Chapter 106
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I'm a homebody who ended up possessing the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 106
"Did you call for me?"
"Oh."
At his response, I only then realized I had called out Ian's name as if entranced.
But I couldn't help it—the moment Ian made space for me to lie down, he suddenly looked like some prince out of a fairy tale.
Ian was the first person to ever create a place for me to rest, a space where I could stretch out my legs.
'Wait, or was he?'
Come to think of it, the Blaire Grand Duke locked me away and was the first to give me a bed—keeping me confined to a room with one for twenty-four hours straight. So perhaps he was the first man to ever provide me with a place to lie down...?
"It's just... I'm grateful, you know."
"Not at all. You looked uncomfortable."
"Still, because of me, the seating space has become cramped, so Ian must be even more uncomfortable..."
"It's part of my duties as your escort knight."
Huh? Part of his duties as an escort knight?
I too had worked diligently at the mansion after mistakenly stamping the wrong employment contract.
So I had personally reviewed Ian's employment contract beforehand.
However, his duties were limited solely to ensuring my personal safety—there was nothing about providing comfort to my body.
Which meant this wasn't part of his job at all, but purely a kindness Ian was extending to me of his own volition.
The problem was...
'This isn't the kind of character he is.'
The Ian I'd observed so far wasn't the type to show kindness without reason.
That sense of incongruity I'd felt at the restaurant that day resurfaced.
It would be comforting if this were all a misunderstanding. After all, human hearts are fickle—if a 'handsome' man treats you well, affection can bloom.
'Wait a moment.'
I gazed up at Ian blankly.
Now that I thought about it, there was nothing wrong with developing feelings for him, was there...?
Unlike the Blaire Grand Duke, Ian didn't have a destined woman waiting for him in the future.
'I'd even made up my mind to pursue a relationship if the opportunity arose.'
In fact, I'd only made that decision mere days ago.
So why should I draw defensive lines and refuse from the start?
With that thought, I gazed at Ian's face once more.
His ash-grey hair had a beautiful texture, his skin looked impossibly soft, and his deep golden eyes—vivid in color yet somehow conveying elegance—drew me in.
His high nose bridge extended perfectly straight as if drawn by an artist's hand, and his symmetrical lips looked smooth even at a glance.
In short, he was an extraordinarily handsome man—the kind you rarely saw anywhere.
Moreover, beyond his face, Ian was the perfect romantic partner for me.
After all, as someone who preferred staying indoors, I could date him without ever having to leave the house!
Taking walks together while flirting, exchanging glances while reading, sharing quiet laughs while working—wasn't that the charm of an indoor romance?
'No wonder there's so much content about escort knights and young ladies.'
Plus, meals and tea could all be enjoyed at home?
This was truly a win-win situation—saving both money and time!
"...Ian, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Yes, please go ahead."
After carefully considering the matter from every conceivable angle, I finally managed to organize my thoughts.
And so...
"Do you happen to have any romantic experience?"
I posed the weighty question to Ian with utmost caution.
"I beg your pardon?"
Bewilderment flickered across Ian's face, but the die had already been cast...
and with my brakes thoroughly broken, there was no stopping me now.
"If you do, how many times would that be...?"
"...."
Once? Twice?
...Ten times?
Please, just answer me....
* * *
―Stefan Marquis Residence.
Crash!
The sound of an expensive vase shattering caused all the servants to flinch simultaneously and lower their heads.
Then a voice seething with rage cut through the air.
"She didn't use the Teleportation Magic Circle?"
"Yes, that's what we were told. She said she'd forgotten something and left, but she never appeared the next day, nor the day after that...."
"Then she hasn't left the Imperial Capital yet?"
"No, that's not it..."
The Head Maid bowed repeatedly, sweat pouring down her face.
"She left the Imperial Capital by carriage that very night after abandoning the Teleportation Magic Circle, madam. We confirmed it with the city gate security office...."
"What?"
Stefan Marquis's Wife's eyes sharpened at those words.
Crunch.
Then came the sound of teeth grinding savagely, followed by a suppressed voice.
"That infuriating little wretch..."
Whether it was mere coincidence or something else, I could sense that matters were beginning to spiral.
In truth, from the moment I became entangled in this affair, nothing seemed to go right.
Had it remained merely a business problem, we wouldn't have suffered such a catastrophic loss, but the situation only continued to escalate.
And in a direction catastrophic for the Stefan Marquis House.
The Stefan Marquis House's standing within the Imperial Capital was in dire straits.
The moldy silk curtain scandal had already generated extensive newspaper coverage and caused problems, but as if that weren't enough, an even greater calamity had struck.
And that was...
"Our Magic Tower will no longer conduct business with Stefan Trading Company."
Such was the message delivered yesterday by the Elder Mage who had come from the Magic Tower.
For Stefan Marquis, already exhausted from dealing with complaint letters pouring in from all directions, it was like a bolt from the blue.
"W-what do you mean by that? If you refuse to do business with our Trading Company, with whom we've maintained relations for so long... we can only interpret that as a severing of ties with our entire House."
"That is precisely what we desire."
"But that doesn't make any—!"
"We've heard the baseless rumors that Stefan Marquis House has been spreading about us."
The truth of the matter was this.
It turned out that the Magic Tower had entered into dealings with the Blaire Grand Duke House for certain reasons and was providing assistance.
Stefan Marquis and his wife, unaware of this fact, had spread rumors that the Magic Tower was being manipulated without dignity by the Blaire Grand Duke House.
In reality, Stefan Marquis and his wife believed that if such rumors circulated, the proud mages would sever their dealings with the Blaire Grand Duke House, regardless of whether the rumors were true.
Yet somehow, things had taken an unexpected turn.
The mages chose to break ties with Stefan Marquis House instead of the Blaire Grand Duke House.
The problem lay in Stefan Marquis House's family business.
They had, for generations, distributed and sold rare luxury goods to the powerful.
And only the Magic Tower could authenticate whether such luxury goods were genuine.
But now their relationship with the Magic Tower was severed?
The repercussions would inevitably lead to the collapse of Stefan Marquis House's foundational business.
Though Stefan Trading Company had grown in size, and the lack of luxury goods business wouldn't immediately cause grave problems for the company...
A business passed down through generations was as much the pride of a House as anything else!
Because of this, the atmosphere at Stefan Marquis Residence was unbearable.
And now, even her intended scheme had failed to materialize properly—Stefan Marquis's Wife's fury rose to the very tips of her hair.
Stefan Marquis's Wife stared menacingly at the floor, now a mess of shattered ceramic fragments.
And after a long silence, she drew up the corners of her crimson-painted lips.
"...Yes, perhaps this is for the best."
Had she remained in the Imperial Capital, my options would have been limited, but since she left of her own accord... the task becomes far easier.
In truth, Stefan Marquis's Wife was not the sort to harbor such burning hatred toward a mere girl simply for behaving somewhat arrogantly at a social gathering.
After all, she had spent years navigating High Society alongside Oriana Empress, witnessing every manner of depravity.
Yet she possessed one peculiar instinct.
It was an uncanny ability to identify those who would bring her harm.
The moment she first laid eyes upon April Pepper, Stefan Marquis's Wife felt her spirits plummet.
It was as though everything would crumble because of this one young girl.
And so she knew, with absolute certainty, that she must destroy April—ensure she could never rise again.
Having finished her deliberations, she slowly straightened her posture.
"It seems I must employ someone after all."
"Pardon?"
Her voice emerged calm, as though nothing had transpired.
The bewildered Head Maid leaned forward, and Stefan Marquis's Wife issued her command in an imperious tone.
"Five death caps. We may need to travel far, so procure the freshest ones available. Place the order at once."
As the words left her lips, the elderly Head Maid's face drained of all color.
"Yes, madam."
Yet even as she spoke, the Head Maid, bowing respectfully, vanished swiftly into the shadows.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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