RVMPT Chapter 108

Chapter 108

I sat in a moving carriage, thinking about the dream I had earlier. Actually, it wasn’t just from today.

Lately, I kept having the same dream over and over. In it, I was always walking down my elementary school hallway.

It was during the break after first period, so the hallway and classrooms were noisy with kids.

Naturally, I headed to my classroom. Just as I was about to push open the slightly cracked door, I heard voices.

“Hey, do you… like her?”

“No way! Are you crazy? I just felt bad because she became an orphan!”

“Oh, right. Her parents both died in a car crash.”

“Exactly!”

Those words pierced me like a knife, and I couldn’t bring myself to enter the room.

I felt embarrassed for mistaking their pity for romantic interest, and hearing that at such a hard time after losing my parents made it even more painful. I just stood in front of the door until I woke up.

The details of the dream changed slightly each time. At some point, I started dreaming that I was walking down the hallway as Diana.

And since yesterday, the voices and the conversation I overheard had changed.

“Duke, do you have feelings for Lady Diana?”

“Of course not, Evan. I don’t know why you’d think that. I treat her well because she’s useful, that’s all.”

“Because of her abilities?”

“Yes.”

A voice I had never heard before—cold and heavy—tightened around my chest. In the dream, I cried instantly after hearing those words, and I always met Harold’s eyes.

His gaze was so cold, like an abyss, that I still remembered it clearly even after waking up.

I leaned my head against the window and looked outside.

A dream is just a dream.

I knew Harold would never think of me like that. Right now, I don’t believe he treated me kindly just because of my abilities.

If that were true, he would have said so the day he tore up the contract. Since then, I started wondering again why he was especially kind to me.

I recalled how he gave me the key without hesitation, his attitude, words, physical closeness…

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

My face grew hot. I bowed my head to calm my racing heart.

Maybe Harold likes me.

…Probably.

I thought he liked me, but I wasn’t confident because I wasn’t good at noticing those things.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seriously thought about something like this before.

Ever since elementary school, whenever someone seemed to like me, I brushed it off as a misunderstanding.

But if Harold really liked me, why hasn’t he confessed?

Maybe I was wrong.

Still, I shook my head.

I shouldn’t assume things on my own.

And I shouldn’t go asking others about it either.

I might be misunderstanding things again.

This time, I’ll ask Harold directly.

I’ll ask him if he likes me.

I had made up my mind now, but it wasn’t easy to get to this point.

What if he gave a negative answer? Things between us would definitely become awkward.

Knowing Harold’s personality, he might draw a cold line and stop doing anything that could be misunderstood.

Ugh…

Just thinking about it made me uneasy.

If things go bad, I don’t want to stay at the duke’s mansion awkwardly. I should prepare in advance.

That’s why I was headed to the Aneis Guild today.

Soon, the carriage stopped. I pulled my cloak over my head and got out.

I handed a gold coin to the knight and coachman and walked alone to the guild.

After informing a guild member of my arrival, I entered the guildmaster’s office.

“Welcome, Duchess. What brings you here today?”

“I had some free time, so I came for the regular report.”

“Oh… I see.”

The guildmaster’s eyes behind his mask looked a bit troubled, but he quickly stood up casually.

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

He looked through some papers, then suddenly clutched his stomach and curled over.

“Oof, I overate earlier, and now my stomach…”

He groaned like someone who had been stabbed.

“I’m sorry, but I need to excuse myself for a moment.”

“Uh… alright, go ahead.”

Even before I finished speaking, he rushed out of the room.

Now alone, I was served some light snacks and tea by a guild member while I waited.

As I sipped my tea, the door opened.

I thought it was the guildmaster returning, but instead, a familiar face appeared.

“We meet again. But where’s the guildmaster?”

The deputy bowed slightly, sat down, and began writing something quickly on a spare sheet of paper.

-It’s been a while. The guildmaster passed out in the restroom, so I came instead.

“He passed out? Is he okay?”

-It’s not a big deal. It happens often.

Passing out from overeating didn’t sound like a common thing to me, but the deputy seemed calm, so I figured it wasn’t serious.

And if it happened often, the guild members probably knew how to handle it.

I read the report the deputy handed me. I smiled at how well business was going and set the report down after finishing it.

Now then…

“I have a request to make.”

-I have something to ask you first.

As I opened my mouth to speak, the deputy handed me another note.

What timing.

I glanced at the paper, then looked up.

His deep blue eyes behind the mask narrowed briefly, then returned to normal.

“What do you want to ask?”

Maybe another relationship question? Did he manage to confess last time?

-I’ll hear your request first.

“Alright. That works.”

I didn’t argue.

“Find a place in the Kingdom of Prolang for me—somewhere so remote no one would think to look.”

“…”

“And apply for immigration to Prolang under an anonymous name. Deposit part of the funds in a Prolang bank.”

“…”

“Once everything is ready, find the fastest ship headed there. Also, discreetly deliver a disguise and clothes to the duke’s mansion. How much will the fee be?”

I expected a clear answer, but the deputy’s hand didn’t move.

Why isn’t he responding? It’s not like this is an illegal request…

I looked at him, puzzled.

His dark blue eyes behind the mask shimmered strangely.

Clack—!

I heard a sudden noise. I looked down and saw that the pen in his hand had snapped.

“…Um, is the request difficult for you? Or is something wrong?”

I asked gently, since he wasn’t answering. But still, no reply came.

Maybe I should go somewhere else if this is too much…

As I thought that, the deputy slowly reached up and touched his mask.

Through his long fingers, his eyes met mine—piercing, like a beast’s fangs.

There was an intense heat in his gaze that made me freeze.