TFL 09

Chapter: 09

The man let out a small scoff and walked briskly up to the desk even before the madam’s permission had been granted.

She glared at the man, who carried himself as if this place were his own business, and replied in a displeased voice.

“…What brings you here? We don’t entertain peddlers.”

“I’m not a peddler. I heard you’re a fairly competent madam, but your judgment leaves much to be desired.”

“You need to be able to see something first. With your face and body hidden so tightly under those clothes, how am I supposed to exercise my aesthetic judgment? At this appearance, I’d believe you if someone said you were a criminal.”

“If that’s really the case, should I take off my hood?”

When the man pulled back his hood, the madam gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

Having arranged thousands of men as part of her business, she had never seen someone this handsome.

Wait. His eyes… they’re red? What a stroke of luck.

With long, lean legs, a sturdy physique, a thick neck, and sculpted, striking facial features that could rival a statue, he looked like a perfect match for Lenia, her new client.

“Um, sir. Are you interested in a matchmaking appointment?”

“Of course. Haven’t I come all the way here on my own?”

“In that case, how about registering with our service? If you do it today, I can offer an extraordinary enrollment fee—ah, no, I mean, free of charge!”

The madam, burning with the urge to enroll this man in Duet immediately, stood up from her seat.

But the man, holding a document with a portrait of Lenia drawn using magical tools, chuckled softly.

“A handsome and obedient man… my future wife sure has high expectations.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’ll pay five times the amount this lady requested. From now on, I should be informed of all matchmaking schedules first.”

Still no results… at this rate, I’ll just be twiddling my thumbs.

It had already been two weeks since Lenia arrived in this city.

Despite ongoing matchmaking appointments, she hadn’t found a suitable husband.

Or rather, she had only been introduced to utterly unsuitable candidates, wasting her time.

Their faces were passable, but their personalities were absolutely terrible.

[This isn’t quite what I expected, madam. Are all Polymus men really this disappointing? I’m really let down.]

[I’m truly sorry. I’ll do my best, so please wait a little longer.]

[I’ll give you one more week. If nothing works out by then, I’ll move to another agency.]

[P-Please… not that…!]

[Remember the penalty clause in the contract? I just want you to know that I’m not willing to waste any more time.]

The glaring flaws of every matchmaking candidate and the fact that not a single “after-request” had come in made Lenia suspicious.

Something’s off. It feels like the madam filtered out the decent candidates herself.

Of course, that possibility was slim.

The amount Lenia had offered was far beyond what a small matchmaking agency owner could casually manipulate.

It was unlikely that a money-minded madam would bother tampering with the matchmaking list.

Still, Lenia couldn’t shake a nagging sense of unease.

“Lenia, going out again? I don’t like being alone.”

Lenia, preparing as usual for another matchmaking appointment, stopped in her tracks.

Lakan had grabbed the hem of her dress like a child seeking attention.

Well, I suppose it must be lonely for him to live alone without friends. I did hire a tutor, but they’re not around all day.

The townhouse they rented was quite far from the city center.

Lenia was often away all day for matchmaking appointments, and since there were no children his age in the mansion, it was natural for Lakan to feel lonely.

“…I’ll come back as quickly as possible today. I should be home before sunset. The tutor will be here soon, so make sure you listen to them, okay?”

“Ugh, another lesson… I really hate studying.”

“You might not have another chance to take lessons. The capital is quite far.”

“I don’t need to study, Lenia. If I act seriously, I can outshine the other noble kids. They might have studied while eating candy, but I learned while getting beaten.”

“….”

To hear such words without changing his expression…

Thinking that Lakan, not even ten yet, had spent harsh, lonely days like she had, made her heart ache.

“Lakan. No one will ever hit you again. If it happens, I won’t let it slide.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I’ll make sure anyone who tries gets a proper scolding.”

Lakan looked up at her with eyes full of unshakable trust.

Although they had known each other for barely a month, they were gradually starting to resemble a real family.

For now, their bond looked more like an older sister and her adorable little brother than mother and child.

“So make sure you focus on your lessons. When I get back, I’ll make you a delicious steak. I’ll even serve it with your favorite cream pasta.”

“Wow, meat! I’m so excited! Lenia… no, our mom is the best!”

The child’s innocent joy, hopping up and down in place, melted her heart.

Smiling softly, Lenia patted Lakan’s head a few times and then climbed into the carriage heading to the city center.

Three matchmaking appointments today. I hope I can finish quickly and spend some time with Lakan.

After glancing at the documents with her suitors’ profiles, Lenia placed her hand on the crystal ball installed in the carriage.

The moment she touched it, the opaque crystal glowed brightly, projecting the front page of the Imperial newspaper into the air like a laser.

<Queue of applicants in front of the Helios Dukes… Numbers even issued>

<Is the Duke’s lost daughter real? Rumors surrounding the fake heiress>

Hm, I knew it.

After scanning the articles and columns full of issues about the duke’s family, Lenia scoffed.

I’m not the only one aiming for a major comeback in life. Most of them are probably sloppy amateurs anyway.

It’s advantageous to reveal oneself as late as possible, after filtering out the obvious liars.

After all, the protagonist always makes a grand entrance at the end.

But the husband candidate… the sooner I find him, the better. If something seems off, I might have to look for a new one midway.

With her experience and background as a long-time con artist, she was confident she could fully win a husband over.

The problem was that there were always eccentric people outside the norms.

The “law of conservation of weirdos,” often joked about in workplaces, applied to the fantasy world as well.

“Hopefully a decent person shows up for the matchmaking today.”

She could have abandoned the matchmaking and picked someone from the underworld, but that wasn’t a good option.

She knew from experience that such people wouldn’t hesitate to betray others.

The best approach was to choose a calm, modest man from among ordinary civilians and keep him nearby.

“Welcome, esteemed guest. We’re glad to have you at our hotel. I’ll guide you to your reserved seat.”

“Thank you.”

Escorted by a staff member at the front entrance, Lenia entered the sparkling hotel lobby and soon reached the royal seat she had reserved.

“Greetings, beautiful lady! I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day I could meet you. As for me…”

Ah, as expected, boring.