Chapter 16

He joked lightly and wrapped it in humor, but he didn’t ask with a light heart.

A guild of this scale had the luxury of choosing which requests to accept.

“There’s no particularly juicy backstory, unfortunately. It’s just…”

I paused and forced myself to think objectively about my situation.

“…about correcting the habits of someone who hurt me and drained my strength. You could call it a personal grudge.”

“Oh ho…”

“He’s one of my stepmother Chloe’s men. He’s well-established within Mergen and obsessed with money, so naturally he’s well-guarded too.”

Solmon’s eyes briefly lit up.

He seemed quite intrigued.

“You asked earlier what I wanted to happen to him. I’m not interested in having him killed or harmed. All I want… is for him to lose everything.”

“Money, honor—things like that?”

I shrugged.

“Money, honor, influence, family, laughter… everything big and small.”

“Whoa… The noble lady has quite the brutal taste.”

Solmon gave a whistle.

“So, can I consider this request officially placed?”

I pulled a thick, heavy pouch of money from my sleeve.

“Refusing would be foolish. This is what really matters to us, after all.”

Solmon stepped away from the desk, took the pouch from me, and smiled.

“But I am curious about something.”

“Yes?”

“Why is he listening in on our conversation?”

I pointed at the Grand Duke, who had been quietly leaning against the wall, arms crossed, listening to everything.

Solmon blinked in surprise.

“…Weren’t you two together?”

“…”

Unbelievable.

Being grouped together with him?

I had thought he had some separate business with the guild.

As both of our gazes landed on him, Grand Duke Lahan offered a breezy smile.

“Well, I just found the conversation interesting.”

It wasn’t like anything I said was a secret from him, but I still had no intention of being associated with him.

“Besides, I’m here for a similar reason.”

“Oh? Are your requests overlapping?”

“What kind of business do you have with my family?”

What interest did Lahan have in Mergen?

I was genuinely curious.

“I’ve been interested in Mergen’s affairs. After Deborah’s death… it sounds like things are getting very interesting.”

So, he was curious to see how the house would fall.

And likely calculating what he could gain from its collapse.

“Well now, isn’t that something. You’re both here for the same reason.”

Solmon beamed brightly.

“In that case, since your requests are overlapping, why not share the cost? Maybe I’ll offer a discount.”

Lahan turned to Solmon with a pleasant smile.

Solmon, however, shook his head firmly.

“Not a chance.”

“Hmmm, shame.”

“But are you really okay saying all this openly? Making a request to spy on House Mergen right in front of the young lady herself?”

“Well, we’ll find out if that was wise… in due time.”

Their eyes both turned to me.

This didn’t feel like something I was supposed to decide.

“Why should I make a fuss about something so petty?”

“You really are… unexpectedly magnanimous.”

Solmon laughed heartily and walked back to the desk.

He pulled out a contract from a drawer.

“Then, shall we proceed with the contract?”

I nodded, and Lahan walked over to the desk without hesitation.

Is he really here to spy on my family?

I’d thought he might just be teasing me, but that suspicion vanished quickly.

Was he bold, or just reckless? Or maybe…

…he simply didn’t see me as any kind of threat.

I stood and approached the desk.

As I took the quill in hand, I turned to Solmon and said,

“Please charge one-third of my fee to the Grand Duke. I believe I’ve given him a great deal of valuable information here.”

Then I signed the contract with a quick stroke.

At that, the Grand Duke—who had been quietly skimming through the contract—turned to me with a bewildered look.

“Was I wrong?”

I asked, staring at him directly. His face twisted into a strange expression—not quite a smile, not quite a frown.

“Is Mergen’s financial situation really that dire? That pouch you handed over earlier looked quite hefty.”

“I don’t know about Mergen, but my own purse has been looking rather light lately.”

I replied shamelessly.

* * *

After that brief outing, I devoted all my energy to recovery.

I ate well, followed a comfortable routine, and took proper rest—all for the sake of this body.

“My lady! You’re definitely looking better than before!”

Karlin was all excitement as she pointed out how I had lasted more than thirty minutes under the sun without my skin reacting.

Everything improved once I changed physicians and medication.

Even the constant ringing in my ears that had plagued me every time I stepped outside was beginning to fade.

“This must be what normal feels like.”

It should’ve been this way from the start.

Even when Irene was alive.

If it really was just the medicine… why did she suffer her whole life with no escape?

If only I had doubted it sooner.

The better my skin became, the heavier the guilt pressing on me grew.

“At last, I can breathe a little easier.”

Karlin’s relieved expression was a welcome sight.

If Irene had known there was someone who cared for her this much… she would have been so happy.

“I’d better head back and get dressed properly.”

“Oh! Right—today is the day His Highness the Prince arrives!”

I nodded.

Time seemed to fly, even when I did nothing but drift from day to day.

Just as I was getting used to the blissful laziness of lounging in bed, now there was something I actually had to do. Strangely, it felt a bit disappointing.

“I heard Lord Abel is also returning today, and everyone’s gathering for dinner… There’s a good chance the prince might join us too.”

“We’ll see. He’s a busy man.”

Would a man really enjoy a meal at his ex-fiancée’s house—after she died and broke off the engagement?

Still… knowing Henry, with his strange sense of humor, I had a feeling he just might show up anyway.

A chilling thought.

“For today, please—neutral colors only.”

“But colors look so lovely on you, my lady!”

“It’s a matter of taste.”

“Don’t ruin my professional satisfaction, please.”

“Overcome it. Life’s full of things you have to push through.”

Karlin kept whining afterward.

I wondered if we’d ever find common ground on our taste in dresses.

“My lady! You forgot your journal!”

Karlin came running with the diary I’d left on the table after reading.

* * *

“Honestly, in that outfit, I can’t tell if you’re heading to a funeral or to meet the prince.”

Karlin clearly wasn’t pleased with the black-and-white dress I had picked.

“Enough with the commentary. If dressing up dolls is going to be part of your job, you’ll need the patience for it.”

“I only say it because such a beautiful face deserves better. If I had a face like yours, I’d dress up every single day…”

“Oh, wait—Karlin, that’s not important. I need the official seal from the study.”

“Oh my! Look at me, how could I forget? I’ll run and grab it right away!”

“Thanks.”

I had practiced Irene’s signature hundreds of times, but I had also learned that habits were terrifyingly persistent—so I tried to avoid signing whenever I could.

Whenever my temper unexpectedly flared, even I started worrying about myself.

Maybe it was because I had died once… I’d become too impulsive.

As I walked down the hallway, I passed by a place that felt strangely familiar.

‘My old room.’

Back when I was living as Deborah, this was where I began every single day.

The silent corridor, lined with decorations—each of unknown taste.

Back then, my entire world revolved around the family.

Even though I was there, I could never truly exist.

“So tacky.”

Looking at it now, even the small potted plants in Irene’s room had more charm than these so-called decorations.

I withdrew my gaze and kept walking.

As I turned the corner of the hallway, I heard voices.

“Why are you still cleaning here? I told you to wait for reassignment!”

“Why should I clean elsewhere? This is where I’m supposed to work!”

Their voices were raised.

It sounded like maids arguing.

And then, I recognized one of them.

Luena.

She had once been my personal maid.

Was she being scolded again for making a mistake?

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen such a scene.

‘Lady Deborah, I’m so happy to be your maid!’

She had always been cheerful. I figured she still would be.

She was a bright girl, one who followed me loyally, even if I never once offered a kind word.

As I lingered in the past, my eyes met Luena’s.

For a moment, I wondered if I’d embarrassed her by witnessing something she’d rather keep hidden—and I quickly looked away.

But where my gaze landed next was even worse.

Abel.

What is he doing here?

I suddenly remembered Karlin’s words—Abel was returning today.

Did he already finish dealing with the issue regarding the private soldiers?

If so, he should be in his room. What was he doing wandering here?

It felt like I had truly chosen the worst possible route.

And then—

Splash.

Cold, unpleasant water drenched me from head to toe.

“….”

Droplets fell from the edge of my jaw, one by one.

I peeled the wet strands of hair from my cheek and turned my gaze to the person responsible for soaking me.