Chapter : 05
“Ms. Ickel, you clearly said you liked the Duke, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“But not long after you said that, it seemed like you were with another man. Does Miss Clen happen to know anything about this?”
“……No. This is the first I’ve heard of it as well.”
Violet, clenching her fists, seemed quite angry, but she managed to keep her composure.
“Miss Levian, has anyone else seen the two of them together?”
“No, only I saw them, and I haven’t told anyone.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even during the recent tea party, I didn’t say anything, worrying it might tarnish Ms. Ickel’s reputation.”
Violet seemed genuinely impressed with me, almost as much as she was angry at Merina.
“How can someone be so generous and kind-hearted…!”
She clasped her hands together and began to reveal her true feelings.
“I realize now that I completely misunderstood you, Miss Levian. Honestly, you don’t attend parties often and only speak with a select few, so I—”
Violet hesitated, and I smiled kindly.
“You’ve heard that I’m cold, indifferent, and heartless?”
“Oh, my lady, that’s not true—”
“I’ve heard the rumors about myself as well. I understand why people might misunderstand.”
I smiled gently, and Violet’s cheeks flushed.
If I wanted to participate in high society, I could have forced my way using power, but the social scene isn’t that simple. Pushing too hard often causes backlash.
“But it hurts my heart to be constantly misunderstood when I’m not that kind of person…”
“So that’s why you hosted the tea party recently?”
“Yes.”
Even someone like me—the daughter of the powerful Marquis Levian—could be blindsided there.
Conversely, it’s also a place where one could put someone even more powerful than me in an awkward position.
“That woman… no, Ms. Ickel, someone like her—”
I lightly placed my hand over Violet’s, who was touched.
“I would be grateful if you would keep in touch with me from now on.”
“Yes, of course! I’ve always wanted to talk to you, and I’m thankful for your invitation.”
I nodded with a smile, then lowered my voice.
“Miss Clen, what I’ve told you must remain a secret. Understood?”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll quietly find out what kind of relationship she has with Mr. Geode.”
“I appreciate it. Ms. Ickel also knows my younger brother… I hope she won’t get caught up in any false rumors.”
“Oh… oh my…”
Tears welled in Violet’s eyes as she admired my character.
Having perfectly wrapped up the conversation, I quietly took a sip of tea.
Rexian didn’t leave the study until late.
Why now of all times?
Oh dear, are you going to make a lady repeat herself three times? Because he’s the Duke.
Roshia, usually only chatting in corners with friends at parties, smiled sweetly, folding her hands politely, leaving him speechless.
Strangely, the smile of a woman he barely knew made him think, She’s beautiful.
Clearly, Roshia Levian was someone with whom he had almost no contact.
At most, they exchanged greetings at royal-hosted parties; there was little overlap in their lives.
It was odd that she suddenly asked for a dance, but from that moment, he felt as though he had known her well.
“Am I going crazy?”
Rexian ruffled his hair and opened the safe.
A single box had been passed down through generations in the Licianthus family.
It could not be cut with a sword, could not be burned with magic, and only the head of the family could open it.
Legend says it was a gift from a dragon, a close friend of the first head of the family.
The golden box, about the size of a man’s hand and quite heavy, was hidden in the Duke’s office.
“When I saw it at the beginning of the year, it was empty…”
Normally, the box was checked twice a year. Apart from extra family seals, it contained nothing and was more symbolic than functional.
The thought of the box suddenly came to him after the Marquis’s daughter unexpectedly spoke to him.
Without much thought, the box contained twenty-five strands of long black hair, each tied carefully with a red ribbon.
It wasn’t his hair, nor that of his late father.
The thought that arose was Roshia Levian.
“Black hair isn’t common.”
It couldn’t possibly be hers, yet no one else came to mind, and Rexian wanted to verify.
He needed to confirm whose hair was in the safe.
The red ribbon reminded him of Roshia Levian’s red eyes.
If she had passed through the mansion’s wards and checked the box, she could discover whether it was hers—the hair would emit a light if it belonged to her.
Rexian needed to summon Roshia Levian to the Duke’s mansion to shake off this uneasy feeling.
After attending a few social gatherings, I finally found a gap and quietly left the mansion without a maid.
Wearing a veil and a hooded cloak over it.
I arrived at the bustling capital street of Trafal, the most crowded commercial district.
My destination was a shabby antique shop behind No. 7 Trafal Street.
“Welcome.”
An elderly man and a young man, likely his grandson, greeted me.
“Welcome to our antique shop. From old books to ancient vases, feel free to look around.”
I approached the old man, offered a gold coin, and whispered,
“Page 74, the secret is under the lamp.”
The kindly old man raised an eyebrow and gestured for me to follow.
This was, in fact, an information guild, selling intelligence only to those who knew the secret code.
The office had no windows, only a desk, chairs, and cabinets—unchanged as ever.
The man with messy blonde hair, sitting at the desk, stood up. His hair was so unkempt that his face was hard to recognize.
“Welcome. You’ve come seeking information, I assume?”
“Information on the Blue Bird.”
Blue Bird was an organization engaged in all sorts of illegal activity, likely expanding in size now.
They earned money by running gambling houses in the capital, but what mattered to me was that they would eventually extend into all forbidden areas.
They had magicians. Unlike the neutral magicians of the Tower, Blue Bird magicians used magic freely for personal gain and were willing to employ any means for new knowledge.
In the 46th cycle, I had accidentally infiltrated one of their hideouts and learned about <Delphoi>, the center of the world.
I had previously spent a fortune on Tower magicians to acquire information on Blue Bird and Delphoi, but the results were unsatisfactory.
The conclusion was clear: to get information on <Delphoi>, I had to get closer to Blue Bird.
“Why do you want information on Blue Bird?”
“Does an information-selling guild ask why someone wants information?”
“It’s advanced information, my lady.”
I replied with a hint of sarcasm, but he laughed.
“What level of information are you testing? If it’s advanced, you can pay more. Is it top-tier?”
Among the many guilds, I had come to the most powerful: the ‘Spider’s Web’.
“You seem quite familiar with our guild.”
“Will you accept the request or refuse?”
“I will accept it.”
The man took a form from the drawer and recorded my request.
“Currently, information on Blue Bird is considered high-level, but it could become top-level. If you agree, you can pay half of the 40 gold coins required for high-level information as an advance.”
I placed the prepared pouch of gold on the desk. The man counted it.
“20 gold coins received. If the information turns out to be top-level, you will need to pay 40 more coins later.”
“Fine.”
“Then please return in a week.”
Whoosh.
I lightly nodded and left the office, hearing the whistle of a familiar tune as the door closed behind me.
That was certainly the song the guildmaster often sang…
“Could it be—”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. Just show me the exit.”
Following the elderly man waiting at the door, I left the antique shop.
