Chapter 4
Good heavens.
What kind of windfall was this?
The stunned salon owner hurriedly kicked out all the customers inside and firmly locked the doors.
Complaints poured in from the regular clients, but none of that mattered right now.
An unbelievably wealthy patron had just walked in on her own!
“Elly! Michael! Get out here right now. A VVIP customer has arrived!”
“Huh? I didn’t hear anything about a reservation like that.”
“Stop talking back and attend to the guest! You must never offend her.”
Intimidated by the salon owner glaring at them, the staff cautiously approached the mysterious guest.
The young woman sitting casually on the sofa began shopping without hesitation.
Casual clothes, dresses, hats, socks.
Several pairs of shoes.
And even some suspicious leather outfits that clung tightly to the body.
Usually a person’s tastes could be inferred from their shopping list, but nothing about her purchases revealed anything about her character.
What kind of woman is she? Could she be some spy secretly dispatched by the imperial family?
The 50th Anniversary Imperial Commemorative Gold Coin had only been minted in a quantity of 500.
Most of them were now owned by the imperial family, making them extremely difficult to find on the market.
At one time, nobles had developed a craze for collecting them, and the premium had risen so high that the price was practically whatever the seller demanded.
Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with someone connected to the imperial family… I’d better watch what I say.
The woman finished her shopping with ease and leisurely sipped the tea brought by the staff.
For some reason, an air of elegance surrounded her.
Every gesture she made carried a dignity that couldn’t be found in someone who was simply rich.
“Owner, come here for a moment.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
The salon owner, now far more respectful than before, approached Renia with both hands politely clasped.
She crooked her finger, beckoning him closer, and spoke in a voice just quiet enough that others could barely hear.
“No one must know that I came here today. Not now, not ever. Do you understand?”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
“Good. Send the items I ordered to the designated place as soon as possible. The gold coin I gave earlier should cover the payment, right?”
Nod, nod.
The frightened owner nodded rapidly.
Satisfied, she smiled faintly and stood up.
Before anyone could even unlock the door, Renia calmly walked out of the salon.
One of the employees murmured nervously.
“How did she open the lock? Boss, did you give that customer the key?”
“She didn’t look like an ordinary noble lady… Who exactly was she?”
“I have no idea…”
Feeling as if they had just encountered a ghost, the three of them stared blankly at the spot where Renia had disappeared.
But there was nothing there except a gust of sand-filled wind.
Not a single trace of Renia remained.
* * *
The next morning.
Renia woke early, went to the marketplace, and sold her horse along with various belongings.
Then she moved into a luxurious hotel frequented by nobles.
The woman who had looked shabby just yesterday had transformed into a completely different person.
Wearing a brightly colored dress and holding a parasol in one hand, Renia looked every bit like an elegant noble lady.
“Welcome, my lady. Are you staying alone?”
“Yes. As you can see, I’m traveling.”
“How wonderful. May I ask your name and status?”
“Camilla Salaoti. I’m from a count’s family in the eastern region.”
Before arriving in this city, she had already prepared several usable identities.
More accurately, it would be better to say she had purchased them through routes unlikely to cause problems.
Buying and selling noble identities was strictly illegal under imperial law.
But in the underworld—where they said even a dead person could be pulled from a coffin and revived—nothing was impossible.
“Could you show me your certificate of nobility for a moment? It may seem unnecessary for someone like you, but it’s part of our hotel policy.”
The employee glanced at the luggage being carried in behind her and looked slightly embarrassed.
Renia’s behavior, speech, and belongings all made it obvious that she was extremely wealthy.
That’s a luxury suitcase that takes three years just to get on the waiting list for. I heard the eastern region is full of rich people… seems the rumor is true.
He assumed Renia was simply a rich noblewoman leisurely traveling for pleasure.
Which was exactly what she wanted.
“Here you go. Take a look.”
“Yes, the documents are certainly authentic. Our staff will escort you to the room you reserved. Please enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you.”
Replying with an elegant noblewoman’s smile, she gracefully walked toward her room.
The room Renia had reserved under her alias was the best suite in the hotel.
It was the kind of room only the wealthiest people could afford.
A young and wealthy woman staying there alone—anyone would envy her.
“If you need anything, please call for us at any time, ma’am. You can pull the cord next to the bed or ring the bell.”
“Thank you for your help.”
After giving the attendant a generous tip, Renia looked out the window at the breathtaking view.
From the top floor of the hotel, the lake view was magnificent.
Thanks to the magic-powered elevator, she didn’t have to struggle climbing stairs.
“Ah… money really is the best. This feels amazing.”
Because of her profession, she had spent most of her life moving between gloomy hideouts.
But now that she had left her past behind and was seeing the world with a new identity, everything looked completely different.
Renia sank into the comfortable sofa and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon.
Sunlight poured through the massive glass window that filled one wall of the room.
To her, it smelled as sweet as freshly printed bundles of cash.
For the first time in a long while, she took a nap without worry.
Only after the sun had completely set did she leave the hotel.
Now it’s time to accomplish the real purpose of coming to this city.
On the way to the capital, she would pass roughly five or six major cities.
She needed to recruit a husband and a child from somewhere far away where the influence of the ducal family wouldn’t reach.
That made this city one of the perfect places.
It had only been incorporated into the empire a few decades ago, making it a small city where information was less likely to leak.
“Alright… let’s start by solving the son problem first.”
The prophecy only mentioned the child’s gender and hair color.
Compared to finding a suitable husband—which would be difficult—finding a boy would be much easier.
Arriving at a temporary warehouse she had prepared on the outskirts of the city, Renia threw off the uncomfortable dress and changed into comfortable clothing.
The place she was heading next was rumored to be the most dangerous place in the area.
But for Renia, it was not unfamiliar at all.
A smart child who can pass as a noble’s son, and who has no one to care for him. If such children exist, there’s only one place they’d be.
An illegal childcare facility in the underworld.
Renia herself had grown up in such a place, so she knew exactly how hellish life there was.
Children raised under criminal directors and teachers had to study all day while enduring constant beatings.
She couldn’t possibly save all the children in the city.
So she planned to choose one pitiful child and take him with her to the capital.
I can take responsibility for at least one. After everything is over, I can find him a proper family to raise him.
As for the husband—he could simply be left behind at the ducal house.
But the child…
She intended to take care of him herself no matter what.
Just as Renia arrived in the underworld district and stepped into a building that looked like a childcare facility—
A door suddenly burst open in the dark alley.
A boy came rolling across the ground as if he had been kicked.
“I told you to stop causing trouble! No dinner for you tonight!”
“You filthy yellow brat.”
The boy spat blood from his mouth and slowly looked up at her.
“…Who the hell are you, lady?”
