CH 39

‘It’s suspicious.’

My instinctive intuition said that there was something about that wizard.

I took advantage of the break in the conversation between the duchess and Duke Angellus and quickly intervened.

“It’s my first time seeing the person behind you. Is this person a wizard?” I asked with overly sparkling eyes, as if I had never seen a wizard before in my life.

Hoping to look like a naïve lady who knows nothing of the world.

Duke Angellus smiled benevolently and answered, “Miss Elodie. Yes, this is a wizard recently hired by our family.”

“I see. It’s my first time seeing a wizard this close, so I may have been a bit rude.”

“You don’t need to excuse yourself. If you’re curious, you can ask, hehehe.”

I could feel Jansi staring at me carefully, but pretending not to notice, I smiled at Duke Angellus.

I was also horrified by my pretentious behavior, but I couldn’t help it. Sometimes appearing easy can be your sharpest weapon.

The goal was to find out about the wizard’s identity.

“I think magic is more wonderful because it is different from power! Then um…, may I ask which magic tower you belong to?”

Our eyes met. This time the wizard didn’t avoid my eyes.

Tired and blank looking eyes stared at me.

He looked so indifferent that I had no idea what he was thinking.

Soon the man opened his mouth.

“I don’t want to reveal my affiliation to a stranger.”

“What are you saying? Do you want to di-!”

Carlot, in a fit of fuss, kicked off his seat and tried to get up, but the duchess stopped him by stomping on his feet.

“Ugh! Mother!”

While Carlot shouted, the wizard left the restaurant.

“Oh, my. My guest made a mistake with Miss Elodie. Miss Elodie, who is generous and kind will understand, right?” Duke Angellus said with an awkward smile on his face, pretending to be sorry.

“Of course.”

“Then next time, I’ll see you at the temple of Ishtar. See you on the day of the meeting.”

Duke Angellus hurriedly followed the wizard out of the restaurant after nodding his head to the duke and the duchess.

I watched his back carefully.

‘The mage is the one hired by the duke, so why is the duke groveling like that?’ 

Duke Angellus was not in a position to bow his head to someone.

But I couldn’t get myself into deep thoughts. This was because both Carlot’s eyes had begun to burn and he started to run wild. 

“Mother, why are you stepping on my foot!”

“You’re acting without a cause.”

Carlot said “Ha!” slammed the table with his fist, as the duchess answered indifferently while wiping her mouth.

“It’s that guy, no, that bastard who is behaving without a cause!”

“Be careful with your words, Carl.”

“I was careful! He’s a jerk! How dare that bastard disrespect my sister Lili!”

Carlot was furious and pointed at me. Suddenly being pointed at my mood became strange.

‘I don’t know if it’s for me or not…..’

Carlot was a hot headed guy in general, so who could know?

Jansi turned his head, covering the corners of his raised mouth. 

‘Why are you secretly smiling when you’re smiling everyday anyway?’

Originally, all the customers in the restaurant were glancing at our table, but now they were staring openly as Carlot went on a rampage.

“Sister! He ignored my sister!”

Thanks to this, I, who was being pointed at, also received the attention from people.

I made a firm promise to myself with a hollow smile on my face.

‘Never again, I will never go out again with Perdia.’

In the end, peace came to our table only after Jansi, who couldn’t watch it any longer, stepped up and calmed Carlot.

“Sister, is that delicious? Eat mine too.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Eat a lot to be healthy. My sister is so light that I can carry her with one hand.”

“……….”

‘Carl, maybe you are ignorantly strong?’

Looking solemnly down on my ever-growing plate, I was lost in thought.

‘The wizard from before.’

He didn’t say where he belonged to until the end, but there were already enough clues to get the information.

The fact that he was doing business with the Duke of Angellus is one lead to pry into.

Sooner or later I would have a new reason to submit a new request to Raeyan.

***

After the meal, Themis came out of the restaurant and looked around for someone.

After a long search, she found Elodie standing alone in a corner. She couldn’t see Elodie’s expression because her back was turned to her.

The duchess wondered how Elodie felt about her first family dinner outside of the mansion. 

Today’s outing had a purpose.

To make Elodie, who wanted to be independent, give up on her dream of independence because she felt a little closer to them through the family outing.

There were a few disturbances, but wouldn’t Elodie have been satisfied with the peaceful end of the meal?

Thinking so, Themis called Elodie.

“Elodie, how was the meal today?”

“Eh……..it was delicious.”

“And?”

When the duchess asked with anticipation in her heart, Elodie stuttered with a white face.

“Wh…When are we going home?”

“………”

Themis laughed at herself silently.

‘It’s a failure.’

She thought she should move on to the next operation.

***

Meanwhile, at the mansion of the Angellus family…

Dorothea’s bedroom, where the bright sun had shone not too long ago, was dim with all thick curtains drawn.

Dorothea, who was covered with a blanket, looked at the maid with only her eyes visible.

“Really? The whole Perdia family came out for dinner?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Elodie too?”

“Yes. They say Lady Elodie Perdia wanted to go to that restaurant.”

The maid told Dorothea everything she heard.

The members of the Perdia family, who rarely appear outside of social events, went out for a family dinner together.

Among them, Elodie Perdia was mentioned the most by far. 

“I heard that Viscount Trokel bumped into Lady Elodie Perdia, so the two young masters tried to punish the Viscount while protecting Lady Elodie Perdia. Even His Excellency, the Duke of Perdia, seemed to dote on her!”

“Even His Excellency the Duke?”

It was unexpected.

Dorothea was well aware of Duke Perdia’s personality. It was very famous.

A cold-blooded man who has no interest in others. There was no exception for his daughter.

Dorothea chewed her nails under the blanket.

‘This isn’t it!’

She was unable to show herself in front of others because of her skin, and Elodie was taking advantage of the opportunity to rise in her status. 

At this rate, her position in society would be threatened.

Only because of Elodie Perdia.

The fact that she was threatened by Elodie, an illegitimate child with no power, was a great disgrace to Dorothea.

“Also didn’t some wizard insult Lady Elodie Perdia at dinner? Young master Carlot was running rampant and made a fuss.

“He made a fuss?”

“Yes. He said you dared to ignore my sister.”

“……..”

Dorothea thought Carlot Perdia was a person who hated his sister.

What happened recently that caused the reaction to Elodie Perdia to be reversed so much?

“Yes, I see. If you have any interesting stories next time, let me know.”

“All right.”

“Then go out.”

“Call me if you need me.”

When the maid went out, Dorothea sat down in front of the dressing table.

It had been a long time since all the mirrors in the room had been removed. If she looked into them, an urge to break them several times a day would overcome her. 

Even if all the competent pharmacists of the empire were brought in, they couldn’t find a cure for the rash on her skin.

She once begged her mother to do her a favor and go to the Duchess of Perdia, but she didn’t listen to her.

“Even if I were to die, this mother would never kneel before Themis. Baby, just in case, don’t think nonsense.”

Rather, her mother feared Dorothea would visit Themis, so she even put a family knight in front of the door in the name of escort.

Dorothea, who was reluctant to meet people, became more confined to her room.

‘This is all because of Elodie Perdia…..’

It started when Elodie brought Ian, the Mercenary King, to the banquet.

If it weren’t for that incident, she and her mother wouldn’t have visited the Perdia family, and if it wasn’t for that, her skin wouldn’t have been ruined.

Dorothea thought of Elodie’s face which was as beautiful as an angel’s and squeezed the hem of her dress.

It was just then.

“Dorothea, have you been doing this all this time? Aren’t you frustrated?”

The Duke of Angellus opened the tightly closed door and entered.

“Father!! When is the next pharmacist coming? You said you would look into it again,” Dorothea whined and fell into the arms of the duke.

Dorothea stomped her feet and asked, but Duke Angellus did not give the answer she hoped for.

“I’ve had enough of the pharmacists.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“The invitation to the Ishtar temple meeting arrived, Just get ready to go.”

At the words of the duke, Dorothea covered her face with her hands and shouted in a shrill voice.

“How can I go there like this!”

If it’s the Ishtar temple meeting, all four major families will gather!

She couldn’t show herself like this.

Unlike the frightened Dorothea, the duke remained calm all the time.

“There’s nothing to worry about, baby. This dad will take care of everything.”

“……How?”

“This person will help you.”

At the same time, someone quietly came inside through the open door.

Dorothea got goosebumps the moment she faced those staring eyes.

Duke Angellus introduced him with a friendly smile.

“Say hello formally. Gabe Jenade. A wizard who will help us.”

***

As I was getting ready to go out, Martha ran over to me and asked.

“Is that true, Miss?” I heard the miss told them to cut off Viscount Trokel´s shoulder! I heard he got down on his knees too.”

“What do you think? Do you think it’s real?”

Martha, who had been pondering about my question for a while, gave a bold answer.

“If it’s you, Miss…..yes!”

E: “Ugh!”

In an instant my blood pressure rose and I grabbed the back of my neck. I couldn’t believe that the trust level of my one and only exclusive maid was this low.

It was unfair.

Even though the ‘me’ in the past was a bit of a bully, it was only to the extent of slapping or pushing someone or making them do a lot of work. I didn’t ask to cut off a shoulder or anything like that.

‘Though the servants of the annex are still running away to be unnoticed.’

It didn’t matter, because Martha was my exclusive maid anyway.

It wasn’t bad for me to be alone, so I didn’t need to take care of others. If I lived independently later, I wouldn’t even have a maid. Let’s call it a rehearsal.

“What’s your schedule for today, Miss?” Martha asked, rushing over to me, smoothing my hair.

“I’m going to the mercenaries.”

“You haven’t gone there for a while, but you’re going today. Do you want me to accompany you?”

“No, it’s okay because Raeyan will be there.”

With these words, Martha’s hand, which was smoothing my hair, slowed down.

Martha hesitated but soon opened her mouth.

“I’m a bit upset these days, miss. Why do you keep leaving me behind?”

“Martha….”

Actually, there was a reason.

After Carlot and I were attacked by an assassin, I couldn’t forget that there was always a possibility of being killed.

The family’s coachman, who was driving the carriage at that time, had already been attacked and killed when we found him.

If Martha was there with me…….?

‘She’d be dead.’

That thought made me reluctant to let Martha accompany me on my outings.

I didn’t want Martha in danger because she has nothing to do with it. At least the Perdia mansion would be safe, so it was better to be here.

I put my hand on Martha’s, who still smoothed my hair.

“Martha has things Martha can do.”

I hope you understand my true feelings that are hard to say.

Through the dressing table mirror, I could see Martha smiling, raising the corners of her mouth.

“Don’t keep too many secrets, Miss. I’m upset.”

“Yes.”

“You know I’m always on your side, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Martha smiled more brightly at my firm answer.

“You shouldn’t get closer to the mercenaries than to me. Understand?”

I smiled and nodded at Martha’s joke.

She knew I was hiding something, but didn’t ask any further.

‘Thank you, Martha.’

I swallowed the gratitude in my heart.

*** 

Raeyan’s office.

I sat face to face with Raeyan as a commissioner, not as an escorted person and their escort. 

I was thinking of entrusting a background check on the wizard I met at the restaurant.

“This is the last personal request. I’m going to be a beggar now.”

Since my source of income was cut off by Duchess Perdia, I had no place to get money from now on.

“Do you need money?” Raeyan asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“So much that I can buy a house and play and eat for the rest of my life?”

Simply put, I meant that I needed a lot.

But what Raeyan said to me was very unexpected.

“I can give you money.”

“………?”

Again.

Raeyan’s goodwill for an unknown reason.

I looked at Raeyan’s expression. His cold and indifferent expression made it impossible to know what he was thinking at first glance.

‘What is he up to?’

I couldn’t believe he was going to give me money when I had to pay for the commission.

Suddenly I wanted to test the man in front of me.

I took a deep breath and asked Raeyan.

“You’re giving money? To me? How much?”

“I will give you as much as you need,” Raeyan replied without hesitation.

What do you mean as much as I need? You don’t know how much I’m going to ask for.

I threw out what came to my mind in precipitation.

“Then, if I ask for this mercenary corps, will you give it to me?” 

Mario, the vice-captain who was overhearing our conversation, looked this way with eyes wide open.

Mario burst out laughing for a moment and turned his eyes back to the documents. Of course, it was a joke, so he didn’t seem to take it seriously. I did so too.

However, Raeyan’s answer was unexpected.

He spoke with a more serious face.

“……it’s pretty annoying, so will you be okay?”

“Eh?”

“If you wish, I’ll give them to you. The mercenaries.”

I swallowed hard. 

‘Martha, I’m rich…….’