Chapter 34
“…”
The woman, who had been scrutinizing Freya with curiosity, immediately shut her mouth at the girl’s icy tone. It wasn’t just shocking that Freya knew her identity—it was that her expression was completely out of place for an eighteen-year-old girl, one said to be the beloved darling of a prestigious family.
“What brings you here today?”
Letting her guard down a little at Freya’s youthful appearance, the woman quickly returned to a more serious demeanor.
“I came to sell some information.”
“As you know, payment is made only after verifying the accuracy of the information.”
“Naturally.”
“Shall we begin with something light—perhaps, ‘The Duchess of Ascher’s suicide attempt’?”
The woman’s eyes lit up.
Information about the Ascher family, the talk of the continent lately, was in high demand.
“Please, tell me more.”
“It’s going to be a long story. Could I trouble you for a cup of tea? Chamomile, please.”
If she sold dresses or jewels, her father’s eyes would be on her immediately. As a result, Freya had very limited ways to build up a personal stash of money.
So, she planned to sell all the high-value secrets she had gained across her four regressions.
Among those, the intimate inner workings of the royal family she’d learned while living as the Crown Princess would fetch a very high price. She needed a lot of money for what she was about to do.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of Freya’s absence, Martin simply turned another page of his book.
Outside, a black stallion came to a halt and snorted sharply, stamping its hooves.
“Sir, unless you have a reservation, we can’t let you enter.”
Cartipaschi—one of the most prestigious jewelers in Wespa City.
The gatekeeper guarding the front narrowed his eyes at the man on the polished black horse. His job was to keep uninvited guests from barging in during a VIP client’s appointment.
“Ah… is that so?”
Michalis had rushed over right after sending instructions to the intelligence bureau. Standing in front of a well-known jeweler, he now found himself in a bind. He was unfamiliar with how such places operated, having lived bound to military and political affairs. A clear oversight on his part.
“Then I’ll make a reservation for the earliest possible date and return.”
“One moment. I’ll check the available schedule.”
The gatekeeper, casting a sidelong glance at Michalis’s attire, casually flipped through a few pages of his notebook.
Plain white shirt and black trousers—not a commoner’s garb, but not quite a high noble’s either.
“We have an opening starting July 2nd. Would you like to book for then?”
The horse alone suggested noble status, but pushing him out a month seemed like the safest way to handle this.
“Haah… that won’t do.”
Michalis’s disappointment was evident. By July, he would already be back at his territory.
He hadn’t expected that trying to personally select a gift—rather than sending his steward—would be so difficult.
Just as he turned to mount his horse again, he asked:
“Could you at least recommend another jeweler?”
“Most other shops will be the same.”
And that was true. With the social season in full swing, jewelry shops and dressmakers in Wespa were completely booked.
“…”
Michalis’s expression hardened. He swung himself onto his horse—
“W-wait, please, sir!”
The jewelry shop’s front doors flew open, and a man in an elegant tuxedo rushed out.
“What is this now?”
“There must have been a mistake in communication. Please, allow me to escort you to our VIP suite.”
Panting slightly, the man gave a respectful bow. Nominally the store’s manager, he was in fact a mid-level official in the information guild.
“I was told a reservation was required to enter.”
Michalis frowned, wary of the jeweler’s sudden change in attitude.
“Manager, we still have the reserved client inside…”
“Ah, I’ll personally apologize to them. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
The Duke of Ascher had appeared in downtown Wespa! Selling jewels was the least of their concerns—this was a golden opportunity to either gather valuable intel or build a favorable connection.
“Very well.”
Still a bit suspicious, but not wanting to waste the trip, Michalis dismounted and handed the reins to the manager.
“Manager… is this really okay?”
The gatekeeper stared after Michalis, now striding confidently into the shop, and whispered.
“You just go tend the horse!”
The manager shoved the reins at the gatekeeper and glared daggers at him.
“Fool. What kind of information agent doesn’t even read the papers?”
Not recognizing the Duke of Ascher—whose face had been splashed across headlines—was inexcusable. Even for a low-level grunt, this was beyond clueless.
“Hahaha. Please, feel free to browse the first-floor displays for a moment while I speak with our current guest in the VIP suite.”
“All right.”
Michalis gave a nod, casually rubbing his palms together as he turned his attention to the showroom.
“…”
While the manager hurried upstairs, Michalis narrowed his eyes at the glass cases in front of him.
His brows furrowed.
“They all look the same.”
How was he supposed to choose one of these—and put genuine feeling into it? For him, this was an impossible first mission.
“Haha, our guest says they don’t mind sharing the suite. Please, allow me to escort you.”
“How thoughtful of them.”
Michalis followed the manager up to the second floor. Inside the VIP suite, he offered a nod of thanks to the young man with pink hair already seated on the sofa.
“It’s nothing.”
Martin, expressionless, gave Michalis a polite nod, then calmly picked up the book he’d left on the table.
The only reason he allowed the unexpected visitor to share the room was because the manager had practically begged him to—and because the man came alone. That at least meant he wouldn’t be a distraction.
“Are you looking for something in particular?”
The store manager, who had already instructed staff to prepare tea, cautiously asked Michalis.
“Show me all the rings you have.”
Michalis naturally seated himself diagonally across from Martin.
“May I ask who the gift is for?”
Taking a step closer, the manager tried again. It was a perfectly ordinary question for a jeweler, but also a strategic attempt to gather information without seeming too obvious.
“My wife.”
Oh ho…
Now this was something. Any detail related to the couple currently shaking the entire continent was pure gold. The manager leaned in figuratively and literally, determined not to miss a single word.
“Does she prefer a particular type of gemstone?”
“All of them. Show me everything, one by one.”
“Ah… then I’ll start with our diamond collection.”
Soon, a black velvet-lined case filled with 20 rings was placed on the table, each ring secured in place with soft padding.
“…”
Michalis stared at the case, growing more serious by the second. Damn it. All twenty looked exactly the same to him.
“These are our most popular items—this pink gold ring and this brilliant-cut white gold piece.”
“I’m not looking for what’s popular.”
So focused on examining the rings, his voice dropped into a cold, biting tone. The manager flinched, silenced by the sudden chill in the air.
The ring must be special for Eliana.
If it was popular, he needed to avoid it even more.
“I don’t see anything here. Next box.”
“Haha, we have plenty to show. Please take your time.”
As Michalis glared at the display like a battlefield enemy, the manager swallowed hard and placed down the next case.
“These pieces are adored by women in their twenties!”
“Next.”
“Here we have rare red diamonds—among the most valuable.”
“Next.”
“For true fashionistas, green diamonds are trending now.”
“Next.”
“If diamonds don’t suit your tastes, how about birthstones…?”
Sensing his moment, the manager took a subtle step forward—hoping to glean information about the duchess through her birth month or preferences.
“Or perhaps if you could describe what she usually wears, I could offer a more curated recommendation?”
“…”
Michalis’s sharp gaze slowly shifted from the case to the manager.
What kind of person has eyes like that…?
For a brief moment, the manager stiffened under Michalis’s piercing blue eyes. Like a predator’s stare.
“Say no more.”
“Y-yes, Your Grace!”
The manager snapped his mouth shut. The man who had obliterated the likes of that infamous gossiper Giregi and schemer Goldman—this was the Duke of Ascher. He was even more terrifying than rumors claimed.
“Next.”
Michalis found the manager’s constant chatter irritating. He needed silence to focus—he had to put his heart into this decision.
“Next. Next.”
His expression darkened with each box. Choosing one out of all these nearly identical rings was far more difficult than expected.
“This one will do.”
Finally, when his eyes had grown sore, one ring stood out. A white gold band set with a deep blue gemstone.
“Are you sure about this one?”
After holding his breath for so long, the manager finally dared to ask. Michalis had selected a blue diamond ring. Though rare and high in value, the cold, sharp hue of the stone had made it an unpopular item—left unsold for months.
Of course. The Duke of Ascher had chosen something that resembled himself.
“This is the only one that caught my eye.”
“Ah… I see. If you could provide her ring size, we’ll have it adjusted and sent to your estate.”
“This should be right.”
Michalis picked up one of the sizing tools, then took out a blank check from his wallet and signed it with crisp, elegant handwriting:
Michalis Ascher.
“Send it as soon as possible.”
“At once, Your Grace.”
Michalis stood the moment he finished signing. Time was short—he had dinner plans with Eliana.
“It was an honor to—”
But before the manager could finish the farewell, Michalis had already descended the stairs in long strides, mounted his black stallion in one fluid motion, and vanished from sight.
In the end, after nearly an hour, all the manager had learned was that the Duke of Ascher was terrifying, and that his wife’s ring size was…
“Who was that?”
Still confused by the manager’s overly deferential behavior, the guard at the front asked with furrowed brows.
“Tch. You call yourself an information agent?”
Still clueless about the Duke’s identity, the manager’s temper flared as he glared at the pile of horse manure left behind.
“Just go clean up the dung.”
