TCBUP 21

“It’s dangerous, Sienna.”

“Ahh, you startled me.”

“I’m the one who should be surprised! I thought you were heading back—what are you doing?”

Leon grabbed my arm, his eyes filled with concern.

I grumbled at him while checking the direction the middle-aged man—most likely the Marquess of Pithes, whose voice I had heard from the warehouse—was disappearing into.

As soon as I took a step in haste, Leon quickly grabbed my arm again.

“Wait. It’s dangerous to go now.”

“Just standing around doing nothing is dangerous too.”

“What?”

“I have something I still need to do. Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see me?”

I shot him a glare and yanked my arm free.

But apparently, the Marquess of Pithes and his group were closer than I thought.

The marquess stopped in his tracks and looked back, likely having heard my voice.

“Did you hear something just now?”

“I’ll check it out.”

Getting caught by those men would be dangerous.

In a panic, I grabbed Leon by the collar and yanked him toward me.

“Come here!”

“Huh?”

But the well-built man didn’t budge easily.

With no other choice, I tiptoed to match his height and slammed my lips against his.

Because I didn’t know what I was doing and put too much force into it, a loud clack rang out when our teeth collided.

A dull pain shot through me, but I kept my lips pressed against his and tightly shut my eyes.

“What the—just a couple?”

“Forget it. She probably snagged herself a beefy bodyguard.”

As their footsteps receded, I quickly pulled away from Leon.

I hadn’t had a choice—urgency forced my hand—but now that I’d just kissed him out of nowhere, I couldn’t bring myself to look at his face.

Thank goodness I was wearing a mask. If not, he would’ve seen my face burning bright red.

“So if I don’t do what you say, you resort to seduction now?”

Leon rubbed his lips, which were probably still tingling, and asked.

“Wasn’t very seductive. I totally messed it up.”

“I panicked. I didn’t mean to kiss you…”

“So you just go around stealing people’s lips like that?”

“It’s not a big deal. Our lips just touched. It’s no different from brushing shoulders on a narrow path.”

“And now you’re shameless after stealing someone’s purity?”

“…Wait. Was that your first time?”

“Yeah.”

Liar.

With that face? And that body?

“What, is that a problem?”

I asked purely out of disbelief.

He tilted his head with a scowl.

“What, and you have tons of experience?”

Everyone probably thought I did, since I was the Duke of Ortiz’s fiancée for years.

But Damian had never even touched me before marriage.

I had tried to seduce him a few times, but he’d always firmly rejected me.

“…I haven’t, either.”

My voice shrank down to a whisper, quieter than a mosquito’s wings, embarrassed.

“Is that a problem?”

This guy, seriously.

I turned my head away with a pout.

“It is. That’s probably why I got dumped.”

“….”

Realizing what I said, Leon shut his mouth.

The sudden awkward tension was unbearable, so I deliberately scolded him.

“You’ve slacked off enough already. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I am working. I’m stopping a reckless guest from doing something stupid.”

“Then go slack off some more.”

“Promise me you’ll go back.”

“I will.”

I’m heading for the front gate, after all.

But he still didn’t look convinced and crossed his arms, watching me carefully.

I pretended not to notice his stare and moved past him quickly.

<SYSTEM>
Time Remaining: 00:16:39

There was no time.

Whether I got caught and disappeared, or failed the mission and disappeared—it didn’t matter. The outcome was the same, so there was no point hesitating.

Pithes, right? He must be the key figure.

I was sure I’d heard the name before.

Even I, who had no interest in politics, knew of him. He was one of the most powerful figures in the empire, with close ties to the Duke of Moralis—Her Majesty’s family.

I have to follow him.

It’s the only way I’ll overhear something useful.

Maybe he went to the salon?

He’s interested in Damian, so he might be trying to make contact.

Before heading back, I quickly plotted my return route in my head.

The bathroom window was too far, and the front entrance would be too noticeable.

That leaves only the emergency stairs connected to the outside.

I crouched slightly and moved quickly in the opposite direction I had come.

When I reached the entrance of the one-story building, I spotted the Marquess of Pithes in a deep navy tuxedo with an elaborate cravat. I ducked behind cover.

“Is everything moved?”

“Yes. Everything collected has been loaded.”

“What about the noise from the warehouse? Any leads?”

“No, not yet. But we did find a piece of torn dress fabric on the window frame.”

My heart dropped again and began pounding like crazy.

At this rate, I was going to die of a heart attack.

“Don’t worry. Even if it’s nothing, today is transport day—everything will be gone soon, anyway.”

“Midnight’s not far off. Stay alert. If we lose it again, Her Majesty won’t let us live it down.”

“That’s why we spent so much money hiring top-level security this time.”

Their voices and footsteps faded as they walked away.

Unable to catch every word, I crept after them to hear more.

“Still, they’re just mercenaries. Never trust them completely—always double-check yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Transport… maybe those cash boxes from earlier?

If I could figure out where they were going or what they were for, the mission might be complete.

They’ll probably use the rear exit near the guard post.

If that’s the case, it’d be better to check from the outside—just in case I got spotted, it would be easier to run.

I’ll leave through the front gate like I’m heading home.

Please, please, hurry up already…

I hid between two buildings where I could see the rear exit.

My guess was right—they were loading the wooden boxes from the warehouse onto a carriage parked on the road.

Once the warehouse was emptied, a man signaled, and the carriage began to move.

Armed men surrounded the black-painted carriage, forming a protective circle.

As the carriage passed the first block and entered the second, a gunshot shattered the stillness of the night.

Huh?

While the guards panicked from the sudden gunfire, masked men in black charged in with swords.

The horses pulling the carriage neighed and reared, bolting in all directions.

The coachman was thrown off, and one of the masked men leapt into his place to calm the horses.

“We’re under attack!”

“Protect the carriage!”

The street descended into chaos as blades clashed and screams echoed.

Several men were locked in brutal sword fights, with occasional gunshots dropping guards instantly.

“…Ah.”

What is happening…?

If I get caught up in this, I won’t just disappear—I’ll die.

Fear surged up in my chest and I couldn’t bring myself to move. I pressed my body against the alley wall.

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to calm my trembling nerves, then cautiously peeked outside.

And then—

Just as I peeked, I locked eyes with a man fleeing the scene.

“Damn it… If this goes wrong, the marquess will have my head—huh?”

My heart dropped. He closed his mouth mid-curse.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

I recognized him as one of the marquess’s men—and he recognized me, too.

“You! That dress, that color—it’s you!”

His eyes locked on my dress, and he turned toward me.

It was too late to run.

I instinctively backed away, but I didn’t get far before he slammed me against a hard stone wall.

His grip on my wrist hurt so much it felt like my bones might shatter. My back scraped against the rough surface, and tears welled up in my eyes.

“Talk. Who are you people?”

“I-I’m not—”

“No? Then I’ll make you confess.”

“I swear I’m not… ngh!”

He grabbed my neck this time.

It wasn’t a threat—he meant to kill me. His grip tightened.

Even as my vision blurred, the system timer ticked down relentlessly.

Chapter 21. Is This Your First Time?

“It’s dangerous, Sienna.”

“Ahh, you startled me.”

“I’m the one who should be surprised! I thought you were heading back—what are you doing?”

Leon grabbed my arm, his eyes filled with concern.

I grumbled at him while checking the direction the middle-aged man—most likely the Marquess of Pithes, whose voice I had heard from the warehouse—was disappearing into.

As soon as I took a step in haste, Leon quickly grabbed my arm again.

“Wait. It’s dangerous to go now.”

“Just standing around doing nothing is dangerous too.”

“What?”

“I have something I still need to do. Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see me?”

I shot him a glare and yanked my arm free.

But apparently, the Marquess of Pithes and his group were closer than I thought.

The marquess stopped in his tracks and looked back, likely having heard my voice.

“Did you hear something just now?”

“I’ll check it out.”

Getting caught by those men would be dangerous.

In a panic, I grabbed Leon by the collar and yanked him toward me.

“Come here!”

“Huh?”

But the well-built man didn’t budge easily.

With no other choice, I tiptoed to match his height and slammed my lips against his.

Because I didn’t know what I was doing and put too much force into it, a loud clack rang out when our teeth collided.

A dull pain shot through me, but I kept my lips pressed against his and tightly shut my eyes.

“What the—just a couple?”

“Forget it. She probably snagged herself a beefy bodyguard.”

As their footsteps receded, I quickly pulled away from Leon.

I hadn’t had a choice—urgency forced my hand—but now that I’d just kissed him out of nowhere, I couldn’t bring myself to look at his face.

Thank goodness I was wearing a mask. If not, he would’ve seen my face burning bright red.

“So if I don’t do what you say, you resort to seduction now?”

Leon rubbed his lips, which were probably still tingling, and asked.

“Wasn’t very seductive. I totally messed it up.”

“I panicked. I didn’t mean to kiss you…”

“So you just go around stealing people’s lips like that?”

“It’s not a big deal. Our lips just touched. It’s no different from brushing shoulders on a narrow path.”

“And now you’re shameless after stealing someone’s purity?”

“…Wait. Was that your first time?”

“Yeah.”

Liar.

With that face? And that body?

“What, is that a problem?”

I asked purely out of disbelief.

He tilted his head with a scowl.

“What, and you have tons of experience?”

Everyone probably thought I did, since I was the Duke of Ortiz’s fiancée for years.

But Damian had never even touched me before marriage.

I had tried to seduce him a few times, but he’d always firmly rejected me.

“…I haven’t, either.”

My voice shrank down to a whisper, quieter than a mosquito’s wings, embarrassed.

“Is that a problem?”

This guy, seriously.

I turned my head away with a pout.

“It is. That’s probably why I got dumped.”

“….”

Realizing what I said, Leon shut his mouth.

The sudden awkward tension was unbearable, so I deliberately scolded him.

“You’ve slacked off enough already. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I am working. I’m stopping a reckless guest from doing something stupid.”

“Then go slack off some more.”

“Promise me you’ll go back.”

“I will.”

I’m heading for the front gate, after all.

But he still didn’t look convinced and crossed his arms, watching me carefully.

I pretended not to notice his stare and moved past him quickly.

<SYSTEM>
Time Remaining: 00:16:39

There was no time.

Whether I got caught and disappeared, or failed the mission and disappeared—it didn’t matter. The outcome was the same, so there was no point hesitating.

Pithes, right? He must be the key figure.

I was sure I’d heard the name before.

Even I, who had no interest in politics, knew of him. He was one of the most powerful figures in the empire, with close ties to the Duke of Moralis—Her Majesty’s family.

I have to follow him.

It’s the only way I’ll overhear something useful.

Maybe he went to the salon?

He’s interested in Damian, so he might be trying to make contact.

Before heading back, I quickly plotted my return route in my head.

The bathroom window was too far, and the front entrance would be too noticeable.

That leaves only the emergency stairs connected to the outside.

I crouched slightly and moved quickly in the opposite direction I had come.

When I reached the entrance of the one-story building, I spotted the Marquess of Pithes in a deep navy tuxedo with an elaborate cravat. I ducked behind cover.

“Is everything moved?”

“Yes. Everything collected has been loaded.”

“What about the noise from the warehouse? Any leads?”

“No, not yet. But we did find a piece of torn dress fabric on the window frame.”

My heart dropped again and began pounding like crazy.

At this rate, I was going to die of a heart attack.

“Don’t worry. Even if it’s nothing, today is transport day—everything will be gone soon, anyway.”

“Midnight’s not far off. Stay alert. If we lose it again, Her Majesty won’t let us live it down.”

“That’s why we spent so much money hiring top-level security this time.”

Their voices and footsteps faded as they walked away.

Unable to catch every word, I crept after them to hear more.

“Still, they’re just mercenaries. Never trust them completely—always double-check yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Transport… maybe those cash boxes from earlier?

If I could figure out where they were going or what they were for, the mission might be complete.

They’ll probably use the rear exit near the guard post.

If that’s the case, it’d be better to check from the outside—just in case I got spotted, it would be easier to run.

I’ll leave through the front gate like I’m heading home.

Please, please, hurry up already…

I hid between two buildings where I could see the rear exit.

My guess was right—they were loading the wooden boxes from the warehouse onto a carriage parked on the road.

Once the warehouse was emptied, a man signaled, and the carriage began to move.

Armed men surrounded the black-painted carriage, forming a protective circle.

As the carriage passed the first block and entered the second, a gunshot shattered the stillness of the night.

Huh?

While the guards panicked from the sudden gunfire, masked men in black charged in with swords.

The horses pulling the carriage neighed and reared, bolting in all directions.

The coachman was thrown off, and one of the masked men leapt into his place to calm the horses.

“We’re under attack!”

“Protect the carriage!”

The street descended into chaos as blades clashed and screams echoed.

Several men were locked in brutal sword fights, with occasional gunshots dropping guards instantly.

“…Ah.”

What is happening…?

If I get caught up in this, I won’t just disappear—I’ll die.

Fear surged up in my chest and I couldn’t bring myself to move. I pressed my body against the alley wall.

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to calm my trembling nerves, then cautiously peeked outside.

And then—

Just as I peeked, I locked eyes with a man fleeing the scene.

“Damn it… If this goes wrong, the marquess will have my head—huh?”

My heart dropped. He closed his mouth mid-curse.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

I recognized him as one of the marquess’s men—and he recognized me, too.

“You! That dress, that color—it’s you!”

His eyes locked on my dress, and he turned toward me.

It was too late to run.

I instinctively backed away, but I didn’t get far before he slammed me against a hard stone wall.

His grip on my wrist hurt so much it felt like my bones might shatter. My back scraped against the rough surface, and tears welled up in my eyes.

“Talk. Who are you people?”

“I-I’m not—”

“No? Then I’ll make you confess.”

“I swear I’m not… ngh!”

He grabbed my neck this time.

It wasn’t a threat—he meant to kill me. His grip tightened.

Even as my vision blurred, the system timer ticked down relentlessly.