TOM Chapter 7

The joy from my initial earnings was short-lived. 

As I made my rounds from guild to guild, my mood gradually sank. 

The investigation results about 'Siora Velvet' were depressingly uniform.

"She never spoke a word and wouldn't leave the mansion..."

This went far beyond simple introversion. The assessment struck a familiar chord—I'd heard these exact evaluations before, twelve years ago when I was living as Amy.

"Memory loss! Of course she'd end up like that, holed up in the mansion and never coming out!"

"Can she really not remember? Huh? Or did she forget from refusing to speak for so long?"

"Damn it! I was so pleased she'd become Whitedesert's fiancée!"

These precious gems were all famous sayings courtesy of Lord Royalsand.

From that point on, he dragged me to every conceivable temple for months on end, insisting he could cure my memory loss.

There was a hint in those words.

Amy before I became her was a quiet child, as if she had no soul.

And Siora was the same.

"Do I need other conditions to use someone else's body?"

The thought made me uncomfortable, so I shook my head vigorously.

Then I looked down at the recommendation list Minuet had given me.

The next place to go...

"Oh, I've been to them all."

The short list was already exhausted.

"I hadn't learned a single thing I actually wanted to know."

Siora Velvet's past was merely something I'd commissioned for background reference—what truly mattered were Kruelo's activities. 

I needed to understand how closely they aligned with 《Destiny》 so I could prepare my countermeasures accordingly.

But the guilds responded with suspicious uniformity, as though they'd coordinated their refusal beforehand. 

The instant I broached that particular question, every last one of them went ashen-faced.

"That's classified Level 1 information!"

"Hiiiiek! Are you trying to shut down our guild? Get out, get out!"

"I heard nothing."

"Oh God, please turn back time to yesterday."

Thinking about it made me angry somehow.

When that guy gets involved, nothing is ever easy.

I squeezed my money pouch as if it were Kruelo and headed toward the carriage.

"..."

Thud, my steps came to an abrupt halt. 

Near the carriage stood a figure whose back struck me as oddly familiar—a towering man who appeared to be pushing nearly 190cm in height. 

Despite the long frock coat draped over his frame, his legs stretched out beneath it in long, straight lines. 

His shoulders were broad enough to pull the black fabric taut across his back, and when I let my gaze travel upward, I caught sight of that distinctive sky-blue hair.

"I caught my breath and carefully muffled my footsteps. 

Tugging my hood down further over my face, I made a wide arc around him before continuing forward. 

The moment I finally slipped past, the figure who had been standing motionless suddenly fell into step. 

The ease with which he matched my pace and walked alongside me was infuriatingly natural.

"How about changing that mask?"

So he recognized me by that.

I should have thrown it away earlier.

"I thought so at the theater too - it really doesn't suit you."

I quickened my pace, but sadly, it was already a lost battle in terms of leg length.

Stopping abruptly in place, I looked up.

I could see red eyes sparkling under the sunlight.

Kruelo Whitedesert.

He smiled broadly, and I scowled fiercely.

"Why is Your Grace here?"

"Well, what could it be? Coincidence? Destiny? Fate?"

"I must have had bad luck today."

"How harsh."

He probably doesn't know what 'harsh' means.

"Well, I don't believe in such baseless connections either. Everything in the world has its reasons, doesn't it?"

Kruelo smiled with an enigmatic expression.

At any rate, I needed to cure him of that insufferably pretentious manner of speaking.

If only I could return to Amy's timeline and pick up a rod.

Actually, no—I couldn't strike Roy, so Biga's era would serve me better.

What had Kruelo been like during Biga's time... I did so much work I can't remember.

Clearly, labor law reform was desperately needed.

While I was spinning through these utterly useless musings, Kruelo made efficient use of his time by doing something completely bizarre.

Flames suddenly bloomed to life across his black gloves.

That Kruelo wielded magic came as no surprise.

But.

"...What are you doing?"

What are you really doing? Why are you setting fire to the information guild building I just came out of?

It was so absurd that I couldn't even stop him.

Kruelo now smiled as clearly as if he looked refreshed.

"I thought it would be good to clock out."

"Pardon?"

"There's a bad person wandering around right now."

That's you.

The fire set by the bad person grew to human height in an instant.

Since this was a deserted street, it didn't draw people's attention, but that made it feel unreal.

Then Kruelo had his attendant who was with him shout that there was a fire.

It looked more theatrical than what I'd seen at the theater.

Even the way the employee inside hurriedly ran out.

"What in the world is this...!"

She had been ready to unleash her fury at the blatantly man-made fire, but the moment her eyes landed on Kruelo's face, her mouth snapped shut. 

The color had already drained from the employee's face, leaving her looking corpse-pale.

Somehow I felt sorry, but Kruelo casually shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry. I accidentally set a fire."

"What...? No, yes?"

"I had something so heart-fluttering happen that I couldn't help it."

The arsonist's excuse was crude.

"I'll report to the 3rd Knight Order myself, so you should head home. Oh, right."

Kruelo took something from his chest and threw it to the employee.

It looked roughly like a jewelry box.

She didn't even think to open it, couldn't even move her mouth, and just bowed deeply at the waist.

Seeing her hurry away, I suddenly envied the employee.

I want to run away too.

To think I'd get caught red-handed while trying to investigate Kruelo's background.

I didn't even get any results, so unfair!

Once the employee had vanished from sight, Kruelo gave a casual flick of his hand.

The flames that had been writhing and billowing across the entire wall face extinguished instantly, leaving behind nothing but charred black streaks.

Standing there against that scorched backdrop, the man looked more unhinged than ever.

What kind of things is he going around doing?

The distance in my heart grew even further from him.

"Honey, where are you going?"

Apparently the physical distance had widened along with it.

It was only when Kruelo spoke that I became aware my legs had started moving on their own.

Just how desperately had I wanted to escape?

Feeling pity on my own pathetic state, I didn't bother to stop walking.

Kruelo effortlessly fell into step behind me once more. A guy with no blood or tears—truly no conscience whatsoever.

"Why did you come here?"

"Why did Your Grace come? Did you come to discuss conditions?"

"That's a bit early. Let's talk after you add 'Bonetti' to your name."

"That's unfortunate. Then I'll be going—"

"Did you perhaps come to investigate my background?"

I flinched and stopped walking, and he curved his eyes smoothly.

His red eyes shone vividly under the sunlight.

"I got it right."

"No, I came to report arson."

"Ah."

"If you understand, could you please move aside? I need to hurry before the culprit escapes."

"Fine. But how about taking off that tacky mask before you go?"

This time Kruelo set fire inside me.

When I glared fiercely at the serial arsonist, he drooped his eyebrows as if sorry.

"Sorry. Was that perhaps your taste?"

"No!"

I just wore what was available, but I personally think this mask is awful too.

"I'll be honest. I get seasonal depression. So today I'm not in the mood to meet Your Grace."

"Oh dear, you must have been quite startled getting caught investigating."

"That's not it? Do you have proof?"

"Proof is..."

Kruelo, trailing off, looked in the direction the employee had disappeared.

Tch.

"Ah, fine, I did it. What's strange about that? I went to investigate my ideal type because I want to marry Your Grace, but they wouldn't tell me a single thing. Then it's the same as not investigating at all, isn't it?"

"Of course, it's the same."

"Uh... Right...?"

"I'm glad. That we think alike."

"What? Alike, what do you mean..."

"Actually, I also investigated your background because I wanted to know more about you, darling."

Of course—there was no way he wouldn't have done the same thing.

But is that something to say so boldly?

I should have been more confident too; I felt unnecessarily wronged.

"Though there wasn't much content."

"I couldn't hear a single word, but Your Grace found out everything?"

"Unfortunately, you seem to have visited mostly incompetent guilds. I have plenty of information, darling."

"Oh, is that so?"

Whatever happens, happens.

"Fine then."

I said while taking off my mask.

"We'll need time to get to know each other."

I roughly ran my fingers through my hair to tame the static and rose up on my toes to seize Kruelo's collar.

When I yanked him down forcefully, he bent forward at an awkward angle.

With his face now within reach, I fitted the mask I'd been wearing over his features.

"...Lady?"

The sight of him wearing the mask he had disparaged as tacky looked quite good.

"Your Grace must know one, two, three information guilds, right?"

"Well, I've never heard of a guild called 'One-Two-Three.'"

"How fortunate that you know places."

"Did I just say that?"

"If being curious about the other person is such a natural thing, then we should rightfully do it."

I asked Kruelo's attendant.

"We want to go on a date - where is His Grace's carriage?"

A destination that required winding through a maze of secluded back alleys.

Tucked away in a corner concealed by enchantments and completely invisible to ordinary eyes stood an ancient door.

The weathered thing that appeared ready to groan on rusty hinges instead swung open with perfect silence.

Beyond lay a cavern-like corridor stretching into darkness, punctuated by several magical orbs that glowed with feline luminescence.

This was precisely how I'd always pictured an information guild would appear.

It bore no resemblance to the places Minuet had recommended.

I tugged my well-worn hood further down over my features.

Since I had given my mask to Kruelo, this remained my sole method of concealment.

"Does it meet your expectations?"

Pretending not to hear Kruelo's words, I continued my examination of the surroundings.

Before long, a figure clad in a black mask materialized.

"Welcome. How may we assist you?"

The individual of ambiguous gender cut directly to business.

Their voice shifted unpredictably—at times resembling a child's, at others an elderly person's.

They had clearly used some magical device to render their vocal identity completely unrecognizable.

My goodness, even the staff is perfect.

I felt a brief surge of admiration, but one glance at Kruelo snapped me back to reality.

His smug posture—arms crossed, lounging against the chair back—was nauseating.

Was he actually enjoying this little spectacle?

Well then.

"Please give us information on Duke Whitedesert."

I pointed at Kruelo with my finger.

"This person will pay the price."