Translator: Nox

Chapter 5

"Stealing? What nonsense. I'm just a poor maid passing by."

First, I raised my empty hands high and slowly emerged from behind the tree.

While doing so, I observed him more closely.

A hooded cloak. A worn shirt and leather pants. A longsword and daggers hanging from his belt.

He was clearly a mercenary.

His gear was all well-worn, with frayed edges, suggesting he was a hardworking commoner type.

'I'm a commoner just like you.'

I conveyed that with my whole body as I stepped forward.

"Keep doing your thing. I'll just pass by. I was just heading to the chapel to pray."

"Aha."

The mercenary responded indifferently.

"Isn't it not evening prayer time right now?"

"That's why I came at this quiet hour on purpose. I'm in such a pitiful situation right now that I wanted God to hear my voice clearly."

"Smart thinking. But I got to the chapel first. I'm the one in a pitiful spot who needs a private audience with God, so come back tomorrow."

"What?"

I was dumbfounded.

"Hey, I don't have a tomorrow. I'm a woman who lives only for today. That's me. As you can see, a poor maid..."

"Lucky you. I wish I could become a maid too and work indoors without getting caught in the rain."

"On top of that, my father's frail and bedridden."

"Having a frail father is enviable. I'm an orphan. My parents were murdered."

"That's too bad, but our family is on the brink of ruin right now. My father and I are about to end up on the streets."

"Having a house that's about to collapse is truly enviable. I've never owned a home since I was born. Because of this face, no one hires me, saying it's bad luck. Yesterday, a homeless guy even clicked his tongue at me, gave me some money, and told me to at least buy some hard bread."

"......"

The sob story contest ended in my defeat.

If only I could mention the national petition to execute the villainess or the unidentified murderer targeting me, I'd have turned it around instantly.

"So? Got nothing to say? Now, go back."

The mercenary stood like an iron wall in front of me.

I had no idea why he was doing this, but it seemed impossible to get past him.

"Fine. I'll leave. Happy now?"

I turned around and trudged away. Then, in the thick darkness, I stealthily changed direction and looped back through another path.

My secret technique: 'Pretend to leave but don't.'

Returning with quiet footsteps, the mercenary had already gone inside to pray.

As I crept along, something sparkling caught my eye where he had been. I approached and looked closely.

It was a small fragment broken off from some silver figurine.

I was floored.

'No wonder! That's why he was trying so hard to chase me away. He was the thief himself?'

Pure white silver gleaming brightly.

Though shattered into metallic trash, it still looked expensive at a glance.

'If I find the owner later, they'll be grateful. If I survive, that is.'

I tucked it deep into my inner pocket and moved forward.

The deeper into the forest, the more a serene, mystical atmosphere enveloped me.

Towering trees stretched high into the night sky. Between them, tiny firefly-like lights floated in clusters.

Wandering through the woods in this shabby robe made me feel like Little Red Riding Hood from a fairy tale.

"The Amarancia flower field is supposed to be in the center of the forest..."

The path was winding, but I headed straight ahead.

Beyond the dim trees and strange firefly clusters, something faintly hazy finally came into view.

A flower field rippling gently in the breeze.

Amarancia.

These flowers resembled moonflowers somewhat. Their petals were translucent like ice, turning pure white wherever the moonlight touched.

'Wow, they're this beautiful...'

My eyes widened involuntarily. No wonder people wanted to pick them.

And right now, I had no need to suppress that impulse.

<Unauthorized picking is sacrilege>.

I ignored the garish red sign ruining the view, took position in front of the flower field, and boldly reached for a large bloom right in front of me...

'...?'

Suddenly, someone approached from the other side of the field. It was that mercenary again.

Gasp.

I was startled, and so was he.

"Ah... Oh no! The flower almost fell!"

I hurriedly pretended to support the flower.

But his reaction was ice-cold.

"I circled back just in case, and sure enough, you didn't disappoint."

The mercenary spat out curtly.

"You know what happens if you pick that flower, right? I should report you to the Holy Church right now and claim the reward."

The worst-case scenario.

I shouted desperately.

"Wait!"

"No waiting. If you're scared of punishment, you shouldn't have done it."

"No, don't report me now—wait a bit longer until after I pick the flower, then report me."

"...?"

At the completely unexpected response, the mercenary seemed momentarily baffled.

"Are you an idiot? If you're caught now, it's a minor offense with just a warning, but after picking it, it's guaranteed severe punishment."

"That's exactly what I want. Severe punishment! I want to incur the Church's wrath and receive the harshest penalty!"

I couldn't mess this up. There was definitely some hidden scheme behind Serene's poisoning incident.

Someone had secretly tampered to make it look like I did it out of jealousy. That truth had to come out for me to clear my name.

With that earnestness, I explained fervently, but the mercenary took it entirely the wrong way.

"......"

He silently stepped back.

His attitude was like he was looking at a filthy pile of trash.

"The type who desperately begs for punishment is only one kind. Turns out you're a pervert? I need to call someone."

"Fine. Call whoever you want."

Sweating bullets inside, I kept a straight face and said calmly.

"But know this. First, I'm not a pervert. Second, you just lost 28 years of your lifespan with those words."

The mercenary tried to ignore me, but my brazen confidence got to him a bit.

"What the hell does that mean? Why would I lose 28 years?"

Good. He took the bait.

"Listen closely, Mr. Mercenary."

I continued.

"Truth is, my real purpose here isn't this silly flower. My true target is the Holy Church's leader, Ruelian Rackroitz, Yeha."

"Hm?"

The mercenary's black eyes gleamed strangely under his hood. I'd succeeded in piquing his curiosity.

"What? Planning to assassinate him or something?"

"What are you talking about."

I shook my head.

"Don't jinx it. That man absolutely needs to live long. At least until he judges me."

"Judges you? You don't mean...?"

"Exactly. A holy trial."

At my words, the mercenary flinched slightly.

"Hey, miss. Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Perfectly well."

"Doesn't seem like it."

He sneered.

"Haven't you heard the rumors? Facing Yeha in a holy trial is suicide. He's antisocial, arrogant, stubborn, and ruthless."

"True... but put another way, that means he doesn't cower before absolute power, can't be bought with money, and has firm convictions, right?"

I shared my unique character analysis with the mercenary.

"Unlike nobles who grovel and fawn, he says what he thinks even before the emperor? He digs up the truth in cases tied to the imperial family without hesitation and has helped the unjust many times. I have a similar injustice..."

I let out a small sigh.

"That's why I must meet him. But the problem is, for a poor maid like me, meeting such a high figure is nearly impossible."

"So you're deliberately picking the flower to get caught?"

"Exactly! Once I meet him, I'm confident he'll be intrigued by my story. It's something the whole nation can't help but be interested in. So you need to do the math, mister."

I looked straight at the mercenary.

"How much reward does the Church give?"

"One million perle."

He answered immediately.

Various prices flashed in my mind. It seemed about a million won, roughly.

Not a small sum, of course...

"Don't sell me out for that. Invest in me instead."

At my words, the mercenary asked back.

"Invest how?"

"If you turn me in now, my plan fails, and I'll probably just die. End of story. But if we go all the way to trial? Jackpot. Then you make a bombshell announcement: You spotted that woman in the sanctuary right before she did her crazy act. What happens next?"

I explained kindly.

"Reporters will swarm like bees, obviously. Think about it—selling your eyewitness account to them for big money is way more profitable, right? Look the other way now, and I'll pay you back huge later."

"So, pretend you didn't see?"

"Yes! Earn that money, get a house, treat your wounds, eat well—your lifespan increases by 28 years. You look healthy with good fortune in old age, living to 92, but now you'll hit 120. Get it now?"

"......"

The mercenary's bandage-wrapped face looked floored again, then...

He let out a light chuckle. Muttering to himself in disbelief,

"Jeez. Can't remember the last time I laughed like this. You made me laugh after so long."