Chapter 2.5

When Ariana entered the drawing room, she saw the man elegantly sipping tea. Her lips parted slightly in surprise. Helen’s ‘handsome gentleman’ was indeed the man from the agency. However, his neat attire, refined manners, and noble aura were unfamiliar.  

“… What is this?”  

Ariana scanned Rowen from head to toe, her brows furrowing. The man, aware of her scrutiny, gently placed his teacup on the saucer without making a sound. His actions were genuinely aristocratic.  

“It’s not very ladylike to rudely ask ‘what is this’ right in front of someone.”  

And now he was gracefully reprimanding me? 

Ariana was bewildered.  

“No, seriously, what is this? You look completely different from before.”  

The only thing that matched Ariana’s memory was Rowen’s striking face. Everything else—his attire, demeanor, even his speech—had changed completely. If not for his unmistakably unique features, she might have mistaken him for someone else.  

“I couldn’t come here looking like ‘that.’ So I made some adjustments.”  

“‘Some adjustments’?”  

Ariana let out a dry laugh as she sat across from Rowen.  

“You’ve chosen the wrong profession. You’re better at acting than most theater actors.”  

“You don’t understand. My profession requires excellent acting skills.”  

“Well, that’s true.”  

Indeed, working for an agency would require hiding one’s identity and gathering information.  

“Anyway, you’re here, which means you’ve made some progress, right?”  

It had only been three days since she hired him, yet he’d already brought results. If true, the agency was incredibly competent. Winslet hadn’t lied after all.  

“First, the statue has been submitted for auction. As you said, they accepted it without questioning its origins.”  

“Astaroth has quite the network when it comes to art and antiques.”  

“Not just in art and antiques. Astaroth is a deeply historic family.”  

“… You speak as though you know our family well.”

“Of course, I know well—it’s part of my job.”  

Once again, his words weren’t wrong. They weren’t incorrect, but…  

‘It feels oddly unsettling.’  

Ariana furrowed her brows. Everything he said was technically correct, yet the unfolding situation felt far from reassuring.  

“I just came back from visiting the pawnshop the Earl operates.”  

Rowen’s voice cut through Ariana’s unease.  

“I heard the Earl makes a fortune from his business, but the shop didn’t seem to have many customers compared to its reputation.”  

“That bastard claims he mainly deals with big transactions, so the number of walk-in customers doesn’t matter to him.”  

Palvin had maintained close relationships with many influential figures during his lifetime. It wasn’t surprising that the Earl, inheriting Palvin’s connections, continued to secure major deals and sustain his wealth.  

“But if he’s closing big deals, wouldn’t there be rumors?”  

Even if the stories weren’t published in the news, whispers should circulate in social circles.  

After all, those circles were filled with people who thrived on idle gossip.  

Rowen nodded in agreement, tapping the table lightly with his fingers.  

“Making money without a trace is suspicious. And the fact that he keeps squandering money on indulgences while his vault remains intact… That’s even more suspicious.”  

Rowen stopped tapping the table and looked directly at Ariana.  

“By the way, are you aware that the Earl has been losing massive amounts of money gambling with his ‘friends’?”  

“Friends? Oh, you mean Marquis Felix and his group.”  

Ariana’s brows furrowed deeply. Even on her birthday, he had claimed to be meeting Marquis Felix for important business negotiations.  

‘Was it just for gambling?’  

Ariana had tried her best to avoid interfering in her husband’s affairs. She didn’t want to come across as nagging unnecessarily. In fact, Rowen often reacted vehemently whenever Ariana offered advice, accusing her of trying to teach him or belittle him.  

This often led to uncomfortable arguments about her being of commoner origin. Eventually, Ariana decided to stop caring about her husband’s business altogether.  

“It’d be wise to investigate the Earl’s suspicious finances. By any chance, can you access his ledgers?”  

“His ledgers are with Camio, that bastard asset manager of his. He’s never shown them to me. Since our contract states that we manage our own assets separately, I never bothered to try.”  

“Then we’ll have to steal them.”  

Rowen declared the need for theft as casually as someone commenting on the weather. His tone was so graceful that it didn’t even sound like he was planning something illegal.  

“Anyway, that’s my interim report on your request… Are you planning to attend the Sotherin auction alone?”  

“I was thinking of going alone.”  

The sudden shift in conversation to the auction puzzled Ariana, who tilted her head slightly. Rowen grinned knowingly, as if he had expected her response.  

“I’ll escort you.”  

“Escort me?”  

Ariana narrowed her eyes.  

“You’re awfully natural at pretending to be a nobleman, aren’t you?”  

Even her husband, who had been an Earl for years, didn’t act as effortlessly aristocratic as Rowen did.  

“I told you—it comes with the job.”  

“And calling it an ‘escort’ is just a fancy way of saying you want to confirm whether I really buy that statue for three thousand, isn’t it?”  

“I don’t doubt it. But someone like me, who does ‘this kind of work,’ can easily extract money from noblewomen like you if I wanted to.”  

Despite his gentlemanly demeanor, Rowen’s gaze turned cold, making Ariana flinch. His eyes carried an unmistakable dangerous aura. Even when her unruly husband shouted and threatened her, she had never felt this kind of danger. Yet with Rowen, a mere glance triggered an instinctive sense of peril.  

“I admire your bravery, Lady, but you should know this world is full of dangerous people and perilous situations.”  

Rowen calmly warned her as he stood up.  

“I’ll pose as Baron Seir from the Principality of Crosell. From now on, whenever I visit for updates, I’ll use that name. It’s more convenient to meet a noblewoman like you under the guise of aristocracy.”  

The Principality of Crosell was a secluded nation. Ariana had only encountered its Grand Duke and his son once during her childhood when they visited her father.  

Due to its limited exchanges with other countries, including the Empire, and the scarcity of information about it, Crosell was an ideal choice for fabricated identities. Additionally, a title like Baron was perfect—respectable yet unassuming enough to avoid attracting attention.  

“You’ve clearly had plenty of practice with fake identities. Posing as a Baron from Crosell? That’s a brilliant choice for deception. Hardly anyone in the Empire has significant ties to Crosell nobles.”  

“Do you have no connections to Crosell nobles yourself?”  

“None at all.”  

“None at all?”  

Rowen’s tone carried a subtle air of interrogation, prompting Ariana to shrug.  

“Yes, none. My late father had a friendship with the Grand Duke, but that’s all.”  

“… I see.”  

Though Rowen’s brief response carried a peculiar nuance, Ariana didn’t dwell on it.  

“But is it really necessary for you to go as far as fabricating an identity to visit the Earl’s mansion? Pretending to be someone you’re not carries heavy penalties.”  

“I appreciate your concern, but I won’t face any consequences for identity fraud. I’ve been granted permission to use the name Baron Seir.”  

“How does someone even get permission for that?”  

“I resolved a matter for them in the past, and they granted me the right. It’s a long story and not particularly important. What matters is, I can use the name without issue.”  

‘Did he solve a problem for a Crosell noble family and earn their favor?’  

It wasn’t unheard of for families to grant such privileges to benefactors, allowing them to use their names in times of trouble. Ariana found the explanation plausible.  

“But if someone who’s never had ties to Crosell suddenly starts visiting the Earl’s mansion frequently, wouldn’t that seem suspicious? If it’s just for updates, I could visit the agency instead.”  

Ariana’s suggestion caused Rowen’s face to darken.  

“So you’re planning to visit that alley again? I told you—the world is full of dangerous people and situations. Didn’t you understand?”  

“That alley isn’t particularly dangerous as long as you avoid drawing attention.”  

“Lady, your very presence draws attention. Especially in a place like that.”  

Rowen’s voice carried a faint sigh as he tried to dissuade her. His overly protective attitude puzzled Ariana. 

Since when did agency employees worry about their clients’ safety?  

“If something happens to the client and I don’t get paid, it’s a waste of effort. I don’t want that.”  

Ah, if it was about money, that made sense. 

Ariana shrugged in understanding.  

“Then we could exchange letters.”  

“Letters can be tampered with or leaked. Delivering information directly is the safest and most reliable method.”  

“I mean… It’s just investigating a cheating husband. Why treat it like some classified state secret?”