MPAWD 59

Chapter 59

Was Lucy also secretly tailing that mercenary like she had, coming all the way to the information guild to dig up details about him?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Lucas felt his insides twist.

Trying to cover up that feeling, he had meant to say she looked even better than before—but instead, something completely different slipped out.

Unable to take back his words, Lucas could only burn inside and drain the drink in front of him.

After quickly emptying his glass, Lucas took a breath and spoke.

“I heard you’ve been entered into the Rayford Count’s family.”

“Yes, well… it just happened that way.”

Lucy’s tone was calm. She had guessed that as an investor in the Pablo Trading Company, Lucas would already know a lot about her.

He doesn’t seem to know I’m a true blood of the Rayford family.

Honestly, she was glad. She didn’t want Lucas’s pity over such a messy secret of her birth.

“I see. But I’ve also heard Pablo Trading is doing business with the Colin royal family?”

Lucas feigned ignorance as he asked.

“Yes, we won an exclusive supply contract with the royal family. And I heard that, while we’re at it, we’ll also be trying to negotiate imports of local specialties here.”

Lucy told him the simple version of what she knew.

“I see. Well, I hope the deal turns out satisfactory.”

“And you, Sir Lucas—what brings you to Colin?”

“I came here as the representative of the Fujis Empire’s delegation.”

“Ah, I see!”

After that short exchange, silence fell between them again.

Lucy could tell that Lucas’s attitude toward her was completely different from before.

In the past, he had always worn a gentle expression, sometimes even offering a soft smile. But now, his face was cold.

And his answers are so curt, it’s suffocating!

Apparently, Lucas noticed the atmosphere too.

“Seems we’ve finished our drinks. Shall we get going?”

“Yes? Oh, yes! It was so nice to see you again after so long.”

Lucy quickly stood up, eager to escape the suffocating mood.

“Take care then!”

“I’ll see you back.” Lucas also rose to his feet.

“Oh, no! You must be busy, there’s no need.”

“Not particularly… I’m not busy.”

That was a lie, of course.

“Really, it’s fine. I’m staying just nearby.”

“Then all the better. Let’s go.”

Even though Lucy waved her hands to refuse, feeling burdened by his insistence, Lucas was more firm than ever.

She had no choice but to walk with him toward the inn.

As they walked together, neither spoke a word.

The road to the inn felt endlessly long. When the familiar building finally came into view, Lucy’s face brightened with relief.

“Th—that’s it right there! It was lovely seeing you again. Thank you for walking me.”

“…It was good to see you as well. Until next time.”

Lucy bowed and hurried away, disappearing like an arrow. Watching her vanish, Lucas swallowed down the lingering regret in his chest.

* * *

While the Pablo Trading Company stayed at the inn, they were busy sorting goods and preparing documents for their royal delivery.

Lucy too had a hectic day. After finally returning to her room late at night, she sighed.

I need to visit the Royal Academy too, but I’m just too busy like this!

Just then, someone knocked on her door.

“Shan!”

Lucy’s eyes widened as she opened it.

Standing there was Shan.

“I came because it seems we can move up the contract schedule. I finished my other business sooner than expected.”

He said it flatly, right to the point.

“R—really?”

Lucy beamed with joy and swung the door wide open.

Shan stepped in and handed her the contract he had prepared.

It was filled with detailed conditions, but Lucy didn’t bother to read carefully—she immediately signed her name.

“How much is the advance payment?”

When she handed back the signed paper, Shan just stared at it.

“Did you not read the contract? The amount is written right here.”

“Oh…”

At that, Lucy finally glanced back at the contract.

The advance was smaller than she’d expected. But the amount she would owe him after completion was far greater than all the money she had saved up.

If worst comes to worst, I’ll just ask Harry to lend me some money…

Resolving herself, she smiled brightly as she pushed the contract back to him.

Shan glanced down at it again.

“…The contract is two pages. You’ll need to sign the back as well.”

“Oh…”

He could’ve said that earlier! Lucy quickly signed the back with a sheepish face.

“Then as stated, your employment begins tomorrow. I’ll be staying in the room across the hall—if you need anything, call me.”

He tucked the contract into his coat and stood.

“Across the hall?”

“Yes. Conveniently, it was vacant. Since I’ll be guarding my employer, I need to stay close.”

His thoroughness left Lucy shaking her head.

“Then I’ll be in your care from now on, Shan!”

Smiling brightly, she held out her hand.

After staring at it a moment, Shan slowly took it.

When he had gone, Lucy pulled out the notes she had once scribbled about the novel’s plot.

It had been so long since she’d read it, and she had only written her summary after arriving here, so she didn’t remember many details exactly.

Her eyes stopped at one line among the major events she had listed.

Famine in the Fujis Empire. Joanna acquires a new grain cultivation method.

In the novel, an unending drought struck the Fujis Empire, throwing it into crisis.

At that time, Joanna used Shan and her other helpers to track down a scholar abroad who had developed a new type of grain—and she signed an exclusive contract with him.

Lucy didn’t know the exact timing, but since she had met Shan before Joanna did, this was a future that hadn’t happened yet.

Her heart pounded.

“Meeting Shan was an unexpected stroke of luck, but now I can use what I know!”

Finally, she had a chance to take advantage of her knowledge of the future.

“They called it… the Grain of the Gods, didn’t they?”

One of the few things she remembered clearly was that the scholar researching this groundbreaking crop was considered a weirdo in his homeland, the Colin Kingdom.

Because of his eccentric experiments, he was ridiculed by many—this strange researcher.

Bruno Allan. She had to find him!

Of course, she wasn’t sure if he had already begun that research at this time.

But she remembered that when the Fujis Empire was struck by drought, its neighboring nations suffered as well.

Since his homeland dismissed his work, Bruno ended up granting the cultivation rights to Joanna, who truly valued it.

Because of that, the Colin Kingdom, weakened by famine, later had to import the so-called “Grain of the Gods” back from the Fujis Empire—a ridiculous situation Lucy recalled vividly.

The urge to meet Professor Bruno Allan right away gnawed at her.

Restless all evening, Lucy finally went to Michael, the head of the Pablo Trading Company, and requested leave.

Had she been just an employee, it would have been impossible. But as the daughter of the Rayford Count, she managed it.

Her conscience pricked her, but now was no time to worry about that.

* * *

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, Lucy dressed in one of her neatest gowns and put effort into looking as bright as possible.

She was headed to the Royal Academy to find Bruno Allan.

“Sorry for troubling you on your very first day.”

In the carriage to the Academy, Lucy gave Shan an apologetic look.

She felt bad about making him work so early on the very first morning.

“It’s fine. I’m just doing my job.”

“Still, even though it’s called bodyguard work, there’s really nothing dangerous for you to do. I just don’t like going around alone…”

She had rushed to sign the contract, eager to hire him, but honestly, she didn’t need protection right now.

But I can’t just let such expensive help go to waste!

Lucy resolved to make full use of Shan now that she had gone through the trouble of hiring him.