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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Encounter
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Calein had once gathered all sorts of information on Sion to assassinate him. Naturally, this included details about Iris, his right-hand woman.
‘She changes lovers once or twice a month, quite indelicately, I hear.’
Calein had scoffed as he said it.
‘All her numerous lovers are younger than her, mostly actors or musicians, no less.’
He had added all sorts of insults and sneers, but honestly, to my eyes, it seemed amazing.
A woman who wielded power in the shadows and had a string of handsome lovers.
“Thanks to Young Lady’s grace, I’m doing very well, but if I hadn’t adapted to the Knight Order and had left the Duchy, I would have gone straight to her.”
Sion’s words snapped me back to reality.
In my previous life, he had indeed struggled in the Knight Order before returning to his hometown in the Imperial Capital. And a short while later, he had sold the Viscount Roxanne’s scandal to his younger brother, helping him usurp the title.
It was only possible because he had met Iris.
In other words, he was now unable to start his true calling because of me.
“...I guess you need to meet Iris again?”
When I asked, he stared at me blankly, as if asking what I meant.
“It’s hard enough to visit her for work, let alone... what could I do in this situation?”
“You have to confess! You said it’s harder because you haven’t.”
I blurted it out impulsively. My heart raced, wanting the two of them to meet no matter what.
“So, if we go to the Imperial Capital, that’s it, right?”
“That’s true, but...”
“If I go out, Sion has to come with me, doesn’t he?”
Sion’s face changed, a complex mix of emotions. One moment it was flushed, the next, pale.
He usually got nervous in front of me, but now his face looked like it might burst from the tension.
“Y-You really... You’d really do that for me?”
I nodded vigorously. Seeing his excited face, a small pang of guilt arose in my heart.
I’m sorry, Sion. You’re probably going to get rejected.
You’re three years older than Iris, and you’re not a pretty boy.
But I quickly shook my head, casting off the guilt.
What’s a little romance? A reliable and capable colleague is so much harder to find.
“Let’s go to Theon. I actually wanted to visit the Imperial Capital anyway.”
I grabbed Sion’s sleeve and pulled him into the mansion. My steps were twice as fast as before.
Let’s go, Sion. To get your heart broken.
And so, our outing was decided.
***
“Ugh, blegh!”
Sion crawled out of the portal and braced himself on all fours. It looked like he was throwing up everything he’d eaten the day before.
“Are you okay?”
I approached, intending to pat his back, but he frantically waved his hands.
“I’m... ugh, blegh... I’m fi... ugh! I’m fine.”
He tried to turn away, clearly not wanting me to see his state.
What’s wrong with a little motion sickness?
I had also thrown up the first time I traveled by portal in my previous life. Right onto Calein’s head.
Come to think of it, was that why he tormented me?
“I apologize, Young Lady.”
Sion rinsed his mouth with the water bottle I offered. His neatly combed hair was soaked with sweat.
“No, keep it.”
Truth be told, I felt a little regret. That sky-blue water bottle I had painstakingly gotten back from Theon.
The floral pattern was now obscured by vomit.
Sion, finally done vomiting, tidied his clothes. When I returned the bouquet I had safely protected, he spoke in a voice that was almost back to normal.
“We’ve arrived at the Imperial Capital, Young Lady, so I know the way from here.”
We had arrived near a bustling street not far from the Imperial Palace. This was thanks to the special permission granted to use the portal connecting the Duchy and the Imperial Capital.
“Where’s Iris’s pub?”
“It’s very close. Just over there...”
The more I walked, the stranger I felt. That street was where I had wandered countless times in my previous life, trying to escape Calein.
Calein’s personal guard knew every alley in this area like the back of their hand, so my attempts always ended in failure.
I had found one decent spot just once, but the moment I came out because I was hungry, I was caught.
“Here it is.”
Sion stopped in front of a cozy-looking pub and said. His flushed face was full of excitement, his heart pounding so loudly I could almost hear it.
It felt pitiful all over again. If he gets rejected, I’ll have to comfort him.
Sion entrusted me to his younger brother, whom he had called ahead to meet him in front of the pub. He was a massive man, seemingly safer to be with than Sion.
“It’ll only be a moment, so please stay nearby. Take good care of her, Sein.”
“Okay, I want to look around the street.”
I nodded and took Sein’s hand.
It was my idea to explore the street separately. It would be a bit strange to have a child tagging along for a confession.
He said it would be quick, but the conversation would probably be long.
Once he’s been rejected and had a drink, he’ll realize what a great place Iris’s pub is for gathering gossip.
He’ll also realize how easy it is for him to collect and organize that information. And he’ll start thinking about how to use it.
After that, I have a whole plan.
“Let’s go that way.”
Sein and I walked down the street lined with various shops. I was quite excited myself.
It was my first time freely walking through a bustling area with fruit shops, clothing stores, and even a shop that sold only ribbons.
“Are you going to buy clothes?”
“Let’s just look.”
“Would you like some fruit?”
“Let’s just smell them.”
Of course, I couldn’t really shop because I had no money, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
I had been wandering ceaselessly from place to place when I spotted that man, just as I was leaving the ribbon shop.
Having just bought a small ribbon with a single copper coin I’d found under the sofa the day before, I had been in a good mood, but my body instantly froze.
“...Young Lady?”
Sein looked at me with a surprised expression as I stood frozen in the middle of the street.
But I had no time to pay attention to him.
Sharp, slanted eyes and dark brown hair. The solidly built man was wearing plain clothes, but I recognized him.
Gayle Osmond, Commander of the Imperial Family’s 2nd Knight Order. He was Calein’s subordinate.
Judging by the five men of similar build around him, they seemed to be on a mission, disguised as commoners.
They looked around, received reports from people going in and out of alleys... It was as if they were searching for someone.
My heart began to pound.
In my previous life, I had encountered them in similar guises many times, and the person they were searching for was always me.
Sweat trickled down my spine, and hundreds of thoughts flashed through my mind.
Could Calein have been looking for me since this time? Had information about my departure from the Duchy leaked somewhere?
“Sein.”
I turned my back so they wouldn’t see my face and spoke.
“Go back to the pub by yourself right now.”
Sein’s eyes widened.
“Take Sion and come find me near that alley. You need to go fast.”
After speaking, I ran towards the place that had been the only one to hide me completely in my previous life. Hoping that Gayle and his group wouldn’t find me this time either.
Thump, thump, thump...
The narrow alleys were intricately connected and also blocked off. I ran relying on my memory, then stopped at one spot.
Behind an old restaurant, a small gap between buildings was still there.
If so, the space behind the gap would be the same.
Thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps sounded from behind me. The owner of those soldier-like footsteps was clearly one of Gayle’s subordinates.
Whoosh—
I didn’t wait any longer and dove into the small gap. The hidden space, about the size of a small room between the shops, was still there.
“Haa...”
“...”
As I leaned on my knees, panting, a strange sense of discomfort came over me.
“Haa, haa...”
“...”
It felt as if someone else was in here with me.
My heart sank.
I prepared for the worst and slowly turned my head.
“...Huh?”
The sight that met my eyes instantly startled me.
“You...”
Standing pressed against the wall, looking just as terrified as I was, was a boy who looked a little over ten years old.
“Who... are you?”
The boy with jet-black hair and dark green eyes asked in a low voice.
I had never seen such a beautiful boy in all my lives, past and present.
His black, soft-looking hair contrasted with his pale skin, making him seem like a finely crafted doll.
Even at a young age, his features were already distinct and admirable overall, but what particularly caught my eye were his dark green, shimmering eyes.
They were like a dark, dense forest, or perhaps a small beast of prey.
And I also felt as if I had seen them somewhere before.
“What... are you?”
Perhaps I had been staring too intently, as the boy asked again.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, as if he, like me, had been running from someone for a long time.
One sleeve was half-torn and ragged, as if cut by something sharp, and there was a small but seemingly quite deep cut on his arm.
I raised my head again and looked at his face.
He was trembling.
Even though he was trying desperately to hide it, I could see it. The beautiful pupils in his round eyes were shaking uneasily.
Thud.
Suddenly, the sound of the military boots from earlier echoed nearby.
Turning my head to the side, I realized that both of us were exposed through the gap between the buildings.
“Surely you, too, your mother...”
“Shh!”
Without a moment to reply, I clamped my hand over the boy’s mouth and pushed him against the wall.
“Mmph!”
Thud, thud, thud... thud.
The footsteps lingered nearby for a moment before moving away. Watching the small gap intently, I finally let out a sigh.
“They’re gone.”
The moment I whispered softly and turned my head back forward, I met a pair of wide, green eyes head-on. And I realized how very close our bodies were pressed together.
Only my left palm was between his delicate, doll-like face and mine.
“Sorry.”
I released the boy and took a step back. His eyes were still wide. His pale face seemed subtly flushed.
He parted his lips a few times before speaking.
“...Why did you help me?”
“...Help you?”
“Gayle’s man just passed by.”
Perhaps he was very surprised, as he asked, his face still flushed. This time, it was my turn to be surprised.
“How do you know Gayle?”
“...Because he’s chasing me.”
It took me a moment to understand the boy’s words.
Gayle wasn’t chasing me.
The person they were searching for, scouring the alleys, was this boy.
