Cecille’s violet eyes sparkled brilliantly as she spoke, her face exuding confidence.

And above all, she possessed a strange and powerful charisma that was unbelievable in an 8-year-old.

Isaac hesitated for a moment, then gently turned toward Cecille.

“Let’s see, I thought the confident young lady on this side was the client, but it seems I was mistaken.”

He tapped the desk with his index finger and chuckled.

“The business with Duke Bartholomew is quite interesting. So, shall we discuss it in detail? Little Miss.”

“Let’s see… If what this exceptional young lady says is true…”

After listening to Cecille’s detailed explanation, Isaac spoke as he tapped his fingers one by one.

“It seems there are three main tasks for Duke Bartholomew’s estate improvement. Firstly, replenishing the servants, secondly, cleaning the mansion, and thirdly, checking and replenishing the supplies.”

‘As expected, he catches on quickly.’

Cecille had known about his abilities from an early age.

It was inevitable. Isaac Goldman was the Empire’s top freelance resolver.

To be precise, he wasn’t there yet; it was scheduled to happen in about ten years.

‘Goldman is one of those who chased me.’

Many had pursued Cecille, but Isaac was one of the most threatening adversaries among them.

‘I still vividly remember almost being killed by his twin swords. I thought my heart would stop back then.’

The events of that time were still fresh.

The day Cecille came out of hiding to gather herbs, she was ambushed by Isaac in the dark forest.

Even though she was already a powerful mage at that time, she didn’t sense Isaac’s presence.

The sensation when the cold dagger touched her throat. The strong arms that tightened further as she struggled.

The chilling, gleaming eyes that coldly shone under the moonlight, which had once haunted Cecille’s heart, were now facing her in the form of this restless man.

No matter the 20-year time difference, it was still hard to believe.

‘Back then, we fought to the death, and I managed to drive him away, but I was heavily injured and couldn’t leave my hiding place for two weeks.’

Initially, Isaac had pursued Cecille for the bounty, but eventually, he became a significant enemy among Cecille’s adversaries.

And even after that, he put Cecille’s life in danger several times.

‘I almost died a few times, but now there are no personal feelings.’

Cecille thought to herself.

‘Considering how many wicked deeds I’ve done, and the fact that I’ve learned quite a bit about him in the process of being chased. His principles and such.’

The relationship between enemies is one where they get to know each other better than comrades do.

The exchange of information in the midst of clashing weapons is far more truthful than a few words, Cecille believed.

‘Except for being a bit obsessed with money, he is surprisingly straightforward and trustworthy. To the extent that I can entrust this matter to him without worry.’

Isaac initially pursued Cecille for the bounty, but during the process, he encountered Cecille’s misdeeds countless times. This led him to feel a genuine sense of duty to defeat her.

Unable to capture her with his own strength, he made the judgment that he couldn’t handle her alone. As a result, he was dispatched as an underling of Valentine Kerberos, a holy knight of the Inquisition, to eliminate Cecille.

‘Over there, he was a formidable adversary, to the point where even Barthemew Duc seemed desperate. We shouldn’t meet again in this life.’

While Cecille reminisced about the past, Isaac spoke up.

“You’ve come well-prepared. The three of you are no match for me.”

“Then, are you assigning me this task directly?”

“If it’s the Duke Bartholomew matter, I’d gladly lend a hand. However, Miss, there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

Isaac grinned, interlocking his fingers.

“I understand that you’re very clever, Miss. However, there’s a hitch in directly promising to take on this task. Despite your remarkable intelligence, you’re only eight years old, and your financial capabilities are practically non-existent.”

“….”

“So, whether this contract is fulfilled or not depends not on you but rather on Duke Bartholomew, who tightly holds the purse strings. Even if you wish to hire me, it’s all in the hands of Duke Bartholomew. If he doesn’t permit it, it’s all in vain.”

With that said, Isaac rose from his seat. Gazing outside the window, he spoke slyly.

“Miss, it seems you haven’t sought the Duke’s permission, let alone his opinion. In such a situation, it’s difficult for me to give a definite answer about taking on this contract. It’s quite regrettable. I was hoping to provide a positive response since this is the first time I’ve encountered a client as young as eight.”

Despite hearing the refusal, Cecille showed no signs of being flustered.

Far from being flustered, she secretly lifted the corners of her mouth.

‘As expected.’

“It seems like you know the reason for my passivity. Because you’re afraid of rejection, right?”

For a moment, Isaac’s nonchalant demeanor faltered.

He turned to look at Cecille, seeing her surprised expression for the first time since entering this place.

He tried to feign composure and smiled.

“Bold Miss, what kind of sudden joke is this?”

“It’s not a joke. You, with such remarkable abilities, are just swatting flies in the office. The reason is that you’re a heretic.”

Pointing to one side of the office, Cecille continued.

On the wall hung an old tapestry, a unique item unfamiliar even to the imperial palace.

The tapestry depicted a beautifully branched Adriana tree, and around it were intricate symbols that seemed to carry religious significance.

In addition, on the adjacent shelf, there were peculiar candelabras with multiple arms.

“You’re a Tetraist, right? That’s why you’ve had such abilities, and you’ve likely been rejected all along because of it. In this country, the treatment of heretics isn’t favorable.”

The Empire had a state religion, called the Deisinism, which was under the jurisdiction of the Grand Temple.

For a long time, the Empire had rejected religions other than the state religion.

Isaac was from a minority group that practiced a unique religion, and despite his exceptional talent, he had been in obscurity for a long time due to this reason.

‘In my previous life, Isaac eventually converted to Deisinism when he joined the holy knights. It might be because he was influenced by the noble character of the holy knights, or maybe there was a strong desire to eliminate me…’

After abandoning his long-held beliefs, Isaac gained recognition and fame that should have been rightfully his with his abilities. However, he didn’t seem particularly happy about it.

Despite being enemies, it wasn’t a pleasing sight.

But Cecille had no aversion to heretics. She was a dark mage; what was the problem with being a heretic?

Moreover, Cecille knew that Duke Bartholomew was also of the same faith.

“Have you ever thought of working while ensuring freedom of belief? Duke Bartholomew doesn’t care at all about which god the person working for him believes in. All he cares about is whether you have the ability or not. Aren’t you the best employee for him?”

Cecille knew how to speak to make an impact on the other person.

In her past, she had been a seductive sorceress who mesmerized countless people.

“And you will also be the best employee for the Duke. You work solely for money, not bothering about the rumors in society. If someone like you, who is known as a villain, can lend strength to Duke Bartholomew, who is hard to find a single servant for, it would be more than reassuring for him.”

Her expression, gaze, tone, and even a small gesture—everything was calculated to consider Isaac as the opponent.

“How about it? This is about as far as you can endure before facing a refusal, right?”

Saying that, Cecille smiled.

Before finishing her sentence, Cecille realized that she had succeeded.

It was probably because Isaac’s face seemed to have solidified like he had been struck.

Isaac, looking dumbfounded, absentmindedly wiped his forehead.

“What in the world… Truly, your eloquence is unbelievable for an eight-year-old. Is it something like the third life, as they say?”

Cecille shrugged without a hint of embarrassment.

“I’ve often heard people saying I’m a once-in-a-century genius.”