Chapter 1.2

After locking her plans in the drawer with a key, someone entered her bedroom without knocking.  

There was only one person who could enter her room without knocking.  

It was her trusted friend, Elisabeth.  

Born as the daughter of a nanny, Elisabeth had spent her childhood with Hildeltrud.  

She was the only friend Hildeltrud trusted and relied on.  

Hildeltrud regarded Elisabeth as family and did everything for her.  

Elisabeth approached with a bright smile.  

Hildeltrud looked at Elisabeth’s smiling face and barely suppressed the anger surging within her.  

“I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you alright?”  

“Thank you for your concern, Elisabeth. I’m fine now.”  

“That’s a relief. You don’t know how worried I was.”  

Hildeltrud forced herself to smile at Elisabeth’s words, but she felt insincerity in her tone.  

Why had she only realized it now?  

Elisabeth had never been sincere toward her.  

She had been truly foolish and naive.  

“So, you’ll be able to go out today, right?”  

“Go out?”  

“Did you forget? We were supposed to visit the newly opened dessert shop today.”  

“Were we?”  

“What? Don’t tell me you forgot our promise?”  

Elisabeth’s face fell in disappointment, her shoulders slumping.  

Hildeltrud clenched her fists tightly and forced a smile.  

“Sorry, I must’ve forgotten. But let’s go another time. I may be feeling better, but the physician advised me to rest for a while.”  

“Well, if that’s the case, I can’t argue. But you have to promise we’ll go once you’re feeling better.”  

“Alright, let’s do that.”  

After managing to placate Elisabeth and send her away, Hildeltrud clutched her chest.  

She had to deceive Elisabeth for her plan, but facing her filled her heart with hatred and pain.  

“Endure it. You must endure it for the sake of revenge.”  

Hildeltrud straightened her hand pressing against her chest and relaxed her hardened expression.  

Then, she practiced smiling in front of the mirror, just like she used to.  

To deceive them thoroughly, she had to act like the naive and innocent Hildeltrud they knew.  

“If you treat me with insincerity, I’ll wear a mask for you as well.”  

She would hide her true self completely and tighten their throats, leading them to ruin.  

She vowed to show them what true hell was.  

***

Hildeltrud spent her days quietly, claiming she was unwell.  

To exact her revenge, she needed to devise meticulous plans.  

The Duke and Patrick frequently visited her to check on her health and even sent the physician to see her.  

But since there was nothing wrong with her body, the physician simply advised her to rest.  

Hearing this, the Duke and Patrick would leave with reassured expressions.  

Each time, Hildeltrud felt immense gratitude and happiness knowing her family was alive.  

Sitting at her desk, Hildeltrud reviewed the plans she had laid out.  

Her plans detailed the events to come and the tasks she needed to accomplish.  

After confirming her plans, she locked them away in the drawer with a key.  

To put them into action, she decided to go out.  

Pulling the bell cord, Jenny entered the room.  

“Jenny, what are Elisabeth and the nanny doing?”  

“The nanny went out with Miss Elisabeth.”  

“Went out? Where did they go?”  

“They said they were going to pray at the temple for your recovery.”  

“They went to the temple?”  

“Yes.”  

Fortunately, she wouldn’t run into the nanny or Elisabeth while they were out.  

“Jenny, help me prepare to go out. I have somewhere to be.”  

“Yes, Milady.”  

With Jenny’s help, Hildeltrud finished preparing and climbed into the carriage accompanied by her escort knight.  

The place Hildeltrud visited was a jewelry store called <Moon’s Gate>.  

<Moon’s Gate> was a jewelry store that served as a front for the information network, Silver Moon’s base of operations.  

The reason Hildeltrud sought out this place was to trade information.  

“Wait here. I’m just buying some jewelry and will be right out.”  

Leaving her escort knight at the entrance, Hildeltrud entered the store.  

“Welcome.”  

The store clerk greeted her warmly.  

“What kind of jewelry are you looking for?”  

“I want to purchase ‘The Moon Embracing the Stars’, Silver Moon.”  

At her words, the clerk’s eyes sparkled.  

“You must be looking for a special piece of jewelry. The rare ones are over here. Please follow me.”  

Nodding, Hildeltrud followed the clerk into a room at the back of the store.  

As the door opened, an entirely new space revealed itself.  

It was a luxurious room.  

The ornate antique furniture and gold-painted walls gleamed, flaunting wealth.  

“Master, we have a guest here to purchase a rare piece of jewelry.”  

At a desk made of fine wood sat a man wearing a golden mask.  

The man, like the room, was adorned with extravagant items.  

The gold necklace around his neck was studded with gems, and all ten fingers were adorned with gold rings.  

It was an undeniably ostentatious sight.  

“I am Master Cain. Please have a seat, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Since he hadn’t bothered to hide his identity, it was no surprise Cain recognized her.  

After all, no one in the empire would be unfamiliar with the treasured daughter of the Duke of Astros.  

Cain gestured to the sofa, and Hildeltrud sat down without hesitation.  

“What kind of rare jewelry are you looking for, Lady?”  

Cain’s gaze was curious as he looked at Hildeltrud. It seemed like he was intrigued. Without hesitation, Hildeltrud spoke.  

“Find the places where the Crown Prince’s women are.”  

Cain’s expression turned amused as he looked at Hildeltrud.  

“Why would the fiancée of the Crown Prince want to uncover her betrothed’s secrets?”  

“That’s none of your concern. Just tell me the price.”  

Moon’s Gate wasn’t a place where transactions were made with money alone.  

They required payment in the form of something they desired.  

As the most powerful information network in the Empire of Azerta, Silver Moon could uncover even the color of the Emperor’s undergarments.  

Knowing this, Hildeltrud had sought them out to establish connections early and gain faster access to information.  

Seeing her displeased expression, Cain acknowledged his mistake.  

“My apologies. I let my curiosity get the better of me…”  

Cain clasped his hands together and looked at Hildeltrud.  

“The information you seek falls under the highest tier. The payment must match its value.”  

“I’m prepared to pay whatever it takes.”  

Hildeltrud clenched her skirt tightly and looked at Cain.  

But Cain’s subsequent demand was absurd.  

“Every Friday at 3 p.m., you must have tea with me. The duration will be until I decide to stop.”  

Hildeltrud’s sapphire eyes widened.  

“That’s all you want?”  

“Yes.”  

He was a strange man. Still, she couldn’t agree without caution.  

Hildeltrud wasn’t that naive.  

“For the price of top-tier information, isn’t that too little?”  

When Hildeltrud cast a suspicious look, Cain shrugged.  

“Let’s just say it’s my personal whim. But you won’t be at a disadvantage, will you?”

That was true.  

Being able to acquire top-tier confidential information in exchange for tea was an opportunity.  

However, there was something that needed to be clarified.  

“All right. As you said, it’s not a disadvantage for me. But the duration is vague. I’d prefer if we set a precise time frame.”  

Since it could potentially mean visiting for tea for years, Hildeltrud wanted to establish clarity.  

“You don’t have to worry about that. It shouldn’t take too long.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“It’s simply because I’m personally curious about you, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

“You’re curious about me?”  

“As you may know, mages are extremely curious beings.”  

Mages were individuals who constantly sought wisdom.  

Sometimes, they displayed obsessive tendencies to satiate their curiosity.  

Because of this, mages were often labeled as eccentrics.  

“Let’s set the duration to half a year. That should be enough time to satisfy your curiosity, shouldn’t it?”  

“That’s too short.”  

“Do you think I’ll only make one request? I plan to continue trading with Silver Moon.”  

Cain caught a glimpse of deep longing in Hildeltrud’s eyes. He didn’t know what it was, but it seemed immensely earnest.  

“It seems you have something you wish to achieve through dealings with us.”  

Hildeltrud didn’t deny it.  

“That’s right. There’s something I must accomplish. To do that, I need Silver Moon’s power.”  

Cain felt intrigued by the ambition Hildeltrud harbored.  

“Very well. Let’s set it to half a year. But keep in mind, as the trades increase, my conditions may change.”  

“As long as the demands aren’t impossible, I’ll accept them.”  

“Then we have a deal. Still, it’s better to formalize this, just in case.”  

Cain snapped his fingers, and a sheet of paper fluttered down from the air.  

Though Hildeltrud knew Cain was a mage, witnessing magic firsthand was fascinating.  

Before her regression, she had heard rumors that the leader of Silver Moon was a mage when the guild gained renown across the continent.  

“This is the contract. Please sign it.”  

Hildeltrud accepted the contract Cain handed her, read it carefully, and signed it.  

“The information you requested will be ready next Friday. Please visit then.”  

“The information must be accurate.”  

“Of course. I guarantee it with my name.”  

Hildeltrud cast a sharp glance at Cain before standing up.  

Leaving the room, Hildeltrud purchased a random piece of jewelry and exited the store.