TPES 12

Chapter 12

“So this is what it feels like to transmigrate into a story after all.”

Originally, this information broker’s den was a place only a very small number of chosen people could ever reach. Even in the original novel, hardly anyone knew of its existence.

The female lead, Chloe, was deceived again and again by Plaria and ended up suffering greatly—her life even placed in danger.

At that moment, the person who approached her was the very owner of this information house. Hiding his identity, he helped Chloe, became a close friend to her, and gradually shared pieces of his own story.

And in the end, Chloe realized who he truly was.

“Thanks to that, I was able to come here.”

Because I had read the original novel, I was able to come meet this information broker without any effort at all.

When the man saw my satisfied smile, he flinched slightly and turned his head away.

“Y-you can go that way.”

With a hand nearly as large as my face, he pointed to a door inside the shop. Judging by the slight tremor in his fingers, it seemed he had a tremor disorder.

“Yes.”

When I lightly opened the door he indicated, an interior staircase leading up to the second floor greeted me.

“Ah… I miss you. Elevator. Escalator.”

Staring up at the steep stairs, I let out a deep sigh.

What good is being a noble if there isn’t even an elevator, forcing you to suffer like this just to go up?

The stairs were clearly designed with zero consideration for users—perfect for slipping and going straight to the afterlife. I practically crawled my way up and finally reached the top.

“Hah… with all that money, he could at least move to a better place.”

Having barely reached the second floor, I brushed off my hands and gasped for breath. This body was definitely in terrible physical shape.

And at that moment, a strange voice spoke from right beside me.

“I haven’t earned enough money yet to buy a building, so I haven’t been able to move.”

“Huh….”

Completely unprepared to meet him like this, I stared at the man with my mouth hanging open. His face was hidden behind a white mask, and he wore a red wig—exactly as described in the novel.

“What brings you to a place like this? This isn’t somewhere a lady should frequent.”

“Could we talk privately, just the two of us?”

“My time is very expensive. Are you sure you’re all right with that?”

“Of course. What I have to tell you is also extremely valuable.”

The man’s crimson eyes, visible beneath the mask, sparkled with curiosity.

He had hidden his hair with a red wig, but it seemed he couldn’t quite hide his eyes.

“Please, come inside. A valuable story from a lady of the Leon family—how intriguing.”

Just as I expected, the man already knew who I was. For someone known as the greatest information broker in the empire, that was only natural.

The room he led me to was just like in the novel—only a large table and a few chairs sitting there emptily.

As he had done for Chloe, he courteously pulled out the chair closest to the door. Then, preferring to keep his distance from clients, he sat in the chair opposite me.

“So, what is this valuable story you’ve brought, my lady?”

“Rather than a valuable story, I came to make a proposal.”

“A proposal? What kind?”

The man leaned back against his chair. That alone showed he wasn’t particularly interested in what I had to say.

Which was understandable.

This man possessed more information than anyone else in the empire and could make money off what he already had. In fact, he earned so much that he didn’t accept just any request—he carefully chose only those that would benefit him.

In the original story, the reason he approached Chloe was because he foresaw her future with the crown prince.

“You’re aware that fraud cases are rampant in the empire, aren’t you?”

At the word fraud, the man glanced at me once and nodded lightly.

“Yes. I’m well aware.”

“The empire’s laws don’t properly recognize the severity of fraud. Because of that, the knight order treats catching con artists as a low priority. Thanks to that, they rarely get caught, and even if they do, the punishment is light. And most importantly—”

As I spoke about fraud, emotions welled up before I realized it. The helplessness and pain I had felt after being scammed by Ji-woo came vividly back to me.

“Most importantly?”

“No one cares about restoring the victims’ losses. After being scammed, people blame themselves in their despair. And everyone else points fingers, saying it happened because the victim was stupid.”

The man let out a dry, deflated chuckle.

“For a noble lady to say something like that… You sound like someone who’s been scammed herself.”

“Do you think I was scammed?”

“Well, who knows? Perhaps an innocent lady handed over jewels and money to a man in the name of love.”

He even knew about Sebastian.

“Yes, this is the level someone needs to be at if I’m going to work with them.”

Regardless of why he brought up Sebastian, I couldn’t hide my smile, pleased with his information-gathering abilities.

“Well, I’ll leave that to your imagination. That’s not why I’m here today.”

“Then?”

“I’d like to do a business venture with you.”

“A business?”

“Yes. On the surface, it just needs to look like a solid, respectable business—something a typical noble lady might get involved in. Perhaps perfumes, or a confectionery-related trade.”

“And beneath the surface?”

“Beneath it, I want to help victims of fraud.”

“Victims of fraud? Are you suggesting we create a charity?”

“That’s right. But it has to remain secret.”

“In other words, a charity that no one is allowed to know about?”

The man tilted his head, clearly confused.

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, money will be spent, and you’ll gain no reputation in return.”

“I know.”

“Ha, my lady. That’s nothing but a fanciful dream. I’m not someone overflowing with love for humanity like you. I don’t do businesses that just burn money. If you’re finished, please take your leave.”

Having rejected the proposal outright, the man stood up as if he had nothing more to hear.

“You know better than anyone how hopeless it feels to be scammed.”

At my words, he stopped in his tracks.

“Isn’t that right, Count Kidne?”

At my next words, he had no choice but to sit back down.

His true identity was Count Robert Kidne.

No one knew that this seemingly upright count secretly made money through shadowy businesses like information brokering and pawnshops. Only readers who had finished the novel knew this fact.

“I am not Count Kidne. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Robert denied it at first. It seemed he believed I was merely guessing at his identity and intended to play dumb.

“Pretending won’t help. I already know you’re Count Kidne. My lord, please give my proposal some thought.”

“As I said before, I don’t do things that don’t make money.”

“It will make money.”

“How does charity make money?”

“I plan to donate—and at the same time, scam the scammers.”

“Hah, scam the scammers? Don’t tell me you scammed that man. He’s currently being held by the Imperial Knights.”

I shrugged.

“I won’t answer that. So—what do you think?”

At my proposal, Robert fell into deep thought.

He was probably weighing the risks and profits of the business I suggested.

“Still… I won’t do it.”

As expected, it wasn’t easy. I played the final card I had been trying not to use.

“Then how about this? I’ll tell you where that person you’ve been looking for is.”

At that moment, silence settled over the room.

Without a word, he stared straight at me. His crimson eyes wavered—just like his heart.