“Why? Do you want to stop me as a guardian?”
<No, not at all! Everything here belongs to you, my Lord. Myself included, of course. It’s just that…>
Andion looked at his master, who had asked him the question, arms crossed. Alice, oblivious to the tension, was excited by the task at hand and began happily filling a sack with gold.
Ah. Caria fell silent at Andion’s question. He had waited for her here for such a long time—long enough to develop a sense of self. It wasn’t intentional, but when she thought about it, she felt guilty.
“This time won’t be long.”
Relieved by her words, Andion’s voice softened. Alice, humming cheerfully, hoisted the heavy sack onto her back.
Yes, she would return. For Caria, the only place where her heart could rest was not the Pandeon mansion nor the Grand Duke’s castle—it was here.
—
—
“They say this is the place where anything can be done for money. Is that true?”
As she entered the shabby tavern, Caria wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming stench of sweat. She had come to a place called “Black Night” after considering repaying a favor to the kid she met at the fountain, but the atmosphere was quite rough.
Large men lounged about lazily, and when they saw her—a woman walking in alone without any guards or attendants—they glanced at her as if she were some strange creature.
“Welcome, customer! What would you like? Background checks on fiancés, husbands, lovers, even children—we do it all!”
“Is tailing others the only thing you know how to do?”
A slightly more sociable man rushed over. Though he had a burly build, his face was oddly cute. With a voice full of false cheer, he tried to flatter her.
“No, of course not! That’s just the most common request from noble clients. So, what can we do for you?”
“Not you.”
Caria brushed past the man rubbing his hands in front of her and stepped deeper into the tavern.
“I want to talk to him.”
She stopped in front of someone who, compared to the other bulky men, seemed rather small and unassuming.
Like most in the tavern, he wore a robe that concealed his face. Slightly surprised by her choice, the man raised his head just a little.
“Customer, not him! Of all people—why him?!”
“He may look like he’s just sitting anywhere, but the posture of skilled fighters reveals they’re subtly guarding him. It’s not because he’s weak, so that only leaves one answer—he’s the leader.”
Caria casually pulled out a chair and sat across from the man. Instantly, the others around them stood up in alarm.
They exuded hostility as they approached, but the man raised a hand to stop them.
“Calm down, everyone. No need to be rude to the lady.”
“You all are more cautious than I expected.”
“I’m a well-loved boss, after all.”
His voice was not what she anticipated. She had assumed the leader of such a violent group would sound older, but his voice was soft—almost her age.
“So, what request brings you here, my lady? After such a dramatic entrance, I hope it’s something exciting.”
“My lady, huh. Do you know who I am?”
“Ah.”
The man tapped his own head lightly with a finger.
“Unmarried noble ladies usually don’t wear their hair up.”
“Hmph…”
It was a textbook answer, yet something about it didn’t feel trustworthy. Still, Caria didn’t really care, as long as he got the job done.
“I want to reforge some old gold into coins. Say it came from a nearby trading company or something.”
“Old gold? Did you steal some heirloom or treasure? If that’s the case, you don’t need us…”
“It’s a bit too much for that.”
She nodded toward the capitalist who had welcomed her earlier. He hesitated, then walked out. A startled gasp echoed from beyond the door.
“All this is gold?!”
“How much is this even worth?!”
As the man dragged a sack full of gold into the room, gasps erupted from those nearby.
“It’ll make about three thousand coins. Around 300,000 gold. Can you finish it by tomorrow?”
“What, did you rob a tomb or something?”
The sack spilled open in the middle of the tavern, pouring out old, tarnished, rusted coins and gold bars.
When Caria asked if that mattered, the man chuckled and shook his head.
“The origin can be covered. I know some merchants. It’s doable. But it was careless of you—bringing this kind of fortune into a den of scoundrels without knowing anyone here. What if I took the gold and ran?”
“A fortune?”
She frowned at his attempt to scare her. For someone with many subordinates, his joke was in poor taste.
“That little bit?”
Spreading out 300,000 gold like it was nothing—Caria was calm and indifferent.
“Don’t misunderstand. This is just a test to see how well you handle things. You’ll be paid 3% of the gold’s weight for your trouble. If the deal goes well, we’ll continue. If not, goodbye.”
Reprocessing old gold for 3%. Not bad, but not irresistible either—unless she offered more in the future.
The man laughed loudly, impressed by her shrewdness.
“Ha! Excellent. Your swagger feels natural, not forced. I’ll take the job sincerely.”
Even if it was all bluff, there was no loss on either side. His subordinates began gathering the gold again.
Caria, meanwhile, was staring intently at the man’s face since he laughed.
“You—”
“Is something wrong?”
“Your voice is familiar. Have we met before?”
Surprised by the question, he rolled his eyes left and right. He didn’t understand the hidden meaning behind it.
“Are you hitting on me? Even hidden, your beauty shines through.”
“I’m not joking.”
Something about his laugh sent a cold chill through her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was a good feeling or bad—but she shouldn’t be feeling anything for a man she just met today.
Without another word, she reached for his robe. He could have stopped her, but he didn’t.
“Ah, really. So exhausting.”
As she pulled the cloth away, it revealed shiny black hair. The man blinked slowly, then smiled like a crescent moon.
When his face was exposed, the others in the tavern froze.
“–Gilford?”
Caria, too, was stunned. Gilford didn’t have black hair. He always kept his silver hair neatly swept back.
And he never smiled like this—playful and mischievous. He was always proper and respectful. But still, she was sure: this man had Gilford’s face.
Her one and only love, who should’ve died cruelly at Rubal’s hands.
She touched his cheek, dazed. Warmth—he was alive…
“This is a bit inappropriate.”
Caria snapped out of it as he laid his hand over hers. His hand wasn’t soft like Gilford’s—rough, calloused. That dry texture brought her back to reality, and she pulled away.
“No need to be embarrassed. People often lose themselves when they see my face. But you recovered quickly! One lady couldn’t even close her mouth—showed me all her cavities…”
“Enough.”
Caria didn’t want to hear another word. She had mistaken him—his face, his voice—it was just too similar. But Gilford never smiled like this.
“I apologize. It seems I was mistaken.”
“Must’ve been someone you loved. That’s why you looked at me like that.”
“You seem confident. I’ll be back tomorrow. Excuse me.”
She didn’t play along with his jokes. She wasn’t in the mood. Fate’s twisted games—how long had it been since her memories returned, and now this face?
Almost running, she left the tavern. The sound of reins being untied was heard shortly after, and Caria disappeared from sight.
As she left, the man’s laughter ceased. The tension in the tavern eased, and the money-hungry man from before rushed to the boss.
“Are you alright? That woman is the Grand Duke’s…”
“The Duchess of Pandeon, right? Daughter of Duke Lutherbert.”
