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83.

Before long, ‌‌‌smiles graced both our lips.
"It seems to be working, doesn't it?"
"Yes, ‌‌‌it appears we'll be able to secure the devoted worker you desired."
Current time: 15:07.
Though it was winter, the afternoon remained brilliantly bright.
Yet through the train window, tilted at an angle from the derailment, the outside world appeared as dark as night.
Wasn't this ‌‌‌fantastical development rather entertaining?
Of course, my racing heart stemmed from an entirely different reason!
The moment Cassian Artez drew his sword while protectively embracing me, a ‌‌shadowy figure suddenly lunged toward us.
A character type that appeared in every romantic fantasy—
The leader of the Dark Guild.

*

When Cassian Artez suggested we head to Salice Barony, the scroll underwent a transformation.
In the unpublished prophecy section—Roselita's Trial Settings.txt.

‌‌‌‌
Witnessing it, I suddenly recalled the side story content.
It was an episode where Cassian Artez and Roselita Salice, now ascended to the throne as Emperor and Empress, demonstrated their sense of ‌‌responsibility and command as an imperial couple, with ‌‌‌a touch of romance added for good measure.
'So the original trial setting was modified and repurposed as a side story.'
The relevant setting materials became considerably more detailed when Cassian Artez returned after concluding his transaction with First Prince Charlie.

From the content of 'persuasion' and 'information,' I realized ‌‌‌there was someone among the major characters entangled with the original Roselita Salice that I hadn't encountered in the present.
In the original story, it was a completely different episode, but regardless, this was a character who had ‌‌been persuaded and influenced by Roselita Salice.
The very person who was the leader of the Dark ‌‌‌‌Guild and later became Roselita Salice's information merchant guild master.
"Hello there, criminal."
I greeted the person who had just appeared before me.
"...."
Of course, he exercised his right to remain silent, befitting the leader of the Dark Guild.
"Do you know we've met before?"
I leaned my body against Cassian Artez, twirling a strand of my hair around my finger with a playful smile.
In that very moment, his previously calm eyes trembled violently, as if living up to the name 'darkness.'
"...M-Mrs. Chocolate?!"

*

It ‌‌was the second day of January, before we even boarded the train departing from the Capital City.
After Cassian Artez exchanged duties with First Prince Charlie and confirmed the scroll, we immediately took action.
We knew no better than to prepare for anticipated events.
Luring ‌‌the leader of the Dark Guild wasn't difficult.
With information from the original story, we could use it as a basis for the lure.
And as expected, he responded.
He designated a room that only VVIPs ‌‌used at the Gambling Establishment as our meeting place.
Naturally, we wouldn't have gone there as the Second Prince and his aide.
Cassian Artez and I disguised ourselves as a merchant couple from the Kingdom to meet him.
The leader greeted us dressed entirely in black, with only his eyes slightly visible, just as he had been today.
The moment he appeared, he darkened the room to flaunt his status as the leader of the Dark Guild, ‌‌then asked us in an icy voice.
"...The stakes will be certain, won't they?"
To that question, Cassian Artez answered while adjusting an ornate hat decoration.
"Between gamblers, why make such a fuss? It's just a light wager. We heard you're the strongest in the Empire, so we came by for some ‌‌‌entertainment."
"Hmph."
"Well, if you don't need it, we can drop it—unless you don't ‌‌‌need information about your father?"
Cassian Artez ‌‌‌delivered the line with the ‌‌tone of an utterly uncouth ruffian.
And I clung to his side.
"Oh my, you too. You said you'd live righteously this year~."
I acted as a loving ‌‍and charming wife. ‌‌‌
So the leader of the Dark Guild would think we were frivolous people and let his guard down, and if his emotions wavered slightly from irritation, all the better.
"Really, you could ‌‌just give it to us, couldn't you? After all, we don't even need it. It's such a pity."
"Oh, my lovely Chocolate, you just stay quiet beside me. When have you ever seen me lose at a wager like this?"
"But you said you'd do good deeds!"
"Right, ‌‌we came here for volunteer work. What would I do without you, Chocolate? I'm already forgetting my New Year's resolution!"
Cassian Artez said ‌‌‌‌this and deliberately kissed my cheek with an audible smack.
He must have been utterly exasperated—he'd been trying to display his authority by darkening the entire room, yet ‌‌I'd completely undermined it.
I didn't forget to ‌‌throw in a few more provocations to needle him either.
"Of course I'll go easy on you! Otherwise, that poor man betting his entire fortune would be too pitiful!"
"Exactly! A gambling establishment like this is pocket change to us, isn't it? Let's hurry up and go see the auction! I heard there's a rumor that a mermaid will be on display~!"
I pressed myself against Cassian Artez, twirling my hair around my fingers as I flashed him a bright ‌‌smile.
"Look at that—your charisma has already frozen him solid. Don't bully the weak, now."
And at my smile, the Dark Guild master drove his dagger straight down onto the table where the bet's stakes lay.
"There's no need to go easy on me. I'll win fair and square."
‌‌
*

Needless to say, the master was thoroughly fleeced by Cassian Artez.
My superior had spent his childhood hunting down all manner of delinquents, so he'd honed an exceptional talent for wasting his Master-level abilities in such pursuits.
Cassian Artez had never lost at a gambling establishment.
Whether ‌‌through cunning or through sheer fair play, he possessed a 100% win rate—an outstanding dynamic vision and physicality that no one ‌‌‌could overcome.
Though I must admit, the sight of the ‌‌master repeatedly crying out "just one more round" later on was rather pathetic.
Precisely because he'd been so thoroughly ‌‌stripped ‌‌‌of his ‌‌winnings, he fell perfectly into our trap.
"Darling, he's too pitiful! What if we gave him one more chance in honor of this ‌‌year's goals?"
"Hmm, should we? Well, if our Chocolate says so..."
And so Cassian lightly withdrew the dagger he'd planted, taking up the deed of rights to the Dark Guild's entire fortune that had been the bet's ‌‌‌‌stakes, along with the information envelope we'd presented.
"Besides, this is all just one night's ‌‌entertainment for us anyway. If you handle one troublesome request ‌‌‌in our stead, I'll give you both back."
"...What ‌‌‌‌is it?"
"In about ten days from now, ‌‌perhaps within two weeks. The exact date is uncertain, but the target will be boarding ‌‌a direct train from Terodima to the Capital City."
"...An assassination?"
The master showed clear hesitation at those words.
Cassian Artez mocked him quite rudely as he spoke.
"Hmm, so you won't dirty your hands because you're from some noble household? How refined of you, considering revenge is your goal."
Yet the fact that he hesitated was evidence that, for a criminal, ‌there remained some small possibility of redemption.
Of course, since we needed to push forward,
"You really are something! I told you not to bully the weak!"
"Fine, fine. You're upset because we're not going to see ‌‌‌‌the mermaid right away, aren't you, our Chocolate?"
I urged Cassian along, setting a time ‌‌‌‌‌limit in my words.
"So then, if you don't need ‌‌‌this offer, we'll call it off and simply leave. Well, it was ‌‌‌tedious, but it was entertaining enough, wasn't it?"
Saying that, Cassian pulled me close around the waist and headed toward the door.
Whether the offer was cancelled or not, we'd already confiscated the Dark Guild's assets, so our objective was as good as achieved.
And the moment we grasped the door handle, ‌‌‌the master cried out.
"-Tell me exactly who the target is."

*

"That's ‌absurd."
The guild master, having discerned our true identities, ground his teeth as he spoke.
"My, surely there's nothing absurd about making demands of a criminal, is there?"
I deliberately mimicked the tone of Victor's wife, ‌‌‌who had provoked him that night.
"And I suspect you'll lose this wager ‌‌‌as well? Our Emperor is rather formidable, ‌you see."
As I smiled again, he clenched ‌‌his jaw and drove his blade fiercely toward Cassian Artez.
Clang!
Yet the disparity in raw strength ‌‌‌‌‌and skill was unmistakable.
Both his arms trembled as he poured every ounce of his power into gripping his sword.
But Cassian Artez held me protectively against him with one arm, meeting his assault without the slightest wavering.
"What—the Royal Family... resorting to such cowardice!"
"That's hardly a statement befitting ‌‌‌a criminal. Which means ‌‌‌‌you've never even understood who your true ‌‌‌target for vengeance should be."
"Ugh!"
"Isn't that right, Samuel Motty? Or would you prefer I address you as Samuel Jamotti?"
At the name I called out provocatively, his golden eyes widened.
"How could you ‌‌possibly know that...?"
I held up the two envelopes I'd brought that day, their blade marks still vivid, before his eyes and spoke.
"Well, the information I wagered that day was genuine, after all. We do play quite fairly, wouldn't you say?"
The Dark Guild master, Samuel Motty, was none other than the First Empress's nephew.
Though his father had been cast out from Duke Lopez's House decades ‌‌ago.

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