IDEFYEM - Chapter 50
Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage!
At first, my shoulders felt heavy at the thought of being left with such an enormous secret.
The more I listen, the more this...
"And last month, he said he would give me vacation and took me on a hastily scheduled schedule!"
It just seems like regular boss gossip.
Having experienced an assassination attempt with my fiancé just because he supported the second prince, I easily understood their strategy.
'So to speak, it's a smokescreen.'
He puts his foolish fiancée in front of him shows that he is infatuated with her, and reassures the first Prince, who is often anxious and troubled.
At the same time, he slowly recruits noble forces and prepares to attack his brothers someday.
I thought this story could be of great help to us someday.
Even if they could find evidence that the 1st Prince had joined hands with the Duke and committed evil deeds, it would have been too risky to directly touch the royal family.
'But if I build a relationship with Sophia, I might be able to convey it through her.'
The Second Prince's side could exploit the competitor's weaknesses, and we could also use that opportunity to attack the Duke, so it was mutually beneficial.
Of course, it's still just speculation, and it's a long way off.
"Wow, that must have been really hard."
For now, I sincerely sympathize with Sophia's complaints.
It wasn't to gain her favor, but there was something really sad about the story Sophia told.
"Last time, I finally got a vacation and was thinking about going back to my hometown, but soon he came flying in and told me to turn the reins because something urgent had come up... Ugh!"
"Like that, like that."
I comforted Sophia by patting her shoulder as she spoke in anger.
"But is it really okay for you to tell me all this?"
"You're going to keep our secret, right?"
"That's true, but how do you believe me?"
"If you had been the person to share my secret with, you wouldn't have asked this question."
Sophia continued her conversation by saying something that made a lot of sense.
"And I have a pretty good sense of humor... Maybe even the Lady."
"Yes, yes?"
She glanced at me for a moment, just enough to not feel bad, then smiled.
"No, actually, for a while I suspected that you were also in a contract relationship."
"Co, Cough! Cough! Yes?"
"There's bound to be a corner of the same class that stings somewhere. Would I say that I have the ability to recognize such things well? But it seems I was wrong."
Sophia put down her teacup and muttered a little bitterly.
"Looking at you today, I envy you because you seem to be in true love."
I wonder what my expression is like, so everyone is saying similar things.
I answered feeling a little embarrassed.
"Lady Sophia, have you ever felt like true love was blooming while you were in a contract relationship?"
And I soon had to apologize to her for looking like she had bitten a bug. It was an expression I had never seen from Sophia before, so an apology came out naturally.
"Sorry! But I'm surprised that there really wasn't any emotion at all. I never felt anything like that before."
"Even when I was young, I was often told that I had a talent for acting."
When I heard those words, a thought suddenly passed through my mind like a star.
"Hey, Young Lady. Could you teach me a little bit about acting? I think there will be a corner that I can use soon."
"Oh my, of course!"
Sophia, who answered willingly without asking why, narrowed her eyes and said.
"If you call me by my name from now on."
OMG. So, so cute!
"Okay, Sophia. Actually, there is something I want to apologize for.”
I spoke shyly, as if I too had fallen in love with the lovely female lead.
"At first, I was a little wary because Sophia showed unconditional favor. But as we talked, we really... I think we can be good friends."
"Oh, it's nice to talk too..."."
We laughed and talked like we were girls who were just starting to become friends.
***
"It was a great acting class, Sophia. I feel like I've already become an actor."
I muttered, feeling a little discouraged. I think I'll be putting my idiotic acting to good use soon.
"The sun is already dark, so I'll take you nearby by carriage."
"Oh no! You can just call a hired wagon and go."
"It's impossible to cause such trouble...."
"Actually, I have things to do in the downtown area. My fiancé is so worried that he often restricts me from going out."
After saying that and smiling, Sophia reluctantly nodded. It wasn't a lie that I had work to do.
To Kael, I fooled around by telling him that I was getting late because I was hanging out with Sophia, so I planned to carry out the plan.
That was to visit Tristan's information guild.
I wondered for a few days whether I could completely trust him, as it was a matter of several people's lives at stake.
[I didn't tell anyone. Because I don't want to get you in trouble.]
After recalling the letter from the hunting banquet, I decided to believe him as well.
After dropping Sophia off, I asked the driver to tell Kael that I was staying the night at Sophia's house.
Then I sneaked out, borrowed a horse, and headed to the information guild.
"The horseback riding skills I learned before are of great help in times like this.'
Of course, I didn't forget to stop by the night market along the way.
[Until then, I would like you to pretend not to know. I'll reward you with 10 skewers!]
It was because of a promise mad eat the hunting banquet. I ran with triumphant steps, holding both hands full of skewers.
When I opened the door to the slightly damp-smelling underground guild, the doorkeeper seemed to recognize me and immediately guided me to the guild leader.
"Tristan, it's me! I really came to repay you with 10 skewers!"
"Oh my God, who is this?"
Tristan greeted me with a cheerful voice as if he had never expected it. The smile of a refreshingly handsome man showing off his pure white teeth.
'I guess he really likes skewers.'
Thinking that it was worth buying, we started sharing the delicious-smelling chicken skewers together. At the same time, the conversation continued on a variety of topics, as if resolving past concerns.
We talked about the aftermath of the hunting banquet, how each other was doing, and even stories about friends we met recently.
As I, who had skipped dinner while on the move, ate hungrily, Tristan's eating speed slowed down significantly.
He rested his chin as if it was okay for him to stop eating and looked at me with somewhat happy eyes...
'Are you telling me to stop eating?'
Hmm, I ate a little too much.
I sheepishly wiped away the seasoning by pressing the corner of my mouth with a napkin.
"Our meeting as friends is over now. I came as a guest today."
"Oh, was it a meeting as friends? I thought we were on a date."
"It's okay to joke if you want to relieve tension."
"You're kidding, I'm serious."
He's definitely a libertine. He can make a sad voice that isn't even in his heart. I lightly ignored his drooping eyebrows and got to the point.
"What I'm asking you to do is investigate the Duke of Wintersoar."
"..."
"Aren't you surprised that it's my family?"
Tristan, who I thought would show signs of agitation, was extremely calm.
"There must be a reason for what you do, Enrica."
The voice was full of solid trust.
"Thank you at least for your words. First of all, there is some information I know...."
I told Tristan about the black market the Duke frequented and the underworld he was involved in. He also asked me to tell him everything he could gain based on that information.
Tristan nodded and wrote down the information I gave him on a piece of paper.
I said with a slightly triumphant smile.
"I can pay the right price this time. I have the prize money from last time."
"Sorry, but we don't accept cash for information requests, Enrica."
"Huh?"
I was truly embarrassed and answered in a strange voice.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, really. We don't accept cash because there is a tracking risk."
Don't you usually use cash to avoid tracking risks?
Anyway, I was extremely embarrassed and asked while rolling my eyes.
"Well, then what should I pay for it..."
"Let's eat."
"Huh?"
Tristan said with his charming smile.
"Let's meet once a week and have dinner together. I just had a lot of fun."
"Are you feeling lonely these days?"
When I asked him seriously, he laughed as if it was a little absurd.
"Do you see it that way?"
The guild leader was definitely a job where he wouldn't be able to meet many friends. When I looked again, his complexion was a bit pale, as if he hadn't been exposed to sunlight.
I felt bad about how lonely he must have been to even ask for something like that.
"First of all, I have something to say...."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"I'm getting married soon, Tristan."
The eyes, which were always filled with composure, wavered for a moment.
However, his eyes soon regained focus and he began tapping his fingers as if calculating,
"I know. It's a month later."
"As expected, the news is fast. Um, I just wanted to let you know."
Looking at his calm reaction, it seemed like he thought of me as just a friend. I even got rid of the doubt I had for a moment and smiled comfortably.
"Um, no. I think that's enough."
At that time, Tristan, who had finished calculating, muttered so low that it could not be heard.
"No, one month, one month, so a total of four times. It's still enough."
Tristan spoke again after saying something incomprehensible.
"Have meals with me often. No matter how much I think about it, that's all I want."
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