22. They Say There’s No Such Thing as a Free Favor in This World

“I’ve never seen anyone this hopeless with directions before…”

“Gasp.”

As if he had read her mind, the cheerful voice came from right above her head.

“You were thinking that just now, weren’t you?”

He asked with a grin that made it impossible not to be startled.

‘He looks like someone who’s just all charm and cheer, but he’s surprisingly sharp.’

“I tend to be a little perceptive. Probably because of my line of work.”

‘!’

For the second time, her inner thoughts had been read, and Hailey barely managed to mask her surprise.

“Don’t tell me… you’re a fortune-teller or something?”

A mystical, handsome man touched by the spirits! A master of fate and destiny?

“Haha, not quite. I’m just a simple merchant.”

He casually tossed his luscious blonde hair back and smiled shyly at Hailey.

“I’m Kassian Grandel of the Marion Trading Company.”

“I’m Hailey Brooke, an apprentice maid serving at the Detached Palace.”

Trying to be somewhat formal, Hailey introduced herself. Kassian quietly observed her for a moment.

“Ah… so you’re that Maid Hailey.”

His vivid green eyes lingered on her, as if he already knew her name. Hailey let out a deep sigh.

“Sigh…”

“?”

“It seems my name has made its way outside the palace walls.”

Otherwise, how could a random merchant know the name of a mere apprentice maid?

“Haha, well, I did hear a rumor about a lucky maid who survived throwing laundry at the Crown Prince…”

“Knew it.”

It was clear that her dreams of a peaceful and quiet life were well and truly over. As Hailey exhaled another weary sigh, Kassian gave her a playful smile.

“It’s an honor to meet the famous Maid Hailey.”

‘Honor, my foot…’

Just as Hailey was about to grumble inwardly, Kassian reached out toward the laundry basket she was holding.

“You’re taking this to the Detached Palace, right? Let me carry it for you.”

Before she had a chance to refuse, the laundry basket was already in his hands.

“Whoa, this is pretty heavy. Haha.”

Hailey walked alongside Kassian, who was being overly dramatic about the weight.

‘A handsome man who’s sharp and even kind…’

Even if he was a character from a novel, it was hard to believe such a unicorn actually existed in real life. Oh, come to think of it—wasn’t he from the Marion Trading Company?

“Wait… do you mean the Marion Trading Company?”

The Marion Trading Company was the largest in the empire. Rumor had it their wealth rivaled even the imperial palace, and considering the size of the company, that might not be an exaggeration.

“Well, unless there are two Marion Trading Companies in the empire, then yes.”

“Is your family name perhaps… Marion?”

Hailey suspected Kassian might not just be affiliated with the company, but actually related to its owner. And she was right. Kassian chuckled as he continued carrying the laundry basket.

“Bingo. I am part of the family, though the elders are always scolding me.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“As you can see, they say I don’t have my head on straight—like I’m missing a few screws up here. Plus, they’re always sending me on business trips all over the empire, saying I need to learn the trade… Isn’t that a bit harsh for a sweet grandchild like me?”

His lighthearted grumbling made Hailey laugh.

“Then you must’ve traveled all over the empire.”

“That’s right. Whether it’s the sea, the desert, or even the Imperial palace—if it’s for business, a merchant has to go wherever needed.”

‘In that case…’

A thought popped into Hailey’s head, and she turned to Kassian.

“Then have you ever been to the Evas region?”

“Of course. I stayed there quite a while to export their specialty textiles.”

“Then… do you happen to know the noble family called the Count of Vernette?”

“Vernette… Count Vernette…”

“Oh, they might not actually be counts. But I’m certain they’re a noble family.”

It was possible the Vernette family had been lower-ranked nobility and only gained their title after meeting Kincaid.

‘If they weren’t nobility in the first place, they wouldn’t have caught the Crown Prince’s eye, so it’s certain they are noble.’

“Hmmm… I feel like I might’ve heard the name before…”

Kassian brought a hand to his chin, putting on a thoughtful expression.

‘Wow… Was the Vernette family really that minor of a side character?’

It was surprising that even members of a well-connected trading family wouldn’t know of such a supporting character.

“If it’s something important, would you like me to look into it?”

Surprised by the unexpected offer, Hailey looked up at Kassian, who once again wore his warm, pleasant smile.

“There are still employees of ours stationed in the Evas region, so finding out wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Oh…”

“It seems like it’s quite important to you, Miss Hailey, so I’d like to help.”

Then Kassian’s deep green eyes turned toward Hailey.

“Of course, I’ll keep it confidential.”

Once again reading her thoughts, the man lifted a finger to his lips and gave it a little shake. It was an extremely tempting offer, but…

“I’d be really grateful if you helped me, but… there’s really nothing in it for you, Kassian.”

‘There’s no such thing as a favor without a price, huh?’

That had been Hailey’s life motto in this life and the last, both filled with hardship.

“As you said, I’m a merchant—I don’t do things that lose me money.”

Kassian said firmly, now serious, looking directly at her.

“That’s exactly why I want to help you. Supporting someone who might become Grand Duchess Eleonora’s right hand someday—wouldn’t that be a huge benefit to me and my company?”

The unexpected comment left Hailey momentarily speechless.

“Haha, was that too transparent?”

The sudden lighthearted remark completely contradicted his earlier serious tone.

‘Seriously… I can’t get a read on this guy.’

Ever since realizing this world was the setting of a fictional novel, this was the first time she’d met someone so unpredictable.

“Hailey! What are you doing over there?”

At the familiar voice, Hailey turned around to see Linda waving her arms wildly from the building’s entrance. Before they realized it, the two of them had walked out of the garden and arrived right in front of the palace.

“What have you been doing all this time? The palace is in a chaos right now!”

Linda strode over, her face twisted in irritation.

“A chaos? What happened?”

“They say the head of the Marion Trading Company who came to visit the palace has gone missing, and now the guards are frantically searching for him!”

Where on earth did the old man disappear to?

As soon as Linda started complaining, Hailey turned toward Kassian with a horrified expression.

The head of the Marion Trading Company? No way…

“Haha, I suppose I should reintroduce myself, given the situation. I am Kassian Grandel Marion, the head of the Marion Trading Company.”

“…”

“I tend to be a little shy, so I usually only go by my middle name… haha.”

‘Unbelievable…’

As the charming man chuckled sheepishly and Hailey stood speechless, Linda glanced between the two, then poked Hailey in the side and whispered:

“Goodness… How did you become close with the head of the Marion Trading Company? Seriously, Hailey, you’ve got some kind of talent.”

***

“Kassian! Where on earth have you been!”

The moment they entered the parlor with the guards, the Grand Duchess cried out in a frantic voice.

“My apologies for being late, Your Grace.”

Kassian bowed his head politely, then put on his usual bright smile.

“I was so captivated by the beautiful scenery of the palace that I completely lost track of time. I sincerely apologize for causing you worry, sister.”

“Sister?”

As Hailey mumbled from the edge of the room, quietly watching the scene unfold, Linda leaned over and whispered:

“The Grand Duchess’s mother is from the Marion family. If I remember right, they’re probably cousins.”

“!”

Hailey’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected revelation.

‘Cousins… Now that I think about it, they do kind of look alike.’

The Grand Duchess, delicate like a single lily blooming in a greenhouse, and Kassian, whose vibrant presence resembled a blooming rose, were certainly striking beauties in different ways.

“You really haven’t changed a bit, still as scatterbrained as ever even as an adult. Do you know how worried I was, thinking something might have happened to you…?”

“Ah, well, you see, sister. Actually—”

Kassian opened his mouth to explain, but—

Just then, with a loud bang, the parlor doors swung open roughly.

‘Eek, what is he doing here?’

Storming into the room like he meant to tear the doors off was none other than Crown Prince Kincaid. The moment Hailey saw his usual scowling expression, mental alarms started blaring in her head.

“Greetings to His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The maids and attendants in the room quickly bowed in greeting, but Kincaid didn’t spare them a glance as he strode inside.

Then, his sharp gaze locked onto Hailey, who was still holding the laundry basket she’d ended up with.

‘Why is he glaring at me? I haven’t even done anything yet today, I swear!’

While she was used to him being irritable around her, this was the first time he’d snapped the moment they crossed paths.

“Your Highness, I apologize for causing any unnecessary concern. Kassian arrived safely just moments ago,” the Grand Duchess said politely.

Kincaid gave a slight nod in response. Then he turned and shot a piercing glare at Kassian—the man at the center of all this commotion.

“A merchant who claims to do business across the entire empire somehow got lost in nothing more than the palace garden? Ridiculous.”

Without so much as an introduction, Kincaid’s sharp-tongued insult flew straight at Kassian. Yet Kassian remained calm and simply bowed his head with a composed expression.

“My apologies for the trouble, Your Highness. I am Kassian Marion, head of the Marion Trading Company.”

“……”

“I sincerely thank you for allowing our company to handle deliveries for this quarter.”