Episode 83
"Hey. Where's Rosewin?"
Frey, who had been waiting for Rosewin for quite a while, frowned and asked the guide next to him when she didn't show up even after a long time had passed.
"...Ah, Lady Rosewin went to the secret storage room to organize some information."
"I see."
Frey nodded at those words and leaned back in his chair. The guide, who had been making a slightly pained expression, asked in a quiet voice.
"Um... Would you like to wait in the waiting room instead of here?"
"No, it's fine. The waiting room is further away than here. I can't make her go through that trouble."
"Ah... yes."
When Frey answered with a goofy smile, the guide blushed slightly, bowed her head, and hurried outside.
"...Lady Rosewin! What on earth are you doing here? You need to go quickly!"
Soon after, the guide shouted at Rosewin, who was lazily drinking orange juice in the waiting room.
"Why, did Frey get angry or something?"
"No, it's not that..."
"Then what did he say?"
When the guide slowly told Rosewin about the earlier conversation, Rosewin, who had been slurping her orange juice, snorted and muttered.
"What a pathetic guy."
"Lady Rosewin!"
"Yawn... Give me a break. Just looking at that guy's face makes me feel like ten years of my life are being shaved off."
"...Your life gets shaved off from looking at his face?"
Frey is someone everyone in the empire dislikes for being a scoundrel, but no one dares to criticize his face.
Thinking that looking at Frey's face shortens one's lifespan was quite an entitled thing to say, the staff member cleared her throat and continued.
"Hem hem, still, he is a VIP. We should treat him according to what he paid."
"Sigh... annoying."
Hearing this, Rosewin finished her orange juice, slowly stood up from her seat, and started stretching.
"Ah, how troublesome. Just tell him to come here."
"...Lady Rosewin!"
But before she could take a single step, Rosewin slumped back onto the sofa. The staff member watching her shouted again.
"I said it's fine. That guy is totally into me. So if I told him that, he wouldn't make a peep."
"Goodness..."
When Rosewin responded with a sulky voice, the staff member sighed looking at her, then started heading back to the room where Frey was.
"Ah, Rosewin! Are you here?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Frey. Lady Rosewin says she's waiting in the waiting room."
"Really? Then I should go to the waiting room. Actually, this place is too dark and didn't suit her anyway."
According to the usual rumors about Frey, the desk should have been flipped over by now, but he just smiled brightly and stood up.
"Um... then let me guide you..."
"No, it's fine. I know where the waiting room is. I'll find my way there."
The guide, who felt a bit sorry for Frey, tried to guide him, but Frey waved his hand, quickly opened the door, and stepped outside.
"Ah, Mr. Frey! I'm sorry, have I been neglecting our VIP customer too much?"
"No no, no problem at all. Even as a VIP, this much is necessary to get good information."
Soon after, Rosewin, who had been sitting with a demure posture, asked with a dark expression. Frey shook his head as if that was absurd.
"Thank you. As expected, Lord Frey is our guild's best customer."
Rosewin answered with a smile, then gathered the scattered documents on the waiting room desk and spoke.
"I've brought all the information our guild has about the 'slave market.' So..."
"I have a favor to ask, Rosewin."
Frey's words made Rosewin tilt her head. Looking at her, Frey spoke with a foolish smile.
"Would it be possible for you to read it to me yourself?"
"...Me?"
"Yes, I want to hear it with your beautiful voice directly."
Hearing those words, Rosewin momentarily failed to control her expression.
Rosewin had dealt with countless customers and seen all sorts of human types, making her skilled at hiding her emotions from others.
However, Frey's request filled with his personal feelings, whom she hated most in the world, was literally an irresistible force.
".........."
"R, Rosewin?"
Because of that, for a brief moment, she ended up revealing her disgust, revulsion, and nausea toward Frey on her face.
"Why are you suddenly like that? Are you sick somewhere?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I've been having some headaches lately..."
When Frey asked with a foolish expression, Rosewin immediately returned her expression to normal and started making excuses.
"Ah, anyway, you want me to read these personally? As expected, Lord Frey thinks deeply. Looking and learning with your own eyes is good, but listening to someone else speak is also good for information gathering..."
"I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all."
"...Then, I'll start reading!"
Rosewin, who almost failed to control her expression a second time, managed to control her expression with transcendent patience and began speaking.
"First, the news is that this slave market will be held in a hidden magical space in the back alleys."
"A magical space... you don't mean?"
"Yes, I'm talking about the hidden world that opens only once a year. It seems the slave merchants have prepared very thoroughly this time."
Hearing this, Frey started making a serious expression. Rosewin looked at him with interested eyes and started asking questions.
"Why is that? Are you planning to participate in the slave market? Or do you have some other information?"
"No, no. Keep telling me."
"Ah... yes."
When Frey answered with a blank expression, Rosewin muttered to herself 'I knew it,' then smiled and continued speaking.
"Anyway, the scale of the soon-to-open slave market is said to be the largest in a hundred years."
"Hmm... is that so? By the way, is there any information about when it opens?"
Frey asked just in case, and Rosewin shook her head and answered.
"We don't have that information yet. But don't worry. Since you paid for additional investigation fees, if we obtain that information, we'll let you know first."
"Oh, thanks."
The phrase 'let you know first' implies that Frey is willing to sell the results of the investigation he paid for to others as well.
But even so, when Frey just giggled and nodded, Rosewin sneered internally and picked up the documents next to her.
"According to our investigation, the slave merchants have already bribed the Imperial Family, the Investigation Team, and the Solar God religious order."
"That means..."
"Yes, although slave trading is prohibited in the Empire... it means this slave market is virtually legal."
Hearing this, Frey started gulping, and Rosewin quietly used her hand under the desk to start writing notes on the paper placed on her knee.
- High possibility that Frey Laon Starlight will participate in the slave market auction. Additional investigation needed.
"Rosewin, is there any other information?"
"Ah, yes! I'll tell you now."
Rosewin, who had stopped speaking to take notes, smiled when Frey urged her and opened her mouth again.
"They say various races and species will be coming to this slave market."
"Various races and species?"
"Yes, not only the Western and Eastern continents... but even other species are said to be traded. As expected, the phrase 'largest slave market in a hundred years' fits perfectly."
When Frey nodded at those words, Rosewin didn't miss that moment and continued taking notes.
"Is there any possibility of troublemakers infiltrating this auction?"
"There probably won't be any. Of course, small fry will always be lurking around."
Rosewin said that and closed the file she was holding.
"Well, that's all the information we have. Were you disappointed that it's too little?"
"No, no. That's enough. It was really helpful."
Frey, who waved his hand with a flustered expression, cleared his throat and carefully started speaking.
"But... actually, there's one important thing left, right? Rosewin."
"Important thing?"
"You know, that letter... mmph."
When Frey tried to talk about top-secret information with a foolish expression, Rosewin hurriedly covered his mouth.
"Ah, um... could you go prepare some snacks?"
"Yes... I understand."
Soon after, when Rosewin said that to the guide who was looking at them with a dazed expression, the guide looked slightly puzzled but left the room without complaint.
Originally, the guide felt more envious of Rosewin for touching Frey's lips rather than puzzled.
"...Frey, you can't do that. My identity is supposed to be a secret, you know."
When the guide who had been looking envious left the room, Rosewin said with a startled expression.
"Ah, right. That was true."
"Sigh..."
When Frey scratched his head and spoke innocently, Rosewin, who had put so much force that the veins in her neck were visible, barely managed to control her emotions and started speaking.
"Anyway... everything will change depending on the stance the Imperial Princess takes at your upcoming birthday."
"I see."
"Yes, but you're going to attend that event anyway, right? So I judged you'd get the same information as me, so I didn't bother mentioning it."
"Then, what stance do you think the Imperial Princess will take?"
When Frey asked with shining eyes, Rosewin, who sighed slightly, answered in a quiet voice.
"Hmm... well. It depends on what stance you, I, and Miss Serena take, right?"
"...I see."
Rosewin, who had been watching Frey make a foolish expression and say 'I see' while nodding, almost burst with anger momentarily, but suppressed her emotions with superhuman patience.
"So, what stance will you take? Mr. Frey?"
"Hmm... what stance will you all take?"
"My, you know our family motto well."
Rosewin, who had regained her composure through a moment of mind control, answered with a quiet smile.
"We are unconditionally neutral."
"...Ah, right."
'Of course, we'll side with whoever is more profitable.'
Rosewin, who smiled with her eyes at Frey who was nodding with a foolish expression again, muttered to herself and stood up.
"Well then... let's end here for today."
"Huh? Can't we stay together a little longer? Eat snacks... talk about how we've been..."
"I'm sorry. I'd like to talk more with you, Mr. Frey, but I have a prior engagement."
Hearing this, Frey made a disappointed expression.
"Ah... so you had a prior engagement. Can't be helped with prior engagements. Did I perhaps interrupt?"
"Yees... no, that couldn't be. You didn't interrupt at all."
Rosewin said that and put the file in her embrace, then started approaching Frey with a smile.
"Anyway, I was really glad to meet you today. Next time too... ouch!"
As she said that and tried to touch Frey's collar, Rosewin suddenly felt a sting on her finger and quickly pulled her hand back.
"R, Rosewin? Are you okay?"
"...It must be static electricity. Haha."
"You're not hurt, right?"
Rosewin said that and reached out toward Frey again, but when he grabbed her hand firmly, she froze.
"Are you hurt a lot? Let me see, is there any blood..."
"No, I'm fine."
"Should I give you some treatment money? I feel uneasy for hurting you..."
"I said I'm really fine. If you keep doing this, I'll get angry."
When Rosewin hardened her expression at Frey's continued clinginess, Frey, who had been making a dazed expression, released her hand and whispered in a low voice.
"Then, see you on my birthday. Rosewin."
"Yes, I'll be looking forward to it."
Frey, who looked at Rosewin waving her hand with a bright smile for a moment, quietly muttered before leaving the room.
"...Kania, what on earth did you put on the collar?"
.
"...Ha, this really sucks."
Rosewin, who had been watching Frey walk out into the hallway with a smile, suddenly hardened her expression and started muttering in a cold voice.
- Clatter
Rosewin, who placed the ultra-small surveillance magic tool she had tried to attach to Frey's collar on the desk, lay down on the sofa with a deeply furrowed face.
"Lady Rosewin... aren't you going to see him off?"
"You do it. I finally don't have to see that guy, so why would I see him off... no... I have to see him again soon?"
"...See him again?"
While the staff member tilted her head at those words, Rosewin made an expression showing she didn't even want to think about it and stood up.
"Ugh... I really hate this, hate it."
Rosewin headed to the bathroom and started wiping the hand that Frey had grabbed earlier.
"I couldn't even attach the camera because of static electricity... got my hand grabbed by that pathetic guy... haah."
Rosewin, who had been wiping her hand for a while, sighed and said to the guide outside the bathroom.
"Hurry up and use the ventilation magic scroll and cleaning magic scroll in the waiting room."
"Lady Rosewin... please fix your mysophobia. This month's magic scroll costs..."
"Don't talk back, just use them."
"...Yes."
When Rosewin spoke coldly, the guide who sighed took out a magic scroll from her embrace and muttered.
"When will the hero appear. I wish they'd appear quickly and take that person away..."
She entered the waiting room and activated the magic scroll while muttering, then asked Rosewin in the bathroom with a curious expression.
"Lady Rosewin. What if the hero is dirty?"
"Then I'll have to fix my mysophobia. I have the destiny to serve the hero, after all."
"...Sigh."
The guide made an expression saying 'I knew it' at Rosewin's answer and was leaving the waiting room when a bell rang at the counter on the upper floor, so she hurried upstairs.
"Yes! I'm coming now!"
The guide arrived at the counter a few minutes after the bell rang and showed a bright smile to the customer who pressed the bell.
"How can I help you? Customer?"
".....I want to see Rosewin."
When the customer wearing a robe spoke in a low voice, the guide frowned slightly and said.
"I'm sorry... Lady Rosewin is on break right now..."
"...Tell her that Morning has come to visit."
"Morning?"
The guide made a puzzled expression and asked back, but the customer remained silent after those words.
"...Um, I understand. But please don't get your hopes up too much?"
Feeling an inexplicable sense of pressure from the customer, the guide said that and started going down to the lower floor.
"Lady Rosewin! A customer has come!"
"Send another informant. I want to rest right now."
"They say they came to see you specifically..."
"...What do they look like?"
Hearing this, the guide made a troubled expression and said.
"Um... well... they're wearing a robe so I don't really know."
At those words, Rosewin was reaching for the orange juice next to her while waving her hand.
"...Ah, come to think of it, that person had a message to pass on."
"A message?"
"Yes... well... they said to tell you that Morning has come or something?"
Hearing those words, Rosewin's eyes went wide.
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, but how should I put it... it feels somewhat intimidating? Anyway, what should we do? Should we just chase them away after all..."
"Let them in."
Rosewin said that to the guide and added as she entered the VIP room next to her.
"Guide them here, and you go up to the upper floor for a while."
Hearing this, the guide couldn't help but become quite tense.
All sorts of people from various backgrounds had come before, but Rosewin had never given such special treatment to anyone.
"Then, I'll be back."
Thanks to that, the quite nervous guide made a serious expression and headed back upstairs. Rosewin sighed and leaned her body against the chair.
"So..."
After a while, when the guide brought the robed customer to the VIP room and quickly disappeared, Rosewin made an interested expression and asked the customer before her.
"...What business does the Sun have in visiting the Sunset?"
The moment those words ended, the customer before her threw off the robe.
"W, well... about the letter I sent before... you said to come here if I wanted to discuss it in detail..."
Surprisingly, the one who started speaking with a very tense expression was none other than the Empire's Third Princess, Clana Sol Sunrise.
"I was quite surprised when I saw that letter. We're an information guild, not an errand center."
Rosewin, who made a teasing expression and cracked a joke at Clana, sighed when her expression didn't change.
"So, is that letter really something you sent? Someone didn't switch or manipulate the contents?"
"Yes..."
"Then, do you really want me to seduce Frey at this birthday party?"
Hearing this, Clana started speaking while flinching.
"T, that's right... that way, the marriage proposal Frey made to me will become invalid. If he shows such an unsightly appearance in front of the Emperor, surely..."
"Why do you have such a hesitant expression then?"
"W, well... that is..."
Clana, whose weak point was struck by Rosewin, started speaking while sweating.
"I, I don't know. Lately when I think of Frey, my face turns red... or I feel an upset emotion. Sometimes my hands just tremble..."
"...Pfft."
When Rosewin laughed out loud unlike herself, Clana clenched her fist and said.
"I, I'll pay so please investigate this phenomenon too. It seems like Frey did something to me."
"Ah, yes yes. I understand."
Rosewin, who suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out again while writing something down, smiled and said to Clana.
"Yes, then... as per the contract, I'll seduce Frey and make him mine. That should be fine, right?"
"Ah, no. Wait... just a moment..."
"Hm? Are you canceling the contract?"
When Rosewin tilted her head, Clana, who had a confused look in her eyes, quietly shook her head and answered.
"No, please carry out the contract as is. Seduce Frey and make him yours... ugh..."
When she started trembling again while saying that, Clana groaned, exhausted by the continuing strange phenomena.
'...She doesn't even know her own feelings?'
Meanwhile, Rosewin thought while looking at such Clana.
'Well, it's not a losing deal.'
Originally, she wasn't very fond of the Royal Family, the pay was good, and she thought it would be amusing to steal Frey from Clana who didn't even know her own feelings, so this was her judgment.
With such thoughts, Rosewin handed the contract to Clana who still had a confused expression.
"Good, then I'll play along with Frey appropriately and squeeze money out of him, and when he comes to me sincerely..."
She raised the corner of her mouth slightly and finished speaking.
"...I'll dump him."
On Rosewin's hand, the black spot that had formed when she touched Frey's collar earlier was shining.