He parted his lips and opened his mouth in a cautious voice.
“You’re busy. I’m fine. I’m not a child—I can go ho on my own.”
Cedric, who had been silently listening to , let out a sigh.
“Do you not realize how disgraceful it is for the young lady of a marquisate to return alone from every tea party she attends?”
Ah, I guess that does make sense.
The reason, now convincing, made feel a bit relieved—but only for a mont. I flinched at the arrogant tone that followed from Cedric.
“If you’re embarrassed that a family mber cos to pick you up, then persuade the Duke.”
“Embarrassed? I actually prefer it when you co to get rather than the Duke.”
I must be crazy. Tell Ricardo to co get ?
Over my dead body. Just thinking about his eyes filled with disdain made my head throb and my breath catch in my throat.
Suddenly anxious, I hurriedly continued speaking.
“It’s just that... I didn’t want to trouble you for no reason. But if that’s not the case, I do like it when you co to get .”
So don’t even think about asking Ricardo. Got it? Absolutely not.
I looked at Cedric with pleading eyes, but he didn’t even spare a glance.
...Still, he has ears, so he must have understood what I said, right?
I let out a sigh of relief and turned my gaze toward the window.
Strangely enough, I didn’t hear the sound of a newspaper page turning from Cedric until we arrived ho.
* * *
Ding, ding—
From early morning, the sound of bells echoed. Along with it, a hymn started playing.
I covered both ears with my pillow, then finally couldn’t take it anymore and jumped out of bed.
No sooner had I pulled the bell cord than Emily entered the room.
“My lady, did you call? You’re up early today.”
“It’s not like I wanted to get up.”
I pointed out the window with my finger.
“Is there so party happening in the capital that I wasn’t invited to?”
“It’s not a party if you’re not there, my lady.”
Emily gave a small laugh and said,
“It’s the day of the return ceremony. I ntioned it the other day…”
I opened my mouth in shock at Emily’s words.
Oh no. How could I completely forget the return ceremony?
“What ti did they say the knights would be back?”
“I think around ten.”
I quickly checked the clock.
It was already nine.
Even if I rushed, ti was tight. I hurriedly brushed my hair and told Emily,
“Emily, can you get so comfortable clothes?”
“Yes, my lady!”
Emily, already used to my dawdling, helped get ready faster and more perfectly than anyone else.
Wearing the robe Emily handed , I rushed out of the mansion.
The return ceremony. It was one of the more important episodes in the original story.
It was the episode where the last of the three male leads made his official appearance.
The last male lead, Peril Edwin.
He was the master of the Magic Tower.
He was said to have a natural talent for magic. He was a thousand years old.
Being that old, he surely knew a lot about magical power—so he might know sothing about Grandpa’s illness.
In the original story, Peril’s personality was eccentric. It was described as the strangest among the three male leads.
But well, I’ve only lived a little over twenty years and I’m this cranky. Isn’t it natural for soone who’s lived a thousand years?
It seed like a pretty reasonable thought.
* * *
The road leading from the capital to the imperial palace was crowded with people.
“Can’t see anything...”
I strained on tiptoes, groaning, but the road was too hidden behind the crowd.
Still, it’s the day Leon returns—I should at least see his face.
As I peeked around in the crowd, my escort knight, Allen, whispered beside .
“My lady, would you like to climb onto my shoulders?”
“You’ll break your shoulders.”
When I replied seriously, Allen responded in a panicked tone.
“Not at all! My lady, you’re light as a feather!”
“...Um, thanks.”
What nonsense.
At that mont, cheers burst out around —maybe the returning knights had co into view.
“Leon! Leon! Leon!”
I couldn’t let such a legendary scene pass by!
I wanted to push my way forward through the crowd, but I couldn’t move at all in the sudden swarm of people.
“My lady, let’s go sowhere less crowded first. I’m worried you might get hurt.”
Allen, his face pale, hurriedly opened his mouth. He looked like soone who had fainted with his eyes wide open.
In the end, I decided to follow Allen’s suggestion.
After all, the place where Peril made his appearance wasn’t on the streets.
“You’ll probably see Sir Leon soon anyway, so there’s no need to be out here in such a dangerous place.”
I quietly walked as Allen held my hand, and for so reason, I rubbed the back of my head that had started to sting.
...Leon wouldn’t be upset, would he?
“You’re going straight ho, right?”
“Of course not. Since I’m already out, I might as well finish everything before heading back.”
At my words, Allen let out a small sigh, as if he expected it.
* * *
“Welco!”
A cheerfully smiling woman greeted Allen and . As soon as Allen entered the store, he couldn’t stop admiring everything.
The shop, filled with rare antiques not commonly seen, was enough to capture Allen’s attention, since he had a hobby of collecting old things.
Of course, antiques weren’t what I was here for.
I cautiously approached the woman.
This was the so-called ‘Sun’s Shop.’
It was also the only gateway to the Moon’s Shop. To enter the Moon’s Shop, one needed an invitation from the owner of the Sun’s Shop.
Unlike the Sun’s Shop, which was always open, the Moon’s Shop only opened on the night of the full moon.
The owner of the Moon’s Shop was Madam.
And that Madam was the person I needed to et.
Peril Edwin.
Yes, this guy was the cross-dressing male lead.
He was skilled at concealing his appearance through magic.
The day Peril, who had been asleep for the past fifty years, awoke was today—the day of the return ceremony.
Since Idette likely woke him, the upcoming Moon’s Shop event would probably be hosted by Peril himself rather than a proxy.
The woman smiled brightly and asked ,
“Is there an item you’re looking for?”
“I’m looking for a person, not an item.”
“Hm, if you’re looking for a person, shouldn’t you be going to a detective agency?”
“I heard that people are bought and sold in shops, too.”
At my words, the woman’s face froze. Her snake-like, narrow pupils sharpened in an instant.
The shop that traded people I was referring to ant the Moon’s Shop.
During the thousand years of Peril’s existence, slave auctions were frequent. Though they were banned now.
The woman, apparently skilled at maintaining her composure, gave a smile despite my ntion of such a disgraceful past.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe I was mistaken.”
I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
“Still, this is a place that helps people find others, right?”
As I slowly looked around the store, the woman’s smile vanished in an instant.
“...This isn’t sothing to talk about here. Let’s go inside first.”
I followed her into a room in the back.
As soon as we stepped inside, she snapped at with a sharp voice.
“What’s your business?”
“I’m looking for soone nad Babe.”
It was the alias Peril used fifty years ago.
It was a na that no longer existed, but since the ones managing the Sun’s Shop were Peril’s disciples, they would understand what I ant.
Sure enough, the woman flinched noticeably. But then she forced a laugh.
“You’re just saying things I don’t understand.”
“They’re not words you wouldn’t understand.”
Unless I was the female lead, Idette, there was no chance I’d et Peril again. Peril was soone who should never be revealed to the world.
So I had to go all in.
I didn’t have ti.
“Babe will soon awaken.”
“...!”
“When he does, will you pass along a ssage? Tell him soone who knows of his existence has appeared.”
I’d thrown the bait.
Now to see whether the big fish would bite.
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