Chapter 07
—
“Ah, not here. Please drop me off at the next block.”
I changed my words with an awkward smile.
“At the next block? You plan to take a walk there?”
I almost said “yes” but stopped halfway.
‘How would I know what’s at the next block?’
If I had known this would happen, I should’ve just said I’d go home.
But since he said he’d take me home later, I couldn’t stop by the library or stationery shop on the way.
So I decided to take care of my errands while I was already in town.
The problem was that my memory of this place’s geography hadn’t fully returned yet.
“Um… then please drop me off in front of City Hall.”
I suddenly remembered that the shops and public offices were all gathered around City Hall.
It was close, but the way the right memories popped up at the perfect moment was kind of amazing.
“City Hall?”
“Yes, I’ll walk around, look at the city a bit… and then head home.”
“When should I come to pick you up?”
“Hmm… maybe in three hours? Would that be okay for you?”
I needed enough time to stop by the stationery shop, visit the Central Library, and borrow some books about herbalism.
“I’ll come to pick you up then.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
For a second, I felt such a strange emotion that my reply came a bit late.
‘Wait… isn’t this weird?’
He’s going to come pick me up on time? Personally?
That’s strange.
That’s not like him at all.
‘Why is the trashy regretful man acting so nice?’
“But… where is your home?”
Just when I thought the conversation was over, the Duke asked again.
Home? Oh no, where was my house again?
Cold sweat ran down my back for a moment.
“Ah… it’s 152 Siland Street.”
Phew… saved again.
The address popped into my head like a miracle.
“Siland Street. Understood.”
The Duke slowly nodded and finally turned his gaze toward the window.
‘I almost died of stress.’
I looked at his profile and let out a long sigh of relief.
‘Please, let my memories and knowledge completely settle soon…’
—
After dropping Rena Ricardis off in front of City Hall, Keith watched her through the carriage window.
She stood still, not moving at all, just staring at his carriage.
It was as if she wouldn’t move until it disappeared from sight — like someone on a secret mission.
“Turn right at that alley.”
He quickly opened the window to the driver’s seat and gave an order.
As soon as the carriage turned the corner and disappeared from her view, he stepped down from it.
Now, she would think he had completely left.
He was curious about her next move.
Keith went into a nearby shop and started observing her through the window.
Rena was still standing in front of City Hall, then began looking around cautiously.
‘What is she doing?’
Keith frowned slightly.
She looked like a spy trying to memorize the layout of an unfamiliar city.
But she’d supposedly lived in the capital all her life — there was no way this area was unfamiliar.
‘Is she still suspicious that I might be watching her somewhere?’
Then suddenly, she smiled softly.
“…?”
Finally, she began to walk.
Keith kept his eyes on her through the shop window, ready to follow once she moved farther away.
But that wasn’t necessary.
Because she entered a shop clearly visible from the square — a stationery shop.
‘A stationery shop…?’
‘Is she meeting someone there?’
He quickly went toward it and found her through the window.
Rena was looking through the writing tools section — ink, quill pens, letter paper, envelopes, and wax seals.
Then she bought all of them.
‘Letter paper, envelopes, quill pens, sealing wax…’
Those things already existed at home.
‘If she’s buying new ones, it means she can’t use the ones at home.’
‘Maybe she’s secretly contacting someone…’
She had clearly wanted to keep her visit to the stationery shop hidden.
‘So she really might be a spy from the Emperor.’
After leaving the shop, she stopped an old woman on the street and asked her something, then walked away again.
Keith approached the dirty-looking old woman she had spoken to.
“The young lady who just talked to you — what did she say?”
He kept watching Rena in the distance while speaking.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just tell me what she asked, and I’ll pay you.”
Keith waved several 100,000 talan bills.
“She… she asked which way Siland Street is!”
The old woman snatched the money quickly.
Keith froze in place, mid-step.
‘What?’
‘She asked for directions to her own neighborhood?’
‘What is with this woman?’
‘As expected!’
‘Following her this morning was the right choice.’
‘There’s definitely something suspicious about her.’
‘Maybe I haven’t found the exact truth yet, but one thing is sure — she’s dangerous.’
‘Either she’s truly the Emperor’s spy… or she has some kind of split personality.’
‘Wait— that direction isn’t even toward Siland Street.’
He suddenly realized she was going the opposite way.
“Are you sure she asked about Siland Street?”
He questioned the old woman again.
“Ah, y-yes! Oh, and before that, she also asked where the Central Library was!”
“The Central Library?”
That explained her direction — she was going the right way.
Keith immediately followed her again.
‘She said she was going home, but she sure has a lot of secret business.’
‘Maybe she’s meeting someone at the library.’
However, Rena only borrowed a few books about herbalism from the herbal section and then left.
Keith decided there was no need to keep following.
If she wanted to be on time for their meeting, she would have to head home now anyway.
He wanted to know exactly what books she borrowed, but library staff wouldn’t reveal that information.
He had to settle with knowing they were herbal-related books.
Then he finally turned toward his original destination — the information guild “Sullyhood.”
He planned to hire them to investigate his wife.
‘Following her myself has limits. It’s time to get professionals involved.’
—
“Find out everything about my wife,” Keith ordered.
The guild’s agent, Jess Sullyhood, smirked.
“It’s hard to know a man’s wife better than the husband who shares her bed, isn’t it?”
‘He thinks this is about jealousy,’ Keith thought with irritation.
“She might be one of the Emperor’s spies.”
At that word — Emperor — Jess’s expression changed immediately.
Jess Sullyhood held a grudge against the current Emperor and sometimes cooperated with Keith because of that.
“A spy of the Emperor? And she infiltrated your house as your wife?”
“Nothing is confirmed yet. She’s just suspicious. So find out the truth.”
“Hmm. Pretending to be a wife to infiltrate a noble’s home… That’s quite bold. Also, what a strange marriage. But Duke, may I ask — why did you marry a woman you barely knew in the first place?”
Jess didn’t know about Keith’s physical condition.
“I didn’t come here to satisfy your curiosity,” Keith replied coldly. “Your job is to answer my questions, not to ask them.”
Jess grinned. “I only ask so I can investigate better. But fine. Since the lady used such bold methods, I think I’ll use the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s the Duchess, right? Living high behind the walls of your grand mansion. I think I should enter that same place — to observe from the inside.”
“You plan to sneak into my house yourself?”
Jess rarely worked personally, and yet now he wanted to infiltrate the Duke’s mansion himself.
‘He really becomes obsessed whenever it involves the Emperor,’ Keith thought tiredly.
“I can’t cook, clean, or do laundry, so I’ll have to go in as… a coachman,” Jess said, deciding his role all on his own.
He really was talented — but far too reckless.
“Do as you like…” Keith sighed.
Jess’s enthusiasm was exhausting, but he accepted it.
After all, Rena had wandered around suspiciously enough that day to justify the effort.
And having someone pose as a coachman would indeed be efficient.
—
As for Rena, she eventually found her way home — her memory of the location finally clicked into place after asking around.
The house was nearly empty.
Most of the furniture had been sold or disposed of.
While rummaging through her memories, she remembered where the important items had once been kept — only to recall that she had already sold them all.
So she gathered her clothes into a bag.
Partly because she needed them, but mainly to hide the herbal books and writing tools she had just bought at the bottom of the bag.
She stuffed everything in until there was no space left.
By the time she finished packing, it was already the time she had promised the Duke.
Visiting the stationery shop, the library, and then walking home had taken longer than she thought.
“Rena!”
But just as she stepped outside the house, someone called her name.
