Chapter 54
The moment Derek quickly placed his hand on his sword, the man spoke.
“Knight, if you draw that sword now, while the ladies may be fine, you will not leave this place alive.”
I immediately stretched out my arm to block Derek’s path. Derek also halted his movement. I sensed a presence beyond the closed door that I hadn’t noticed before.
The man smiled slightly.
“My apologies. This isn’t a place where people as refined as you usually visit. I have to live, after all.”
The man then placed his right hand on his chest and bowed his head. It was a courteous gesture, but it didn’t feel like he was lowering himself at all.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself, Lady Arcadia Iskas. I am the master of this place, Jakar. It is an honor for you to visit this humble establishment.”
“You look to be around the same age as me, yet you’re the master?”
All the masters I had encountered until now were middle-aged or older. This was only natural, as such guilds operated strictly on merit. It made sense for someone with extensive experience to be the leader.
In contrast, this man appeared to be in his early twenties at most. So, I never imagined he would be the master when I first saw him.
“Compared to the lady who is set to become a grand duke, this level of deviation is nothing. I believe you are not someone who would be trapped by prejudice.”
Moreover, he had a more relaxed attitude towards me than the cunning northern nobility.
“How did you know my identity?”
I had arrived in Rosen a week ago, but I only officially revealed myself yesterday. It was understandable that no one should know me except those who attended the debutante ball.
Yet, this man recognized me less than a day after the debutante ball, even though I was wearing a wig. How was that possible?
“Unfortunately, that is a trade secret, so I cannot disclose it.”
“You seem to have quite the skill. Other guilds didn’t even suspect I was Lady Iscas while I was right in front of them.”
“To survive in this business, we need to have faster information than others. In other words, it proves that our guild is that capable.”
“Do you know more about me?”
“Is this some kind of test? To assign us a task?”
“Yeah, I want to know how much information power your guild has.”
The man glanced at me for a moment and raised his eyebrows slightly.
“First of all, that crow-like wig does not suit you at all, my lady. Your natural hair color is much better.”
I swiftly ripped off the wig I was wearing and threw it at Derek.
“You know my face, so it’s only natural you’d know my hair color. That’s not surprising at all. What else? Is that really all you have?”
I intentionally provoked him. This man was far too solid. There were no gaps whatsoever. So, I needed to shake him a little. That way, some weakness might reveal itself.
As I expected, he slightly narrowed his brows, showing a hint of displeasure before speaking.
“I also know what your biggest concern is.”
“My concern?”
“I’m talking about the counterfeit currency issue currently circulating in the Grand Duchy.”
I stiffened once again, but this time for a different reason. To be honest, I was somewhat shocked. He held information he shouldn’t have known.
Who the hell is this guy?
“Are you also not going to answer how you found that out?”
“Since this is a matter that affects our guild’s livelihood, I can only apologize.”
His expression didn’t seem apologetic at all. I bit my lip slightly. Then I gestured toward the painting hanging on the wall.
“Did you choose that painting yourself?”
Despite the sudden change of topic being potentially awkward, the man unexpectedly smiled. It almost felt like he was pleased.
“Yes, I did. Do you like the painting?”
“Yeah, I like paintings with strong personalities.”
“Ordinary nobles do not like this style of painting. They only want to see things that are elegant and beautiful. But since the lady herself paints, it seems that her perspective must be different.”
So, you know that I paint?
“…Alright.”
I extended my hand to him.
“Let’s make a formal deal.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
On the return carriage, I didn’t say a word. Countless thoughts kept rising and falling in my mind.
Derek and Bell realized my mind was very noisy and quietly observed me.
After a while, Derek finally spoke up.
“Lady, why didn’t you request anything about that metal badge?”
As Derek said, I had only requested one thing from that man: to find out everything about Duke Ashil Myura.
On the other hand, I did not inquire about the identities of those who possessed the badges.
“I thought it would be wise to be cautious.”
“Cautious? How so?”
“If I’m right, that man is somehow connected to counterfeiters.”
“What?!”
Derek and Bell gasped in shock simultaneously.
“That’s why I didn’t request information about the organization carrying the badges. It would be like leaving fish in the care of a thief.”
“Are you concerned because the Grand Duchy is aware of the counterfeit money? But that could also be because their information network is that good, just like how they seemed to already know your identity.”
“The reason I’m suspicious is not just because of that.”
I stared intently at the two of them.
“What did you think when you saw the painting over there?”
Bell looked puzzled.
“Are you talking about the shepherd painting hanging on the wall?”
“Yes.”
“What’s wrong with that painting? Is there something unusual about it?”
This time, I looked at Derek. He also had a blank expression.
“Isn’t it just an ordinary painting?”
“Do you think it’s similar to what you usually see in the Grand Duke’s or Duke’s residence?”
Belle, deep in thought, cautiously spoke up.
“I’m not very knowledgeable about paintings, but thinking it over, I believe there is a difference, especially the expression on the shepherd’s face. I’ve never seen such a tired and worn-out expression depicted so honestly.”
“But is that really a problem? It’s just a painting. Anyone can buy it if they have the money.”
I answered Derek’s question.
“There shouldn’t be a problem. However, there might be some intention behind it.”
“Intention?”
“Derek, sometimes a single painting can convey a wealth of information.”
In this place, painting was a culture enjoyed only by the upper class. Therefore, artists typically painted what the nobles desired. It was only natural since they needed to sell their paintings and receive patronage to survive.
And the paintings that nobles wanted mostly depicted reality in a beautiful and romantic way.
However, recently, a small rebellion against this trend had emerged. Instead of the styles favored by the nobles, artists began to create paintings that expressed emotions directly.
Their paintings vividly portrayed the lower class, with roughened hands from hard labor and faces worn from fatigue.
“Some say that is dangerous and provocative. They interpret it as having political intent. The place we visited was filled with such paintings. That man surely knew. He must have collected them on purpose.”
“Ah…”
“Perhaps he has progressive ideas. He might be very interested in a new form of power structure.”
Hyperion said that the badge I showed was a symbol used by Republicans. This implied that the counterfeiters were connected to Republicans.
The master of the information guild we had just visited, Jakar, already knew that counterfeit money was circulating within the Grand Duchy. Moreover, he was suspected of holding radical beliefs himself.
Could this really be a coincidence?
“I’ve learned a few things because of him. One is, as I just mentioned, that he likely has some connection to the counterfeiters, and the other is…”
Having said that much, I firmly closed my mouth and shook my head.
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
As I closed my eyes, the carriage fell silent. In the stillness, I reflected on what I had almost said earlier.
He not only knew about the counterfeit money but also that I painted as a hobby. This was information known only to people from the Grand Duke’s residence and some from the Duke’s residence.
The fact that this man knew about it meant one of two things.
Either someone from the Grand Duke’s or Duke’s residence had leaked information.
In either case, it was not a pleasant situation for me.
