With the remaining money from my investment, I planned to buy anything my bondservant might need.

I’m still too poor to buy anything expensive.

“Plaza again today?”

Carl, who sauntered over, gestured as if he was asking out of courtesy.

I waved my hand.

“No, today I’ll stop by the jeweler to sell what I have, then head to the stock exchange.”

“…Are you serious?”

Carl looked at me with a bewildered expression. When I nodded firmly, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Why stocks all of a sudden?”

“Why else? I need money. I have to make money to pay your salary too.”

“Ha, no need to rush it.”

He replied with disapproval, crossing his arms as he asked.

“So, are you going to sell the earrings you’re wearing now?”

“Oh, these are an exception.”

The butterfly-shaped sapphire earrings currently hanging from my ears were special.

They were the first memento Shailyn received from her father when she was seven.

“My mom bought them in advance to give me when I was born.”

My mom’s only birthday gift.

So even I couldn’t touch these. I knew how precious they were to Shailyn through our synchronized memories.

“…I see.”

“Anyway, I’ve been studying stocks diligently, so don’t worry. After the exchange, let’s walk around a bit.”

Today happened to be the ‘one week later’ mentioned in the hint.

Today, I was sure I would meet the male lead in the plaza street.

With an excited heart, I first went to the jeweler and sold all my jewelry. About 80,000 gold landed in my hands.

“Not even 100,000 gold….”

Still, it’s something. I took my meager funds and headed straight to the stock exchange.

And once again, I saw Deborah coming out with a gloomy face.

“Ha, so annoying. Lost again. How am I supposed to come up with 1 million gold….”

Hearing her muttering while looking at the ground, I approached her.

“Hello, Deborah. What’s troubling you?”

“……!”

Deborah, startled, lifted her head and then glared at me sharply.

What did I do?

“Why, is your stock not doing well?”

“Ha! What are you talking about? Why are you acting like you know me?”

She bristled as if she had a guilty conscience and tried to pass by me.

I quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Wait.”

I looked her in the eye seriously and said,

“Can you tell me what you bought?”

“…What are you going to do with that information?”

“You seem bad at stocks, so I’ll avoid buying what you bought.”

Her pale face blinked slowly a couple of times before it turned red.

“Oh, get lost!”

She slapped my hand away and hurried off in a huff.

Phew, she’s always prickly whenever we meet.

* * *

Inside the stock exchange.

“Hello. Welcome to the Central Stock Exchange. How may I assist you?”

The clerk at the counter greeted us kindly.

I handed over my money pouch and said,

“I’d like to invest everything in Clarke Magical Tool Company.”

“How much in total?”

“80,000 gold.”

“Alright, I’ll help you purchase 800 shares. Please wait a moment.”

I sat in a corner of the exchange and diligently filled out the documents the clerk handed me.

After a short while, I submitted the documents and received my stock certificate.

Now I had only 10 gold left in cash.

This was money I deliberately saved for Carl.

“Carl, is there anything you want or need?”

10 gold might be pocket change in stores frequented by nobles, but not among commoners.

It was enough to fully outfit oneself from head to toe.

“Hmm, not really?”

Sadly, my bondservant, working under a poor master, didn’t have many desires.

I couldn’t let this slide, so I grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.

“Then I’ll pick something for you. Let’s go shopping.”

Carl, who seemed to be following obediently, suddenly stopped with force.

“Wait.”

“Huh…?”

Confused, I turned back to him, and he suddenly stepped close to me.

‘This feels… a bit too close?’

I hesitated, slightly flustered, and a large hand reached out, tucking my right hair behind my ear.

His rough fingertips brushed against my cheek and ear.

“What, what… why….”

“You’re missing an earring.”

“…Huh?”

What do you mean?

I hurriedly touched my right earlobe, feeling only soft skin.

No, where did my earring go?

“It seems you dropped it on the way. I’ll go find it.”

“No, let’s go together.”

“It’s fine. The area around the exchange is crowded and easy to get hurt. Stay here and enjoy some ice cream like a proper master. I’ll go as your bondservant.”

Carl led me to a nearby shop and bought me an ice cream, urging me,

“Stay here.”

“Okay.”

He quickly retraced his steps. His tall, slender figure disappeared into the crowd in no time.

I sat on a bench in front of the shop, eating ice cream.

Hmm, it’s tasty.

‘But can Carl really find the earring…?’

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but it was the only keepsake from my mom, so I felt uneasy.

Of course, I wouldn’t blame Carl if he couldn’t find it, but it would be a huge disappointment.

It’s extremely precious to me.

As I waited for my bondservant to return, I was putting the ice cream cone’s end in my mouth when—

“Kyaaa!”

A sharp scream pierced the air from somewhere.

‘What, did someone get hurt…?’

Startled, I hunched my shoulders and then suddenly stood up as a thought struck me.

‘Could it be, my male lead?!’

Since the hint said someone would get hurt near the plaza today, it was entirely possible.

I dashed in the direction of the scream. In the distance, I saw people gathered and murmuring.

Is it really an accident?

I struggled through the crowd. If a blond handsome guy was injured, I needed to save and treat him.

However, what unfolded before my eyes was not an accident scene.

A man was waving at the people.

More precisely, a beautiful person with a serene smile in a pure white priest robe.

I focused on the man’s hair, which shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Platinum hair that’s longer than mine.

People shouted toward him.

“Priest, you’re so beautiful!”

“Please greet us here too, priest!”

If he’s a platinum-haired priest, he could be my male lead candidate….

I examined him closely.

With amethyst eyes set in crescent-shaped eyes, a face close to that of a beautiful woman, and a holy smile that seemed to cast a halo behind his head.

Even among other priests, he stood out with an extraordinary presence.

‘With a face like that, right….’

It’s worth leaving a review that the game is cool and the male lead’s face is fun.

However, there didn’t seem to be any visible injuries. No signs of hidden wounds either.

I followed him, entranced, as he waved to the crowd, accidentally stepping on someone’s foot.

“Ah! What was that?!”

“Sorry.”

While apologizing and momentarily distracted, the priest and his group quickly moved away with the crowd.

Whoosh. Suddenly, I was the only one left on the now-empty street.

“Huh….”

Feeling awkward, I scratched the back of my head and returned to the ice cream shop.

As I walked, confused by the winding streets, a thin cry suddenly came from a nearby alley.

“Meow.”

It was such a frail and mournful cry.

Unable to ignore the cat’s plea for help, I ventured into the narrow, dark alley.

“Kitty, where are you?”

When I raised my voice to ask, the cat’s cries abruptly stopped.

What?

As I searched around, I soon found a small creature huddled among the trash.

It was a kitten with slightly faded yellow fur and vibrant teal eyes.

“Little one, are you okay?”

The kitten looked at me with wary eyes. So I didn’t touch it and just observed it with my eyes.

‘Oh dear, it cried because it was hurt.’

Perhaps it had gotten caught in a trap and escaped, as the skin on its small front leg was torn and bleeding.

Hmm, what should I do?

I wanted to take it and treat it, but the cat hissed and bristled its fur whenever I reached out.

After some thought, I took a handkerchief from my dress pocket.

“Little one, just a moment. I’m not here to harm you. You’re bleeding a lot, so I want to wipe it with this. Can I touch you just once? Please?”

I explained in detail, unfurling the white handkerchief in surrender.

Surprisingly, the kitten’s wariness seemed to lessen slightly, as though it understood my words.

I carefully folded the handkerchief and wrapped it around the cat’s leg to stop the bleeding.

Tying the handkerchief gently to avoid hurting it, I quickly stepped back and raised both hands.

“Ta-da, see? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Meow.”

“Want to come with me? I’ll treat you and bring you back here. How about it?”

The cat silently stared at me. Was it deciding whether to choose me as its human?

Standing close to the wall, I slowly approached the cat.

Bit by bit.

“That’s right, good kitty. Come with me, little one….”

Just as my fingertip was about to touch the cat’s body.

Swoosh!

The cat darted away from my reach.