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In truth, Paulton found those words somewhat comforting.
The thought of going away together, just the two of them, to a place where no one knew them, it didn't seem like such a bad idea.
But he knew it was nothing more than a fantasy.
There must have been a reason why Aidelica would make such an extreme request.
"…Do you have a dream as well, My Lady?"
"Of course. To become a great Grand Duke, one worthy of my people, with nothing to be ashamed of."
That upright and steadfast heart of hers surely hadn't changed.
Just as Aidelica once told him to think carefully about his own dreams, Paulton too wanted to give her the time to find hers.
That was why he had suggested such a frivolous wager back then…
And now, he realized just how careless he had been.
Lost in memories of the past, Paulton finally rose to his feet.
There was no time left to dwell on bittersweet nostalgia.
No matter how tight his schedule, he had to find a way to meet with Railey Elestine.
To help secure the certain future that Aidelica Colluima deserved.
…To remain by her side.
In whatever way possible.
***
Railey, meanwhile, made her way to the antique shop right at the agreed-upon hour.
'Come to think of it, I didn't see Young Master Serge this morning.'
She had thought at least to exchange morning greetings, but the only message she received from a servant was that Serge was already busy from early dawn, and that they would meet later at the restaurant as promised.
'He must have had urgent matters to attend to before going out.'
Thinking so, she stepped into the antique shop.
"Welcome. The item you requested has been prepared. Would you like to check it inside?"
"Yes, please."
As before, Railey asked her escort, Parnel, to wait outside, and then she stepped into the storage room.
Just like the last time, it was a perfectly soundproofed and secure space.
"If you'll head further in, you'll find it."
The shopkeeper gave only that brief guidance before discreetly slipping away.
With each step she took, a surprisingly spacious interior revealed itself.
At the very back, someone sat at a desk, wearing a mask.
'That must be the guildmaster of the intelligence brokers…'
With a robe covering their entire figure, it was impossible to guess their age or gender from appearance alone.
Even in the original tale, the guildmaster was always masked, never once revealing their true identity.
"Welcome, little guest."
The voice, just as before, was distorted by a magical device, making it sound eerie and unnatural.
Railey sat down on the chair placed across from the desk.
"You said you wanted to do business with me, didn't you?"
"That's right."
Railey, too, spoke plainly without honorifics. The guildmaster of the information brokers leaned forward with interest.
"I won't ask how a little guest like you found this place. But… our guild always checks first whether a client is even worth dealing with."
"……"
"With a child's pocket money, you won't be able to cover our costs. Have you really prepared enough to pay the price?"
Railey fixed her gaze on the masked figure and spoke.
"Then let me ask you something."
"…?"
"Can you prove that you're worth doing business with me in the first place?"
At her unexpected retort, the guildmaster froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Oh, what a cheeky little guest you are! You're the one who came looking for us because you're desperate for information, and yet you dare to question our value?"
"Because information is only meaningful if its reliability is guaranteed."
"…Hooh."
The masked figure stroked their chin and gave a small nod.
"Well then, since you insist, I'll enlighten you, Lady Railey Elestine, young madam of the Duke's house."
Though he called out a name she had never given, Railey only blinked calmly, unfazed.
After all, she had come here in a carriage bearing her family crest. For them not to know who she was would have been stranger.
"Not long ago, you were entered into House Elestine as a temporary daughter-in-law. Your parents, from House Vitence, lost their parental rights due to the incident they stirred up against the Duke's family. Just a few days ago, the viscount caused a ruckus in the capital over you before being dragged away… and now House Vitence has completely collapsed."
"……"
"And yet, strangely enough, rumors spread that the Duke, despite you being from the very family that harmed his own, showers his new daughter-in-law with affection, buying her every luxury imaginable. So naturally… I was curious to see what kind of person you were."
Though their face was hidden behind a mask, Railey could imagine the guildmaster smiling underneath.
"And now, here you are, walking right to me of your own accord. I'd say my luck is quite good."
The information they had just recited contained a mix of things that could be learned with casual inquiry and details that could only be obtained through an extensive, far-reaching network.
In particular, the matter of Viscount Vitence and his wife losing their parental rights over Railey had not yet been made public. That was something only someone with ties deep inside the imperial court could possibly know.
It was obvious: the moment the guildmaster identified that the bold young girl who had demanded to meet them was Railey Elestine, they had immediately dug into her background. All of it was the freshest intelligence.*
"Well then, little guest, does this prove that our guild is worth its price?"
"For now."
"Good. Then it's my turn to ask. By coming here, you mean to say you want to deal with us not under the name of your family, but as an individual. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Your own family has already fallen, and even if you're pampered in the Duke's house, there's no way a little lady like you has personal funds to throw around freely without them noticing."
"……"
"So tell me, little girl, stripped of House Elestine's backing, with no power of your own… how exactly do you plan to strike a deal with us?"
The guildmaster's point was correct.
Railey had no personal assets to speak of. If she wanted them, she would have to build them from scratch.
That was why...
"I didn't come here only to buy information."
"…Oh?"
"First, I intend to sell you information of equal value. I expect to be paid for it."
Naturally, the information brokers did more than just sell knowledge. They also purchased useful information to resell and manipulated the flow of intelligence as it suited them.
When Railey declared this so boldly, the masked gaze fixed on her turned cold, there was a sinister edge in it.
"So, little lady, are you saying you plan to sell off House Elestine's secrets? How daring of you."
She had anticipated such a misunderstanding. Railey shook her head firmly.
"Never. I will not hand over even the smallest piece of information concerning the House."
"…And yet you came here alone, without involving them?"
"Is it not unfair to judge me simply because I came alone? Besides… they are my benefactors."
Because of that, she wanted to do everything she could for them, wanted to make sure they never faced an unfortunate future.
Of course, her basic purpose of securing her own survival had not changed. But even so, she was determined not to do anything that would bring harm to the household.
The guildmaster drew out their words, as though testing her.
"But without the precious resource that is House Elestine, what value could you possibly have, little lady? I don't see it."
"……"
"Indeed, it's I who must determine whether you're worth making a deal with."
They were throwing her own earlier words back at her.
At that, Railey chuckled softly.
"So you hold grudges, do you?"
"You could call it keeping accounts straight. That's the only way to survive long in this business."
"…Fine. I expected you would demand proof from me as well."
Her eyes fixed squarely on the mask.
She could not truly meet their gaze beneath it, but she let her own stare burn with the resolve that she would not be intimidated.
"Your guild operates four branches here in the capital, including this antique shop. And your headquarters lies in Eltera, the satellite city of the capital."
"……"
"You may be focusing your activities in the capital for now, but before long, you plan to absorb other underground organizations and expand your influence into the provinces as well, don't you?"
"…!"
At her words, an almost electric pressure radiated from the guildmaster, filling the space.
🍓; *Everything they had on her was brand-new information, gathered very recently.
*The satellite city of the capital, a smaller but significant city orbiting around the capital's influence.
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