First. Pretend not to know him.

“…Who are you?”

“Don’t you remember me? That can’t be…”

When I blinked and asked, he muttered with a seemingly serious expression.

“I’d like to think I’m not easily forgettable.”

His expression of genuine bewilderment irritated me slightly.

“…Oh, is that so? How nice for you.”

As I frowned and looked up at him, he burst into laughter.

“You do remember me, don’t you?”

“…”

I pressed my lips tightly at his question, which seemed to have already seen through me.

“I remember you. Miss Jella Irene.”

His voice calling my name was tinged with a particularly thick amusement.

Damn. Pretending not to know him failed.

Then, second. Greet him casually and quickly pass by.

“Ah…! You’re the client I met at Tenes’s office!”

I clapped my hands as if I had just remembered him and gave an insincere greeting.

“I’m honored that you even remember my name. But I’m in a hurry.”

Then I immediately took a step back from him and bowed slightly.

“Tenes is in the office now. If you have a request, you should go there.”

Just as I was about to take a step after rattling off my words like a machine gun.

“Are you selling those?”

He asked, pointing to the basket hanging from my waist.

The basket was full of flowers.

It was a job that Tenes had brought me in response to my request for healthy and legal work.

If I sold all the flowers here, I could get 2 gold.

‘The problem is, how long will it take to save up 3 million gold at this rate?’

Tenes had suggested easier ways for me to make money.

For instance, making a sleeping potion that, once taken, could never be woken from. Or creating a poison that could kill a person instantly with just one drop.

‘But I’m no longer a villain. I’d rather give up on the prime real estate.’

I couldn’t make such drugs that sounded like they would be used for nefarious purposes.

“This is perfect timing. I needed flowers. I’ll buy them all.”

“All of these?”

As he flicked his finger in the air, a knight approached.

Then he handed me a pouch of gold coins while snatching away the entire flower basket.

“Wait…!”

Before I could stop him, the knight disappeared with the flower basket.

“…”

As I stared blankly at the pouch of gold coins in my hand.

“Now your urgent business is resolved, isn’t it?”

Niel’s eyes curved into a smile.

Greeting him casually and quickly passing by also failed.

Third. Asking him why he’s doing this.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Blocking someone who’s just passing by, suddenly buying all of someone’s flowers.”

“I happened to notice Miss Jella while passing by.”

Nonsense! Why would the Emperor be passing by here by chance? And hiding his identity so thoroughly?

“The flowers… I just happened to need them.”

“You needed flowers?”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

I know that Niel Alpenhayer is allergic to pollen.

Moreover, the bracelet with a purple gem on his wrist.

I had overlooked it last time, but seeing it again on the crowded street, it became clear.

The gem on that bracelet was a magic stone that concealed the wearer’s identity.

Although Niel Alpenhayer was a celebrity loved by the entire empire, that magic stone scattered people’s minds, preventing them from realizing that he was the same person as Niel.

‘I thought I felt a subtle magical energy.’

He was out wearing a magic bracelet to hide his identity, no less than the Emperor of this empire.

Of course, the effect of the magic stone doesn’t work at all on this excellent Jella.

The drawback of that magic stone was that it didn’t work on people who had discerned the existence of the magic stone.

‘Lying to my face.’

All this trouble with that precious magic stone just to buy flowers?

As I looked at him suspiciously, his smile deepened.

“It’s true. Although she doesn’t like flowers.”

“She?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected word that came out of Niel’s mouth, but he just smiled enigmatically.

“That’s not the important thing. Miss Jella, I heard you’re looking for healthy and legal work.”

“Huh? How did you…”

“They say selling flowers doesn’t make much money.”

“Ugh…”

He casually changed the subject and hit my sore spot.

“Shall I help you?”

“No, I don’t need it.”

The words of rejection flew out of my mouth without a second thought.

I’d rather accept help from a passing field mouse than from you, you bastard!

“Why not?”

He looked disappointed at my rejection.

“I’m too suspicious to accept help from someone I don’t know.”

“My name is El.”

“Oh, f***…”

That’s the nickname Yuria used to call you in the original story.

I inadvertently let out a short curse, but he either didn’t hear it or pretended not to, and continued with a smile.

“I’m just an ordinary errand boy who runs in and out of the palace doing menial tasks for important people. Now that we’ve shared our names and workplaces, we can’t say we’re strangers anymore, Miss Jella.”

“…Ah, yes. You’ve been promoted from a complete stranger to someone whose name and workplace I know. Congratulations.”

He smiled more deeply and added.

“I heard you rejected the request Tenes gave you.”

He’s heard quite a lot. I thought indifferently and answered sharply.

“I don’t do underworld work.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s obviously bad business.”

“Oh.”

He let out a small exclamation.

“…?”

“No, I just didn’t know you cared about such things.”

What? Did I look like someone who would do bad things without any morality?

As I was starting to feel slightly offended by his reaction.

“What if it’s not illegal? It’s a very healthy and legal job, just like what you’re looking for.”

“Forget it. How much could I possibly earn from that anyway.”

“I’ll give you 1.5 million gold after the job is done, regardless of success. How about that?”

“…!”

My mouth gaped open at the enormous amount he proposed.

“If you succeed, another 1.5 million gold.”

“…!”

My mouth, which seemed like it couldn’t open any wider, gaped even more.

‘That means I could get 3 million gold if I succeed?’

How could he propose exactly the amount I needed? As expected of an emperor, he must be generous.

That face, which had been unpleasant to even encounter until just a moment ago, suddenly started to look handsome.

I didn’t want to get involved with Niel Alpenhayer. But he knows me as the pharmacist Jella Irene, not as Jella Shunaibel anyway…

‘Then… I don’t have to go out of my way to avoid him, right?’

Having changed my mind, I quickly calculated in my head.

Conclusion, bam!

“I’ll take it, plus 200,000 gold more.”

As I boldly stuck out my chin and demanded an additional 200,000 gold, Niel hesitated and looked flustered.

“Pardon?”

It would be unfair to just buy a building with 3 million gold for doing this annoying guy’s request.

I should squeeze out a hefty initial capital!

“You said I’m absolutely necessary for your plan, right? Take it or leave it.”

“…No, that’s not…”

Soon, he nodded with a smile.

“So, what’s this request you want to make?”

“It’s to infiltrate the Clarence duchy and approach the duke’s daughter.”

“The Clarence duke’s daughter?”

I paused at the name that flowed from his lips.

I remembered that name being mentioned in the conversations of people whispering in the square just a moment ago.

“The Clarence duke’s daughter is having her debutante ball at this year’s Foundation Day celebration. To have such an important event as a debutante ball, surely that rumor…”

“What rumor?”

“You know, that… they say His Majesty the Emperor and the daughter of Duke Clarence are in the process of getting engaged…”

“Does that mean His Majesty will finally take an Empress?”

“They say His Majesty himself said it recently. That he seems to have finally found someone to gift the empire to.”

“Gift the empire?”

“He meant it figuratively! That he’s found a woman to whom he’d dedicate everything he has!”

“Oh my, how romantic.”

“This is great news! It’s a cause for celebration for the empire, a celebration!”

The Clarence duke’s daughter, who was being mentioned as the Emperor’s potential fiancée amidst the whispers of people.

That very woman’s name has just come out of Niel’s mouth.

“You need to disguise yourself as her maid just before the Foundation Day celebration and slip a drug into her food.”

“What? Slip a drug into her food…?”

You said it wasn’t illegal! It sounded like a criminal act even at a glance.

“Don’t tell me… you’re trying to eliminate her?”

I had heard that Niel couldn’t forget Saint Yuria and still hadn’t taken an Empress.

Has Niel Alpenhayer finally gone mad under the pressure from the nobles to take an Empress and is trying to poison the young duke’s daughter?

“Eliminate? How could I do such a terrible thing.”

“Then?”

“The Clarence duke’s daughter has been troubled by acne lately. It’s such a sensitive time for her, poor thing. Especially with her debutante ball coming up.”

Niel muttered in a seemingly upset voice.

“So, as an excellent pharmacist, I want you to make a skin medication to treat her acne and secretly deliver it to her.”

“Huh…?”

Wait, this is.

Did he come all the way to the underworld to request this, just to perfectly prepare for his potential fiancée’s debutante ball?

He could have ordered a subordinate to do this, but he went as far as to disguise himself and do it so secretly.

‘No way.’

Suddenly, a hypothesis bloomed in my mind.

Considering how he just bought a bunch of flowers he doesn’t even like…

“Why deliver it secretly instead of giving it to the duke’s daughter directly?”

“Well…”

Seeing his evasive attitude, I became certain.

‘Niel Alpenhayer has finally forgotten Yuria and is starting a new love!’