~Chapter 28~
The priest glared at me with bloodshot eyes, like he didn’t understand the situation he was in.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Ha! I can tell just by looking at you—you’re probably some lowly commoner who found yourself a rich backer, huh? With that pretty face, I can guess what kind of work you’ve been doing! Now untie me this instant!”
I frowned, staring at the bald priest.
Did he just call me someone’s kept woman? Well, I did hire Jin, so technically he’s not wrong, but still.
“You really don’t get what kind of situation you’re in, do you? Just because you’ve got a mouth doesn’t mean you should say whatever you want. It’s crystal clear why you were kicked out of the temple. Tch, so vulgar.”
Clicking my tongue, I got up from my seat and walked closer to the priest. His face twisted with rage at my words.
Hah, and what’s he gonna do by glaring like that? From what I saw earlier, he went down with one hit from Jin.
I looked down at the priest with as much authority as I could muster.
“I can’t believe scum like you tried to sell me off. Talk. Why?”
The priest looked at me like I was spouting nonsense.
“You’re just the daughter of some minor baron from the backwaters, and you dare interrogate me, the High Priest of the Ohoulton Temple?!”
I grimaced.
What? High Priest of Ohoulton Temple? What is this guy even talking about? I glanced at Jin, who was munching on dried fruit in the corner and giggling.
“He was a High Priest, but from what I know, he got caught embezzling donations and was demoted to a regular priest a while ago. Otherwise, there’s no way he and I would’ve crossed paths, let alone him ending up here. Isn’t that right?”
Jin chuckled while the bald priest’s face turned bright red with rage.
“You filthy mercenary licking a noblewoman’s shoes! How dare you speak to me like that!”
Jin didn’t care at all and popped another dried fruit into his mouth with a look of pure joy.
“Oh, would the lady care for some as well? No sugar on them, since it’s a luxury item, but still quite tasty.”
With an exaggerated gesture, like offering a bouquet, Jin presented a dried apple slice.
I ate the apple, folded my fan, and shot the priest a cold look.
“You talk like some big noble, but you’re not even a priest anymore. You should know better than anyone what happens when someone insults a noble. What gives you the guts to act like this? Sorry to say, but I’m not exactly the forgiving type.”
I tapped the priest’s bald head lightly with my fan.
“Embezzling donations, gambling, human trafficking… and yet somehow you’ve still got connections? Surprising you’re not in prison.”
“Do you even know who I am?! Do you have any idea who’s backing me?!”
Jin answered, still chewing his apple.
“Well, since Phoulton’s nearby, I’d guess he has some kind of connection with Lord Chelloti. I mean, why else would he hole up in this territory?”
He straddled the chair backwards, looking down at the priest smugly.
“Sorry, but the lady next to me isn’t someone to be messed with. I respectfully suggest you lower your voice.”
Weirdly, his smug face reminded me of those arrogant noble guys who liked to flirt around at ballroom parties.
Anyway, Jin casually flicked an apple seed toward the priest that he hadn’t taken out earlier.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Do you really think you’ll get away with this?!”
Jin winked and answered with mock seriousness.
“Oh my! How could you say such a thing? Isn’t it obvious?”
He stood up lightly, walked over like he was dancing, and rested an arm on the priest’s shoulder, pointing at me.
“Lady, I’m scared~”
Then, as if he wasn’t ridiculous enough, he added a weird, fake cute act.
“Play along, won’t you? I’m showing some charm here. I trust my employer will protect me, after all.”
That handsome wink from Jin almost made me lose it for a second.
“Enough jokes. Hey, priest. Answer my question. Why did you want a noblewoman? What for? Where were you planning to send me? What was the purpose? Spill everything you know.”
The priest laughed in my face.
“Ha! And why should I obey you, Lady? My backer is—”
“If you don’t answer properly, I’ll personally take you to Estella territory and present you to my father.”
The room fell silent.
The priest’s face instantly turned pale.
I had to admit it—my family’s name really does have some pull.
“Jin, that potion you mentioned earlier, it works, right?”
Jin nodded proudly.
“Of course. From a trustworthy supplier.”
“Good.”
I lifted the priest’s chin with my fan.
“If you used to be a High Priest, then you should know all about the top 10 noble families, right? Then you probably know what the Estella family is known for.”
The priest’s eyes began to shake wildly.
Ah, so this is what people mean when they say status is power.
To be honest, I haven’t really dealt with commoners aside from servants, so I didn’t fully get it until now.
“…Estella?”
“No need to panic. We’re going to erase your memory once this is all over. I’m just telling you now—so you can get your head straight.”
Jin clapped beside me.
“As expected of the lady! Amazing~”
The priest, now trembling with fear, started freaking out.
Jin, meanwhile, was clearly having the time of his life.
“Just wanted to make sure you know who you tried to mess with.”
I sighed deeply and said firmly,
“Know your place. It’s always the scummiest people who brag about their ‘connections.’ But once you look into it, those ties are as thin as a spider’s thread. Remember this well—the noble lady you tried to sell off wasn’t just some unlucky girl.”
The priest hung his head.
Then, realizing how badly he’d screwed up, he looked up and desperately shook his head at me.
“L-Lady, I-I think you’re misunderstanding something…”
I gave him a mocking look and did my best to sound condescending.
“Don’t worry. I already heard everything you said near that wall over there.”
Jin winked and added,
“Sharing key intel with the client is standard protocol.”
The priest’s eyes were now bloodshot with either rage or terror.
He was glaring at Jin like he was the root of all his problems.
Not that Jin cared—he was grinning smugly beside me, enjoying every second.
“Well, you shouldn’t have committed crimes, then. Even if you were kicked out of the temple, deep down, I’m sure you still had some faith in dear Reton. As a follower, betraying the god’s will and expecting to live freely—that’s either arrogance or delusion, don’t you think?”
I sighed again.
How did I end up interrogating a kidnapper?
Anyway, something about all this was unsettling.
Jin later reported back, cheerful as ever.
“Ahem! Righteous justice has been served, and I’ve handed the priest over to the guards, milady.”
“Well done.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed at how neat his hair and clothes were again—he must’ve fixed them on the way back.
Jin really is… something else.
Still, my head was spinning.
Human trafficking is, unfortunately, common in this world.
I mean, it existed in 21st-century Earth too, so of course it exists here. Probably even more.
So honestly, I wasn’t too shocked to learn that the “Red Scorpion” crime guild was involved in trafficking.
It’s not like they’re the only ones.
The Empire itself frequently wages war and enslaves the people of conquered nations.
I’m sure other dark guilds do it too.
But still… something felt off.
“Why go all the way near a major noble’s territory just to kidnap a noblewoman?”
