrrrow.”
“Oh, Leo. Where’s Cassis?”
Usually, he cared for the puppy Cassis like it was his own sibling. Today, he was alone.
“Myaa.”
Leo hopped onto the desk and head-butted Rosalyn’s hand, rubbing against her with unusual affection.
The peaceful scene sparked an idea in her mind.
“That’s it!”
“What is?” Shion asked quickly.
Scooping Leo into her arms, Rosalyn grinned.
“Meow.”
“I’ll call it—Project Let’s Be Friends!”
She recalled when Erich once asked how she knew he wouldn’t harm cats.
Anyone who loved animals could just sense it.
Rosalyn’s instincts told her Cassis was the type to care for them dutifully.
Cold as he looked, he still looked after her, his subordinate, didn’t he?
She quickly jotted down her plan:
-
Deliver a kitten as an excuse to visit his residence.
-
Once inside… improvise.
She looked at the two lines as if they were a grand strategy.
Outside would be impossible. But inside his home? One little accident—spill some water, whatever—and he’d have to undress. Endless opportunities!
Her crimson eyes gleamed with mischief.
“Shion, didn’t Emma’s cat have kittens two months ago?”
Just you wait, Cassis.
One way or another, I’ll get that shirt off you!
