Chapter : 69
A breath of Sirinyu’s presence reached my ear.
I tried hard to suppress the tingling sensation that spread all over my body.
Sirinyu’s voice brushed past my eardrum.
“By any chance….”
“…….”
“Do you… like the one who lies?”
I whipped my head around to look at Sirinyu. He raised his eyebrows slightly, demanding an answer.
There seemed to be a mischievous sparkle in his purple eyes.
“I absolutely hate it. Lying.”
Not something I, who am essentially a lie myself, should say.
Hearing my answer, Sirinyu chuckled softly and nodded.
“How is your butler? And the other servants?”
When I mentioned the mansion, he asked with a surprisingly curious expression.
“They still keep your room just as it was. And they’re really hoping you’ll come visit again.”
I smiled pleasantly and gave a polite response.
“If I have time….”
“Time is something you have plenty of. If lying down is your hobby, it doesn’t matter where you do it, right?”
“…If I’m going to lie down for a long time, the temperature and humidity matter too.”
Half-jokingly, I said this, and Sirinyu replied casually:
“I can adjust it as much as you want.”
I opened my mouth in disbelief, and Sirinyu burst into laughter.
Seeing the playful expression on his face made me feel unexpectedly happy too.
It wasn’t exactly the kind of conversation one had while dancing at a palace party, but it was incredibly fun.
As my body relaxed, I could dance more smoothly.
Once again, I silently wished that Sirinyu would truly be happy.
The dance ended. Sirinyu, who had been escorting me to the side of the hall, suddenly approached and whispered something, following the person he spoke to.
“I’ll wait here. Don’t accept any more dance requests; I’ll be back soon.”
He seemed determined not to leave unless I agreed, so I nodded.
Hmph. Ridiculous.
As soon as Sirinyu’s figure disappeared, I started looking for a place where I could be alone.
From afar, I spotted Noel, scanning the hall.
If I stayed here, I’d have to dance with famous people—twice in a row, no less.
‘First, the bathroom.’
I left the hall and turned into a quiet corridor, looking around.
I remembered someone saying that the palace bathrooms had white doors before coming to the party.
Despite walking for quite a while, I couldn’t see any white doors on this floor.
‘That’s strange. Is there no bathroom down this corridor? Ugh, it’s so far away.’
“Kyaaak!”
Shaking my head, I turned the corner—and suddenly bumped into someone who had darted out.
A strong scent of perfume brushed past my nose.
Fortunately, it was only a light touch, but I instinctively grabbed the person’s arm.
“I’m sorry!”
After apologizing, I looked up and saw—it was Elizabeth.
Elizabeth slapped my hand away with a sharp smack and said:
“What, it’s you? Hey, aren’t you watching where you’re going?”
“Excuse me?”
I stared at Elizabeth in surprise. Usually, isn’t it mutual fault in a collision?
But why is she calling me “hey” out of nowhere?
Swallowing these thoughts, I noticed my hand had turned red. Elizabeth sneered:
“Do you think you’re something special?”
“Excuse me?”
I sighed internally. Sure, Noel is handsome, but he’s not my favorite.
I carefully tried to calm my very angry boyfriend guardian.
“I think there’s been some misunderstanding.”
“Arrogant… while I was away for a moment, something so insignificant…”
I felt outrage bubbling up. If you really want to guard him, tie your boyfriend’s hands already.
I decided I couldn’t hold it in any longer and was about to speak, but Elizabeth suddenly shifted her gaze behind me.
Her sharp eyes softened, and holding my hand tightly, she said:
“It was nice talking with you. I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting.”
Elizabeth brushed past me. Turning around, I saw Noel in a crisp white uniform.
‘What on earth…?’
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Noel had a brief conversation with Elizabeth and then started walking toward me.
“I was looking for you.”
I had run away to avoid this.
“Shall we dance a song together?”
Noel smiled gently and extended his hand.
I alternated my gaze between his hand and Elizabeth, who had already walked away, and said:
“I-I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well… Can I go back early?”
Noel’s eyes widened immediately, and he strode toward me.
“You’re really not feeling well?”
“No, it’s nothing like that…”
“I’m relieved. It’s unfortunate, but since you’re not feeling well, I’ll call a carriage immediately.”
His voice was so kind that I almost felt guilty for lying.
Up close, Noel’s green eyes shone with a warm hue, closer to a forest lake than leaves.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep the promise to dance with you.”
“The dance can wait for next time. We can do it whenever you want.”
I nodded and followed Noel as he guided me out of the palace.
It was the second time I had completely forgotten my dance partner.
After the party ended, nothing could pull me out of bed anymore.
Or so I thought.
I was now about to go out by my own will.
Lying on my bed, I swung my feet and asked Arkas, who was drinking tea on the sofa in my room:
“Do you know any informants? I need to check something.”
“I don’t know much, but… I know where one is. I can take you.”
Arkas got up as if ready to leave, but I shook my hand.
This was information he shouldn’t know, so I couldn’t take him along. He would definitely ask what I was checking…
“No, just tell me where it is, and I’ll go alone.”
Arkas gave a pitiful look, but I wasn’t budging.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll figure it out myself.”
I pressed my lips together and crossed my arms. Arkas sighed quietly.
“Alright… Selly must have her own secrets. I’ll assign some knights to accompany you.”
“I can go alone.”
“That’s not allowed.”
This time Arkas wasn’t willing to compromise. I had no choice but to nod.
“Wow… is this where all the informants gather?”
I arrived at the street where the information guild gathered after riding the carriage.
It was definitely messier and more chaotic than the capital’s shopping district.
I wore the hood of my robe, as I had been warned not to wear fancy clothes here for safety reasons.
After walking a bit, I spotted the shop with the sign Arkas had mentioned.
When I pointed at it, the two knights following me nodded.
“We’ll stay at the entrance. They charge based on how many enter… Call us if anything happens.”
I had already heard that they charged based on the number of people who entered.
I paused in front of the shop and looked at the standing sign.
[Information guilds located all across the country
We find any information you want.
Mercenaries always on standby]
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Welcome. You’ve arrived at the Empire’s top information guild, ‘Finder.’”
“Y-yes…”
“If you want a consultation, please purchase a ticket.”
I placed a copper coin on the counter and received a ticket.
“Thank you.”
In the hall, a few people like me, cloaked in robes, were seated.
Some had tickets, while others seemed to just be passing the time.
‘Are there really this many people looking for information?’
One of the most inconvenient things about coming here was that I couldn’t instantly search for what I wanted like I usually could.
As I looked around, a neatly dressed female staff member approached and greeted me.
“Welcome, customer. I’ll assist with your consultation.”
“Ah, yes. I’m looking for a person…”
I whispered the purpose of my visit. The staff smiled brightly, shaking her head.
“What I can do is serve tea and connect you with an informant. Please have tea first and tell me your purpose. Tea is free, but snacks cost extra. Do you have a specific informant in mind?”
Wow, this is overwhelming.
I blinked and shook my head.
“No preferred informant? Then I’ll match you with someone who can respond fastest. But all informants are currently talking with clients, and there’s a waiting list. If it’s urgent, you can pay extra to move ahead.”
“How long will I have to wait?”
“Exact wait times can’t be guaranteed. For personal information, you can view it yourself, but if you want an explanation from the staff, there’s an extra fee.”
I was short of breath as if I had been running.
Why is she talking so fast?
I asked the smiling staff member:
“…How much will it cost?”
She took out a notebook and swiftly wrote down numbers.
“A full snack set… using the free pass…”
“No, I don’t need that…”
The calculation was so fast my eyes almost popped out. I searched my pouch, worried if I had enough money.
“Oh, this isn’t the promised place. Must’ve gotten lost again.”
A strange woman’s voice came from behind me.
