TNMN 07

Chapter 07

Who was that unbelievably handsome man?

“You suddenly opened my carriage door and started saying incomprehensible things. Did you hit your head in that accident?”

Thinking back to the man who had spoken to her so coldly, Alosha felt strangely melancholy.

The more time passed, the more vividly his face, voice, and arrogant attitude lingered in her mind. He had to be an important character… but she had no idea who he was.

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve read more of the novel.”

“My lady, are you alright?”

“Yeah… By the way, is everyone okay?”

“Yes. None of us were seriously injured.”

The knight couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he got after seeing the coachman and maid, who had just moments ago been rolling around on the ground as if they were dying.

“Anyway, we have the business card. The real problem is this carriage…”

Frowning at the completely wrecked carriage, Alosha turned to the knight.

“I have somewhere I need to go now. Would you mind taking care of things here?”

“But I have to escort you, my lady…”

The knight protested stiffly, the very image of unwavering duty, but Alosha shook her head.

“I’m asking because there’s no one else I can trust.”

“My lady… what about us?”

“As soon as everything’s settled here, head back to the estate. I’ll make my own way home.”

“But—”

Before he could continue, Alosha hurried off toward the village.

After somehow hiring a rental carriage, she continued toward the Laos Merchant Guild as originally planned.

Inside the rattling carriage, she stared at the ring on her middle finger and bit her lower lip.

If obtaining this ring—a key item in the story—went this smoothly, is it because the plot hasn’t started yet? Or is it because the ring is destined to end up with the guild master no matter what?

If it was the former, changing the story would be much easier.

If it was the latter…

Then she was doomed to die.

Still, doing something was better than doing nothing.

Her plan to seduce the villain and turn the genre into a romance hadn’t changed.

But…

She didn’t actually want to marry him.

I’ll survive as long as I can… and somehow, I’ll meet that man again.

As she steeled her resolve, the carriage came to a stop with a jolt.

“My lady, we’ve arrived in front of the Laos Merchant Guild.”

Getting out without the coachman’s help, Alosha looked up at the signboard bearing the same emblem as her ring and took a deep breath.

“I’d like to meet the master of the Laos Merchant Guild.”

“My apologies. Our guild master only meets with those who have appointments.”

Has the original story’s forced progression already kicked in?

She’d barely decided to change the story five minutes ago, and she’d already been rejected.

Grinding her teeth, Alosha remained calm.

Well, I expected this much. Even if I’m a noble, I’m not important enough for the guild master to personally come out.

Still, knowing it would probably fail, she tried once more.

“Then could you at least tell him someone has a matter of great importance and would like to arrange a meeting?”

“No matter what you say…”

Seeing how troubled the employee looked, Alosha quietly pulled a banknote from her bag and placed it on the table.

A shamelessly obvious bribe.

“M-Miss…?”

The employee stared in surprise.

Ignoring him, Alosha pulled out an entire stack of bills and began counting them in front of him.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

How much does it take just to pass along a message?

By the fifth bill, the employee’s eyes were glued to her hands.

By the seventh, he visibly swallowed.

That should do it.

To a noble like Alosha, 7,000 krona was little more than spending money.

To an ordinary commoner, it was about two weeks’ wages.

She laid all 7,000 krona on the table.

“Tell him I want to negotiate over the Phoenix Ring.”

The employee flinched slightly.

After a moment of thought, he nodded.

“If you insist… I’ll pass along the message.”

“I’ll wait here.”

Afraid she might change her mind, the clerk quickly pocketed the money and hurried upstairs.

Money really does solve everything.

If the problem could be resolved with 40,000 krona for the ring and another 7,000 as a bribe, it was well worth it.

A little while later, the employee returned from the second floor wearing an apologetic expression.

“My deepest apologies. The guild master still refuses to meet anyone without a prior appointment.”

The unexpected response left Alosha speechless.

The clerk bowed repeatedly, clearly terrified she might demand her bribe back.

“…I understand.”

Is it because I’m not one of the story’s important characters?

Her thoughts grew complicated.

Standing around any longer wouldn’t make the guild master appear.

Making up her mind, Alosha looked toward the staircase.

If he won’t come out… then I’ll go in.

“M-Miss?”

Having accepted such an outrageous bribe, the employee could only call after her, saying she couldn’t do this, as she walked past him and climbed the stairs.

He was truly an admirable man—remaining loyal to both his employer and his bribe.

“Is it this room?”

“You can’t just barge in! The guild master specifically said he won’t meet anyone without an appointment!”

Though he shouted toward the closed office door, the employee quietly gave Alosha an OK sign with his hand.

She threw the door open with a loud bang.

Backlit by the sunlight, she couldn’t clearly make out the man seated behind the desk.

“Are you the master of the Laos Merchant Guild?”

“Fizz, I believe I said I wouldn’t meet anyone without an appointment.”

A lazy voice echoed through the office as the man sitting on the sofa rose to his feet.

He was well over 185 centimeters tall, with dark green hair flowing all the way to his waist.

His handsome face was framed by bronze skin that reminded her of a desert tribe.

She created men this handsome… and wrote a grim fantasy instead of a romance?

If her friend hated cheesy romance fantasies so much, she could’ve at least written a BL novel.

Why waste men this gorgeous in a serious fantasy?

Alosha would never understand.

This guy absolutely looks like the flirtatious, smooth-talking second male lead who’s secretly gentle. The kind who saves the heroine every time she’s in danger with his wealth and connections, making readers scream, “I know this ship will sink, but I’m buying the stock anyway!”

“I tried to stop her, but the young lady was… rather insistent.”

The employee named Fizz put on an Oscar-worthy performance of helplessness before the guild master, who wore nothing but a polite business smile.

At last, the master of the Laos Merchant Guild slowly turned toward Alosha.

To all readers who love second male leads… please forgive the foolish me who once laughed at people for investing in doomed ships. Accept me as one of you! I don’t care if it sinks—I’M BUYING THE MERCHANT GUILD MASTER STOCK TOO!

People always said that seeing someone incredibly beautiful caused temporary memory loss.

Living proof of that saying, Alosha almost forgot why she’d come.

“…My lady?”

“Ahem… My apologies. You’re so handsome that I completely lost myself for a moment.”

“Such praise from a beautiful young lady… I’m honored. I am Emil Laos, master of the Laos Merchant Guild.”

After looking momentarily dumbfounded, Emil put on a perfect business smile, placed a hand over his chest, and gave a slight bow.

“I am Alosha of House Nocturne.”

“I assume you didn’t create all this commotion just to admire my handsome face…”

Trailing off, Emil tilted his head slightly and brushed a finger across his lips.

Does he know exactly what every one of his movements does to people?

For a fleeting moment, Alosha seriously wondered whether marrying the merchant guild master and leaving the Empire wouldn’t be a better future than marrying that terrifying duke she’d never even properly seen.

Get a grip! Don’t fall for temptation like this!

To keep herself from succumbing to the devil’s charms, she smacked herself across the right cheek.

“…My lady?”

Startled, Emil’s eyes widened.

He’s so cu—

I said get a grip!

Before her thoughts could spiral completely into shameless fangirling, she slapped herself across the face again.

The sting on her cheek finally cleared her head.

Lifting her chin proudly and squaring her shoulders, she stared straight at Emil.

“What kind of merchant turns away a customer without even finding out who they are?”

“…Is that not allowed?”

“Of course not! What if I’m someone important to your story—I mean, important to you? At the very least, you should meet me before deciding.”

“The people who are usually useful to me don’t arrive in worn-out rental carriages without appointments.”

His perfectly accurate remark left Alosha speechless.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like you to leave. I’m rather tired today.”

Faced with such a direct dismissal, she bit her lower lip anxiously.

“So you’re saying you won’t do business with me?”

“Do you possess anything worth trading with me?”

“The Phoenix Ring!”

You want it, don’t you?!

Although she brought up the ring, Emil merely shrugged with a relaxed smile.

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”