Rosette clutched her head. Words she had never told anyone spilled out smoothly.

‘Stop talking!’

Rosette had just confessed to murder.

Yet Rosette’s mouth wouldn’t stop.

“The, the only one who protects me is Her Highness! After the old maid serving Her Highness died, the head servant sent me here. Those filthy servant bastards. They’re no different from the street thugs. Me, who had no power…… me……”

Rosette drew in a sharp breath.

“It was me. I said I would come. The black-haired unwanted princess. The imperial family hates even brushing fingers with Her Highness. So no one comes to this palace! The palace people despise and fear Her Highness. That’s why I said I would go!”

Rosette vomited suddenly. The magic was lifted. The force that had been forcibly holding Rosette disappeared and she collapsed to the floor.

“Urgh, cough! Kuk!”

While Rosette was throwing up, Abel stood without blinking an eye. Abel let out an eerie laugh.

“Well done, Rosette. Now that we’ve shared secrets like this, trust has been built, hasn’t it?”

“I’ll, I’ll tell Her Highness!”

“Can you really do that?”

Rosette’s face turned white. Abel knelt down in front of her. He grabbed Rosette’s chin. Even with grip strength that felt like it would crush her jaw, Rosette firmly suppressed her scream. This was Rosette who had endured even more miserable situations than this. She wouldn’t yield to this level of threat.

Yet tears streamed down unstoppably, as if unable to overcome instinct.

Perhaps it was a reaction to having her past forcibly dredged up. Things she had been able to forget by Marian’s side came flooding back. Rosette hugged her own body.

“You won’t be able to say anything to Marian, Rosette. Whenever you try to speak about me, your mouth will stick shut.”

Abel released Rosette’s chin. The magic had been properly cast.

“How very gentlemanly.”

“You, you barbarian……!”

“I didn’t kill you.”

Abel retorted coldly.

“You’re just a parasite clinging to Marian anyway. Is what you have really loyalty?”

“Yo, you’re the same! Do you think you could have gotten out of that place without Her Highness? If it weren’t for Her Highness, you would have already been dragged away and killed!”

Rosette spat out words mixed with curses and swearing. Rosette and Abel’s eyes, full of malice, met. Abel whispered chillingly.

“That’s why. I was saying one parasite is enough, but you couldn’t understand?”

“You demon! Barbarian! Filthy con artist!”

“Act in a way that lets me remain gentlemanly, Rosette.”

Rosette’s mouth stuck shut.

“Mmph, mmph!!”

“Liebee quietly like now if you can. I won’t forgive anything that becomes a threat to Marian. Do you understand me?”

Rosette glared at Abel with sharp blue eyes. Though it wasn’t threatening to Abel at all. Abel stood up.

Fortunately, it seemed there was no chance of Rosette betraying Marian.

She might be a murderer outside, but at least by Marian’s side she could pretend to live normally.

Abel licked his lips.

What would Marian be doing right now?

He was seriously worried if there might be other flies gathering around her. Marian was kind and gentle. There would be things that noticed her vulnerable heart and clung to her.

Like that woman.

It’s fine. Abel would protect her.

**

Marian pulled her hood down deeply.

What was lamentable was that Marian still had no money. The imperial family gave her nothing in order to thoroughly subjugate her.

Even this hood was an old item she barely obtained through Rosette.

‘I really need Liebe.’

Marian let out a sigh.

She had met Liebe in the Knight Order. Marian and Liebe quickly became close as they were in similar situations. Marian had enlisted in place of the deceased Cesare. No one was there to protect her, and the imperial family treated her like a useful horse.

Liebe’s situation wasn’t much different.

Born as the illegitimate child of a successful merchant guild master, she never had a peaceful day in her life. Perhaps it would have been better if she had nothing at all. The guild master had five children including Liebe, but among them, only Liebe had quick wit with numbers and a good eye for merchandise.

As a result, those who envied Liebe gradually increased.

Subtle harassment began, like glass shards appearing in Liebe’s food and her clothes being torn. The direct incident that led to Liebe’s enlistment was when the guild master’s eldest son tried to kill her.

Their common circumstances bound the two together.

Marian took a slight deep breath.

It was quite a striking exterior even among the streets filled with merchant guilds. Multiple lights hung on the large display window, and the sign read ‘Lucerta.’ Lucerta was a large merchant guild dealing in numerous items including clothes and luxury goods.

People were bustling about.

Marian used magic.

Black hair stands out anywhere, so she intended to cover it. Marian’s hair changed to a light brown common on the streets, her eyes to dark brown.

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

Marian slightly removed her hood and entered the merchant guild.

‘Back then, they said I needed to know my place and made me work at the merchant guild. Starting from menial tasks…… I cleaned the floors at the guild’s main branch. It was Mother’s orders.’

Marian entered the merchant guild. The inside was crowded with people. She was practically invisible. Marian searched for Liebe while walking around here and there.

‘She must be here somewhere…..’

Marian reluctantly released a bit of magic. It was to search for Liebe. Her senses expanded and she heard more sounds. And finally…

“Liebe! You won’t get paid if you work like this. There are still stains on the floor!”

Found her.

Marian’s Liebe.

A capable assistant with excellent skills not only in information warfare but also in economic sense.

And a friend who protected Marian until the end.

Marian went deep into the store to find Liebe. Liebe was washing a rag while sighing. A much younger face than the Liebe that Marian knew in the past.

Marian burst into laughter.

She couldn’t help but laugh from joy.

This was Liebe before being worn down by the world. A Liebe that shone much more brightly than the one Marian knew. Marian approached Liebe with joy.

“Liebe.”

Liebe turned her head sharply.

“What is it, you.”

Liebe thrust out the rag. A sharp expression for looking at a stranger. Though knowing it was really foolish to feel hurt by Liebe’s reaction like this, her heart stirred.

“……I came to meet you, Liebe.”

Marian’s magic briefly fell away before returning. Liebe’s eyes widened.

“Yo, you……!”

“Come to me, Liebe.”

Marian extended her hand to Liebe.

“I’ll let you hold ledgers and abacuses instead of rags.”

Liebe’s eyes wavered. The aspiration that Liebe had kept deep in her heart was exposed to a stranger she was meeting for the first time.

“Have we…… met before?”

“Perhaps, in some past fate.”

At Marian’s ambiguous answer, Liebe puffed her cheeks. She tossed the rag into the sink with a thud.

“I like the offer but I don’t know you. I don’t know exactly what I need to do either. My life’s goal is……”

“To live long and steady? Don’t worry, Liebe. You’ll never get hurt. I promise.”

Marian took one step, then another toward Liebe. Marian’s magic created a barrier that enveloped them both. The two disappeared into the barrier Marian created. So no one could see them.

Inside that space, Marian shed her magic disguise.

“I am Marian Federico. Princess of Federico and a mage who inherited the greatest power.”

Liebe’s eyes expanded.

“Th, that street princess……! Hup!”

Liebe covered her mouth. Marian laughed at that innocence.

“I came because I need your power, Liebe.”

“My power……”

“I plan to turn this world upside down. Will you join me?”

Liebe’s eyes wavered. In that moment, Liebe’s clever mind calculated several possibilities. According to rumors circulating secretly, Princess Marian was an unwanted child. That no one welcomed Marian. That she wasn’t as noble as she appeared on the surface.

No one knew better than Liebe how an illegitimate child who lived on the streets would be treated.

‘But to say she’ll turn the world upside down?’

She appears wearing shabby clothes and tries to get by with smiles. She’s the worst kind of opponent for a merchant. However, Liebe’s instincts were saying something different. To take that hand.

“……Will I be of any use?”

“Very much so.”

“Do you really need me?”

“Would I have come here if I didn’t?”

Liebe choked up and grabbed Marian’s hand. It was an impulsive and emotional decision. But nevertheless, this felt right. Marian smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll go. Please take me with you.”

Marian nodded.

She had gained Liebe. This was another step closer to the future Marian envisioned.

“What should I do now? It seems like you’ll need many things.”

Marian replied directly.

“I need money. Not just money but information too. I believe you can fill in what I lack.”

Liebe smiled slightly.

“Don’t worry about such things, Your Highness.”

Don’t worry. Marian had never seen anyone as sharp as Liebe in her life. At that moment, she heard voices.

‘Your Highness, Your Highness!’

And saw hallucinations.

‘Aaaahhhhh!’