Chapter 1.1

Tap-tap-tap-tap, clack.

The woman typing on the typewriter drew attention in many ways. Starting with her blonde hair, which was rare even in Elpendor. Her emerald-green eyes that sparkled transparently under the sunlight and her unusually pale skin, likely due to her profession, were also captivating.  

‘That’s why.’  

Ian justified himself. He couldn’t help but keep looking at her. Jane, unaware of Ian’s thoughts, was deeply engrossed in the typing she had only recently gotten used to.  

As lips met and breaths intertwined in that moment… a clueless voice interrupted.  

“Jane.”  

The hands that had been moving swiftly paused. Jane didn’t raise her head and resumed typing.  

Tongues entangled and emotions shared…  

“Jane?”  

The problem was that the voice was persistent.  

Fingers intertwined, breaths spilling between lips…  

“Jane, Jane!”  

“Oh, seriously!”  

Eventually, the sentences in her head became a tangled mess. 

I could have written an amazing scene! 

Jane snapped her head up in annoyance. Standing there was Ian, holding 〈On the Aesthetic Arrogance of Elpendor〉 Jane was horrified to realize he hadn’t even read ten pages yet. 

He could read through documents in the blink of an eye! 

Holding back the urge to say something, Jane shouted instead,  

“What now?”  

“There’s something I don’t understand.”  

“Something you don’t understand? Already?”  

It seemed he had just reached the part where the male protagonist appeared, but to not understand from there? Was this man serious? 

Jane doubted her ears. But Ian was serious. He nodded slightly, glanced away, then looked back at Jane and asked,  

“―Why is he a Duke?”  

“What kind of nonsense is that?”  

“The protagonist of 〈Lady Elizabeth〉, why does he have to be a Duke? Is there some special reason for it?”  

Ahem. Clearing his throat and loosening his cravat, Ian looked somewhat embarrassed. Jane stared at him blankly, wondering if that was really a question. Her emerald-green eyes narrowed. Surely not. No, surely not. Jane firmly believed she must be misunderstanding.  

But Ian, asking such a question, somehow seemed a bit sheepish.  

‘Oh, please, Jane.’  

She sighed softly and shook her head. By this point, Ian shared some of the blame. He even looked awkwardly away, clearly embarrassed for some reason. When Jane didn’t respond, Ian hesitated, then continued.  

“Well, you did say before that you often get inspiration from your surroundings… so maybe…”  

“Maybe what?”  

“…Do I really have to say it out loud?”  

“…What exactly are you trying to say?”  

Jane, determined not to jump to conclusions, pressed him further. At this point, anyone else would have given up, but Ian persisted.  

“There must be some reason why you made him a Duke, right?”  

As Ian straightened his posture and adjusted his collar, Jane fell into thought again. 

Why was he fiddling with the crest of the Hixston family like that? Was he suddenly bragging about being a Duke? Or was he unwell?  

Thinking she should mention it to the butler later, Jane replied,  

“The protagonist is a Duke because you told me to write about nobles. You said to write about aspiring nobles in Elpendor, didn’t you?”  

“If that’s the intention, wouldn’t an Earl or a Baron be more appropriate? It might be hard to relate to a Duke. Isn’t there another reason?”  

Another reason? What other reason could there be? 

Jane sighed at Ian’s utterly serious question. To think she was writing a masterpiece with this man. Truly, assumptions should be reined in. Reflecting on the truths of life, Jane replied coldly,  

“Ian, please stop making it so obvious that you’ve never read romance before. Asking why Dukes are popular… seriously.”  

“What I mean is…”  

“Enough. The more I hear, the more ridiculous it gets.”  

If you don’t know, read and learn. 

Having said that sharply, Jane shook her head and corrected herself.  

“No, wait. If you don’t understand why they’re popular, reading won’t help. Just memorize it.”  

Faced with Jane’s firm words, Ian reluctantly nodded.  

The question he had wanted to ask—‘Did you make the protagonist a Duke because I’m a Duke?’—never made it out of his mouth.  

Whether Ian cared or not, Jane, who had told him not to interrupt, resumed typing.  

‘Oh, seriously, I have no idea what that man is thinking.’  

Completely unaware of Ian’s true feelings.  

***

The beautiful Empire of Elpendor.  

The central avenue of Elpendor’s capital was always bustling with laughter, chatter, and the cries announcing the start of plays. And amidst it all, there was a confident stride cutting through the crowd.  

“Mommy, mommy, look over there! That lady’s hair is weird!”  

At the child’s innocent exclamation, everyone’s gaze turned in one direction. But only for a moment. Soon enough, their eyes returned to their original focus.  

“Shh, don’t say things like that! Come here, Ria.”  

The reason people turned away and the child’s mother hurriedly picked up her beloved daughter was simple. The woman the child had pointed at truly had strange hair. To be precise, a woman with disheveled hair and a messy outfit was walking across the square.  

She didn’t care whether people whispered about her or not. In fact, Jane, the woman in question, didn’t even notice the stares.  

“That bastard, I’m not letting him off!”  

Grinding her teeth and muttering, Jane’s emerald-green eyes sparkled with fury. Her heavy breathing, as if she might breathe fire, was just a bonus.  

Jane’s appearance was of a kind rarely seen in Elpendor. Golden hair that shimmered under the sunlight and deep emerald-green eyes. Both were rare traits, and having both, along with her striking beauty, made her stand out even more.  

However, those who glanced at Jane weren’t admiring her beauty.  

“How dare he intercept my debt? And raise the interest by 8%?”  

Her anger was too intense for admiration. Jane was so enraged that she strode into an alley she wouldn’t have even glanced at under normal circumstances.  

‘Whoever that bastard is, I won’t let him off.’  

Elpendor’s beautiful corners were riddled with narrow, dirty alleys. Some were dangerous, and the one Jane had just stepped into was one of them. A few people peered out from behind dark walls at her, but upon seeing her disheveled state, they quickly disappeared.  

Her hair was a mess, her muslin dress in tatters, and her steps were heavy and forceful. She exuded an aura that warned others not to mess with her.  

Unintentionally avoiding any interference, Jane arrived in front of a large building and frowned. Her eyes narrowed. Suspicion laced her voice as it echoed softly in the air.  

“Here?”  

Confused, she double-checked the address on the letter and the plaque on the building. Her strained eyes twitched as she squinted at the tiny text. Despite checking multiple times, it was all for nothing. She had hoped otherwise, but this was indeed the place.  

But really?  

Jane’s eyes narrowed with doubt.  

‘This doesn’t make sense.’  

She glanced around. Loan guilds usually boasted extravagant exteriors. Like Castle, the one her family owed money to.  

But what about here? The location of Calrod was in one of the cheapest rental areas of the capital. Worse, it was tucked into the most secluded corner.  

Narrow, dark, filthy alleys.  

And among them, the one that reeked the most.  

That’s where Calrod was.  

In an old, crumbling building.  

‘Something’s off.’  

Jane stepped back and looked around. The building appeared slightly tilted. Jane’s head tilted along with it. Yes, it was definitely leaning.  

No matter how she thought about it, this didn’t seem like the kind of place a loan guild would operate from.  

Loan guilds mostly followed a pattern: flashy exteriors, polished staff, and lavish interiors.  

Castle was no exception. In fact, even if you gathered all the loan guilds in the capital, none could rival Castle. There was even a joke that being in debt to Castle meant you’d made it, as Castle was wealthier than any other loan guild.  

‘Did they write the address wrong? No, that can’t be.’  

Rephelia was also a debtor, fattening Castle’s coffers for three generations now.

In other words, even nobles like Rephelia, who had fallen into utter ruin, owed money to Castle. So, there was no need to explain how extravagant Castle Guild’s exterior was or how polished its employees appeared.  

The first time Jane went to repay the debt, she was embarrassed by her worn-out dress and shoes.  

‘Something is definitely wrong.’  

In that sense, the guild called Calrod—or was it Calrid?—was undoubtedly strange. If not, then they must be throwing interest rates, ones that would shock even loan sharks, into utterly absurd places. At least, that’s what Jane thought.  

“…It won’t collapse, will it?”  

She muttered, raising her eyebrows. It was a sharp critique but a reasonable suspicion. A creaking wooden sign and walls with long cracks that looked as though they might collapse at any moment. No matter how generously one described it, Calrod didn’t seem like a ‘profitable’ guild.  

Jane scratched at the peeling paint on the walls for no reason, sighing as she thought she couldn’t make sense of anything. Regardless, she had a problem to deal with. She couldn’t just turn away because the building looked shabby.  

‘Well. What’s the worst that could happen?’