TSPGD 25

Chapter 25

“Could we move somewhere else for a moment?”

“……Yes.”

When I got up from the table with the waitress, Marie flinched.

I gave Marie a reassuring look and nodded.

‘It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.’

Leaving Marie’s worried face behind, I followed the waitress toward the kitchen.

“This way.”

We passed through the kitchen and exited through the back door, revealing a dark and narrow alley.

A large man was standing there.

‘Hmm. Just as I thought.’

This would normally be a situation that made people nervous, but I had expected something like this.

‘If an ordinary commoner possesses jewelry this expensive, it’s only natural to be suspicious.’

“You can speak with him.”

The waitress bowed her head and quickly disappeared.

“Hmm.”

I looked up at the large man standing in front of me.

His face was impossible to see because he was completely wrapped in a black robe, standing in a dark alley where no light reached.

After staring at him for a while, a deep voice finally came from beneath the hood.

“I heard you wanted to dispose of stolen goods.”

At his words, I smiled inwardly.

‘If a commoner has something this valuable, of course he’d assume it was stolen.’

“No. You’re mistaken. This isn’t stolen. I bought it.”

I took out the diamond and held it toward him.

He appeared to glance at it, but immediately recognized it.

“That was sold at Julien Jewelry.”

“That’s right. I bought it.”

“That is the jewelry purchased by the new mistress of Brüllhardt Castle.”

“You’re well informed. I’m that mistress.”

I smiled as though it were the most natural thing in the world, while the man let out an incredulous laugh.

“If you were going to reveal that so quickly, why bother pretending to be a commoner?”

“That’s for you to figure out. Here, take this.”

“What do you want in return?”

“Pare honey.”

“Pare honey? You’re willing to take this much of a risk for something like that?”

“Are you going to do it or not?”

“……I will.”

The man nodded, and I raised the corners of my lips as I handed him another pearl.

“I’ll give you the rest when you bring me the honey.”

“One gold coin per bottle.”

“Okay. Do that. But you have two days.”

“……I’ll deliver it to the Grand Duke’s castle.”

“Good.”

He took out a sheet of paper from inside his robe and handed it to me.

[Angela Dressmaking Shop]

Apparently, he planned to disguise himself as a tailor to get inside.

Since this was a common method, I nodded and turned around.

“Then I’ll see you in two days.”

I gave him a slight nod before returning to the café.

‘That wasn’t as difficult as I expected.’

There was no proper security here, let alone CCTV or social media.

So shady dealings like this weren’t particularly difficult.

Of course, that also meant I could just as easily become the victim of something dangerous.

This time, it had been more or less a gamble.

‘Whew. I got lucky enough for things to go this smoothly, but actual villains must have a field day in a place like this.’

Whoosh. Tap.

A man wrapped tightly in a pitch-black robe swiftly slipped into the Grand Duke’s castle under cover of darkness.

With practiced movements, he entered the Grand Duke’s study.

Sensing the man’s presence, the Grand Duke put down his pen.

“What is your report?”

Jurgen pressed his fingers against his brow as though exhausted.

The man held out the pearl and reported what had happened.

“Lady Arina is looking for Pare honey.”

“Pare honey?”

“Yes. I intend to deliver it disguised as a tailor from Angela Dressmaking Shop in two days.”

“Hmm……”

Jurgen’s fatigue disappeared as he lightly tapped the desk.

“She is currently returning to the Grand Duke’s castle with Marie after completing the transaction.”

“For now, follow the young lady’s wishes.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The shadow finished his report and disappeared into the darkness as though melting into it.

Jurgen toyed with the pearl left in his hand and narrowed his eyes.

“Pare honey requires honey collected from Rhenensing flowers.”

And Rhenensing flowers only bloomed in the Imperial Palace.

Pare honey, also known as the Tears of the Fairies.

“Why would she want to obtain it……?”

Arina’s voice, when she had confidently assured him, echoed in his ears.

“In one month, I’ll prove that I won’t suffer from the madness anymore! So, the Imperial Palace—”

Since she had been so certain, it was natural to associate her actions with stopping his madness.

‘Should I ask her directly?’

Jurgen considered it for a brief moment before shaking his head.

‘No. If I do, she’ll realize that I monitor the information coming in and out of the Grand Duchy.’

“Arina Carbon.”

According to the investigation he had conducted, she was the only daughter of Count Carbon, and Countess Carbon had died long ago.

A poor, fallen noblewoman with nothing particularly remarkable about her.

“If I had to name one unusual thing, it would be her silver hair.”

A poor noblewoman from a fallen family who had secretly traveled all the way to the North while hiding her silver hair, only to become his mistress.

“Hmm. How did a young lady who had no outside activities whatsoever learn about the curse?”

He had investigated Count Carbon as well, but there had been nothing unusual about him either.

‘Then the only person left is the deceased Countess……’

She had died when Arina was only ten years old.

‘Could she have left something behind for her young daughter?’

Jurgen’s mind was filled with unanswered questions.

“Hoo……”

The accumulation of all those things seemed to be giving him a headache.

But perhaps he should consider himself fortunate.

Thanks to holding Arina’s hand, his madness was still quiet.

He frowned and leaned back against his chair.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock sounded, followed by Aaron’s voice.

“Your Grace. It’s Aaron.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve received a message from the Imperial Palace.”

“……Come in.”

The heavy door opened, and Aaron entered with a serious expression.

He then presented Jurgen with a letter resting on a silver tray.

“Open it.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Aaron elegantly opened the sealed letter, and Jurgen asked briefly,

“Is it a summons?”

“Yes. It is.”

“Hoo…… Keep Lady Arina inside the estate for the time being.”

“I will do so.”

“Prepare.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The atmosphere in the room grew even heavier.

When I returned to the estate, I immediately sensed that the atmosphere had completely changed.

‘When you’re the person living off someone else, you get pretty good at noticing things like this.’

There were servants everywhere, and I even saw several knights from time to time.

‘What is going on? What happened? Did a monster show up or something?’

I was worrying about it alone, convinced that no one would tell me anything, when—

“My lady.”

I whipped my head around at Aaron’s polite voice.

“Aaron.”

“Did you have an enjoyable time?”

“Yes. More or less. But things seem a little hectic. Is something going on?”

“His Grace will be entering the Imperial Palace tomorrow.”

“Huh……?”

Judging by the way the servants moved so naturally and Aaron’s reaction, this seemed to happen from time to time.

“Therefore, you will have to postpone your outings for the time being.”

I couldn’t understand why my outings had to be restricted just because Jurgen was going to the Imperial Palace.

But it didn’t seem like something I should ask about, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

“Then I’ll have your meal prepared.”

“Okay.”

I nodded absentmindedly and headed to my room.

But I could feel people glancing at me.

‘It must be because of my clothes.’

Apparently, all the mistresses who had stayed here before had dressed extravagantly, so they found me strange.

‘I’m still playing the role of a poor, fallen noblewoman, after all. I understand.’

But once I dressed myself up in the new clothes I had bought, these looks would disappear soon enough.

I quietly returned to my room and rested until dinner.

And then the night I had promised to meet Jurgen arrived.

With Marie guiding me, I easily made my way to Jurgen’s bedroom.

I was heading to a grown man’s bedroom, but I wasn’t nervous.

‘All I have to do is hold his hand.’

So I opened the door calmly and entered his bedroom.

But I was immediately horrified.

I couldn’t tell whether Jurgen’s bedroom was actually a bedroom or another study.

“Uaaah! You’ve been working this whole time?”

“You’re here. Sit wherever you’re comfortable.”

“What is all this paperwork?”

“You heard that I’m entering the Imperial Palace tomorrow, didn’t you?”

“Are you rushing to finish all this work because of that?”

“Yes.”

“All of this?”

Jurgen looked at me as though he couldn’t believe my questions.

“You’re really going to finish all of this before you leave?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t be able to sleep.”

“It’s fine. I won’t die.”

I shook my head in disbelief at his answer.

“No. You will.”

I was genuinely fed up.

‘What on earth do you get out of working like that?’

I knew I was meddling, but I couldn’t stand watching someone overwork himself.

‘I understand that being a Grand Duke comes with a lot of responsibilities.’

But that title was hereditary.

In other words, he hadn’t chosen to become a Grand Duke.

‘This is a place where excessive workloads are inherited just like poverty.’

Good grief.

I let out a long sigh, walked over to Jurgen, and grabbed his hand.

Jurgen flinched in surprise at my sudden action.

“……I really don’t even know where to start.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“First of all. Let’s start with this.”

“W-what?”

“Don’t work during the time I’m holding your hand.”

“……What are you talking about?”

I took the document Jurgen had been holding away from him.

‘Huh? He isn’t even angry that I took his paperwork?’