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Chapter 12
‘Why do I keep running into this guy?!’
I jumped in shock, then quickly tried to calm my pounding heart.
‘Wait. I have that perception-reduction effect or whatever.’
It was ridiculous enough that I kept running into the Second Prince so often in this huge capital, but at least it was true that the chances of him recognizing me had dropped.
“If you’ve been drinking, then quietly return home.”
Veins bulged along Rakiel’s forearm as he grabbed the drunk man by the wrist.
“Ghk— aah, o-okay, okay…! I-I’m sorry…!”
The drunkard screamed, and I snapped back to my senses and hurriedly stepped in.
“Ah, wait! Don’t!”
My stats!
You can’t just send him home!
Rakiel turned his indifferent gaze toward me, silently asking what the problem was.
“We-I mean, we should escort him to the guard station. He seems really drunk, so if we just send him away like this, he might not even make it home.”
“Hah.”
Rakiel let out an incredulous laugh.
But once a quest appeared, there was no way I could just let it fail.
Trying my best to sound logical, I continued.
“If he collapses on the street and falls asleep, it’ll be dangerous. What if he gets robbed or something? Would you take responsibility for that?”
“Responsibility? Me?”
“If you can escort him to the guards right now but choose to abandon him instead, that’s negligence! People should live kindly, you know. You can’t be so coldhearted!”
Ah, whatever.
I started spouting nonsense, and Rakiel’s expression turned strange.
After glancing between me and the drunk man for a moment, he finally nodded.
“…I don’t exactly agree, but I understand what you’re saying.”
Rakiel sighed in annoyance, though he seemed convinced. Or maybe not.
Either way, he looked down at the terrified drunk man and lightly struck the back of his neck.
The man’s eyes rolled back as he instantly lost consciousness.
“So I just hand him over to the guards like this?”
“That’s right!”
I eagerly nodded along and followed Rakiel.
The moment we handed the unconscious drunk over to the guards, a system window appeared announcing the quest’s success.
Jackpot!
I was grinning while checking my status window when Rakiel, who had been watching me, asked with a dubious expression,
“…Are you really that happy?”
“Yes, of course.”
I even felt like whistling.
“Oh, right. Thank you for helping me earlier. Thanks to you, things were resolved easily.”
The quest, anyway.
Thankfully, the system counted it as completed even if someone else helped. Bringing a completely drunk man here by myself would’ve been exhausting just imagining it.
Whew, whatever. Time to actually head back now.
I casually turned to leave for the duke’s estate when Rakiel suddenly spoke in a hurried voice.
“Is your shoulder alright?”
“Huh? My shoulder?”
“When we bumped into each other before, it seemed like the impact was rather strong.”
“…!”
Wait, he knows I’m that woman?
My heart instantly dropped.
The perception-reduction effect wasn’t all-powerful. At most, it pushed me slightly out of people’s awareness, memories, or focus. Since it was labeled “growth-type,” maybe it would become stronger when it leveled up.
Still, even so, I never expected him to recognize me…
I cautiously glanced around while Rakiel unexpectedly continued.
“I followed after you because I was worried, but you mistook me for a sto— ahem, a stalker. I apologize for behaving in a way that invited misunderstanding.”
“…What?”
Instead… I got an apology?
Rakiel was actually speaking as if confessing to a crime, his face slightly red.
I stared blankly at him, and Rakiel shifted his eyes awkwardly.
Snapping back to my senses, I answered quickly.
“A-ah, no… I’m sorry too. I misunderstood and… headbutted your jaw…”
…Right into oblivion.
“Ah, that.”
Rakiel slowly rubbed his jaw and smirked.
…He’s smiling?
Did the Second Prince have some weird hobby or something?
Like enjoying being hit…?
“Well, it did hurt.”
“I-I’m really sorry…! I’ll pay for the treatment…”
I rummaged through my pockets.
Honestly, I assumed a prince like him would never accept it, so I only pretended to search casually.
But instead of stopping me, Rakiel simply watched with an amused smile.
What the heck? Why isn’t he refusing?
After hesitating awkwardly, I reluctantly pulled out a few silver coins.
“It’s not much, but…”
Rakiel smiled as he accepted the money from me. Judging by his expression, he looked delighted to have gotten unexpected cash.
…A prince.
What, was he broke?
I completely revised the image I had of the Second Prince Rakiel in my head.
So the Second Prince, overshadowed by Crown Prince Ludwig, had no money. Maybe they didn’t allocate him a budget.
Hmm. Should I give him more?
While I stood there 고민ing with my hand still in my coin pouch, Rakiel tucked the silver away and asked,
“Come to think of it, what’s your name?”
“Eve—”
Ah, I almost blurted out Evelyn’s name.
“I-I’m Eve! My name’s Eve.”
“Eve. A beautiful name.”
“…?”
I’d heard the Second Prince had a personality that tended to go off in unpredictable directions.
Indeed, something definitely seemed wrong with his head.
Hmm. Could a man like this really become emperor?
Still, I figured I should wait until Twilight finished their investigation before deciding.
Frowning slightly, I looked around. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was pitch dark everywhere.
Everyone must be looking for me by now.
“Anyway, thank you. I should hurry back—”
“To the Rosenthal Ducal Estate?”
“…!”
Gasp. Don’t tell me I’ve been found out…?
“Ah, last time you were wearing robes from the ducal house, so I assumed you were a maid working there.”
Whew, thank goodness.
I nodded.
“That’s right.”
“Then I’ll escort you.”
“…Pardon?”
Ignoring my response completely, Rakiel started walking ahead first.
I hurried after him with a bewildered expression.
“Y-you really don’t have to go that far. I can get back on my own.”
“I have plenty of time. No need to refuse. Or would you rather run into another man like earlier?”
“No, that’s not what I mean—”
You’re being way too nice, you know that?!
What on earth is this guy thinking? Is it really okay for a prince to escort some random maid home?
With a scrunched-up face, I quietly followed after Rakiel. Better to avoid causing a scene and just get this over with quickly.
Thankfully, the ducal estate wasn’t far.
“We’ve arrived.”
Before I knew it, we were already at the back gate of the Rosenthal mansion.
“Ah… thank you for escorting me.”
“If you’re grateful, how about buying me a meal sometime?”
“…What?”
What the hell was this guy saying?
Seeing my strange expression, Rakiel smirked.
“I was joking. Get inside safely.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
I never imagined I’d hear such a cheap pickup line from someone who was supposedly a prince.
Next time I see his face, I’m running immediately. Absolutely.
…Hm? Wait a second.
The Second Prince thinks I’m a maid from the ducal estate.
Couldn’t that… become a pretty useful card to play?
Couldn’t I… use him?
* * *
Outside the walls of the Rosenthal Ducal Estate.
Rakiel watched the small figure disappear inside the mansion and let out a quiet chuckle.
‘Interesting.’
He had started following her from the Twilight tavern.
At first, he thought she was a stranger. Her movements definitely felt familiar, yet that familiarity failed to connect to any specific person.
Like a hazy memory with only a blurred outline remaining.
The length of her stride, the timing of her breathing, even her posture in fleeting moments—Rakiel was the sort of man who could identify people from details like that.
Which made this sensation unfamiliar.
‘…Who exactly is she?’
If he could recognize her despite having shut himself away from society for years, then she had to be someone whose appearance he had intentionally committed to memory.
And yet, he still couldn’t recall her.
With a hardened face, he continued tailing her, ready to expose her identity the moment she did anything suspicious.
“…!”
At that moment, the woman suddenly stopped.
‘Did she notice me…?’
But her gaze wasn’t directed at him.
An elderly woman nearby was struggling under the weight of heavy luggage.
Without hesitation, the woman walked over and carried the bags for her.
‘Oh?’
And that wasn’t all.
She helped a lost child find their parents, assisted a merchant who had spilled a crate of fruit, and even picked up a fallen letter and delivered it to the nearby post office.
‘She’s busy.’
That was truly the perfect word for it. The woman busied herself taking care of every tiny matter around her.
Then, just as she started walking again, a drunkard grabbed her.
Rakiel narrowed his eyes and approached close enough to hear their conversation.
“Excuse me, sir. You’re drunk. Let’s go to the guard station together!”
“…!”
Only then did he finally remember.
She was the very maid who had smashed the top of her head into his jaw and fled not long ago.
‘…Ha. To think I completely forgot.’
He should have recognized her immediately.
Feeling something strange, he sank into thought, though it didn’t last long.
“I’ll help you! Because I’m! A kind and righteous citizen!”
Rakiel frowned.
‘What a meddlesome person.’
And a dangerously meddlesome one at that.
Sure enough, despite the woman’s good intentions, the drunk man reached for her anyway.
‘Danger—!’
Rakiel instantly lunged forward and seized the man’s wrist.
“That’s enough.”
Unable to hide his displeasure, he continued,
“Stop there if you don’t want to get hurt.”
Subduing the man was easy.
To him, ordinary people were no different from insects crawling by.
Rakiel planned to get rid of this nuisance first, then talk with the woman properly afterward.
But once again, she acted in an unexpected way.
“If you can escort him to the guards right now but choose to abandon him instead, that’s negligence! People should live kindly, you know. You can’t be so coldhearted!”
Telling him—a prince—to take responsibility, to live kindly…
Those were words he had never heard before.
Perhaps that was why, before he knew it, he found himself delivering the drunk man to the guards exactly as she had asked.
Rakiel glanced sideways at her and once again wore a complicated expression.
‘She’s genuinely… happy.’
Pure joy, untouched by ulterior motives. The satisfaction of helping someone else.
There were many kinds of people in the world, but this was the first time he had ever met someone who sincerely cared for others and felt genuine happiness because of it.
And at that very moment, he completely forgot that he had ever suspected her.
