Chapter 30
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Chapter 30
* * *
"Is this really Dale's house?"
I stepped into a three-story residence located in the Capital's residential district.
Though not far from Schurt Street with its bustling shops, the area was quiet and serene.
It was the finest house imaginable—I couldn't fathom how he'd discovered such a perfect location.
Climbing to the second floor, I threw open the windows and gasped at the vista before me.
"Wow...!"
The entire Shopping District and the Capital itself sprawled beneath my gaze.
"Dale, you know what? This place is truly...."
"Indeed. It's somewhat aged and incompletely renovated, so it may be inconvenient."
"What?"
Dale spoke with genuine contrition etched across his face.
"I'll search for another residence as quickly as possible."
"No... that's not what I meant.... I was saying the house is wonderful."
At that, Dale's expression brightened considerably.
He smiled with evident relief.
"I'm relieved you're pleased with it."
"It's truly magnificent. I can hardly believe you lived here alone all this time."
"It was a residence I used occasionally when I had business in the Capital."
"I'm perfectly satisfied with this house, Dale."
And I meant every word—everything about this place delighted me.
"Dale, are you actually incredibly wealthy? You offer to find another house so readily?"
"...."
"It seems like you could fetch a real estate catalog from somewhere at any moment."
Just then, Dale tore something he'd been holding to shreds.
"What's wrong? What was that paper?"
"...There was an insect in it."
"Ugh! Did you catch it?"
Dale remained silent for a moment before responding.
"It was between the pages, so I tore it up."
"Thank goodness. But why are you sweating so much?"
Dale stared at me with a tense expression, appearing flustered.
"I dislike insects getting caught in books."
He swiftly thrust the paper with the insect into the fireplace and burned it.
Does it really bother you that much?
Despite his muscular build, he seemed afraid of small insects.
But since I could catch bugs without issue, we made the perfect cohabiting partners.
"Mmm...!"
I leaned my body out through the window.
The view I hadn't seen in so long lifted my spirits.
"It's been ages since I smelled the Capital like this."
A crisp winter breeze began flowing into my nostrils.
"It's truly wonderful."
So much had changed during the three years I'd been away. The roads had been newly maintained, and more buildings had sprung up.
And the Imperial Palace itself had apparently completed its renovations, now appearing wider and gleaming like new.
"That's probably the new building for the Knights Order, isn't it?"
"That's correct."
Dale answered faithfully to even the most casual remarks I could have let slip by.
"But Dale, this is a three-story house. Does that mean you were using all three floors by yourself?"
"I typically use only the second floor."
The first floor of this house was a space for receiving guests, the second floor was Dale's space, and the third floor remained a mystery. Could it be a storage shed?
Yet even most unmarried noble men couldn't afford to own a house like this in this district.
Where did Dale get this kind of money?
'Come to think of it, Dale was an A-rank mercenary with a high completion rate despite not taking many jobs.'
I'd actually done a bit more background research.
And I'd discovered why Dale had set that superhuman record of a 100% job completion rate.
In the past, he wasn't a mercenary who took many jobs. Instead, he was a mercenary who specialized in dangerous work—in other words, he carefully selected only high-paying assignments.
'And he seems to be a fallen noble.'
I'd thought it was simply refined taste, but seeing the furniture in this house today made it clear.
They were all expensive pieces personally crafted by artisans popular among the rising nobility.
It wasn't just about having an eye for quality—such workshops were difficult to even access.
Given how difficult it was to purchase from them in the first place, I could be certain that Dale's origins were far from ordinary.
'A fallen noble with quite a story...'
I gazed quietly at Dale. That face, that narrative.
'At this point, I'd believe it if someone said he was the male protagonist of some novel.'
Of course, not the male protagonist of this original work.
Pop.
Just then, the string of my bonnet came undone on its own.
"Oh."
I hastily retied my bonnet.
"You need to tie the knot properly so it doesn't come undone."
As I lifted my chin, he skillfully completed the ribbon knot for me.
"Thank you, Dale."
He gazed at me intently and smiled.
"How do I look right now? Is something off?"
"You're beautiful."
"Ugh! Dale, really!"
Smack!
"Oof."
I was the one who hit Dale's chest, so why does my arm hurt? Is it because his muscles are so firm?
I held back tears with difficulty.
Then I gazed at my reflection in the mirror.
"With brown hair, I look like my mother."
I'd drunk a potion that changed my hair and eye color when I arrived at the Capital.
Brown hair, brown eyes.
Perfectly ordinary and common colors.
"Here, I'd like you to call me Ann publicly."
"Yes, Miss Ann."
"How's this? The disguise seems perfect, doesn't it?"
"...."
Dale furrowed his brow as if he'd been given the most serious problem in the world.
"You're free to say no if you disagree."
"Even with the disguise, you're so beautiful that you stand out."
"Truly an A-rank Mercenary."
I felt moved by Dale's professional handling of the situation.
Seeing how he maintains his honeymoon mode at all times and in all circumstances makes his 100% success rate on commissions entirely believable.
"By the way, it seems there are no neighbors here?"
"Originally, this building was used as a shop space, not for residential purposes."
"I see...."
That made sense. I preferred the quiet over bustling neighbors.
For me and for Dale alike.
"Now that we're in the Capital, I should explore the Shopping District. Let me go check if there's any luminescent stone."
"I'll go at once."
"No, that's not what I meant."
When I grabbed Dale's arm, he froze.
"You're not my servant—you're my husband. I'm saying let's go together."
"Husband..."
Dale looked at me as if savoring my words.
"Understood."
His face brightened considerably.
"I'll keep you safe."
* * *
I ventured into the Shopping District for the first time in ages.
I spotted carriages belonging to several noble families, but I recognized none of the faces.
"It feels like the end of the year, doesn't it?"
"You're right about that."
"Dale, come over here. You'll get swept up in the crowd."
I pulled Dale closer to my side.
The Capital was a world apart from the place where I'd hidden away for the past three years.
It was only natural, since I'd deliberately chosen inconspicuous routes, but seeing it again after so long felt as fresh as the day I first possessed this body.
"Let's start with that shop over there."
I led Dale through every merchant establishment in the district.
As expected, not a single shop had any stock of luminous stones.
"Have you gathered information on the Kelofeldt Trading Company's owner?"
"I've spread word through the appropriate channels."
"Good."
Then all that remained was to wait.
"But there's something peculiar about you, Dale."
"...."
Dale, who had been walking beside me, turned to face me with a tense expression.
"You can spread information to the Trading Company owner, you have a house, and you don't seem to lack for money—yet you accepted my proposal anyway. I'm curious about your true identity."
Dale's golden eyes settled into a calm, composed gaze. He looked at me with an expression that was somewhat complicated.
"Did you perhaps commit a crime?"
I whispered carefully.
"I'm joking, of course. If you had, you wouldn't be able to work as a mercenary. With an unclear background, you'd have to go to the Assassination Guild instead."
"...."
"What will you do after our contract ends in a year, Dale?"
Now that I thought about it, I found myself curious about his future.
Where would Dale be, and what would he be doing?
"Will you go to a resort and spend your remaining years there? Or perhaps start some grand venture?"
"By then, perhaps...."
In that moment, I heard the murmur of voices rising from the crowd.
"...! Wait a moment, Dale!"
I yanked Dale toward me forcefully.
"Look—the Emperor's Knights are here. The 2nd Knight Order."
As I gripped him tight and whispered, Dale's eyes widened. People who shouldn't be here had just appeared.
My brother's knights, specifically.
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