Chapter 7
At the suggestion of having a leisurely dinner, Seniel completely froze again. I stared at him with a brazen expression.
If I told Seniel about Kid’s threats, his doubts would be cleared—but I had no intention of saying that. Saying, right in front of him, “I have to lure you in, so please play along” would just be strange.
And besides, I don’t want to risk saying too much, nor do I want to get too deeply involved.
“Let’s also change how we address each other. You can call me Bibi. I’ll call you Seniel.”
I nodded to myself, satisfied, as Seniel hesitated once again.
If I tell Kid that Seniel called me by a pet name, had dinner with me, and even held my hand, he’ll probably let today slide.
Since I didn’t know when Kid would show up or when I could make my escape, I had to lay the groundwork first.
Of course, I could have lied. But facing Kid, with my tiny heart that couldn’t even tell the truth properly, this was the best I could do.
“This is all I’m asking of you, Seniel. You’ll keep it, right?”
He looked at me as if wondering if it would help, but he had no other choice than to nod.
Still unconvinced, Seniel bit his lip and shook his head.
“…I’ve thought it over, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea…”
“Then answer me.”
“…Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you at dinner, Seniel.”
Still, he couldn’t straighten up, crouching there like a nervous lamb. I waved him off to leave. The timid lamb hesitated, then finally went outside.
Once Seniel left, I leaned against the bed and let out a deep sigh.
If I stick to this plan, I can survive until my escape… Though I won’t be able to spend the night out, since Kid said he might appear unexpectedly.
Why did Bibi die in the original story? Was it because she never thought about escaping? Or maybe she couldn’t properly lure Seniel in a way that would satisfy Kid?
Recalling Bibi’s memory, she seemed quite shy. The most likely reason she was killed by Kid was that she never even got to talk to Seniel properly.
If I hadn’t held Seniel back, he would have just exchanged greetings and left as casually as he did yesterday.
Does being shy even matter right now?
Unlike Bibi, I wasn’t scared of that. Instead of testing and measuring, I always just barged forward like a bulldozer. Doing the same now might at least buy me a little time.
After confirming that Seniel had gone to the temple, I called a maid and started preparing to go out. I told her I had accidentally broken a glass while sleeping, and she cleaned it up neatly.
Before leaving, I grabbed a few simple pieces of jewelry from my room.
Spring or not, the weather was ridiculously good. If only I could escape today, it would be perfect.
Even if I could escape today, there were problems to consider.
It would take at least four hours by carriage to get from here to the harbor.
I hope I’m lucky enough to leave without being caught in that time…
I had to consider the possibility that I wouldn’t.
If Kid woke up before I reached the harbor and noticed I was gone, things could get complicated. That guy never lets go of prey once he has it.
Although there was no teleportation here, there were devices like “video wards” or long-range communication tools.
So if Kid tried to interfere at the harbor while pretending to be Seniel, I could be caught the moment I arrived. Or perhaps he could block the shipping routes for a day using his authority as the Grand Steward.
Maybe this was my first and last chance to escape. I couldn’t waste it foolishly. To make the most of this moment, I had to distract Kid on the day of my escape.
The carriage stopped on Rodwald Street. I gave the driver a subtle nod and stepped down. Once the carriage left, I put on the robe I had prepared and pushed my hat down low.
The only way to divert Kid’s attention is to give him information about someone he wants dead—or put him in a situation where revealing his identity takes time, buying me a few moments.
I knew who Kid most wanted to kill. Joel—the main figure in this experiment—an older man who had risen to a high position in the temple.
But I didn’t know the details beyond that. Even in the original story, Kid never found Joel.
This is far too little to distract him effectively.
It was likely that Kid already knew what I knew.
There was only one thing left: put him under enough pressure that he couldn’t focus on me.
I know how to gather proof that Seniel is Kid. The question is who to give that proof to…
If I gave it to someone with no influence or no certainty that Seniel wasn’t a criminal, it wouldn’t help. Gossipers or careless reporters were also risky.
Kid would suspect me first, so whoever I gave it to needed to be discreet.
The best choice is probably to give it to the heroine, keep the original story moving, and escape abroad myself.
I was just about to think of gathering proof and finding the heroine when—
“Excuse me!”
Someone bumped into me sharply.
A booming voice. Before I could react, a bad feeling ran through me.
“My jewel!”
I hadn’t brought guards for stealth, so I hadn’t expected a pickpocket. I knew the heroine sometimes patrolled here disguised as a paladin, but I didn’t expect to be targeted.
I cursed loudly and chased after the thief.
The pickpocket quickly disappeared into the crowd. I lost them before I could react.
It wasn’t even my personal jewelry—it came from Seniel’s mansion, taken as compensation after receiving a death threat. I wasn’t too upset, but I needed it for my escape.
Why was today so unlucky?
I was nervously considering going back home when a scream echoed nearby.
“Aaaah!”
I looked up. The sound came from the direction the pickpocket had disappeared, but people blocked my view.
I was about to ignore it when someone suddenly approached beside me.
Their frame was so large and broad that I saw their chest before I could see their face.
“Are you the owner of this item?”
My jewelry! I looked up quickly to thank them.
Milky white hair, sky-blue eyes, muscular build. A silent mouth that rarely opened, eyes serious without a trace of frivolity.
“Ah, yes! Thank you—”
My eyes widened.
The heroine! Disguised as my older brother!
The heroine—or rather, Ezet—had returned my jewelry. The calloused hands clearly showed she had wielded a sword for a long time.
Ezet looked intently at my face, hidden under my robe.
“…You must be the Grand Steward’s wife. Apologies for the late introduction. I’m Ronan Filaxis, the paladin who guarded your wedding yesterday.”
Ah, she must have been guarding my wedding yesterday. Impressive memory—how did she remember that from just a glance?
I considered denying it, but changed my mind. I needed her right now. Pretending not to know her wasn’t necessary.
This was an opportunity.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Filaxis. If it weren’t for you, I’d have lost my jewelry. Thank you.”
Good. That alone was enough of an opening. I could discreetly hand over the evidence along with a reward. Now I had a pretext to involve Kid with her.
“I was just doing my duty. Besides, it’s dangerous to be out alone without protection. If you have no urgent matters, I can escort you outside.”
She wants to send me out?
I quickly shook my head.
I didn’t have much to say to her, and I wanted to cancel my initial plan of gauging her situation through conversation.
Handing Kid to Ezet was enough of a reason. I waved my hand dismissively.
“No, I have important business. Thanks for worrying, but I must go. I’ll make sure to reward you later. Goodbye for now.”
I prepared to dash off at any moment.
It would be inconvenient if Ezet escorted me outside. What I needed was for her to receive the evidence later and make a big move.
I’ll use the confusion Ezet creates to escape abroad.
I hid the jewelry tightly under my robe and took a few steps forward.
But I didn’t get far.
Ezet quickly caught up and blocked my path, speaking in a low voice.
“I will escort you.”
“…Excuse me? You don’t have to, you must be busy—”
“It is not proper to leave someone of high rank unattended. I will escort you.”
I rolled my eyes, hesitating.
She was a paladin. If anything happened to me, she would bear the primary responsibility.
Can I go with the broker? Ezet can also gather information there, but still…
Disguised as Ronan, Ezet didn’t seem particularly concerned with divine matters in the story. Focused solely on family fortunes and her brother’s revenge, if I revealed my escape plan and quietly gave her money, she might comply.
Bringing Ezet might even be the better choice.
It would make the household think there was trouble at home.
Building suspicion against the Grand Steward this way before my escape wouldn’t be bad.
Even if she figured out that Seniel was Kid before my escape, I wouldn’t worry much. She was discreet and wouldn’t act recklessly.
“…Alright. Please do so. I will reward you for this.”
Ezet nodded politely, seemingly uninterested in a reward.
I entered Bay’s tea shop. A subtle aroma of tea filled the air.
From both outside and inside, the shop seemed perfectly normal. No threatening figures; everyone was just enjoying tea and chatting.
I approached the counter, repeating the words I had read in the novel.
“A cup of lemon tea made by Bay, please.”
A brief silence fell over the tea shop. More eyes turned to me. What are you staring at?
“…Lemon tea made by Bay? We’re out of stock. Could you wait over here?”
The clerk smiled and opened the counter door, then hesitated, glancing between Ezet and me as if unsure what to do.
Ezet, seemingly surprised that I had come here, maintained her calm demeanor. But perhaps realizing she had a promise to keep, she spoke plainly:
“It’s dangerous to go alone.”
“I see. Then two cups, please.”
“Yes, understood. Please follow me inside.”
We entered the back of the counter. At the end of a narrow corridor, a staircase leading down to the basement was visible.
Following the clerk, I wondered if it would have been better to leave Ezet behind. Still, having her watching my back felt reassuring.
How did someone like her die young? I wanted to meet the real Ronan, not just Ezet disguised as him.
We went down one floor. A door appeared. Inside was a wide space. The clerk knocked three times as if accustomed to the routine.
“Enjoy your time.”
The clerk bowed and went upstairs. I opened the door, giving a casual nod in return.
