"Please tell ."
"Please investigate the Mabelwood territory. Also about the marriage between the Mabelwood Barony and the Dunbarton Ducal House. How long will it take?"
"It depends on how in-depth an investigation you want."
How in-depth should she say she wanted to seem light while still getting sufficient information? Esperanza was lost in thought, tapping her foot. Then she answered brightly.
"Everything!"
Of course she had to ask them to tell her as much as possible.
"How much additional paynt is needed?"
"10,000 terot would be sufficient."
That ant it wasn't a difficult investigation. Esperanza smiled broadly. There must have been many people looking into Mabelwood. Of course, Teacher wouldn't think of Esperanza as the sa case as them.
"One more thing."
"Again?"
This ti it was Jack too. Jack hastily covered his mouth, but couldn't stop looking at Esperanza with fed-up eyes. Roughly translated, it was sothing like 'Money must be rotting away, huh?'
It wasn't rotting away to that extent. Though there was certainly an enormous amount of terot bills piled up in her inventory, the amount she could actually use wasn't that much.
Since this was 13 years before the last ga ti point Esperanza had been at, not 1 or 2 years. Of course, proportionally it was small, but the absolute amount was at a level that couldn't be ignored.
"Please tell ."
"This receiver, who made it?"
Teacher hesitated.
"That's......"
"How much is this information?"
"......I don't sell information about business partners. It's an iron rule of information brokers."
As Esperanza knew, and as newspaper boy Jack had taught her, such an iron rule did exist. The reason she asked despite knowing was because she was curious whether the anonymous magical engineer who would have made the receiver was a business partner, or simply soone who had taken on a commission.
Though it couldn't compare to Cider's laboratory, she wanted to know the identity of the sense of unease she felt in this shabby room that was subtly filled with new magical engineering technology.
When she concentrated her senses, she could feel the presence of a gun muzzle aid at the back of her neck. She hadn't noticed it last ti. It didn't seem to be specifically targeting Esperanza, and judging by the room's structure, it seed to have always been in that position.
That was more problematic. It didn't an they were trying to eliminate her because they felt she was particularly dangerous, but that they were always prepared to eliminate any client.
There would be a button inside that shabby robe, right? A magic bullet? Magic bullets were faster than gunpowder. Depending on how long it took from pressing the button to the bullet being fired, it might be difficult to avoid.
"Then there's nothing I can do. I was just curious. Soone I know showed interest."
Esperanza stood up without regret. She walked naturally toward the entrance as if not conscious at all of the direction where the gun muzzle was.
"When the investigation is finished, deliver it the sa way. I'll co find you the sa way too. Jack, let's go."
After closing the door and walking silently, Esperanza spoke to Jack at the point where Alter District ended.
"Do you still get money from that information broker?"
"I don't!"
"You do, don't you?"
No matter how shrewd and perceptive, he was still a child. Moreover, Jack wasn't particularly quick-witted. She looked down at the child wrinkling his freckled face.
"Can you tell
if the information broker does anything strange? You don't need to specifically monitor him. Just if you notice him doing sothing strange while going about your business, tell
the next ti you et ."
"I could do that, but......"
A pickpocket boy had no such thing as loyalty. Worrying about such things would likely lead to starving to death.
"Of course I'll pay for it. If you promise you absolutely won't do anything dangerous."
"I can do that. But Teacher doesn't really do anything particularly strange."
Every single action is strange though?
"So, if he seems to be doing sothing strange. You don't need to co right away to tell , just ntion it the next ti we et."
"If it's just that. It wouldn't be difficult."
The boy put on an air of bravado. Esperanza sent Jack away in front of the bakery. To be precise, she had tried to. If only there wasn't a man still standing forlornly in front of the bakery.
"......Viscount Poulsbury? Why are you still here?"
"Miss Hunter! Where on earth did you go?"
"To Jack's house."
Jack glanced up at Esperanza. Esperanza cleverly stood to block the child so Kendrick wouldn't suspect anything from Jack's expression. However, even without that, Kendrick's gaze was fixed on Esperanza's face.
He slowly, reluctantly shifted his gaze to check Jack's height. Confirming that he was young enough not to damage the lady's honor, he sighed with relief.
"I'll escort you ho. It's already far too late."
She had an ominous feeling that if she didn't deal with this man, he might continue following her around. Esperanza stepped back and spoke firmly.
"Viscount, I'm uncomfortable with you following
around like this. I don't want you to do so either."
"I apologize, Miss Hunter."
"As you can see, I'm safe. When Jack is with , no one bothers
even if I enter Alter District."
The reality was the opposite. Because of Esperanza's eerie attire, even those who usually picked fights with Jack didn't bother him. But what would Viscount Poulsbury know about such things?
"Miss Hunter, I understand that you're safe."
Kendrick spoke with a groan mixed in.
"But it's evening ti. If you wander alone, you'll beco the subject of gossip. ......I know you're particularly wary because I'm courting you, but I would have acted the sa way even if it had been another lady instead of Miss Hunter."
It was sincere. Similarly, if Kendrick had seen another lady he was acquainted with walking toward Alter District without even a carriage, he would have followed without hesitation then too. Half was due to family tradition that extrely valued safety, and half was due to his stubborn and conservative nature.
However, there was no reason for Esperanza to understand that, nor should she. Instead, she spoke complainingly.
"No one except you would see
as a 'lady.'"
"I heard you attended Lord Humphrey's ball. Weren't there people who beca familiar with your face then? Since I recognized Miss Hunter, there's no law saying they couldn't recognize you either."
That was the most persuasive thing Kendrick had said so far. But Esperanza had absolutely no idea how Kendrick had recognized this Esperanza, who had lowered her presence and was covered from head to toe in black with only military boots visible at her ankles.
'Does he have x-ray vision or sothing?'
Lowering her presence—even if she was lucky enough to be less affected by it, could he really associate this appearance with lady Esperanza Hunter?
Wait a minute.
'The information broker was the sa way.'
She wasn't suspicious. As Cider said, it was hard to imagine that the information broker and Viscount Poulsbury were connected. But didn't so common trait of theirs enable them to recognize Esperanza under the hood?
If they had so unintended common trait, there would be no reason why soone else with the sa characteristic couldn't recognize Esperanza.......
"I'm convinced."
??????°??☆????°??????
Cider hurriedly ca down the hall. He was just coming back after confirming with Mrs. Lux that Esperanza wasn't in her room. When he spotted the butler in the first-floor drawing room, he asked urgently.
"Where's Esperanza?"
"She hasn't returned yet. Count, I wonder if Miss is staying out too late......"
Butler Howard said, wrinkling his forehead. If she just took along a coachman or maid, there would be no problem with a lady going out alone without an escort. Esperanza had really gone out alone, but the butler was thinking she must have taken soone with her.
However, even if she had taken along a sturdy coachman and loyal maid, since the sun was about to set and she still hadn't returned, he couldn't help but worry.
"Was there no ntion of when she'd return?"
The Count, who wasn't worried about such a lady in the slightest, slumped onto the sofa and asked as if urging.
"What are you looking for her so urgently for?"
"It's nothing special. Howard, go inside."
Cider slyly hid the needle in his hand and pretended to rest while sitting in the drawing room. The butler of course didn't believe it, but as always, he bowed his head pretending not to know.
The sound of the front door opening ca. It was the sound of a carriage entering.
A carriage?
"Miss Esperanza must have arrived!"
Unable to say that Esperanza had gone out without even taking a carriage, Cider maintained his silence. If he heard that, the old-fashioned butler would fall backward.
After a mont, Esperanza entered the drawing room.
"Why are you so late?"
As soon as Cider saw Esperanza, he brightened and grabbed her hands.
"There's sothing I need your help with. Could you spare
so ti?"
His voice was sohow particularly soft and low and sweet....... Esperanza narrowed her eyes. She could guess what he was going to ask for.
"Drawing blood again?"
"The sa amount as last ti would be enough. I didn't hurt you last ti, did I?"
Esperanza rolled her eyes.
"Is it absolutely necessary?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
If it weren't, what reason would he have to suddenly run down to the first floor in the middle of his research? Cider held out his hand. Esperanza, who had almost reflexively placed her hand on top of his, flinched.
"Wh-what is this about? Bl-blood drawing? What are you doing to Miss Hunter!"
"......Poulsbury?"
Co to think of it, instead of the black hood she had worn out, Esperanza was wearing Kendrick's black and enormous frock coat. Since it dragged all the way to her feet, you couldn't see that she was wearing tight-fitting pants underneath. Kendrick, wearing only his hat without his coat, looked like an idiot clumsily imitating a gentleman.
"What brings you here?"
"Miss Hunter was pickpocketed. She must be shocked, so please let her rest. More than that, bl-blood!"
"That's of course between Esperanza and , so it's none of your business."
Cider cut off his words. As if he didn't even want to deal with Kendrick, he turned his head away completely.
"Shall I return the coat?"
Esperanza, who had been quiet, asked while tilting her head back. Kendrick stamred as if he had instantly forgotten all the talk about drawing blood and whatnot.
Honestly speaking, it was a spectacle. Cider crossed his arms and watched that farce.
"I'll, I'll co to get it later."
"You don't need to do that. I'll send it by ssenger."
"I'll, I'll co to get it!"
Viscount Poulsbury repeated like a parrot and stamped his feet, afraid that Esperanza might take off the coat.
"And, there's, there's sothing you promised."
Kendrick blushed. Seeing him writhe with eyes full of expectation, Esperanza sighed deeply.
She wished that person would confess quickly. So she could reject him.
"......I'll send it by ssenger. 'Kendrick.'"
The elite aristocrat famous for his arrogance, Viscount Poulsbury, lted into mush. He didn't seem to hear the words she had prefaced it with.
That was being generous enough. Cider called for the butler and chased out the Viscount.
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