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Chapter 25
“…….”
The Empress Consort, seeing that Taeyon responded with nothing but a displeased expression, pressed on at last.
“…Surely Your Grace is already aware of that child’s long-standing and pitiable devotion.”
At those words, Taeyon barely managed to suppress the sudden stiffening of his expression.
It had already been a year since Princess Seirian—the Empress Consort’s daughter—began chasing after him.
On more than one occasion, she had been caught engaging in behavior that was practically stalking.
Raised from childhood as the empire’s only princess, pampered at every turn.
She was the kind of woman who believed the world revolved around her.
To think they would not even try to rein in such a madwoman, but instead dare to subtly push her onto him.
“…Even my own mother has no authority to interfere in my marriage.”
For once, Taeyon—who had remained expressionless the entire time—curved his lips into a smile.
It was a flawless, beautiful smile befitting one of the empire’s most renowned handsome men, yet his eyes were chillingly cold.
A smile colder than a blank expression.
It was a wordless warning not to cross the line any further.
“…It was merely business advice.”
The Empress Consort was a woman with keen political instincts.
Rather than pressing further, she promptly stepped back and took a sip of her cooling coffee.
“It just seemed you were taking a long way around when there was a shorter path.”
“Thank you for the advice. I’ll take it as encouragement and strive harder.”
The quiet battle—stabbing at one another without drawing blades—came to an end.
Both fell silent, lips tightly sealed.
Only the fragrant aroma of coffee lingered, wrapping itself around the chill in the reception room.
“Honestly, she’s such an unpleasant woman.”
Inside the carriage heading back after leaving the imperial palace, Andreas clicked his tongue in irritation.
“She’s unbelievably greedy… Did you know? There’s even a rumor that the disappearance of the son and daughter of the King of the Benetia Principality was actually her doing—”
“Enough.”
Once again, Taeyon cut him off sharply.
“Don’t spread uncertain rumors.”
He would confront someone openly if need be, but he never spoke ill of others behind their backs.
That was Taeyon’s principle, and it applied even when the other party was the Empress Consort.
Moved by his unwavering integrity, Andreas muttered quietly under his breath.
“You’d think you were a priest…”
“…….”
“Well, I suppose you do live almost like one anyway. You don’t even date…”
“Enough nonsense.”
Taeyon leaned back against the carriage wall, his expression weary.
The coffee the Empress Consort had served was undeniably delicious.
But when it came to enjoying a drink, atmosphere and surroundings mattered just as much.
She was the sort of woman who could make even the most fragrant coffee taste like poison.
Taeyon had never liked the uniquely venomous, viper-like aura that clung to the beautiful Empress Consort.
Pretending to sip coffee calmly in her presence was enough to sour even his well-trained composure.
“We’re near the city. I’ll get off here.”
As he spoke, he slipped a ring imbued with a permanent disguise spell onto his finger.
Whenever he walked the streets alone without an escort, he always disguised himself.
He was far too well-known in the empire, and his hair and appearance were especially distinctive.
“You go on ahead to the estate. I’ll—”
“You’re going to work again, aren’t you.”
“…….”
Since it wasn’t wrong, Taeyon said nothing and stepped out of the carriage.
Soon, the large carriage was left with only Andreas inside.
Wearing a worried expression, Andreas gazed out the window.
Of course, his master was an exceptional swordsman, so safety wasn’t the concern.
“Honestly… he really should start dating.”
Though he didn’t show it, it was clear the Empress Consort had deeply upset him.
No matter how strong a person was, if they only kept bottling things up, they were bound to rot inside.
Andreas, a loyal retainer, sincerely hoped that someday Taeyon would meet a good partner—someone he could finally open his heart to.
“Have a safe trip, my daughter-in-law. And be careful not to make any mistakes in front of imperial blood!”
Under a sky heavy with dark clouds, I left the house early in the morning, having received Hopshin’s relentless warnings.
I was on my way to accept Lady Banetta’s invitation to lunch.
A lunch invitation was a far greater sign of intimacy than an invitation to tea.
Hopshin even willingly provided me with his finest carriage.
Just like the necklace Sophia now wore around my neck, it was meant purely for show.
As that extravagant carriage was just entering the city—
“I have somewhere to stop by briefly. …The Countess said she’d send a separate carriage, so you may return.”
I suddenly had the carriage halt.
“Yes, young madam.”
Seeing Hopshin personally escort me, the driver didn’t dare argue.
I flicked a gold coin—received from selling the diamond—toward him.
“…This is a special bonus. It’s the weekend.”
“Oh! Thank you, young madam!”
The red-nosed driver beamed as he quickly pocketed the coin.
Since he loved his drink, he would surely head straight for the taverns instead of returning to the estate.
Why bother going back just to take on more work?
Though it was good fortune only for the driver, I had my own reason for doing this.
It was a precaution, in case Hopshin and Sophia grew suspicious upon seeing the carriage return early.
Gathering my dress, I stepped down from the carriage.
It was true that Countess Banetta had invited me to lunch today.
However, I had instead replied that I would visit later in the evening.
There was only one reason for that.
‘Rosario. I really want to find it.’
At first, it had merely been a means to win her favor—but now, I was sincere.
And the very first thing I needed to do for that was…
‘Disguise.’
“What? How much?”
A magic tool shop in the city.
It was the kind of store that sold potions and all manner of wondrous magical items one usually only saw in fantasy novels.
When I asked whether they had any disguise magic items, the bearded shopkeeper replied cheerfully.
“Three hundred gold, miss. If this is your first purchase, I’ll even knock off ten gold!”
“Th-three hundred…?”
The money I’d received from selling a small but top-grade diamond had only been one hundred gold.
They said even a mage’s touch could turn an item into solid gold—so it really was true.
“Isn’t there anything cheaper…?”
“Of course there is! If you only want to change your hair and eye color, that’s just two hundred gold!”
“…Anything… cheaper than that?”
At my timid question, the shopkeeper’s kindly expression instantly changed.
It was the look of someone thinking, ‘You have no money and you came to a magic shop?’
“Well. I don’t recommend it since the disguise effect is minimal, but there’s an item that only changes the lower half of your face. That one’s seventy gold!”
“Even… cheaper…?”
“There’s nothing cheaper than that!”
In the end, swallowing my pride, I tearfully bought a stingy ring that only altered the shape of my lower face.
Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to completely change my appearance, so I had to buy additional disguise items.
A brown wig for five gold.
A pair of cheap round tinted glasses bought at a street stall for fifty silver.
A long black coat for one gold from a secondhand shop.
And, as a freebie from the same store, a tight-knit beanie.
After putting everything on, I stared at my reflection in a shop window and thought,
‘This looks… way too suspicious.’
If I carried a small potted plant, I’d look exactly like a lonely assassin.
No wonder people had been subtly avoiding me.
Or maybe…
‘Considering what I’m about to do, this might actually be better.’
I lifted my sunglasses with a flick of my middle finger.
Then, pulling my seasonally inappropriate black coat tighter around myself, I quietly headed toward the outskirts of the capital.
Wherever there is light in a city, there is also darkness.
The capital of the Croiten Empire was no exception.
On the city’s outskirts, where sewage facilities and garbage processing plants were clustered together, lay a slum district.
A place where people clearly lived, yet which had no name.
Wrapping my black coat tightly around me, I knocked on the door of a dilapidated shack at the end of the street.
Bang, bang!
Immediately, a sharp shout rang out from inside.
“I don’t have any money!”
As if he had been waiting, the wooden door flew open.
A man in tattered clothes stood there.
Filthy and gaunt from alcoholism, yet still undeniably handsome.
A young man who looked as though he might once have been quite famous.
“I’ve got nothing! You can take a kidney if you want—”
When he noticed me standing there in a black coat and sunglasses, he hiccupped and froze.
Then, reeking of alcohol, he asked,
“…Who are you? Never seen this debt collector before.”
It was only proper to answer a question.
Staring intently at his severed index finger, I said quietly,
“Me? …I’m here to retrieve Lady Airington’s rosary—the one you took.”
“……!”
The man’s face, flushed red from drink, drained pale.
Yes.
This man was the wandering poet who had attempted to elope with Lady Airington.
