Elysia was too shocked to say anything. It was because she never expected him to reveal his identity so straightforwardly.

Conrad showing his face from the first transaction?

She could only stand there in disbelief at the unimaginable situation. He had never shown his face before… Not even to Sierra, and even then, he was shown a glimpse in an epilogue.

“I heard that a guest had come.”

“You’re the guildmaster…?”

Although she already knew, she asked just in case. In truth, like many of the curious readers, she wondered about Conrad’s identity. It was somewhat frustrating how he tightly wrapped himself, never showing his face, even to Sierra.

“Yes.”

Conrad wasn’t known for his pleasant personality. She remembered how he had thrust a knife at Sierra during her first transaction. However, now he was not only revealing his face directly but also surprisingly treating her kindly.

It seemed odd since he should normally try to kill her on the spot.

“You want to make a deal. Please, have a seat. I apologize for the lack of proper seating.”

“….”

She lost her words even witnessing his hospitality. Conrad wasn’t originally this kind of person. He treated her like a VIP customer, and this was unusual… No, he wasn’t the type to treat even VIP customers like this.

“A noble person has come this far… What should I do with the inadequate preparations?”

“You know my identity…?”

“Yes, the Grand Duchess.”

Elysia was surprised that Conrad knew her identity even when she covered her face with a hat. Even with gloves on, concealing her entire body, he seemed to know everything about her.

“Still, considering we are an information guild, wouldn’t it be better to know the identity of the client?”

She didn’t know if he was kindly accommodating her because he knew her identity. While the Emperor and Empress might not be intimidating, Damon could be fearsome.

Damon was a frightening presence to everyone.

“Why have you come?”

“Ah…”

It felt unfamiliar. She expected at least some disdain, but the situation was entirely different from what she anticipated.

Even if he could deduce her identity, Sierra’s status as a noble was apparent. If it were only Sierra, it might be understandable, but Conrad treated the Empress the same way. Moreover, Conrad treated the envoy sent by the Emperor the same way as well.

The reason the gatekeeper could kill anyone they didn’t like was that Conrad was the gatekeeper—concealing his entire body in a robe, masking his voice with magic, he chose clients.

Ultimately, if he, the guildmaster, didn’t allow entry, one couldn’t request anything.

“I have some things I want to know about…”

“Feel free to speak.”

Despite her being the Grand Duchess, his attitude was unusually kind. It was a strange situation that she couldn’t help but say was odd. Conrad was like the king of the underworld. If he was frightened of someone, he couldn’t have operated such a vast information guild.

“It might be easier to talk if you know my identity.”

Elysia removed the hat that had been causing her discomfort. The brim was too wide, making it difficult to see her surroundings properly. She couldn’t even see Conrad’s expression.

“Why did someone of your stature come to such a humble place?”

“I want to know about County… Caitlin.”

For some reason, her instincts were warning her not to inquire about the Grand Duchy right now. There were more than a couple of suspicious aspects. Conrad recognized her immediately, and his excessively friendly attitude was unsettling.

“County Caitlin, you say?”

“I heard there were some changes happening in the County, and I wanted to know about the succession dynamics.”

“Is that the only thing you’re curious about?”

“No, everything. Tell me about everyone, including Edward Caitin.”

Originally, she came to ask not only about the County but also the relationship between the Imperial family and the Grand Duchy. Information about the County could be obtained without coming to the information guild.

“I trust this will be kept secret.”

“Of course. Would I deceive the Grand Duchess?”

It seemed like she was figuring out who the real owner of the Information Guild was. The more Conrad maintained his courteous demeanor, the more certain she became.

…The Solar Information Guild was operated by Grand Duchy Raphael.

* * *

After receiving Conrad’s secure escort, Elysia finally released the held breath. It was meaningless to continue hiding now. Since the moment she entered the entrance, Damon probably received a report. Nevertheless, the revelation of the true owner of the guild until the end was surprising.

What was fortunate was that she didn’t bring up discussions about the Grand Duchy and the Imperial family until the end.

“Madam!”

“Where have you been?”

It seemed like the entering and exit had been significantly delayed. She awkwardly smiled at Chloe and Rachel, who were searching for her outside the carriage. They probably had reported to him anyway.

“I was looking for a book for a moment…”

“I was surprised you weren’t in the bookstore.”

“Now, let’s go back. I’ve seen everything I need.”

This had to be enough. She had approached the luxury method. Perhaps her actions had already been exposed throughout the capital. There was no one who wouldn’t criticize her extravagant behavior of buying dresses and jewelry in rainbow colors every day.

Even Damon, no matter how he was, couldn’t simply overlook the Grand Duchess’s extravagance. She really intended to spend money and quite recklessly at that.

“….”

Still, it had already been a week.

Despite red dresses and jewels being delivered to the palace, Damon hadn’t said a word. It was astonishing even for her at the absurd quantity. It seemed like the dresses delivered to the Grand Duchy numbered around seven or eight hundred. This was just a rough estimate. There weren’t many designers like Catherine who operated a large dressing room.

“Are you going out today, too?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t even say anything about her outings. He had allowed her freedom, but she naturally thought he would restrict her. Perhaps it was because her activities were confined within his palm. She wasn’t really going out because she wanted to.

Elysia forced herself to the dressing room, stopped by the jewelry store, and spent an absurd amount.

Although it had only been a week, rumors were already circulating in the capital that if they caught Grand Duchess Raphael, they could make a hefty profit. However, Damon’s side, who should have reacted, remained unusually silent.

“I need to buy dresses next week.”

“I see. Spending money is a good thing. There’s nothing good about just hoarding money, right?”

“Exactly, right? What happens if I run out of budget?”

She intentionally acted more shamelessly.

Of course, she knew that Damon wouldn’t immediately reject her with such a statement. Nevertheless, time was not waiting for her. Moreover, since she had learned that he was running the information guild, there was no time to waste.

Ignoring Conrad’s excessively friendly attitude, she couldn’t overlook the Grand Duke’s castle’s atmosphere. Anyone who had visited the Grand Duke’s castle even once could instantly recognize it.

And above all, the documents on the guildmaster’s desk…

At first, she thought she had seen it wrong. Similar handwriting could be found anywhere, after all.

“Of course, I’ll increase the budget. I told you, you can do anything as long as you’re by my side.”

Elysia knew that this wasn’t just a casual remark. It meant that even if she made an effort, it would be in vain. The handwriting on the documents. She realized it after some time had passed.

It was Damon’s handwriting.

“You didn’t say ‘I’ll be back’.”

“What?”

“You originally said, ‘I’ll be back’.”

She felt uncomfortable saying it. For her, who was just an extra, there wasn’t much time left. The more she tried to change the subject, the more she felt the constraints of the original story approaching her rapidly.

“I’ll be back.”

It wasn’t time to leave him yet… No, it was more accurate to say that she didn’t want to leave, so she kept postponing it day by day.

* * *

“Where should I put this?”

“In the dressing room.”

“The dressing room is full now.”

She thought that if she waited a little longer, a reaction would come soon. However, contrary to Elysia’s expectations, even as time passed, there was no reaction.

Even the servants were the same. Despite her indiscriminate spending, no one seemed to dislike it. At the very least, she expected someone to try to restrain her spending, even a little. If not, they would treat her differently.

“We might need to create a new dressing room.”

“Julia.”

“Yes? What’s the matter?”

“I bought so many dresses that it seems the dressing room is about to burst. Isn’t that strange?”

Upon hearing her words, Julia looked at her as if to ask what the problem was.

Thanks to that, Elysia was the one feeling frustrated. This insane spending had been going on for two weeks now. The dressing rooms were supplying dresses at an even faster pace than before.

They had already fulfilled all the rainbow colors. She didn’t even know how many dresses she had bought by now. She just knew that the dressing rooms, which were already large, seemed about to burst. Honestly, enduring it until now was quite remarkable.

Today, after completing a full circle, she bought another red dress.

“Is there a problem?”

It was too strange, even beyond strange. By now, a reaction should have come even a hundred times.

“Elysia.”

Finally, the feeling that it would come had arrived. Damon, who had let her do as she pleased for a few weeks, finally appeared.

__