IWTGHFW CHAPTER 5

Episode 5

By the way, the scent of this tea is really nice.

As I sniffed the aroma, the man gave a faint smile and asked,

“Would you like to stay for a cup of tea if you have time? We don’t get many visitors here, so it’s a pleasant surprise to have someone drop by.”

“Sure, why not?”

I quickly accepted the cup he offered and sat down on the sofa. He chuckled quietly and sat across from me with his own cup.

Ah. This is perfect. An afternoon tea with a handsome man.

I still had a mountain of work waiting for me, but just for this moment, I wanted to forget everything. The man in front of me was so good-looking, it was almost exhausting just admiring him.

“So, who’s Marianne? The prince’s lover?”

“Pardon? Oh, no. Not at all. Marianne was a maid who used to work here.”

He looked startled and waved his hands in denial.

How could someone look so adorable even when flustered? Like a baby vampire who hasn’t matured yet. One that, if raised well, could easily charm and ruin dozens of women…

That’s a dangerous thought. Really dangerous.

“If she wasn’t your lover, then why did you give her money? Severance pay or something?”

“Yes, exactly. She’d worked for me for a long time, but had to leave due to family issues. I figured cash would be more useful than jewels… Sorry if it seemed odd.”

“No need to apologize. If it was for that reason, then I don’t see a problem.”

I sipped my tea and shook my head.

He was going to write off a maid’s severance as an official expense because he didn’t even have the money to pay her out of pocket. Just how broke was this prince?

Compared to the knights who waste money drinking outside, he was practically a saint. No—he was a saint.

No wonder he ended up like this.

If he were more ruthless, he wouldn’t be living in this rundown palace. He’d be battling for the throne or would’ve already been assassinated as a threat.

“So, did you join the knight order just for the paycheck?”

“Yes. Thanks to Marquis Ron’s help…”

“Huh. But you’re royalty. Don’t you get some kind of royal allowance or dignity maintenance fund or something?”

“I do, but… using it isn’t so simple…”

Yeah, figures. With the Crown Prince watching like a hawk, he probably couldn’t use a single coin without it being twisted into some kind of scandal.

I looked at him with pity. Poor guy. Stuck with a weak and powerless superior. Meanwhile, my boss is filthy rich and influential—just happens to have a garbage personality.

“So… what’s your name?”

It was getting weird to keep calling him “that guy” or “him.”

He hesitated for a moment before answering.

“It’s Mishi.”

“Mishi. Easy to pronounce.”

After dealing with names like Reinolf and Fynance, “Mishi” rolled off the tongue easily.

When I said so, he chuckled and said no one had ever told him that before.

Even his smile was beautiful.

Completely unaware of the star-struck expression I was wearing, Mishi simply returned my gaze with a calm smile.

This is where Ai’s messy bangs come in handy.

I’d been too busy to cut them, but thank goodness I hadn’t yet. Without them, he might’ve caught me drooling while staring at him.

But something felt off.

Mishi… Where have I heard that name before?

[D-2]

I’d pretty much wrapped everything up. All the misrecorded expenses were corrected, and I’d processed all claims against the knights who had tried to get reimbursed for their bar bills.

The office, once overflowing with documents, was now at least navigable.

Which probably explains why Ron barged in this morning.

He threw open the office door, his red hair flying.

“What the hell have you been doing?!”

“What now?”

“Why the hell is Count Poison interested in you?!”

Count Poison? Who the heck is that?

I gave him a blank look, and Ron responded like I was the crazy one.

“You don’t know Count Poison? That snake of an old man?”

“You’ll get charged for slandering a noble if you’re not careful.”

“If that were true, you’d be in jail first. I’m a noble too, you know! Even higher ranked than him!”

“Oh, right. You’re a marquis.”

That is high—Marquis is right under Duke. Guess I’ve been treating him way too casually.

But… I still didn’t feel anything. He whined like a kid. What about him screams “marquis”?

“So, what about this Poison guy?”

“After today’s meeting, he came up to me out of nowhere and asked about you.”

“What’d he ask?”

“Whether I knew you. Then he started asking about your background, family, anything unusual. I didn’t answer, of course. No way I’m spilling info to a weasel like him.”

“Good job.”

He looked like he wanted praise, so I gave it to him. He immediately frowned.

What? You want compliments or not?

“The problem is, why is Count Poison interested in you?”

“How should I know?”

“Seriously, nothing happened? You didn’t bump into him or anything?”

“Not that I—wait, actually.”

“I knew something happened. What is it?! What’re you going to do now?!”

What do you mean what? If he’s interested, let him be.

Now that I think about it, on the way to see Mishi—well, the second prince—I think some servant mentioned Count Poison.

As I covered my ears from Ron’s yelling, he only raised his voice more.

“Do you know who Count Poison is? He’s the head of the Crown Prince’s faction. The head!”

Ah. So he’s from the Crown Prince’s side.

The top guy from the Crown Prince’s camp.

Yesterday, I was on my way to visit the second prince.

And the only places near where I met Count Poison are the rose garden and the west annex. As a regular staffer, I wouldn’t be allowed in the rose garden, which is reserved for nobles and royals.

So that leaves one place: the west annex.

So that’s why he was asking about me.

I gave away too much without even realizing it. No wonder the carriage driver looked like we were doomed.

Given how pathetic the second prince’s situation is, he must be rock-bottom in the royal hierarchy. And the person who put him there is probably the Crown Prince.

Now someone from that faction is keeping an eye on me?

“We’re screwed.”

“Exactly! I’ve been saying that the whole time!”

Ron had a real talent for making people feel worse.

I let out a deep sigh, just loud enough for him to hear. Finally, he started getting nervous, maybe realizing he’d gone too far. He gently patted my shoulder.

“Well, you’re a commoner. It’s not like you’re threatening. Maybe it’s just passing interest.”

“How comforting. I’m just a commoner—easy to kill and no one would even notice?”

“Yeah, you dying wouldn’t even—uh, that’s not what I meant.”

His mouth is directly wired to his brain, isn’t it?

Tomorrow’s the audit, and now even a creepy noble’s poking around? What awful luck.

Screw this.

[D-1]

I left work on time today! A momentous day!

Tomorrow is the big audit, but thanks to working like a maniac, I actually had nothing left to do and got off early.

Plus, the knights had finally stopped bothering me with random receipts.

I’d either been catching the night carriage or sleeping in the office lately, but for the first time in ages, I arrived at my dorm just as the sun was setting.

I looked up at the sky.

It’s still light out!

I was basking in that small joy when someone poked my back.

I turned around and saw Rose, my roommate, smiling brightly at me.

“You’re back early today. Haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Finished early. Let’s go in together.”

“Sure. Oh, this came for you.”

She handed me a letter. Said it arrived this morning.

Who could it be?

No sender on the envelope. I have almost no friends or acquaintances here—who would send me something so mysterious?

No way… It’s not from Count Poison, is it?

Even if it wasn’t from the man himself, what if one of his people sent it?

That’d be really bad. That would mean they’re seriously watching me.

But thankfully, it had nothing to do with the Count.

“Oh my gosh. It’s from Mishi!”

The handwriting was as elegant as his face. In that beautiful script, Mishi wrote about how much he enjoyed our tea and invited me to visit again if I had time.

My legs were itching to run straight to the west annex, and Rose, seeing me struggling, asked with concern,

“Was work that tough? Your legs shaking and all?”

Still, what should I do? If I go again and run into Count Poison, I’m doomed. Is there a way to sneak into the west annex unseen?

Or better yet—could I find a legitimate excuse to go there openly?

Ah!

Fueled by the desire to see Mishi again, an idea struck me. I clapped my hands together, startling Rose. But I didn’t have time to explain.

What mattered most was seeing Mishi again.

That face is pure therapy.

[D-day]

“For the next three days, no one is allowed in this office except for Ms. Ail.”

Two people had come for the audit—a stern-looking woman and an equally stern-looking man. They screamed “bureaucracy” from head to toe.

Their paper-scented, no-nonsense aura made the knights nod like obedient lambs.