~Chapter 19~
“Of course, I’m no saint. Do you really think I’d go through all this hell to find a nephew I’ve never even seen just because I feel sorry for him? That doesn’t make sense, right? I couldn’t bring myself to kill him, but I also don’t want to be blamed later, so I’m desperately trying to find him. Got it? So stop trying to fish around for answers.”
Honestly, I was annoyed.
What the hell did this guy think of me?
Okay, fine.
I admit I acted a bit suspicious.
I know! I totally get it.
“Oh come on~, fishing for answers? I only asked because I was genuinely worried about you, my dear client.”
Watching him act all innocent made me sigh deeply.
I had to admit it by now—he was clearly underestimating me.
Yeah… that’s my problem.
I’ve got too much pride from my past life, and because I stubbornly refused to adapt to this world, the only decent person left by my side is my maid, Catherine.
People here tend to take you lightly if you’re too nice.
“Well, thanks to all this, I guess getting to the Cheloti estate won’t be easy,” Jin muttered from behind me, sounding like he was thinking hard. Then, out of nowhere, he just said:
“If monsters are showing up on roads people usually travel, that probably means the Leton Church hasn’t been doing its job in keeping them under control. And monsters aren’t stupid—they’ve probably already set up ambushes on those roads.”
Then he suddenly leaned over my shoulder and flashed me that annoyingly handsome smile.
“Guess we’ve got no choice but to take the long way.”
I had nothing to say.
I lightly nudged him back with my shoulder.
I didn’t mind taking a detour—it wasn’t like he was wrong.
Still, I didn’t get it. Why was this guy sticking to me like glue? Was he trying to flirt? In this situation?
…Or was it just a habit? Probably the latter.
There’s no way a sane guy would try to hit on someone like me, someone carrying a giant metaphorical bomb on her back.
If he’s really smart, he’d know better than to think he could change his fate by getting involved with me.
The moment he’s tied to me, it’s the highway to hell. No joke.
I started feeling down again.
Honestly, I knew I had to find the male lead, but… it still didn’t feel real.
It’s not like the world is ending now—all the major stuff only happens after he grows up.
That’s like… 15 years from now?
“You don’t have to worry, my lady! I’ve been a mercenary since I was thirteen. Finding a route like this is no big deal—piece of cake. Even if the path is rough, we’ll still get to Cheloti in no time.”
“You’ve been to this region before?” I asked.
Jin tapped his temple and said,
“Of course! It’s basic prep work to memorize the area before taking a job, don’t you think?”
I frowned and looked at him.
Okay, that’s not wrong… but this is a forest path.
Is that even possible? Especially when he literally said he’s not even using the main roads?
He must’ve read my mind because he laughed and bragged,
“Our guild isn’t number one in the empire for nothing. Technically, this is a secret, but our guild’s database has maps of almost the entire continent. We’ve got so many members and adventurers all over the place that we’ve basically mapped out the whole land.”
He raised his eyebrows meaningfully and whispered,
“Ah, of course~ memorizing all those maps isn’t exactly tied to the size of the guild, but ha! I’m, you know, quite talented and sharp, so I’ve got most of it in my head already.”
Well… even I, who was stuck in the Estella territory, knew about the Golden Frog guild, so he wasn’t lying.
Still, I wasn’t about to trust everything he said about being elite and super capable.
“In other words, my lady, you couldn’t have found a better partner than me! You’re very lucky—truly! Can’t you just feel the reliability pouring from this perfect body and face?”
He pointed to his own face and smiled like, “Just look at this masterpiece.”
I ignored him.
I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
This was the first time I’d traveled to such a remote place.
And with all these tall, dense trees, the forest was so dark it felt like night even in the middle of the day.
“My lady, just relax and follow my lead.
Contrary to the rumors, mercenaries live on trust.So even if this job came out of nowhere, it’s our duty to see it through properly.”
He kept talking nonstop behind me.
Most of it wasn’t useful, so I half-listened and tuned the rest out.
It kinda felt like he was trying really hard to sell himself, but it wasn’t exactly a confession either… just confusing.
“…You hiding something?”
“…”
He went completely silent behind me.
A few seconds passed.
“Hahaha! My lady, you’ve got quite the sense of humor! Me? Hiding something? Ha! What would make you suddenly doubt our trust like that?”
I cut him off coldly.
“I’ve got a knack for sensing when someone’s being shady. Isn’t it weird? You didn’t even want to get involved with me at first, but now you’re being all helpful. Sure, maybe that’s your professionalism talking. But then you’re also poking around to see how far you can push me, chattering on about your greatness when I’m already stressed out.”
Jin fidgeted with the reins in his hands.
“And don’t you think it’s way too early to be throwing around words like ‘trust’? We just met. I’m not the type to believe in some magical partner-for-life connection on day one.”
“…You’re… pretty sharp, huh?”
I hadn’t expected much, just asked on a hunch—but seriously?
I felt a bit dizzy.
Yeah, I knew I was being reckless.
I was in a rush, had no power, no money, and randomly hired a mercenary to escape the capital.
Dumb move, honestly.
“Well… I’ll be honest with you. It looks like I’ve been found out.”
…My brain froze for a second.
What the hell kind of nonsense was that?
“I really didn’t want to say anything, but see, I’m kinda famous. So… I’m pretty sure the people from Bessiel are after me now. Hahaha! But don’t worry—just let it slide. You know how life is—random coincidences stack up and become fate! So maybe you hiring me was fate too, huh? Isn’t it kinda magical?”
He laughed awkwardly, face a bit flushed.
“This is also the first time I’ve gotten this deeply involved with a noble lady from a great family, so my heart’s pounding with excitement.”
I was speechless. What the hell was I supposed to say to that?
Why would Bessiel be after him? Not me, but him?
Why would they chase us? In the original story, Bessiel never touched Estella at all!
If they were going to, they would’ve done it way earlier—not wait until the male lead had to punish them himself.
“What the…? Don’t change the subject—explain properly. Why would you be chased by Bessiel? And how do you know for sure?”
The smile dropped from Jin’s face as he answered.
“…Exactly. What’s your deal? Why is Bessiel chasing you, not me? That doesn’t add up, does it?”
