“What? You’re saying Benjamin fought from the start instead of just leisurely watching until someone was about to die?”

That Benjamin, who used to just watch regardless of people dying, actually fought hard?

It was unbelievable unless I saw it with my own eyes.

“Anya, you speak as if you’ve seen Benjamin’s fighting style before.”

Oh no. I guess I was too unnatural this time.

I let out a long sigh and tried to calm my excitement.

“No way, how could that be? I just do odd jobs at this guild. I’m definitely not an ability user.”

“….”

“Besides, everyone who pays even a little attention to the Center knows about Benjamin’s leisurely attitude!”

In other words, Benjamin was a star.

The social circles and the Center were full of his followers like Rosie.

They even say they sell his worn clothes and used gloves in the black market.

People paid fortunes for things I wouldn’t take even if paid for them.

Therefore, everyone who should know already knew about his fighting behavior.

There were countless women who fell for his leisurely attitude and arrogance.

But as someone who had been his guide, I could never understand that aspect.

Because Benjamin’s leisurely attitude determined many people’s lives.

If he had appeared just a little earlier, many people wouldn’t have died.

Having witnessed quite a few of these tragic deaths, I couldn’t defend Benjamin.

“You seem to have a lot of interest in the Center.”

“W-well, they’re cool! I admire strong people.”

“So that’s why you’re so interested in Benjamin.”

Ah… Should I just go along with that for now?

I awkwardly laughed and changed the subject.

“Anyway, so the battle ended without any major incidents.”

“Yes, Benjamin’s performance was remarkable.”

Though Benjamin’s strange behavior bothered me, I couldn’t guess the reason for this change.

I could only hope it was just a momentary whim.

“Rather than being scared, it was actually much more fun than I expected.”

It didn’t seem like she was just saying it, but completely sincere.

Olivia’s face lit up as if recalling that day.

Come to think of it, the Olivia in the original story enjoyed all of this too.

The otherworldly monsters that could appear at any time, dealing with the three troublemakers with their distinct personalities…

She even enjoyed being imprisoned by Benjamin later.

I remembered Olivia’s narrative from the original story, which I had read with a memorable and chilling impression.

Olivia brushed back her disheveled hair. The shackles on her wrist made a clanking sound.

Of course, with shackles on her ankles too, she couldn’t escape from her prison.

Even in this bleak reality, Olivia laughed boisterously.

“Hahaha.”

Her dry laughter filled the underground prison of the Duke’s mansion.

“This is such a f*cking fun experience. Isn’t it, Benjamin?”

…Wow. That fierce swearing is impossible to forget.

Olivia, who couldn’t resist anything interesting and special, actually suited the role of a villain more than a kind protagonist.

Perhaps more like an attractive villain with a slightly twisted mind.

‘But since Benjamin is also crazy in the end, they might be a match made in heaven.’

When I met her in the forest, I wanted to be friends, but now recalling the original story, it seemed impossible.

Olivia was a woman I couldn’t handle.

Why had I completely forgotten that she was close to being a maniac?

“Anya? Did I perhaps offend you? You’re just staring at me without saying anything.”

Maybe it’s because Olivia’s bright smile was so beautiful.

How could anyone treat such a lovely woman, beautiful even to another woman’s eyes, as a maniac?

I suddenly thought of the devil who seduces people with beautiful actions and drags them into the gutter.

“Ah, no! I just got lost in thought for a moment. Were there any other interesting things at the Center?”

“Interesting things… Well. There is something you might know about.”

“What is it?”

“Baron, Lambert, and Benjamin are confused because I look like a woman named Diana. It’s quite troublesome.”

“I’ve heard about it vaguely. Please hang in there.”

I encouraged her as if I understood that troublesome situation.

Of course, unlike Olivia, I didn’t receive their troublesome attention out of goodwill.

I had to guide whenever Baron and Lambert wanted, silently endure Baron’s verbal abuse, couldn’t resist Benjamin’s whims, and even had to prepare Lambert’s dinner.

I must have been a maid, not a guide. Damn it.

“Anya, thank you for the encouragement. And there’s something else.”

Olivia’s face brightened as she pondered. She seemed to recall another interesting incident.

“Ah, speaking of which, I heard Lambert collapsed on the day I got lost in the forest.”

“Oh, really?”

“Apparently, he’s been insisting that someone held his hand after he regained consciousness. He won’t listen even though everyone says there was no one around.”

“….”

“The Center people are amazed because it’s the first time Lambert has acted strangely.”

I barely managed to suppress a gasp.

How could he remember the touch of my hand when he should have been completely unconscious?

Damn, should I have just left Lambert to die back then?

But how could I ignore someone dying right in front of me, especially when I could save them?

I slumped my shoulders, suddenly feeling depressed.

The silver lining was that the Center people didn’t accept Lambert’s claims.

I desperately hoped it would pass as a minor incident and he wouldn’t look for me, but…

“And Lambert is frantically searching for that person.”

Olivia’s shocking words finally made me want to cry out.

Damn! How am I going to resolve this?

“That day, you were in that forest with your lover, right?”

“Yes…”

“Could it be that you’re shocked because you were the one who held Lambert’s hand?”

“Yes… What?”

I responded weakly before being startled.

“Hahaha. Anya, you really can’t lie. It shows even with your face covered.”

“N-no! You’re misunderstanding. I don’t even know what Lambert looks like!”

When I strongly denied it, Olivia leaned forward.

She brought her face close enough for our breaths to mingle and whispered.

“At this rate, Lambert might find out something. He’s really serious about finding that person.”

Gulp. I unconsciously swallowed dry saliva at the sudden tension.

“If you confess honestly now, I’ll help you.”

“How?”

“You and your lover weren’t the only ones in that forest that day. I was there too.”

“What?”

“I’ll say I was the one who held Lambert’s hand.”

It was a tempting offer.

If Olivia took the initiative, nothing dangerous would happen to me.

Lambert wouldn’t doubt her words.

He might even think he survived because of her guidance.

And he might come to like her more, considering it fate.

However.

While Olivia in the original story was a good person, she wasn’t kind enough to help strangers out of pure goodwill.

I thought her kindness wouldn’t come free.

Sure enough, Olivia’s eyes gleamed dangerously as I faced her up close.

“I won’t ask why you held Lambert’s hand that day. Instead, you’ll have to help me too.”

“….”

“I want money as payment for helping you. I need money right now.”

“Money?”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll give you a good deal.”

“But I’m just a guild member doing odd jobs. Money…”

“Oh, Anya. I didn’t want to say this, but you leave me no choice.”

“….”

“This is the Guildmaster’s study. And you’re sitting in the Guildmaster’s seat without hesitation. Also, no guild member is stopping you.”

“…”

“Then there are two possibilities. Either you’re the Guildmaster, or your lover is. Based on your similar appearances, I’m certain you both belong to the same organization.”

All her deductions were accurate.

I could only remain silent like someone who had forgotten how to speak.

My silence confirmed everything she said. Both about holding Lambert’s hand and my connection to the Guildmaster.

Meanwhile, Olivia concluded her speculation.

“Are you still going to say you don’t have money?”

It was a remarkable insight that caught me off guard.

What others might have passed without suspicion, Olivia had observed and analyzed with chilling precision.

I finally surrendered.

This was a game I could never win from the start.

I didn’t have Olivia’s eloquence or cool-headedness.

Moreover, this current situation…