“I wonder how much would be appropriate.”

The Guildmaster pondered as if considering the price.

“A-Are you serious?”

“I’m joking.”

“Don’t joke with such a serious face! I almost misunderstood you as a heartless person.”

“Well, it’s not entirely wrong. Haha.”

I glared at the Guildmaster.

I felt foolish for having thought of Duncan when looking at this cold-hearted man.

The two of them, they’re not alike at all!

How upset would Duncan be if he knew I had equated him with such a narrow-minded man.

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re not hurt. To be honest, if it weren’t for Bless, I would have been late too.”

“Gasp. Did Bless bring you here?”

“Yes.”

As soon as he answered, Bless, who had momentarily disappeared, reappeared and flew around me.

It seemed like he was checking if I had any injuries.

―Kyuu kyuu kyuu gu!

“You say you spotted the Guildmaster nearby while flying over the poachers?”

―Kyuu kyuu.

That’s what he’s saying.

“My potato field is nearby. I was tending to it when Bless suddenly started pecking at my head. You can’t imagine how surprised I was. Although I couldn’t understand his words, I could sense that something serious had happened to you.”

“I see.”

“…Yerena, no, I mean Master.”

“……”

I couldn’t say anything in response to his serious call.

The Guildmaster standing before me had his expression hidden under his hood.

But judging from his tightly pressed lips, I could tell he wasn’t joking.

“We are business partners. I’ve invested a large sum in your business trusting you, so nothing bad should happen to you.”

“I admit I was rash today. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“When I thought something had happened to you, I was so…”

A bead of sweat rolled down the Guildmaster’s cheek as he trailed off.

The sweat that gathered at his sharp chin eventually dripped to the ground.

“It’s a bit hot after running here.”

Did he run to the point of sweating because he was worried about me?

Just as I was about to be moved by the Guildmaster’s actions, I suddenly remembered something I had momentarily forgotten.

‘The person the Guildmaster should be saving isn’t me, but the female lead! What’s going to happen now?’

I tried to imagine what would happen if the female lead couldn’t form a connection with the Guildmaster.

First, the female lead wouldn’t be able to get much information about the events in the capital from the guild.

And she would also lose the Guildmaster, who would have been a great helper.

In other words, the female lead would have to endure the harsh treatment of the three ruffians without any helpers.

‘This is too cruel for the female lead…’

I couldn’t push the female lead into danger because of me.

Although I wasn’t fond of Yerena’s harsh fate who had substituted for the female lead’s role, it didn’t mean I disliked the female lead.

To confess, I actually liked the female lead.

She resembled Diana, the saint of the three ruffians, but unlike Diana’s gentle manner of speaking, she always said what she needed to say.

I admired her confidence and ambition, qualities I could never find in myself.

I also liked that the female lead wasn’t just purely kind.

She had a cunning side too, selling information about the three ruffians to the guild in exchange for other information she was curious about.

‘You know? If a person is only kind, they can’t survive in this world.’

Anyway, I couldn’t take away her helper.

“Since you’ve come this far, would you like to see my potato field?”

Although it might be disappointing for the Guildmaster, I had zero interest in the potato field.

“You don’t know how beautiful potato flowers are. It’s a place I don’t show to anyone except those involved, but you’re my darling after all.”

The Guildmaster kept spouting nonsense, unaware of my dilemma.

Is there no way to make him and the female lead form a connection without mentioning the original story?

I stared up at him intently.

“Haha. Are you moved by this special treatment? Or have you fallen for my gun-shooting skills? Your gaze is so intense, it’s practically burning.”

“Do you always live with such delusions?”

“Living in delusion might be the shortcut to living happily in this world.”

Is this what they call a profound answer to a foolish question?

“Forget about the potato field. I’ll head back on my own, so Honey, please stay here for a while.”

“Just me? For what reason?”

I haven’t thought of an excuse yet.

Instead of answering, I glanced at Bless. Bless tilted his head and chirped softly.

―Kuu, kuu?

‘Is there a problem?’

Should I make up an excuse using Bless?

“Bless says there’s a lost woman nearby.”

―Kyuuuu?

‘When did I?’

“Bless is also saying that it would be better if Honey helped that woman?”

―…….

Bless looked at me incredulously with his bean-like eyes.

I deliberately ignored that gaze.

Bless, I’m sorry. I’ll explain the situation later.

Although calculating, the Guildmaster had helped me whenever I was in trouble.

So I thought he would help the lost female lead this time too.

But he twisted his lips crookedly.

“Why should I do that? Whether she’s lost or not, what’s that got to do with me?”

“Huh? Aren’t you the same person who was just talking about happiness? Why have you suddenly become so twisted?”

“Darling. I don’t show kindness to just anyone.”

“……”

“I don’t call just anyone ‘darling’, you know.”

Those words sounded like he was saying he liked me.

Of course, I strongly felt it was a misunderstanding.

There’s no way this inscrutable man could like me.

He only calls me ‘darling’ because I’m probably the most unique and interesting among the people he deals with.

His heart was too unreadable to attach much meaning to that term of endearment.

“If it’s such a bother, why don’t you help her yourself, darling?”

Even if he formed a connection with me, I couldn’t be of help to the female lead.

And if I helped, there was a possibility that the three ruffians would discover my survival.

“I’m a fugitive! I can’t help just anyone.”

At that moment, another voice came between us.

“Is anyone there?”

It was a woman’s voice, like rolling marbles.

The voice, neither too high nor too low, was so beautiful that once heard, it couldn’t be forgotten.

Even without seeing her face, I could tell the owner of that voice would be pretty.

Soon, a woman emerged from the forest.

“It’s nice to meet you! I was just wondering what to do after getting lost!”

The woman who appeared was delighted to see us suspicious characters with our hoods on.

She didn’t even seem to mind the unsettling environment surrounding us.

I looked around instead of at the woman.

Three men were tied to a tree, a blood-soaked sack, and guns dropped on the ground.

‘Isn’t this a situation to be afraid of?’

But the woman’s face only bore a full smile.

With that pretty smile that instantly broke down all wariness, I found myself staring at her blankly.

It wasn’t just her smile that was beautiful.

Silver hair that looked like it had been treated with the finest hair products, flawless white skin, a high-bridged nose, doll-like long eyelashes…

Even her figure was excellent. Those beautiful curves were clearly visible despite wearing loose clothing.

She was completely different from Yerena, who had become skinny from eating only at the cheap cafeteria due to lack of money.

I wish I could be born like that in my next life.

I wonder if I need to save a country to be born like that.

It wasn’t easy to take my eyes off the beautiful woman.

I tend to be weak for pretty and handsome things.

Despite my obvious stare, the woman didn’t seem to mind and instead walked towards me.

Soon, she came right up to me and grabbed my unguarded hand.

Even the woman’s hands were soft. As if she had never experienced any hardship.

“Would you help me? I need to go to ‘Chelsea Center’ in the forest, but I don’t know the way.”

A suddenly appeared lost silver-haired beauty, and her destination, Chelsea Center.

This woman was undoubtedly the female lead from the original story.

The female lead, who should form a connection with the Guildmaster right at this moment!

The female lead, who looks exactly like Diana and will throw the three ruffians into confusion!

As I realized the female lead’s identity, the original story’s content that I had momentarily forgotten came flooding back.