I eventually accepted the check and quietly slipped it into my inner pocket. As I did so, I handed him the piece of paper I had brought with me, which bore someone's name.
"Ah. And could you perhaps include some information about this man as a bonus?"
The Master, who had been silent for a moment at my words, soon smirked as if he couldn't resist.
"It is only this one time, especially."
"As expected, it is only you, Master!"
Soon, the Master handed me the information about the woman.
The business was finished.
Just as I was about to leave the room feeling relieved after achieving my goal, "it was then."
"...Ah. By the way, may I tell you one thing?"
"Yes."
Afraid that he might say he had changed his mind now, I pressed the check in my pocket firmly and nodded.
"Recently, a VIP of a rank I cannot mention purchased information about Madam. Therefore, I must inform you in advance that something I, as the creditor, would be most worried about might happen."
"You mean I might die? Because a VIP got my information?"
At those words, goosebumps already ran down my spine.
In this book, very few people are referred to by the Master as 'VIPs of an unmentionable class.'
And among them is Duke Lakan...
“I’ll be careful.”
For me, destined to die at the hands of Duke Lakan, who is also Linea's second love interest, it was truly valuable information.
I started racking my brain trying to figure out what on earth the Duke was doing at this point.
Anyway, I had to finish the schedule I was planning to do today and go home, so I opened the door and went out.
“Whew”
As I was walking along, I heard the sound of someone gradually closing in behind me.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, I remembered what the Master had just said.
'Duke Lakan really already targeting me?'
But it doesn't make sense.
Since I understand that Asha Delmore, whom I possessed, and Duke Lakan have no significant connection.
'I hope the information I sold didn't twist things around somehow.'
I never really sold any information that could change the course of events! I should have gotten a self-defense item ready a long time ago.
It seemed I had been too relieved so far, as the story hadn't even begun yet.
I started walking a little faster.
However, the chasing pace caught up with me much sooner than I expected.
"...Ma'am"
"Aaaah!"
It was a languid, low voice that anyone could hear.
Feeling an inexplicable threatening aura just from the voice, I started running faster.
However, the man chasing me caught up even on the wide main road and suddenly blocked my path.
In an instant, my vision was blocked by a man with a sturdy physique like a wall.
"I would like to ask you a question for a moment."
"W-W-Who are you!"
Startled, I looked up at the man with a face that looked like I was about to faint.
The stranger had an appearance I had never seen before.
I felt pressured just by the sensual, cool, long eyes looking down at me.
"Madam would know who I am better than anyone. Could you spare a moment?"
"You mean I know you?"
He truly had the face of a gang leader.
'Was this someone who had a connection in the original work?'
The background of the villainous supporting character isn't mentioned, so honestly, I don't know who they are.
However, one thing was certain: it seemed like I wouldn't even be able to breathe freely in front of that man.
I thought I was pretty bold.
"W-what could it be? Please tell me here."
If I don't speak up here where there are so many witnesses, I will definitely be dragged away and killed.
'Looking at that scary face, it seems like burying someone is just an everyday occurrence.'
Then the man pressed his temples firmly with the fingertips of his leather gloves.
He shook his head with a face that clearly looked weary and exhausted.
"This isn't really a topic for conversation in a place like this, but..."
"Th-then..."
"I have a carriage, so please take a ride for a moment."
Feeling dizzy at those words, I closed my eyes.
And at the man's single gesture, a black carriage stopped by the roadside. The coachman discreetly got out and quickly opened the door.
As if nothing could stand in his way now, the man smiled gleefully.
"It will be very comfortable, so don't worry and just get in."
Very comfortable. That phrase made me even more anxious.
'It feels like I'm stepping into a coffin.'
As I hesitated like that, he tilted his head with a genuinely puzzled look and asked.
"Do you perhaps not know how to ride a carriage?"
The man asked, extending a hand wearing black leather gloves that looked as if blood wouldn't even show if it spurted.
Although I had intended not to get in, I eventually ended up getting into the carriage due to his elegant pressure.
Even so, I opened my mouth to avoid complete isolation until the very end.
"Open the door and talk..."
“It won’t take long.”
“Yes.”
Just as the thought that it was over flashed through my mind, the man also bent his massive frame and entered the carriage.
Bam.
Soon, the door mercilessly closed.
'Who on earth is this man to...'
The man sitting opposite me, who was cautiously glancing around thinking that, opened his mouth.
"I have reluctantly invited you inside to apologize for rejecting your confession earlier."
"What?!"
If their appearance was that striking, I would have definitely remembered.
He continued speaking, completely disregarding my reaction.
"After all, we can't just go around talking about a lady's private life on the street."
What on earth does that mean?
I blinked rapidly and sorted out the thoughts swirling in my head.
"So, I confessed to you, and even got rejected?"
"If you are pretending not to know because you are embarrassed, I will say so."
He smiled faintly as he spoke with a look that seemed to say, "Yeah, I know it all."
That smiling face was so fierce that I ended up wondering if it was a threat or consideration.
"By the way, my memory isn't very good, so I'm asking just what your name is...?"
For a moment, it seemed as though a question mark had appeared on his face, but he answered immediately.
"I am the Marquis Rivandel."
Who are you?
To be honest, since I didn't recall seeing this character mentioned in the original work, I rolled my eyes but pretended to recognize them.
"Ah, I think I'm starting to remember now?"
"I remember it has only been about two months."
"I guess I've been a bit overwhelmed since I went through marriage and the death of my spouse in the meantime."
At my words, he apologized politely with a scary-looking face.
"...I hadn't considered that far. I apologize."
Marquis Rivandel was gentler in his speech than expected given his appearance.
So I mustered up the courage to ask.
"But if you rejected my confession, that should have been the end of it. Why did you chase after me, even putting me in a carriage to apologize?"
If you refuse, it's over.
It seems that Asha Delmore, the owner of this body, was in love with the Marquis Rivandel before I possessed her...
That was no longer my concern.
However, Marquis Rivandel's thoughts were, coincidentally, of a different nature.
He leaned slightly toward me and smiled, his eyebrows crinkling.
That coquettish smile, which looked strangely dangerous, made me feel as if I were looking at a poisonous flower.
He doesn't really appear in the original work, so I don't know what kind of person he is, and he has a face that makes it impossible to tell what's going on inside him.
He continued speaking to me briskly.
"At that time, you were scheduled to marry another gentleman, so I firmly refused."
"Yes."
Roughly speaking, Asha Delmore didn't like the man she was going to marry, so she probably confessed her feelings to Marquis Rivandel, whom she had been secretly in love with, right before the wedding.
A deduction came to me in an instant.
But of course, this man wouldn't be interested in me...
Marquis Rivandel spoke charmingly to me, who was wearing an indifferent expression, convinced of that.
"But actually, I also wanted to get to know you."
"... Yes? Me?”
"Of course, I wasn't interested in you at the time, but you were the first person to confess your feelings to me."
“What is this?”
Marquis Rivandel, who had not heard the words I involuntarily muttered out of sheer disbelief, spoke.
"So I have been thinking for a long time that I should apologize, but since you never showed up at social events, I had no way to convey my message."
"Then you weren't chasing after me, were you?"
"Of course not. I was out on personal business, and when I happened to see your back, I thought... isn't this fate?"
"Is it fate...?"
Why is such a handsome man telling me I’m his destiny? A man like that, holding the high rank of Marquis?
'I have a hunch. This is...!!'
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