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Chapter 7
Wearing a hood over her head, Evelyn deliberately lowered her voice before speaking.
“Hello. Could you recommend some books for me?”
“Of course. What kind of books are you looking for?”
“I’d like to buy books that a man would enjoy.”
The bookstore owner’s expression suddenly became strange.
“Did you come here after hearing the rumors?”
“Huh? Yes.”
She had no idea what rumors he meant, so she simply answered.
At once, the bookstore owner clapped his hands excitedly.
“So you’re the first customer who was introduced to my shop! Then I can’t disappoint you. I’ll choose the very best books!”
He immediately pushed aside the bookshelf behind the counter with his whole body.
As the shelf full of books slid away, another hidden bookshelf appeared behind it.
It was a clever design that made good use of the small space.
Anyone who loved books would probably want a bookshelf like that.
Evelyn looked at it with interest.
“Heh heh. We just received a new book.”
《The Elegant Days of Lady Iello》
The book the owner handed her looked completely ordinary.
Its cover and title were both plain.
“Do men really like books like this?”
Judging from the title alone, it seemed more like something noble ladies would enjoy.
The bookstore owner smiled confidently.
“They certainly do. They love it! I can’t even keep it in stock! I’ve never seen descriptions this detailed and passionate in my entire life! I swear on my own name!”
He was even willing to stake his own reputation on it.
Then again…
Times were changing.
More and more men these days enjoyed embroidery or flower arranging.
I was being too narrow-minded.
Deeply reflecting on her own prejudice, Evelyn bought several books that the bookstore owner recommended.
Then she headed toward her next destination.
It was the blacksmith.
She planned to buy the most important item for her plan.
The chains and metal rings attached to the walls in the last room of the basement were still in good condition.
The handcuffs, however, were not.
She had no idea what had happened to them.
They were so badly damaged that she would have to buy a new pair.
Of course…
The Grand Duke could probably be locked up without handcuffs.
But if I make a mistake… I’ll die.
It would be ridiculous if she lost her own life while trying to save her grandfather’s benefactor.
She couldn’t let that happen.
So Evelyn hardened her resolve.
Fortunately, she already knew a trustworthy blacksmith.
Her grandfather had recommended this place as well.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She knocked on the door.
But the loud sound of hammering metal drowned it out.
After hesitating for a moment, she carefully stepped inside.
An elderly man with a strong build was sitting beside the blazing furnace.
After examining the piece of metal in his tongs, the old man turned around.
“A customer?”
He carried the same strange sense of authority that her late grandfather had possessed.
Remembering the past, Evelyn politely greeted him.
“Hello. May I buy something here?”
“I don’t sell to just anyone.”
Her grandfather had already warned her about this.
“He’s a picky old man who won’t sell to just anyone. But there’s one way to buy from him.”
That method…
Was introducing herself.
“Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Evelyn El Frilly, granddaughter of Baron Frilly.”
She gracefully stepped forward and lifted the edge of her skirt in a proper greeting.
The old man scratched his chin with one huge hand.
“Frilly… Frilly… I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”
Then…
Like a startled lizard, the old man suddenly jumped into the air.
“Ahhh! No way! You’re… you’re that bastard’s granddaughter?!”
His reaction was so exaggerated that Evelyn could only blink in surprise.
The old man’s face twisted.
“You’re lying! How could someone like that actually get married?! Damn it! I thought everyone was just making jokes to mess with me!”
For some reason…
His opinion of her grandfather seemed rather poor.
After complaining for quite a while, the old man finally let out a deep sigh.
Then he looked at Evelyn.
“Even if you’re that man’s granddaughter, I won’t give you anything for free. You have to pay a price.”
“As long as it isn’t money.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Did your grandfather ever leave you anything unusual?”
Something unusual…
After thinking for a moment, Evelyn took out one of the strange coins she always carried with her.
She wasn’t expecting much.
But the old man smiled the moment he saw it.
“That’s the one.”
“That alone is enough.”
Just what kind of coin is this?
Evelyn became curious.
But the old man had no intention of explaining.
After accepting the coin, he quietly stared at it.
His eyes looked distant.
As though he were remembering long-forgotten memories.
So Evelyn silently waited.
“Alright.”
After gathering his emotions, the old man put the coin away and asked,
“So, what do you need?”
“Handcuffs.”
“Handcuffs?”
“Yes.”
“The granddaughter really is just like the grandfather.”
He laughed.
“You both ask for the same strange things.”
“Fine.”
“I’ll show you. Follow me.”
Evelyn followed him farther inside.
Weapons and all kinds of tools were neatly arranged along the walls.
Even to someone who knew almost nothing about them…
Every single item looked extraordinary.
“The handcuffs are over here.”
The old man pointed toward a shelf.
“Do you know the person’s gender and how strong they are?”
“He’s a man.”
“And… he’s incredibly strong.”
“Then there’s only one choice.”
The old man picked up a pair of handcuffs.
They were made of dark-colored metal.
But what stood out most was the lining.
Soft…
Bright pink fur covered the inside.
“The fur comes from a magical beast that lives in harsh lands.”
“It absorbs impact.”
“When combined with this metal, it creates handcuffs that no one can escape.”
The old man grinned as he handed them over.
Although they looked like solid metal, they were surprisingly light.
The metal itself was clearly something special.
“I don’t know who you’re planning to capture.”
“But whoever it is…”
“They’re going to be even worse than you imagine.”
“Thank you.”
“No need.”
“I received what I was owed.”
“And I gave what I owed.”
The old man waved his hand.
“If you don’t need anything else, leave.”
“I’m busy.”
By the time Evelyn was practically chased out of the blacksmith’s shop…
Night had already fallen.
Now…
Almost all of her preparations were complete.
The only thing left…
Was kidnapping the Grand Duke.
Could an ordinary noble lady from the countryside really kidnap one of the strongest people in the Empire?
It was like a tiny puppy trying to fight a magical beast as large as a house.
Evelyn slowly closed her eyes.
Even so…
She couldn’t give up.
If she failed to save the Grand Duke…
She felt that her grandfather would never be able to rest in peace.
Every day…
She still heard his voice in her dreams.
Until that voice disappeared…
She couldn’t stop.
Opening her eyes again, Evelyn clenched her fists.
“I can do this!”
She still had work to do.
One of the most famous newspaper companies in the capital was Kas.
The newspaper published by Kas had several popular sections.
One of them was the advice column.
Readers sent in their worries.
The newspaper selected the most interesting ones and published them.
Other readers then sent in their advice.
The best answers were printed in the next issue.
Sometimes the newspaper even gave prizes to the people who submitted the best replies.
That made the section especially popular among ordinary people.
Of course…
That wasn’t the only reason.
At first, the questions had been simple.
[What dishes can I make with potatoes?]
But as time passed…
The questions gradually changed.
[My fiancé is cheating on me with another woman. What should I do?]
The questions became more and more shocking.
As readers enjoyed them, the newspaper kept raising the level of drama.
Then one day…
A new question arrived.
[How can an ordinary woman defeat a Swordmaster?]
A reporter sorting through the submissions tilted his head.
“That’s a strange question.”
The colleague beside him nodded.
“It is.”
“There are only about three people on the entire continent who have earned the title of Swordmaster.”
“And one of them lives here in the Empire.”
“You know who I’m talking about.”
“Exactly.”
“He’s staying in the capital right now.”
“That’s why I’m hesitating.”
“It’s a very interesting question…”
“But should we really publish it?”
What if Grand Duke Gracias became furious after reading it and stormed into the newspaper office?
The reporters seriously discussed the possibility.
Still…
They were curious.
Who had sent such a question?
And what kind of answers would people write?
“Hasn’t he been fairly quiet lately?”
“And besides…”
“He’s never caused trouble just because of a newspaper article.”
People criticized him in newspapers from time to time.
Yet he had never destroyed an entire newspaper company over it.
Of course…
Cheap third-rate gossip newspapers were an exception.
They had published completely ridiculous stories…
And paid the price for it.
