Chapter 1: I Was a Slave, Though…

“Gold coins! One hundred gold coins, Vanillin! A whole hundred!”

Bang!

Dai kicked the door open and rushed inside, looking excited.

The tip of his nose was puffed up as he bounced around.

This was the fixer’s office in the slums on the outskirts of the capital of the Ozvalt Empire.

In that shabby little place, Dai was jumping around with his arms spread wide as if he had just obtained a throne.

“Kwa-ha-ha! Once I finish this job, I’ll be rich! I can quit this lousy fixer business and live like a king!”

“Wow…. That’s amazing, Fixer.”

I clapped out of habit.

But despite my words, I felt uneasy.

Whenever Dai got this excited, something bad always happened.

“One hundred gold coins… What kind of job is it?”

“Heh-heh! It’s simple, simple!”

Dai answered as if he had been waiting for me to ask.

“All I have to do is steal the Sacred Contract from the Imperial Palace!”

“…What?”

What did he just say?

“The, the Sacred Contract?”

I jumped to my feet.

“That’s a forbidden item. Only the Imperial bloodline can use divine power—”

“I know, I know! That’s why it’s so expensive!”

Dai snorted and kicked the chair aside.

“The client seems scared because of that, but what’s the problem?”

“But, Fixer, this job is too dangerous. One hundred gold coins is tempting, but I think we should give up this time….”

“Dangerous? What’s dangerous about it? We just steal a piece of paper and one hundred gold coins come rolling in! It’ll take three days at most.”

“But….”

“Hey! Don’t ruin the mood. It’s not like I’m going to give you any of the money anyway. Damn beggar, you’re annoying.”

As always, my weak objection was ignored.

Whenever I hesitated even a little, his palm would fly straight toward the back of my head.

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

“Stop wasting time and pack your things! You’re coming this time too.”

“M-me too…?”

“What? You don’t want to?”

Of course not.

I quickly shook my head.

I was allowed to go outside…

And to the Imperial Palace, of all places.

How long had it been since I had last gone outside?

“Besides, the timing is perfect. The Founding Anniversary banquet starts tonight.”

“But, Fixer—”

“Shut it!”

Dai raised his hand threateningly again.

I instinctively shrank my shoulders, and the man kicked the desk as if he were annoyed.

“If you keep acting like this, I’m not going to investigate your brother’s case.”

“…Ugh.”

I bit my lips tightly.

My older brother had died mysteriously fifteen years ago.

No one was willing to investigate the case.

The only person who had accepted it was this fixer.

Of course, he still hadn’t found out anything….

—What are you doing? Hurry up and clean the floor, you wench. Don’t you want me to investigate your brother’s death?

And in exchange, I had been forced into a contract that was practically the same as slavery.

I had been confined to this tiny fixer’s office and forced to do all the chores.

But he was my only hope of learning the truth about my brother’s death.

So I had no choice but to follow him.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll get ready right away.”

“Good. That’s how you should be.”

In the end, I lowered my eyes and obeyed.

Dai gave me a cruel smile and lightly shoved me.

“If you want to know what happened to your brother, then do your job properly, okay?”

I couldn’t say a word in front of him.

Was it because of the Founding Anniversary?

The streets, which I hadn’t visited in a long time, were much busier than before.

“I heard the Third Prince will attend the banquet this time.”

“Eek! Lord Yulian? I’m so jealous. I want to see him too.”

A prince….

He sounded like someone from a fairy tale, and for some reason, my heart fluttered.

Creak—

Soon, a carriage stopped in front of me.

Dai stepped down, dressed up properly and acting important.

“I’m a noble, so I’ll enter the banquet hall. You find the Sacred Contract and bring it to me.”

“Yes.”

The task was pushed onto me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

So that’s why he brought me here.

Just so he could enjoy himself.

I pouted, but carefully put on the maid uniform he had given me beforehand.

Soft pink hair flowed over my shoulders, and I had gentle-looking eyes.

Compared to the ragged clothes I usually wore, the maid uniform was made from good-quality fabric.

My complexion looked much better too.

For some reason, I felt a little excited, as if I had been given a new set of clothes.

“Now, hurry up and get lost. Don’t come back until you find the Sacred Contract. You’ll get me caught.”

Thud!

Dai snorted and kicked me.

“Ouch….”

It hurt.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I rubbed them.

Dai didn’t even care and headed toward the banquet hall.

Well, it wasn’t like this was the first or second time.

Instead of feeling sad, I looked around at the enormous Imperial Palace.

“Still… I’m excited.”

Had it really been three years since I last went outside?

It would only be for a day at most, but whenever I came outside like this, the world seemed incredibly large.

It made me feel overwhelmed.

“The Head Maid’s office is this way.”

I tightly held the résumé Dai had nagged me to prepare.

Along with the other applicants, I followed one of the palace staff members with small, hurried steps.

We passed through the corridors of the main palace and arrived at the magnificent Head Maid’s office.

It was completely different from the shabby fixer’s office.

“So, your name is Vanillin?”

“Yes, Head Maid. It is an honor to meet you.”

Finally, when it was my turn, I stood in front of her, fidgeting with my fingers.

Flip—

The Head Maid carefully examined my résumé.

The résumé, recommendation letter, and seals stamped onto the papers she was looking at—

I had made all of them myself.

I had perfectly copied everything, from the texture of the paper and the spread of the ink to the habits of the handwriting.

As far as I could tell, there was nothing suspicious about them.

But….

—No one except me would accept someone with your worthless skills. Be grateful.

Dai always said things like that.

“You worked at Baron Gulise’s household for one year, Count Gebaxen’s household for two and a half years…. Oh, and you also spent six months at the Duchy of Hildren.”

But fortunately, the Head Maid nodded with satisfaction.

“Yes. My specialty is handling works of art.”

“Very impressive.”

She even praised me.

She didn’t seem suspicious at all.

…Did she believe it?

Thank goodness.

I nervously shifted my eyes around.

The herringbone-patterned floor, the shelves packed with books, the sofa, my fidgeting toes….

As my eyes moved around, they suddenly stopped on something on the Head Maid’s desk.

‘…Huh?’

I blinked.

My thoughts stopped for a moment.

‘Am I seeing this wrong…?’

I rubbed my eyes in a daze.

It was lying in one corner of the desk, among all the complicated documents scattered everywhere.

‘T-the Sacred Contract…?’

An unused Sacred Contract was lying there.