🔊 TTS Settings
Episode 8
The man led Haran through the same door he had come out of.
Beyond it was a dark hallway connected to a spiral staircase.
After climbing all the way up, they arrived at an old wooden door.
Haran stayed alert and cautious as she stepped inside.
The room beyond was even darker than the hallway.
It was a completely sealed space with no windows.
There was no furniture or decoration, making the room feel empty.
Only a single candle floated above a wooden table.
A magic circle had been drawn beneath it.
Symbols representing barriers, secret agreements, and soundproofing.
Haran quickly examined the magic circle before sitting down.
Rustle.
A giant woman emerged from the darkness and sat across from her.
The woman looked well over two meters tall, with muscles so solid they seemed ready to burst through her skin.
A scar running down the center of her face twisted as she smiled.
“A pretty little thing like you is a rare sight. What cute little business brings you here?”
Haran pulled her shawl tighter around her face and replied,
“I want to hire Nipe. How long do you think it will take?”
Nipe was a famous shaman known throughout the world.
He belonged to an ancient line of shamans and was on an entirely different level from the Sol shamans who practiced cheap tricks and fake curses.
Nipe’s clan had existed alongside the history of the continent itself.
Even promising rulers would quietly die without leaving a trace if they were targeted by one of the clan’s curses.
Even me.
In Rose of Corruption, Haran had practically died because of Nipe as well.
Her siblings had hired Nipe.
Using their power, they created evidence linking an assassination attempt to the Sultan.
That evidence eventually led directly to Haran, binding her so tightly she could not escape.
No matter how much the Sultan loved her daughter, attempting to assassinate her was a crime she would never forgive.
Maybe that was one reason Haran never felt particularly close to her mother.
The woman burst into loud laughter after hearing Haran’s request.
“Hahaha! Time, huh? You sound awfully confident we’ll find him. Well, thanks for the faith. I like clients who get straight to the point. First, that’ll be one hundred million cento for information.”
Thud.
A heavy pouch filled with gold coins landed on the table.
“Eight billion cento. Up front. If you find Nipe, I’ll pay another eight billion. Depending on the results, I may pay even more.”
Although Haran acted like a priest detached from worldly concerns, she had secretly built up emergency funds and stored away large amounts of cash.
Only Iraz and Iraz’s grandfather knew about it.
“Haha! I like that attitude. You’ve got style, miss. I’ll give you our special regular-customer treatment. You’re lucky, too. Nipe is already inside the Baral Kingdom. Within two days, we’ll arrange an opportunity for you to meet him in the palace where you’re staying.”
Haran’s eyebrows twitched.
“Don’t worry. Even if my mouth gets ripped open, I won’t tell anyone you’re a noble princess. You’ve got an important body to take care of, so head home and get some rest. We’ll handle everything from here.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
Haran nodded and stood up.
She left the tavern, retraced her steps, and navigated her way back through the maze-like alleys.
Can I finally relax a little…?
She still couldn’t be certain that Nipe would accept her request.
But she was sure of one thing.
Her siblings hadn’t found him yet.
Lost in thought while walking, Haran suddenly bumped into a man passing by.
Thump!
The man was so large that Haran’s slender body swayed slightly from the impact.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Are you alright?”
The man spoke Baral’s language fluently, but she could hear the accent of the Robella Empire hidden beneath it.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
When Haran looked up, she froze in shock.
Noble golden hair.
Blue-gray eyes that gave off an almost ascetic feeling.
A serious expression.
Firmly pressed lips that made him look stubborn.
Haran silently sucked in a breath.
The male lead!
Carden, Liatris.
“Do you live around here?”
“…Huh? Sorry, what did you say?”
“Do you reside in this area?”
Carden repeated himself slowly and clearly.
“Yes, I’m from the Baral Kingdom. Is there something you wanted to ask?”
“I’m looking for the main cathedral of the Aster Church.”
Haran’s mind immediately began racing.
Although the heroine eventually ended up with the villain Lucius, Carden was unquestionably the true male protagonist recognized by the readers of Rose of Corruption.
She was confused about why he was there at this point.
Then she noticed what he was wearing.
A pure white uniform trimmed with gold.
The attire of a Holy Knight from the Holy Nation of Livrun.
Coincidentally, an official delegation from Livrun was scheduled to arrive at Baral Kingdom’s Grand Cathedral next week.
He came ahead of the group.
Carden was the type of person who approached every responsibility with passion and absolute dedication.
Sometimes that dedication became excessive and robbed him of flexibility.
Like many tragic novel protagonists, he wasn’t exactly sane if you looked closely enough.
Still, it made sense.
He probably wanted to inspect the cathedral before the delegation arrived.
“Yes, I know the way. You can come with me.”
“If that would inconvenience you, please don’t trouble yourself. I’ll find it on my own.”
For a brief moment, discomfort crossed Carden’s face.
Right. Carden is suspicious of women who show kindness without a reason.
He carried trauma from his childhood involving women.
Of course, that trauma would eventually be healed by the heroine, Flora.
“You’re very considerate. I happen to have paper and a pen, so I’ll draw you a map instead.”
Haran lowered her long silver eyelashes and began sketching.
Scratch. Scratch.
Not only the capital, but even maps of obscure rural regions were perfectly stored in her memory.
I memorized everything in case I ever had to escape the kingdom.
Feeling proud of herself, Haran smiled slightly.
Carden pretended not to look while secretly glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
Her fingers moved smoothly and elegantly across the paper.
“Finished!”
When Haran brightly looked up, Carden’s eyes had already returned to normal.
He listened carefully to her explanation, bowed in thanks, and turned to leave.
Looks like I’ll be seeing him again next week.
She really wanted to avoid getting involved with the male lead as much as possible.
But she couldn’t exactly fake an illness to avoid an important diplomatic event.
It was troublesome.
Haran stood near the road where the public carriages passed and waited.
Not long afterward, a familiar figure suddenly emerged from an alley across the street.
It was Carden.
When he spotted Haran, surprise briefly appeared on his usually expressionless face.
Then he looked back toward the alley he had just come from.
After shaking his head once, he walked over and stood beside her.
“We meet again. It’s nice to see you.”
“Are you still trying to get to the cathedral?”
“Yes. Would you accompany me?”
“Of course.”
Carden gave a small bow.
“If you wait just a little longer, the carriage should arrive soon.”
Haran smiled kindly.
She had honestly expected this outcome.
Because.
Carden had an absolutely terrible sense of direction.
The memory is still vivid.
Even when the heroine has been kidnapped, he gets lost while trying to rescue her, causing readers everywhere to groan in frustration.
Women passing by noticed Carden and immediately blushed.
True to the bold nature of Baral Kingdom women, several confidently approached and started conversations with him.
Having grown up in a conservative society and carrying trauma involving women, Carden became slightly flustered.
His responses consisted mainly of:
“Yes.”
“No.”
Or complete silence.
When the carriage finally arrived, Carden coldly turned away from the women.
They couldn’t hide their disappointment.
“To the Grand Cathedral of the Aster Church.”
Before boarding, Haran handed the fare to the driver.
“I’ll pay for my own seat.”
“Think of it as a welcome gift for your visit to the Baral Kingdom. If you don’t mind me asking, is this your first time riding a public carriage?”
“…Yes.”
Carden’s ears turned red.
As a direct descendant of the powerful Liatris family of the Holy Nation, he would never have needed to ride public transportation.
He had probably left his horse at the last village before crossing the desert.
And if he had tried renting one here, he likely would have gotten lost twice as badly.
“You’re going to have a hard time.”
“Why is that?”
Haran simply smiled and gestured for him to board first.
Carden looked inside the cramped carriage.
Every seat was packed.
People were standing shoulder to shoulder.
There was clearly no room to sit.
No room to stand.
His blue-gray eyes widened as he looked around.
Yet somehow, as if by magic, Haran managed to secure two seats.
“We’re leaving now.”
She smiled.
“You’ll understand the reason very soon.”
