Chapter 01
Black Wolf (1)
“You’re looking more radiant by the day.”
Baron Vero, who had been eyeing passing maids out of the corner of his eye, caught the gaze of Count Norfolk and spoke with a grin.
The soft music of a small band played in the background, mingled with the clinking of glasses and bursts of laughter.
“Radiant, my foot. The war must end soon. This is serious business.”
The vassals guarding the Duke of Side’s territory were all gathered in one place.
Though their lord was away at the front, here his retainers were at a party. Lowering her eyes, Anje carefully set down a plate of cold duck on the table, then quickly stepped back. She retreated to a corner where she wouldn’t be noticed and cast a cautious glance over the banquet hall.
Strangely, above people’s heads floated mysterious characters.
Only she could see them, and whenever her gaze fell on someone, their manseokryeok—their Four Pillars of Destiny—lit up like a lantern.
Year, month, day, and hour of birth expressed in the characters of yin-yang and the five elements.
In other words, the manseokryeok was essentially a manual revealing a person’s nature and the flow of their fate.
Recalling this knowledge, Anje slowly scanned the crowd—then froze.
Baron Vero had caught her eyes and tilted his head with a charming smile.
For another maid her age, that smile might have been enough to make her heart race.
But she was not just any maid.
When she saw Baron Vero’s manseokryeok, her expression briefly hardened.
What kind of lunatic… This is the first time I’ve ever wanted to spit on someone’s smiling face.
Her second life.
In her first, she had been precociously gifted, mastering fortune-telling and the study of the Four Pillars at a young age. People had flocked to her, begging for even one consultation.
But what did that matter? She had died miserably, struck down while trying to save a stray animal on the road.
Perhaps it was fate compensating her unfair death: in this new world, she had been reborn with a unique ability.
She could see people’s manseokryeok.
And naturally, that meant she could glimpse their destinies.
Studying Baron Vero’s manseokryeok, she quickly looked away, hiding her stiff expression.
Chaotic Wealth Stars.
A man destined to have many women—wives and concubines both—always restless, never faithful. The type to habitually show kindness even to women he didn’t truly like. A terrible disease of character.
And now she’d locked eyes with such a man. A bad omen.
When she turned her gaze away, Baron Vero began pacing to catch her line of sight, blocking her view of the others’ manseokryeok.
“Ugh, I can’t see. Move aside…”
Anje muttered irritably.
She wanted nothing more than to finish her job and go home. Seeing what others could not drained her quickly; it was exhausting just to exist.
At present, she was on a mission. The Duke of Side’s household had hired her to identify a spy among the vassals.
After gathering intelligence with her subordinates, she was certain one of the men present tonight was the infiltrator.
She was working hard—yet one slippery fish kept muddying the waters.
Just as she frowned at Baron Vero’s blocking presence, someone barked at him:
“Baron Vero, sit down! You’re making a scene.”
It was Count Norfolk. They said when the lion is away, the fox plays king. With the Duke of Side away at war, Norfolk’s family was rising in influence. He was reputedly both capable and shrewd.
“Ah, my apologies. I was just happy to see a familiar face after so long.”
With a lame excuse, Baron Vero glanced regretfully at Anje.
A few curious eyes followed his gaze, but soon turned away with indifference.
“Vero, isn’t it time you grew up? At least restrain yourself in my house.”
Restrain himself? His fortune said otherwise. That man would be like this until the day he died.
Anje clicked her tongue inwardly, then turned her eyes on Count Norfolk.
Thick brows, sharp eyes, a stern furrowed brow. A man of strong impression.
But her head tilted slightly.
What is this?
His outward sign was that of a righteous official, yet hidden beneath was a star of hidden greed.
His manseokryeok revealed him to be two-faced.
But…
Reports from her subordinates had been nothing but praise. They said he was upright in character, honest and fair in business. The only note of oddity was that his wife and daughters often required the doctor’s visits due to frequent accidents.
Hmm.
Anje frowned. What kind of noble household, full of servants, had wives and daughters constantly injured badly enough to need a physician?
Her eyes narrowed.
Among the crowd tonight were many who fit the pattern of suspicious destinies—those overly cautious, easily swayed, or resentful rivals.
But.
Her gaze returned to Count Norfolk.
Even if he struck his wife and daughter, that didn’t necessarily mean he would betray his lord. And she had no proof yet, only suspicion.
Still, her narrowed eyes lingered on the count’s seemingly genial face.
The music shifted to a dance.
As the floor grew crowded, Baron Vero took the chance to approach her. Spotting him, Anje quickly backed away.
She gave Norfolk’s manseokryeok one last glance before slipping into the crowd.
“Go fetch more sandwiches and shrimp dishes from the kitchen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Taking the timely excuse offered by the head maid, Anje bowed and hurried out of the hall.
Shrimp dishes were none of her concern. At her signal, subordinates hidden throughout the hall also moved, shadow-like.
Heading to the fourth floor, Anje’s eyes fixed on the count’s study. One of her men swiftly lured away the guard posted outside.
Shaking her head at his skill, she slipped inside.
The heavy curtains blocked the windows, leaving the study dimly lit by a few wall lamps.
As her eyes adjusted, she scanned the desk: inkwell, paperweight, a few pens. Nothing unusual.
No fool would leave sensitive documents lying openly on the desk.
Suppressing disappointment, she searched the drawers. At best, she found a box of cigars.
No safe. No secret files.
“Ugh. This makes no sense… Should I go back downstairs?”
But the man had looked so rotten in her reading…
Sighing, she picked up a lamp and raised it high, inspecting the shelves.
“Huh?”
The flame flickered oddly, as if disturbed by a breeze.
Eyes widening, she moved the lamp closer—and the light danced more.
There was something here!
A smirk tugged her lips as she pushed at the bookshelf. It didn’t budge.
Of course. Nothing in my life is ever easy.
Leaning against the shelf, she wiped sweat from her brow, muttering complaints—when suddenly—
“Wha—!”
The shelf tilted, swinging open.
Behind it was another room.
Glittering with gems, shelves lined the hidden chamber.
And there—beside neatly stacked gold bars—lay a ledger.
She opened it, only for a loose sheet of paper to flutter out.
What’s this?
The page was filled with strange phrases, mingling foreign words with nonsense.
Anje could read and write—a rarity for a commoner—and even manage some royal script, but this was gibberish. The sentences were scrambled, meaningless.
She flipped it, squinted, turned it around. At last, she sighed.
Of course. A secret paper hidden in a secret room wouldn’t be unprotected.
Well, he’ll be ruined anyway. I’ll take this; maybe it’ll be useful someday.
She folded the sheet and tucked it away.
Behind it, the ledger held the evidence she needed: proof Count Norfolk had been leaking information from the Duke’s household to the kingdom.
That was enough.
Time to vanish.
The Duke of Side’s commission was completed successfully, and Anje was paid handsomely.
She let out a whistle, smiling brightly as her subordinate handed over a jingling pouch of coins.
A year ago, when she had haphazardly founded the intelligence guild Black Wolf, who would have imagined it would grow into this? A name spoken across the land: whatever the problem, Black Wolf could solve it.
From romantic disputes to finding sons missing from war—every request was fulfilled flawlessly.
And the leader of Black Wolf remained cloaked in mystery, only adding to its allure.
The fees were steep, yes, but clients paid gladly. Thanks to its growing reputation, even the Duke’s household had sought them out.
“First, pay off the urgent debts…”
The silver pain of coins leaving her purse nearly tore her heart—but there was still plenty left. Lovely, faithful pouch!
Now, with money in hand, she could finally pursue her true goal: leaving behind the dingy backstreets of Suddock and finding a proper new office for Black Wolf.
But her options weren’t generous.
She frowned as she inspected the shabby office space the broker showed her. Aside from being near the commercial district, it was no better than the old place. A serious renovation was needed.
Noticing her dissatisfaction, the broker leapt to explain:
“You won’t find anything this good for that price, miss. Sure, it’s a bit rough, but it’s close to the city center—and practically attached to the fancy noble shops. A steal!”
Anje eyed the dusty windows and broken-legged desk with a narrow gaze.
Fancy shops? More like a back alley… That explains why no one passes here even in broad daylight.
The man, sweating, avoided her gaze and stared up at the ceiling, but kept rambling:
“It even comes with a caretaker—cleaning twice a week, only one gold coin!”
“No need for cleaning. One silver a week.”
She slashed the price to a tenth.
The broker gaped, then exploded:
“Are you mad? You won’t find even a broom closet for that!”
“Two silvers.”
Kicking the desk so it collapsed with a crash, she scoffed.
Why pay for cleaning she didn’t want, especially in a dump like this?
Then she glanced at his manseokryeok.
The symbols of contracts clashed violently. His eyes already glowed with dishonesty.
“Or maybe I should just look elsewhere.”
The threat made him jump.
“Dragging me all over the city, then backing out? Fine! Two silvers!”
He thrust out his hand.
“Pay up!”
“Contract first, then payment.”
Her calm refusal darkened his face. He’d thought the young girl would be easy prey, an easy way to skim money.
Clicking his tongue, he spat to the side, then drew a knife from his coat.
“You’re a cheeky little thing.”
“Cheeky? Says the scammer who’s been conning people out of deposits with fake rentals.”
Her accusation only made him grin nastily.
Then he lunged, knife aimed.
Anje sidestepped, her dress tangling around her legs.
“Ugh!”
She stumbled, and he seized the chance to scatter a powder into her face. She gasped, but it was too late—she had inhaled it.
“Cough!”
She collapsed, his hand pinning her throat.
“Let… go… you bastard…!”
She tried to glare, but her vision blurred, strength fading.
Damn it. To fall for such a cowardly trick…
Her last thought before slipping under was bitter: she had always believed she could at least protect herself.
—Bang!
A loud crash shook the room.
The pressure on her throat vanished.
Though she couldn’t focus, she glimpsed a figure holding the broker down effortlessly with one hand.
“G… ray…?”
Through the haze, she saw silver hair gleaming, and a frown aimed in her direction.
Had his hair always shone so brightly?
With that final thought, Anje lost consciousness.
