When Daphne stepped outside, the person Werner had assigned was waiting. His cold, sharp appearance clearly marked him as a secret guard.

He glared at Daphne and said:

“It was reckless of you to follow her into the bedroom.”

“What’s reckless is making a thirteen-year-old girl who has no friends to share even the smallest secret with. You should be grateful I’m the one who found out.”

Her retort left him speechless. She wasn’t wrong. However, today’s events meant they would need to quickly change the Emperor’s sleeping quarters and reinforce security.

He continued with intensity in his eyes:

“I will definitely report today’s incident to the Marquis. Await his judgment.”

“Is it rude of me to think you sound like you’re threatening to tattle?”

Daphne snickered and slowly turned away.

“You should check the passage. There’s a crack in the ceiling, tsk.”

Before she finished speaking, he rushed into the passage where the Emperor slept.

⁕⁕⁕

As soon as she returned home, Daphne collapsed onto her bed. It was a matter of physical stamina.

‘All I did was help with a bath. No, that’s not right….’

A bath using two bars of soap was definitely not “just” anything.

She groaned involuntarily. Just as she was forcing her heavy body up to change clothes and go to sleep:

Tap tap.

Someone knocked on the window.

The intruder, revealed in the moonlight, was Gabriel. When Daphne opened the window, he entered with a movement lighter than a feather.

He quickly grabbed her hand without permission and pretended to brush his lips against it in greeting.

“How have you been?”

“If you grab my hand without permission one more time, I’ll remove the spy you planted.”

The smile on Gabriel’s face disappeared the moment he heard this.

“Don’t waste time asking how I knew. It’s not because your spy was incompetent, but because I’m exceptionally perceptive.”

Gabriel stared at her speechlessly for a moment.

She was undoubtedly the first person to surprise him multiple times in such a short period.

⁕⁕⁕

It was about two months after Leonhardt and Anaïs left for their honeymoon in her previous life.

A man approached Daphne, who was drowning in despair.

“I am Gabriel Mayer. I work for a small information guild.”

Half truth, half lie.

It was indeed a guild, but not small. It was the largest organization with reach not only across the continent but also beyond the sea.

“Wh-what brings you here?”

Daphne asked tensely, as she was being hounded by debt collectors.

“I buy and sell anything.”

When Daphne’s expression immediately soured, Gabriel frantically waved his hands.

“I absolutely do not mean to insult you. Please hear me out.”

“I have no interest in paying off debts by getting married or becoming someone’s mistress.”

Some creditors had actually made such demands.

Hearing Daphne’s concern, Gabriel shook his head with a relaxed smile.

“That would be distasteful to me as well, not to mention an ineffective solution. Besides, your rose-gold hair alone holds great value.”

“You mean the trace of spirits that control monsters? But that’s just a legend. And in the Empire, it’s considered ominous……”

“I follow demand rather than truth. If someone needs it, that’s enough. Oh, and I’m certainly not planning to sell you to those who prey on young ladies in temporary difficulties.”

“If not that, then what?”

“I mean exactly what I said—become someone who leads transactions rather than being sold. A kind of intermediary. Start by learning under me. You can begin with small tasks suited to your abilities.”

“You don’t mean……”

“I do indeed. Become my informant.”

Daphne hesitated briefly.

An informant. She had never imagined such a thing.

But she no longer wanted to hear demands to pay debts with her body.

Swallowing dryly, she asked him:

“What’s the compensation?”

Gabriel proposed extraordinary terms with a nonchalant expression.

“First, I’ll send your remaining family members somewhere creditors can’t find them. Though not as good as before, they’ll live without want.”

Hearing this, Daphne’s face bloomed with doubt.

There’s no such thing as cheap and good.

She remembered Marquis Werner’s favorite saying. This case was no different.

Even if she were sold as some old nobleman’s mistress, such terms would be impossible.

Reading the doubt on her face, Gabriel smiled more deeply and said:

“I’m someone who works according to what I receive. Too little is disappointing, too much raises suspicion.”

“That’s just your philosophy, Mr. Mayer.”

“Then how about this? Who killed the Marquis and your two brothers, why, and how.”

Daphne answered immediately.

“If what you tell me is the truth, I’ll do anything.”

Right there, he showed her a list obtained from Werner’s secret vault and explained in detail how the Armin family had fallen.

“So, will you join me?”

Unlike his flawlessly elegant face, his hands were rough and coarse. Perhaps that made him seem reliable? No, she wanted to believe in him.

When she extended her hand, Gabriel brushed his lips against it with impeccable grace and gave her a picture-perfect smile.

“From now on, call me Gabi.”

He looked so relaxed and confident. For the first time since her family’s downfall, Daphne felt hope.

Afterward, Daphne underwent rigorous training to become a spy for “that” guild.

And on the day she completed her training, Gabriel sold her to Kartun.

He truly was a merchant to the bone.

⁕⁕⁕

Daphne ended her distant reminiscence and faced Gabriel.

In her previous life, he had extracted from her exactly what he’d given, as he’d promised. This time, it was her turn to extract from him.

Unaware of Daphne’s resolve, Gabriel chattered enthusiastically.

“When will I ever be able to surprise you? I was so excited while knocking on your window.”

He lowered his eye corners and pretended to be slightly dejected as he spoke.

“That depends on what news you’ve brought.”

Gabriel began his report with a confident smile.

“The Emperor summoned Duke Gustav and threatened him. The Duke agreed to hand over the nobles involved in insurance fraud to the Emperor and ensure the noble faction wouldn’t protest Marquis Werner’s return.”

With imperial faction nobles supporting Werner, he could now return safely.

Delivering successful mission reports to clients always felt good. But seeing her still not giving him even a glance of attention, he felt a slight prickle of competitiveness.

Gabriel played another card.

“Also, Barbara has been confined to the annex, and Leonhardt to his quarters. The Duke seems to be trying to appease the Armin family with this.”

“Not bad.”

His energy deflated at such a brief response.

Out of patience, Gabriel thrust his face right in front of hers.

“Miss, you probably knew from the moment you entered through the door where I was, but I’m extremely expensive. However, if you satisfy my curiosity, I’ll do anything for you once, free of charge.”

“Three times.”

Ugh.

“Twice.”

“Four times.”

“No, how can you increase it?”

“Five.”

“Ah, fine! Five, I’ll do five things for you!”

Having successfully tamed Gabriel, Daphne finally looked at him.

“How did you know I had someone watching you?”

“Gabriel, close your eyes.”

“What? Suddenly……”

“Six times?”

When Daphne raised one eyebrow questioningly, Gabriel obediently closed his eyes.

“Now, recall the ceiling painting in my bedroom. Which side was the goddess playing the harp on?”

“Um…. the northwest side.”

Gabriel answered after a slight delay.

“As the head of an information guild, you examined even the ceiling for potential risks. But ordinary people rarely look up.”

Daphne tilted her head back to look at the ceiling as she spoke.

This was the first rule Daphne had learned when being taught surveillance. Because of this habit, spies typically observed their targets from above.

Gabriel had taught her how to monitor others. How ironic that she was now pretending to know things after traveling back in time. Daphne chuckled to herself.

“But your spy relied too much on that assumption.”

He had underestimated her because she was a noble lady.

Gabriel’s relaxed lips tightened. It meant he was extremely angry.

Daphne silently prayed for the spy’s soul. Additionally, she suspected his organization would undergo extensive retraining tomorrow.

‘Good. A stronger guild benefits me too.’