Chapter 35
“Brother?”
Jake opened the door. Standing there was Doren, his face unusually flushed with excitement.
For someone who always wore a dazed expression to come up to the second floor grinning like that—Jake couldn’t believe it.
“What’s going on? Something good happen?”
“Yeah, a distinguished guest has come. They’re looking for you. You’d better go down right away.”
A distinguished guest?
Tilting his head, Jake followed Doren down the stairs, all the while chattering at his brother.
“So who’s this guest that’s got you so excited?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t rush.”
“I’m not rushing… but if you hype it up like this and disappoint me…”
Just one step away from the first floor, Jake froze when he saw who was waiting.
“It’s been a while.”
It was Daphne, looking rather uneasy.
Without thinking, he smoothed down his hair and tugged his shirt flat.
“It’s only been a few days, right? How have you been?”
“Oh, I’ve been fine… There were a few things I wanted to ask, and I thought it would be good to share some information as well, so I suddenly decided to come by.”
Daphne slipped off her gloves and gave a sheepish smile. She took a steadying breath, exhaled, and asked for a private place to talk before bringing up the difficult matter.
“This isn’t something to talk about in an open space. May I go upstairs?”
Since she’d already been there before, Daphne wasn’t worried. Her eyes sparkled as if she’d just had a clever idea, and she clapped her hands lightly.
“Ah, but maybe you have guests right now. Should I come back later?”
“No, it’s fine. Just give me a moment.”
Jake dashed upstairs, flung open the office door, and hurriedly shooed out the guild member inside.
“Hey, out the window—quick.”
“What?! That’s so unfair!”
“If people can get down fine from the fifth floor, why are you whining? I’ve got an important conversation right now, so take a hint.”
Having cleared the room for privacy, Jake came back downstairs. He felt a little bad about leading her into such a dusty space, but it was the safest place.
“It’s ready. Would you like to come up?”
“Yes, I’ll go.”
“It’s not very tidy though…”
“Is that a problem? It’s not like it’s my first time there.”
Daphne answered casually, as if it didn’t bother her at all. Jake liked that about her—her unpretentious nature.
Leaving Doren behind on the first floor, the two of them went upstairs. Daphne sat on the worn-out fabric sofa and got straight to the point.
“At Lady Leodid’s ball, I nearly got caught up in Radipal’s scheme.”
“…What?”
The explanation came out of nowhere, with no proper preface. Daphne pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead.
“He even cast a minor spell on an innocent lady. The whole day could have ended in disaster. Thankfully, it didn’t. The reason I’m telling you this is…”
Her sharp, intelligent eyes fixed on Jake.
“…Partly because you’re the only one I can share this with. But also because I thought it might help you. Would it be alright if I explained how he tried to ensnare me?”
“Of course. If you’re willing to share something so difficult and unpleasant, I should be the one grateful.”
“Well, first… he forged a note in Duke Richebarden’s handwriting, summoning me in secret. He gave that letter to a lady he had bewitched and had her deliver it to me.”
Daphne hesitated but chose not to reveal the bewitched lady’s name. She wanted to protect Rose from any repercussions and approach this carefully.
“And then?”
“I was suspicious. The duke was surrounded by people, barely able to move a step. When would such a busy man find time to secretly write me a note? It didn’t add up. So I decided to confront the lady who’d delivered it.”
Jake found the story both serious and fascinating. Unconsciously, he leaned back against the sofa and crossed his legs.
Anyone else would’ve either panicked or gone straight to the meeting place. She really is suspicious by nature… the perfect mindset for business.
Whatever thoughts he had about her, Daphne didn’t notice. She focused on choosing her words carefully, to convey the truth quickly.
“And then she mentioned the name ‘Rowan’—Rowan Leodid, the eldest of the Leodid family.”
“Hah… as if I could ever not know him.”
Hearing the name of someone he despised was no small ordeal. He uncrossed his legs and folded his arms instead. Watching Daphne deliver her account with clenched hands, he thought she looked braver than anyone.
If her family had just backed her, she could have aimed for a lady-in-waiting position at court.
But he didn’t say that out loud. He knew how much pride Daphne took in her craft, and how hard she worked on wedding dresses.
“Then the lady fainted, so I took her somewhere safe. When I went back to the ballroom, the duke was gone. Alarmed, I searched every room outside the hall. That’s when I found him.”
Jake, who had been smiling at the tale, frowned before he realized it.
Daphne lowered her head and spoke softly, almost shyly, when she mentioned Edin—like someone speaking of someone precious to her.
“Anyway, I was lucky to meet the duke before falling into the trap. He told me he’d followed because someone disguised as my maid had tricked him into thinking I was badly hurt. In hindsight, it seems strange…”
“Strange? How so?”
“I searched all those rooms, but he, who had left before me, only just arrived and was seeing the staged evidence when I burst in. The timing doesn’t make sense. And the room wasn’t bugged—it was safe. And yet…”
“Miss Daphne, that’s one of Radipal’s usual tricks.”
Jake shook his head slowly.
“You two must have been too distracted to notice. Most likely he rigged the door so it wouldn’t open from inside, or tried casting another spell on Edin. It’s obvious.”
“…I see. That does make sense.”
“Radipal will probably cause even more trouble from now on. Please be careful.”
Daphne parted her lips as if to say more, but swallowed the words in the end.
“I’m doing my best not to get directly caught up in dangerous situations.”
“Are you? Because to me, you seem far too unguarded. You don’t travel with a bodyguard, not even your personal maid.”
“…Well, I’ve been used to being on my own since childhood, so the thought never crossed my mind. And my personal maid has family duties to attend to, so she can’t always follow me. Still, I’ll try to be more careful from now on.”
“Radipal is greedier and nastier than we imagine. And the Leodid family itself is riddled with suspicious matters.”
Daphne quietly listened. Everyone she met seemed to warn her to be careful—it was starting to worry her.
Maybe I should hire a proper guard.
She wasn’t struggling financially like before. It might not be a bad idea to get one.
Once the conversation ended, Daphne stood without hesitation. She had to return to her shop to work on dresses.
But as she strode off briskly, Jake called after her.
“Wait—!”
“Yes?”
“If you haven’t had lunch yet, would you like to eat nearby?”
“Oh, it’s alright. I’m really busy today, so I’ll just grab something quick.”
Daphne waved her hand in refusal. Jake forced a smile to hide his disappointment.
Just as he was about to say goodbye, his eyes fell on her hands—pricked countless times by needles, roughened and calloused by fabric.
“I know you love your work, but don’t overdo it.”
“…You noticed my hands. Understood. Anyway, I hope what I shared today was useful to you.”
“More than useful. It was a huge help.”
Jake gladly accompanied her all the way to her carriage, ensuring she could leave safely.
So many things to worry about…
The guild’s business, the need to deal with Radipal, and now… his growing concern for Daphne’s safety.
All of them were precious responsibilities—none could be put off.
