“You don’t… like me, do you?”
“Huh?”
“You wouldn’t have… secretly nursed a crush on me, would you? Sneaking glances at me from behind that mask of yours without ever showing your face, all shy and furtive?”
The Master froze, caught off guard. Then he let out a long, weary sigh and shook his head.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why, pray tell, are you so shocked by the news of my marriage?”
“Isn’t your intended none other than Ékian Maius? Anyone would be surprised, not just me.”
Judith nodded coolly in agreement, finding nothing wrong with that logic.
“That makes sense,” she said lightly.
“And pregnant, no less? That’s utterly impossible,” the Master nearly shouted, as if protesting some injustice. Judith merely shrugged and responded with calm composure.
“How would you know whether it’s true or not, Master? Why keep insisting it’s a lie?”
“Well…!”
He opened his mouth to retort but stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head before continuing more calmly.
“Lady Ailan, you have only just reached adulthood—a week at most. And yet, you speak of being pregnant.”
“Ah.”
Unlike the flustered Master, Judith nodded slowly, serene and composed.
“Kids these days may be brash, but even so… I have lived my life with diligence. That’s a fair point—you’ll keep it in mind, I suppose.”
“…It is a lie, isn’t it? You’ll admit it now?”
“Please, keep the secret.”
Watching Judith smile so nonchalantly, the Master exhaled a groan that sounded ten years older than his actual age.
“Well, at least it wasn’t some imposter,” he muttered.
“An imposter? How amusing. Who would dare impersonate the Viscount Ékian?” she said with a faint laugh.
“But, Master… why did you summon me? Was it to offer your thanks?”
“Oh.”
At last, the Master seemed to regain his composure, straightening his posture.
“Yes. That is correct.”
Though he tried to appear solemn, the memory of his earlier flailing left him looking somewhat comical.
“Lady Ailan, my deepest gratitude. Were it not for you, we would all have perished—myself, my subordinates, even the people in this alley.”
“It is thanks in no small part to your faith in me and the diligence of your investigation,” Judith replied, maintaining her usual composed air as she sipped her tea.
“You handled all the troublesome work yourself, Master,” she added.
By ‘troublesome work,’ she meant the investigators’ inquiries: tracing why such a dangerous device had been here and how it was discovered. Judith could step aside and let him stitch the pieces together, resolving everything without her involvement.
And since the report came from the information guild, no investigators would suspect anything unusual.
“Still, this is my life we’re talking about; I should properly repay you. Which brings me to…”
The Master spoke smoothly, like a stream of water flowing over stone.
“I will pay off all of your debts, Lady Ailan.”
He clasped his hands together and fixed Judith with an unwavering gaze, as if ready to revel in her awe.
“Excuse me?”
Judith, however, was not impressed. She looked genuinely surprised.
“You’ll pay off all my debts? Do you even have that kind of money?”
Her personal debts were astronomical. Her father hadn’t taken his life for nothing. Even as a highly regarded private tutor, Judith had only ever managed to scrape by, paying the interest slowly but surely. Only the Maius household could have cleared such an amount. No ordinary information guild could manage it.
“The Gray Information Guild has that kind of liquidity? Impossible…”
Judith could hardly believe it. The guild was led by a man barely a few years older than her, and she knew it had been operating for less than five years. And yet, he already commanded such wealth. Respect crept into her thoughts despite herself.
“It is possible,” the Master said with a calm smile.
“You, who know so much, were unaware of this, I take it.”
Indeed, she had not known. In the original story, there was no place for such wealth to intervene. She had assumed only the Maius household could instantly clear her debts.
‘If I’d known this, I wouldn’t have had to go to the Maius estate at all!’
A pang of indignation surged, but it was too late to undo what had been done. She could not simply return to the estate and cancel the matter; revealing her knowledge could even put her in danger.
Judith muttered blankly, staring at the Master.
“It’s already been paid off.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I said it’s been paid off.”
At that moment, a subordinate of the Master entered with a knock, presenting a report. The Master asked her brief permission and read it hurriedly.
“Hm.”
He frowned, murmuring under his breath.
“So… you settled it en route, with a check from the Maius estate?”
Apparently, the information had only just reached him. Even so, it was impressively fast. He paused, then speculated.
“Could it be… that this money was given in exchange for pretending to be Ékian Maius’ child’s mother? To delay the death procedure?”
Judith thought to herself that the Master’s speed in deducing the situation was impressive. It meant she need not explain further.
“Keep it secret,” she said with a sly smile.
“If it’s payment for saving my life…”
Despite the exorbitant interest-ridden debts he was willing to clear, she trusted that he would honor her privacy. Judith reclined leisurely, while the Master sighed and crossed his arms.
“This lie will only be valid for a limited time. You cannot bear a child that doesn’t exist.”
“Well… a few months should suffice,” she said.
“And then you will become a divorced woman. The entire empire will know you once carried a child,” he said gravely.
“So what if they do? Honestly, I’d like the empire to know about the mountain of debt I’ve suffered under too,” she replied.
“Lady Ailan, still…”
“Ah, and I suppose it’s time to stop calling me Lady Ailan,” she said, shrugging.
“I will soon be the Viscountess. Perhaps… Viscountess Maius, or something like that.”
“That… is a bit…”
The Master reacted strongly, shaking his head before sighing.
“Very well. Then may I simply call you by name? I think our relationship allows it.”
“Do so,” she replied.
“Understood. In any case, Judith, I will keep your secret. And should you ever need anything else from me…”
“There is!” Judith cut him off, eyes alight. She had indeed had a request.
“I need information on the Maius estate.”
“I am not well informed. We have no sources inside,” he said firmly.
“You will soon enter the estate as the Viscountess, won’t you? You should be able to gather information firsthand there.”
“That won’t work. I’ll be under even stricter watch inside. I need to resolve this before entering.”
In truth, Judith had already achieved much. She had hijacked the role of a minor antagonist from the original story and forged her own life.
Yet, knowing that the antagonist continued to torment others, she could not remain idle. As a private tutor for three years, she had diligently taught many children. But adults tormenting children? That she could not allow.
“If things continue as they are, the second young Viscount will be in danger,” she said.
The Master stiffened instantly at her words. He paused, then asked in a low voice:
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. But if you truly know little about the Maius estate, Master, I may have to ask someone else…”
“Tell me everything.”
“I know the full story, but since you claim to know little about the Maius estate…”
“I will help.”
“I appreciate that, but—”
“No! I know it quite well!” he suddenly shouted, flustered with excitement.
“My, my,” Judith said lightly, surprised but amused.
