Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 1/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

“What’s all this commotion?”

On his way to work, Travis halted his steps toward his office, distracted by the noise coming from the interrogation room. He turned and headed in that direction.

The interrogation room was designed with bars that allowed those outside to see in, but those inside could not see out.

Inside, Haren was seated across from Sebastian, who had been arrested the previous day.

“Why is Haren conducting the interrogation?”

Typically, such investigations were handled by the designated investigator, not the deputy commander, Haren.

“Oh, well the Deputy Commander.… he insisted that he personally handle it. ”

“Is it because of that lady from the Leon family yesterday?”

“Yes. I heard they’ve been close since childhood.”

Travis recalled Espin from the previous day.

A woman shedding tears with a clueless expression.

On the surface, she seemed like an innocent noble lady who knew nothing.

To others, she might appear to be a victim being harassed by a strange stalker. But to Travis, something seemed off.

Though she had been crying, there was no trace of fear in her demeanor.

“I’ll prepare for the morning meeting.”

“Wait. Let’s hold the meeting after I observe this interrogation.”

Travis positioned himself in front of the bars and focused on the scene inside.

“Please, listen to me. I didn’t do anything. I truly have no idea about any of this.”

“Just state your name.”

Haren looked at Sebastian with disdain.

Sebastian had nothing to offer but claims of his innocence, without a shred of evidence.

“I swear, I’m innocent. If anything, I’m the one who was swindled!”

“Ha, make some sense.”

“It’s true! That woman must have planned everything to steal my money!”

“Alright. Go on, tell your story. I’ll point out exactly where and how you’re wrong.”

“Espin and I were in a relationship. We had planned to run away together from the Leon family.”

“Espin has always liked dependable, handsome, prince-like men since she was young. But you? You’re nothing like that.”

“Ha. To Espin, I must have looked like a prince. Honestly, I do have a bit of a prince-like appearance!”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

At Haren’s words, Sebastian bit his lip hard. Realizing that silence wouldn’t help him, he started speaking again.

“Anyway. To escape from the Leon family, we needed money. So Espin told me she’d bring the Leon Count’s seal and asked me to give her some money.”

“Oh, really? Espin need money to get the seal? Fascinating.”

“Yes. She said she needed it to use the gate and took my money. I shouldn’t be the one here; it should be her!”

“Ah, I see. So Espin decided to pay twice the gate fee, even though the Leon family already has a contract with the terminal and doesn’t need to pay. How generous of her to steal gate fees from you.”

Haren’s sarcastic tone made Tom, the knight listening beside Travis, shudder.

“The Deputy Commander is truly unmatched in the empire when it comes to irritating people.”

Without a word, Travis nodded. He was well aware of how skilled Haren was at getting under people’s skin, despite his gentlemanly facade in public.

“Gate fee, huh….”

Travis recalled the time he had encountered Espin at the gate terminal.

She had been standing there alone, without any escort or maid.

In the end, he hadn’t seen where she was heading.

“Ha, gate fee? I gave her 50,000 litas to use as needed. 50,000 litas! Do you even know how much that money means to me?”

“50,000 litas?”

Haren’s eyes gleamed as he scanned Sebastian from head to toe.

His outfit was clearly an attempt to mimic noble fashion, but it lacked any real refinement upon closer inspection.

“How do you even have that kind of money? You must be quite wealthy.”

“I had saved up a fair amount.”

“Alright. Let’s assume everything you’ve said is true. But no one in the Leon family remembers you. Not even the woman you claim to have been involved with.”

“Ha, that’s….”

Frustrated, Sebastian pounded his chest.

“What is it?”

Even when Haren kindly repeated his question, Sebastian couldn’t say a word.

“Evidence that you and Espin were involved? None. Evidence that you lent her 50,000 litas? None. But evidence that you were stalking her? Plenty. Witnesses who saw you loitering around the Leon estate? Me.”

“I’m truly innocent. That money is mine!”

“Alright. Then prove it. Tell us your name.”

“Well… that’s…”

“There are only two types of people who can’t state their names after entering here. The first are criminals. The second are fugitives already wanted for their crimes.”

“……”

Sebastian clamped his mouth shut, seemingly rendered speechless.

“Judging by your silence, I’d say you’re both.”

Haren’s eyes glinted sharply.

Watching from outside, Travis turned to a knight beside him and gave an order.

“Check if this man is on the wanted list. And we’ll need to speak with Lady Espin Leon.”

Travis furrowed his brow, sensing that the seemingly innocent lady was hiding something.

***

“Miss, is this the place?”

As they arrived at their destination, the maid who had accompanied her in the carriage looked visibly uneasy.

A narrow, secluded alley beside the shopping district.

Unlike the bustling shopping district, this area was desolate and eerie, with no intact buildings and not a single person in sight despite it being daytime.

The carriage stopped in front of a strange shop.

“Yes, this is the place.”

“Why here…?”

The maid glanced nervously outside, clearly frightened by the ominous atmosphere.

‘This place is far safer than it looks.’

It might seem like the kind of place where a thug could jump out at any moment, demanding valuables. But in reality, this area was kept secure thanks to the shop.

The shopkeeper was meticulous about security, which meant that even passersby rarely ventured near.

“I’ll go in alone. You can stay here. The coachman is right outside, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Huh…?”

Normally, in such situations, one might expect a maid to insist, “No, I can’t let you go alone to such a dangerous place!” and follow.

But her maid simply nodded firmly and sat back down.

“Alright, please be careful.”

“Oh… okay. I’ll be back soon.”

Surprised by the maid’s unexpectedly straightforward response, she stepped out of the carriage, feeling slightly bewildered.

The building before her was her destination.

Though it was too dark to see if the lights were on or if anyone was inside, a large sign reading “Pawnshop” hung overhead, with the words “We buy anything” written beneath it.

Despite the building’s dilapidated appearance, the door opened smoothly, a testament to how many people had passed through.

“What brings you here?”

‘Wow, there’s another door?’

As soon as she stepped inside, a man with a massive frame, resembling a human door, blocked her path.

“I’m here to see the shopkeeper.”

The man scanned her up and down, taking in her expensive dress and jewelry. After a moment, he nodded.

“You may proceed to the back.”

“No, not the fake shopkeeper. The real one.”

At the mention of the “real shopkeeper,” the man’s expression darkened. His face alone was enough to intimidate anyone.

Determined not to back down, she furrowed her brows.

“Hmm… Did you make an appointment?”

The man’s voice wavered slightly as he noticed her stern expression.

‘Wait, is he intimidated by my glare?’

No, that couldn’t be. A man of his size wouldn’t be scared of someone as delicate as her.

“I didn’t make an appointment, but I’m here to buy the most expensive thing in the world.”

This shop, disguised as a pawnshop, was actually an intelligence agency.

In a world like this, where information was tightly controlled, it was worth its weight in gold. Here, “the most expensive thing in the world” refers to information.

“How do you…?”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected words. Despite his intimidating appearance, he wasn’t skilled at hiding his emotions.

“Does it matter how I know? Just take me to him.”

To the empire’s greatest information broker.