I Don’t Run a Romance-Fantasy Horror Counseling Office
CHAPTER 51…………………………………………..
“I guess she really hated it that much.”
Thinking back to what she herself had said at the ball, Direna fell silent once more.
Now that she reconsidered it, it was trash—absolute trash.
“Miss Direna?”
“Please, just… give me a moment alone. I need some time to properly regret my past mistakes.”
“…Pardon?”
Laseil, looking completely baffled, closed the door and stepped out. He added that she should call him again once she’d calmed down.
“Huuuu….”
Only after tormenting the sofa for about thirty minutes did Direna finally regain her composure. Perhaps it was made of high-quality material, because not even a wrinkle remained.
Anyway, Jaen Kyung was right.
She needed to secure power within the family somehow—at least enough to avoid getting swept up in the rebellion that was to come. To do that, the information from before her regression might prove useful.
…I feel like I’ve forgotten something.
It felt as though she’d forgotten something extremely important. Direna clutched her head and sank back into thought.
Something irritating, unpleasant, something that made people feel unjustly wronged…
“Poor thing.”
She vaguely remembered someone saying that with a sneer.
“In the end, you ended up with nothing at all.”
That bastard…!
“In truth, both the position of heir and the affection were yours from the beginning.”
She didn’t know who it was, but they clearly had a natural talent for getting on people’s nerves. Just a few faintly remembered words were enough to sour her mood completely.
“Miss Direna? Are you done thinking?”
“You can come in.”
Direna hurriedly pushed herself up. Only then did she realize she’d been slumped on the floor all this time.
“So… I’d like to know exactly what kind of help you can offer.”
“You could say help with information?”
After a moment’s thought, Laseil answered and gestured for her to follow him.
“There happens to be someone in our territory who knows quite a lot.”
What on earth is this territory, anyway?
As she followed him, Direna pondered. Despite the sorry state of the place, everyone seemed perfectly accustomed to it. Some were even chatting away right next to ongoing paranormal phenomena.
“Miss Direna, this is Risena.”
Her questions only deepened after meeting Risena. She was someone Direna had already met once in her previous life.
Wasn’t she that information broker who was quietly famous among the nobility?
Why is she here?
At this point, Direna even entertained the absurd thought that House Lesean might be preparing a rebellion. Of course, she knew perfectly well there was no reason for that, so it remained just a thought. They already held power second only to the emperor—why would they rebel? If things went wrong, their standing would plummet. And House Lesean had always pursued stable, sustainable power.
“Miss Direna? It seems you already know me.”
Risena, looking tired, asked as she got into the carriage.
“Where did you hear the rumors?”
“There are plenty of places.”
“Did you know each other already?”
Laseil asked as he watched the exchange. For a first meeting, the conversation flowed oddly smoothly.
“I’m seeing her for the first time.”
“She just feels familiar.”
Direna answered quickly. Not just familiar—she’d practically been a regular customer in her previous life. And yet she’d never once thought to ask about information concerning herself.
“Did you bring the payment?”
“……”
What Risena wanted wasn’t ordinary currency. She was likely asking whether Direna had any information worth trading.
“Put it on credit.”
So Direna said it boldly. For now, it was more important to spark Risena’s interest. It was better than saying she had nothing and getting kicked out on the spot.
“What?”
“I’ll pay you back after I inherit the marquisate.”
“Don’t talk nonsense—”
“Just do it. She’s my guest.”
Laseil cut in. His tone was slightly grumpy, unlike his usual self.
“…When did she get so big? She wasn’t this shameless as a kid.”
“That just means she grew up well.”
So she really was raised in this territory.
Listening to their continued banter, Direna sank into thought. They’d clearly known each other for quite a long time—their conversation was completely informal. Laseil also seemed more relaxed than usual.
Must be nice.
The thought suddenly crossed her mind. She’d never had anyone she could talk to so comfortably. But that was entirely the result of her own actions, so what could she say?
“So, where are you from? A marquis’ family?”
Risena smiled brightly at Direna.
“Want me to guess? You came because of your mother, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re suspecting that you’re not from the main line.”
She sounded more like a fortune-teller than an information broker.
“Coincidentally, I know a story.”
Still smiling, Risena continued.
“Was it about seventeen years ago? A woman came to get some medicine.”
At a glance, she was clearly a noblewoman. She seemed to have deliberately borrowed a maid’s clothes, but her delicate hands and ingrained etiquette were impossible to hide.
“She said she wasn’t feeling well and asked for an examination.”
She may already have suspected she was pregnant at that point. Even after Risena gave her diagnosis, she hadn’t looked particularly surprised.
“What struck me as odd was that she asked me to keep it secret.”
That was the very first thing she said after learning the baby’s gender. She even seemed a little anxious—an unusual reaction for an ordinary noble. One would expect her to throw a party the moment she returned home.
“I learned the reason later. She was from a marquis’ family.”
And that marquis was having an affair with a young lady from a count’s family. Risena learned this because that young lady later came to her shop as well. She asked for medicine for morning sickness, and the payment she offered was information.
“The child’s father is Marquis Karen.
The biological father? Who knows. I don’t know exactly who it is.
In any case, there’s a chance the marquis is the father, so he said he’d raise the child as his own.”
At that moment, Risena thought of the marchioness. Lately, people had said she’d been acting like someone unwell. After several confirmations, Risena became certain that her original customer had indeed been the marchioness.
“It must have been the stress of being pregnant while her husband was having an affair.”
Perfect conditions for her health to deteriorate. On top of that, the marquis’ family was patrilineal. Rare in this kingdom, they were obsessively fixated on gender. The burden of not having produced a suitable heir must have weighed heavily on her.
In the end, a few weeks later, the marchioness returned to Risena to buy information.
“Who is the woman my husband had an affair with?”
Risena sold the information on the condition that the marchioness would not try to kill the other party. Contrary to expectations, however, no bloodshed occurred even months later. The only story that remained was that the marchioness had given birth to a son.
“So what you’re saying is…”
Direna, who had been listening in a daze from halfway through, muttered.
“They switched the babies?”
“Isn’t that the only conclusion? My diagnosis couldn’t have been wrong.”
“How can you be sure? No—of course you’re sure.”
Realizing she’d asked a foolish question, Direna corrected herself. At the time, Risena had been a spirit contractor and had conducted her examinations with the help of spirits. If there had been an error, it wouldn’t have meant the diagnosis was wrong—it would have meant the world itself was ending.
The power of spirits was that strong… and demanded an equally heavy price.
“So if that’s true…”
Direna murmured again.
“There’s a high chance I’m from the main line?”
“Almost certainly.”
“……”
Direna fell into thought once more. Gaining certainty was one thing, but now came the real problem. The family wouldn’t hand over the position of head based on a story like this alone.
I need more conclusive proof.
Proof so undeniable that no one could refute Direna herself.
There was only one possibility.
That heirloom.
The necklace that only those of the main line could touch.
She needed to go see it.
Come to think of it, my older brother never touched it either.
Perhaps the marquis had already suspected the truth. Or perhaps he’d simply left things as they were because it was more convenient for succession.
Taking a long breath in, Direna turned her head toward Laseil.
