Chapter 16

Railey’s eyes widened at the sudden mention of her name. A moment later, she quickly plastered a bright, carefree smile across her face and greeted the man.

“Welcome, dear customer.”

She recalled what Ren had told her. It was a strange agreement they had made: she wasn’t to reveal her real name in front of other people. Railey had also decided that, as Ren suggested, it would be best to keep her identity hidden.

He just called me by my name.

That name was known to no one but Ren. Yet this stranger, whom she had never met before, had called her by it.

She had no memory of the man standing before her.

Could he be someone who knows me?

Curiosity kept bubbling up inside her, refusing to be suppressed.

The golden hair of the man with golden eyes fluttered in the breeze.

Fortunately, other people would see a face different from her original appearance. She had been disguising herself to protect her identity, after all.

Who was this man who looked at her with such sorrowful eyes?

Before she knew it, her mouth had gone completely dry.

Railey lowered her head and began arranging the merchandise on display, hoping to avoid the gaze of the man who continued to stare at her without saying a word.

“Please feel free to look around. Let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“A-ah, of course.”

Caver could hardly believe his eyes.

The woman before him looked so much like Railey.

She really does resemble her.

Her appearance and aura were so similar that he could easily have mistaken her for Railey. He had even blurted out her name without thinking.

Of course, that was impossible.

The woman had black hair and green eyes. Her appearance was completely different from Railey’s, yet her face was almost identical.

Caver approached her, hoping to get a closer look.

No matter how hard he tried, his eyes kept following her against his will.

There’s no way she’d be in a place like this.

Wherever Railey was, Ren was there with her. They had always been together, so even now, after she had disappeared, they were surely still by each other’s side.

“I’ll take this one.”

The man pointed to a necklace adorned with neatly arranged green gemstones.

“Is it a gift? This piece has a lovely design, and many customers buy it as a set. We have matching earrings and a bracelet, too. Would you like to see them?”

The gemstones were beautifully crafted. The color was exquisite, and since matching earrings and a bracelet were available, Railey couldn’t resist making the suggestion.

If I manage to sell this, Ren will praise me!

She stole a glance at Caver’s face.

He seemed like the sort of customer who might be persuaded to buy more with the right sales pitch. His clothes were elegant, and his neat, refined appearance gave the impression of a wealthy nobleman.

“Yes, please show me.”

Caver gave a slight nod at her suggestion.

I must be lucky today. A big spender walks in the moment I open the shop!

Just then, Caver noticed the faint smile on Railey’s face.

She looked genuinely pleased. Her emotions were written all over her face, and the sight was so endearing that Caver couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Pfft—Ahem.”

Railey turned to look at him.

“Ah… I was just thinking of someone who would be happy to receive a gift. I’m planning to buy several things. Could you show me everything from that display over there?”

His words were delivered in such a calm, matter-of-fact tone that Railey’s eyes trembled ever so slightly.

The corners of her mouth kept threatening to rise.

My mouth! I need to watch the corners of my mouth!

She hurriedly tightened her lips, forcing her facial muscles to remain still.

Ren had told her not to let her feelings show. She wasn’t supposed to look disappointed or eager, either. She had to maintain an aloof, dignified expression at all times.

Railey shook her head slightly and fixed her gaze on the display case.

Then, calmly and methodically, she began taking out the pieces one by one and showing them to him.

They were expensive, but their quality was second to none.

“If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me a little about the lady you’re buying these gifts for?”

“……”

“Ah, is that too difficult a question?”

Most men who came to buy gifts had little idea what the recipient actually liked. Perhaps it was a matter of pride, because they rarely returned to exchange their purchases.

Still, Railey wanted her jewelry to end up with someone who would truly suit it.

“Of course, it can be difficult to know a lady’s preferences. Hmm… In that case, shall I make a recommendation? What do you think of the earrings and bracelet I mentioned earlier? The only thing is… I hope the lady doesn’t have black hair?”

Railey hurriedly offered an awkward smile and waved her hands.

Since the gemstones were green, she didn’t particularly want to recommend them to someone with black hair.

The reason was simple.

She had thought the jewelry was so beautiful that she had tried it on herself. Unfortunately, the dark green gemstones made everything look dull against her black hair. Neither she nor the necklace had been able to shine.

“Green will suit her well. Her hair is silver, after all…”

“Oh! That’s a relief. I actually tried it on myself because I thought it was so pretty, but it didn’t suit me at all. That’s why I didn’t want to recommend it to someone with black hair.”

Railey clapped her hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, it was possible that she simply hadn’t been able to pull off the look. Even so, the green gemstones weren’t particularly bright, so she still wouldn’t have been eager to recommend them to someone with black hair.

She imagined a silver-haired lady wearing the necklace and nodded in satisfaction.

With silver hair, the jewelry would look absolutely stunning.

“And as for the other sets…”

“I like all of them. You don’t need to explain each piece. I can already picture what they look like.”

Caver spoke as he watched Railey enthusiastically explain the merchandise.

If Railey were standing right in front of him, she would look just like this woman.

“Surely, you don’t intend to buy all of these, do you?”

Railey found her own question amusing as soon as she asked it.

If he bought everything, the total would be enormous. Even for a wealthy customer, it was a considerable sum to spend so casually.

Although… he does look like he could afford it.

Judging by his clothes, the expense probably wouldn’t be a problem for him.

Still, Ren had constantly nagged her not to judge people by their appearances. She needed to observe customers carefully rather than making assumptions based on how they looked.

So she decided to ask.

“I don’t mind.”

He’s incredibly rich!

Railey immediately classified him as a big spender.

Unable to suppress the bright, capitalistic smile that spread across her face, she nodded.

She carefully considered which ribbons and boxes would make the best presentation, then began packing the items as diligently as she could.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?”

Caver wanted to be certain.

He wanted the person standing before him to be Railey, and no one else.

It had already been more than a month since he had begun searching everywhere for her.

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. You just look like someone I’m searching for…”

A bitter smile briefly appeared on his face before fading away.

Remembering the sorrowful expression he had worn earlier, Railey noticed that his shoulders had drooped slightly, as though he were exhausted.

“My na—”

Railey nearly answered without thinking.

Ding-a-ling!

“Settria.”

“…Ren?”

Ren had arrived at precisely the right moment and called out Railey’s name.

The name everyone else knew her by.

Settria.

“You’re here?”

“…You have a customer.”

Ren walked past Caver and stopped beside Railey. His long black hair was loosely tied back, and he regarded Caver with a wary gaze.

Tch. How did he find us? I concealed our presence completely.

Although he didn’t show it, Ren knew exactly who Caver was.

That was only natural. Ren had been bound by a long-standing contract with the Imperial Family and belonged to House Traila.

Ren was the sword passed down through House Traila, a being who acted on behalf of the emperor alongside his contracted master.

He was precisely the one Railey had been so determined to reject.

Of course, she still hadn’t entered into a proper contract with him. Since he continued to be unable to manifest physically, they had settled for a verbal agreement instead.

When Caver saw Ren, his brows furrowed.

A wave of helplessness washed over him, and a bitter chuckle escaped his lips before he could stop it.

“Ha…”

Ren looked at him with a sly, knowing smile.

Caver clenched his teeth.

You snake! How dare you deceive me?

Settria? What a joke!

As long as Ren was here, the woman standing before him had to be Railey.

Ren had deliberately kept her identity from him.

He must have been concealing both Railey’s and his own presence, which explained why Caver had been unable to find them until now.

“You…”

Caver’s voice sharpened as he turned toward Ren.

At the same time, Ren raised his index finger and pressed it against his lips.

Shh. Revealing your identity here and now wouldn’t do you any good.

Railey’s feelings toward the Imperial Family amounted to one thing alone.

Hostility.

Taking Ren’s warning to heart, Caver steadied his breathing.

Railey sensed the unusual tension in the air and turned to look at Ren.

“What is it? Ren, why are you looking at our customer so rudely?”

“…Huh?”

She jabbed him in the waist as if reprimanding him, giving him a pointed look.

Ren’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

“Apologize. You’re making the customer uncomfortable by glaring at him like that.”

“No, I—”

“Ren.”

Railey grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer, whispering into his ear.

“Our living expenses for the next six months are at stake! Are you going to cooperate or not? We need to turn him into a regular customer!”

As far as Railey was concerned, Caver was nothing more than a customer.

And not just any customer, either.

He was a big spender she absolutely couldn’t afford to lose.

“I’m sorry, sir. My eyes naturally tend to look displeased, so I hope you’ll be generous enough to overlook it.”

Ren bowed his head as he apologized to Caver.

Railey wasn’t particularly satisfied with his apology. However, she couldn’t very well start arguing with Ren in front of a customer.

“Could you wait just a little longer? I’ll finish wrapping everything up in no time.”

“Please take your time. Even if it takes an entire day, I won’t mind.”

“…Excuse me?”

You lunatic! Why don’t you just say it outright?

Ren shot Caver a pointed look, silently signaling him to stop.

Caver casually ignored him and took a seat at the table provided for customers.

“Settria, does that man look familiar to you?”

Ren asked Railey in a deliberately loud voice, watching Caver’s reaction as he spoke.

He was thoroughly displeased that Caver had finally managed to track them down.

Railey doesn’t want to reveal herself yet, so I’ve been keeping us hidden. Does this guy have absolutely no patience?

The empire’s future really was looking bleak.

Ren tapped his fingers against the display case as he stared at Caver.

If Railey returns to the Imperial Palace…

Her path would be anything but smooth.

There were still countless obstacles she would have to overcome.

Ren himself had spent an immeasurably long time serving the Imperial Family. He had killed again and again, walking an endless road stained with blood.

He couldn’t understand why Railey refused to obtain more power.

And yet, part of him understood her all too well.

After all, he wasn’t so different from her.

“Hmm? That customer? He does look a little familiar…”

Railey tilted her head.

There was someone she just couldn’t stop thinking about.