CH 40

It was when I was lost in my dream of getting rich.

Vice-captain Mario threw down the quill he was holding and ran towards us.

“Wooooooow! Hahaha! Our leader can be very funny, too. Isn’t that right Lili?” 

I nodded awkwardly in response to Mario’s question that forced me to admit that it was fun.

“Uh, yeah. That’s funny…..”

“Right? It’s funny, right? Ahaha! Our captain is so blunt and doesn’t talk much, and sometimes makes silly jokes! Haha! It’s fun! It’s a lot of fun, Captain!”

Mario laughed and put his arm around Raeyan’s shoulder.

Raeyan, who was expressionless, frowned and glared at Mario.

“Let go.”

Mario continued the conversation cheerfully regardless of the fact that Raeyan threw his arm off terribly.

“Request! Yes, you were talking about a request! So what kind are you going to ask for?”

”This time, I’d like to ask for a background check into–”

“Background check, background check is good! Just leave it to our mercenaries. It will be my responsibility to get down to it!”

“Well, yes.”

The topic of conversation quickly moved on to my request.

‘…..what?’

I think I’ve opened a can of worms. 

With that momentum, Mario began this story of commission in earnest.

“So, who is the target of the investigation?”

“I want you to find out about the wizard that Duke Angellus recently hired.”

“Do you know what he looks like?”

“I met him once before. He had dark purple hair tied to one side, and I think his eyes were also dark purple.”

Mario picked up the quill he had thrown earlier and wrote down what I said.

“The previous request was like finding a needle in the desert, but this time it will be easier.”

“How long will it take?”

“Depending on the information you want, the period may increase or decrease.”

“Then as much detail as possible.”

“Please give me a week. I will not only reveal his name, age, and where he lives, but also the color of his underwear!”

I smiled awkwardly at Mario’s boastful words and waved my hands.

“No need, I’m not curious about that.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Lili! Trust me!”

Anyway, thanks to Mario, the story of the request ended quickly.

‘Is he actually trying to find out the real color of his underwear?’

….leaving the uneasiness behind.

Raeyan, who had been listening while I was talking to Mario, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Could you spare me some time?” 

Mario covered his mouth with both hands and he tilted his head at the sudden request.

“Kyaa. Are you asking me out on a date?”

Neither Raeyan nor I paid attention to Mario’s words as he pretended to whisper to himself.

“Why time?” I asked back.

“I know how to make a lot of money.”

“What?”

Mario panicked at Raeyan’s somewhat disconcerted words.

“What is it, Captain? That swindler-like tone.”

“Shut up and get out, Mario.”

Mario clung to the sofa with a determined face at Raeyan’s declaration.

“No, it’s not possible. I have to protect the mercenaries,” Mario declared solemnly.

‘Aha. You’re afraid Raeyan’s gonna tell me he’s giving me the mercenary corps, aren’t you?’

I know what Mario was worried about, but it was a really useless worry.

Maybe I naively believed the words about giving me the mercenaries. Without a doubt, it must have been something that Raeyan said as a joke.

Although it was very, very brief……

“Get out, Mario.”

Raeyan looked at Mario with a different look than when he looked at me. It was such a cold stare that just by watching it, it made my bones cold.

Mario, receiving that gaze, did not bat an eye, as if he was resistant.

“If you just treat me like air–”

“Get out.”

“I’m harmless…..”

“Get lost.”

“I-”

“Disappear.”

When Raeyan’s energy became unusual, Mario sneaked out of the way to the end of the sofa.

“Captain, you’re not going to use “that” in front of Miss Lili, right?”

‘That?’

What’s that?

I looked at Mario and Raeyan alternately with curious eyes.

However, the two people left me unattended and had a silent eye conversation between themselves.

In the end, Mario raised the white flag at Raeyan’s cold eyes.

“Go, go! Then have a nice office date for the two of you!”

Mario stormed out of the office, talking about dates until the end.

Bang!

The door closed so hard that I opened my eyes wide and looked towards the door. Then the door opened again and Mario poked his head inside.

“……..that’s what the wind is like. You know?”

“Get out.”

“Yes, a good d–”

Bang!

The door closed violently before Mario could finish his greeting. I became more bewildered.

Did I see it wrong?

‘It wasn’t Mario closing it, and it wasn’t windy, but the door closed by itself……?’

Raeyan’s gaze was also directed towards the door, but his face was clearly unconcerned.

I don’t know why, but I was reminded of the situation when I was falling off the cliff.

During the fall, I felt that my speed slowed down–

Before the thought continued, Raeyan opened his mouth.

“Then can I say it again?”

“Oh, yeah. Keep talking.“

We were talking about how to make a lot of money.

“In the near future, there will be a sale at the auction house.”

“Auction house? Is it a black market?”

“Yes.”

There were many kinds of auction houses.

Representatively, there was an auction that was held with the approval of the imperial family, and the others were mostly unofficial black market auctions.

‘The black market is a bit of a problem….’

The Perdia family, the ruler of the underworld. Obviously, Perdia was involved in all the behind-the-scenes dealings of the Empire.

If I go to the auction house and get caught by a subordinate of Duke Perdia, I’ll be in a very difficult situation.

“With that stuff, you’ll be able to make money.”

I was curious about Raeyan’s curious words.

“What is it?”

“ I can’t tell you that right now.”

Is this a secret again? This was nothing new about secrets with him, perhaps because he was such a veiled human being.

I guess I should go and check it out for myself.

“The black market would be troublesome. If my father finds out, I´ll be in trouble.”

“You can enter after falsifying your identity. You don’t have to worry about that.”

It was safe to say that there was no chance of being caught by my father because the leader of the earth hawk mercenary corps was boasting about it.

‘It’s worth it, so let’s go.’

Having decided to go, I asked Raeyan the details.

“When is the sale happening?”

“In a week.”

“Ah, that day…..”

When I remembered what was going to happen a week later, my face hardened without even realizing it.

On that day, the heads of the four major families, including the imperial family, their wives, and direct children gathered in one place every year at the invitation of the Ishtar Temple. It was also called the Ishtar Temple Meeting Day.

Obviously, I never received an invitation.

An illegitimate child is not a direct descendant.

“Do you have any prior engagements?”

“No, there’s nothing.”

It’s not a day for me.

“Okay, see you that day.”

I made an appointment with Raeyan with a bitter smile.

***

Martha was very frightened.

‘I have to stay alert!’

No wonder, because now she is in the greenhouse garden of the Duchess of Perdia.

As a maid from the annex and not from the main mansion, there was no way she would ever come here, so obviously she was nervous.

It was because the duchess had called for her directly.

Themis, sat across from Martha, who  said she would be standing, and rested her chin languidly on her hand.

“Did you say Martha?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“There is nothing to be nervous about. I called you to ask you a few questions.”

“Yes, yes!”

“You don’t have to be nervous. I’m just like your master.”

‘…….is that a self-deprecation?’ 

‘What do you mean you’re similar to the miss?’

Martha choked up nervously for a moment, but she remembered that she was in front of the master’s wife and quickly managed her expression. 

“Martha, isn’t there any maid who directly assists Elodie other than you?”

“I’m alone.”

“Why? There shouldn’t be that few servants assigned to the annex.”

While Elodie was the only one staying in the annex, the number of people Themis assigned there was quite large, and it was not even the main mansion.

“My miss doesn’t like being looked after by others besides me.”

“Why?”

“Uh……?”

“She wouldn’t have bitten all of the servants. I guess something happened.”

That was a sharp point.

There was an incident. A lot of incidents, really.

Martha, who was the daughter of the nanny, grew up with Elodie even before she could speak, so she watched Elodie grow up by her side.

Martha knew very well how Elodie became such a distrustful person that didn’t trust others as she grew up.

But she was reluctant to tell anyone.

‘Madam, can I tell you something about the miss?’

It was a story about the master whom she serves.

When Martha hesitated, unable to open her mouth, Themis said, “It’s for your master. If there is a problem, shouldn’t we remove the root that causes it?”

At that moment, Martha’s eyes opened to the opportunistic aspects.

‘Yeah, you said you went out to eat the other day, because the duchess suggested it.’

Martha knew that Elodie and the duchess often met after Elodie’s power bloomed.

Finally, the duchess recognized her as a member of the family.

Then Martha had no reason to hesitate.

“Actually…..”

That’s how the exciting snitching after 19 years began.

***

It was dark when the story was over and Elodie returned to the Perdia mansion.

‘I’m tired. I’m going to take a bath and go to bed….’

It was the moment when I led my tired body into the annex.

“……Wh-what?”

As soon as I entered, I opened my mouth wide at the army of servants lined up on both sides.

‘Who are you?’

It was full of unfamiliar faces, so I hesitated without realizing and stepped back.

The original servants of the annex were nowhere to be found. These were all faces I’d never seen before. Among them, the familiar faces were Martha and the chef, who was assigned to the annex not long ago.

Martha, who was standing at the front, was looking at me with a stately expression.

“…. Martha, can you explain?”

“The duchess called me earlier.”

“The duchess? You? Why? Oh, no. So?”

“She asked me how the miss is doing.”

“So……?”

“So, I told her everything. Everything, everything, all the roots, everything!”

I was curious about what she had said. But I was afraid to ask. For some reason all the servants seemed to be standing stiff.

“We look forward to your kind cooperation, Miss!”

As of today, those who were assigned to the annex all bowed their backs.

“Y-Yes.”

I couldn’t help but be embarrassed when I was suddenly greeted like that. Then someone stepped forward. It was a face I had met several times.

“I will be in charge of managing the annex in the future. Please call me Tatlin.”

This middle-aged woman, wearing glasses with a rather skinny figure, was the deputy head of the mansion. 

How did a competent person, who was selected as just below the head maid of the main mansion, come to the annex.

There was another demotion victim after the chef.

I asked her, “Tatlin, what happened to all the former servants?”

“All those who were disrespectful to the miss were fired. Naturally, I didn’t even write a letter of recommendation.”

Being fired without a letter of recommendation was a terrible punishment for those whose purpose was to make a living, as they were kicked out without being guaranteed a next job.

They worked at Perdia, but without a letter of recommendation, there was no way to prove it, so finding a better job would be a long way off.

Martha exclaimed in admiration, “Wow, what a sight!”