Leaving Lia behind, I entered the shop. The interior was dark, with only a few candles lit despite the late hour.

Then, a deep voice startled me.

“Password?”

Of course, not just anyone could enter the Dark Shop. Only customers who knew the password were considered true patrons. If I couldn’t provide the password, I would be kicked out immediately.

“Password!”

The deep voice urged me threateningly.

“A purple bird falls.”

I already knew the password the Crown Prince used to enter this shop from the original story. It wasn’t hard to say it.

After a moment of tense silence, the deep voice spoke again.

“Come in.”

The voice sounded much calmer now.

I finally felt a bit of relief. I was a customer here, so I decided to act more confidently.

I straightened my back, lifted my chin arrogantly, and walked slowly with deliberate steps.

In a sliver of light, the shopkeeper appeared—the owner of the deep voice. He was a bald man with a thick beard and an intimidating build.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for magic tools for disguise and teleportation.”

These tools were my last resort in case I ever needed to disguise myself and escape.

I doubted such a day would come, but one could never predict the future.

“…Wait here for a moment.”

The shopkeeper disappeared back into the darkness.

In this shop, customers didn’t browse and select items themselves. Instead, they stated what they wanted, and the shopkeeper fetched the items for them.

It was a system where customers couldn’t freely touch or examine the merchandise.

The only thing visible in the faint light was a creepy miniature skeleton. It wasn’t just a plain skeleton—it had round eyeballs attached to it, making it even more grotesque.

Who would make something like that into a miniature?

It felt as if the skeleton was watching me. Shuddering at the eerie sight, I quickly looked away.

Time passed slowly in the unsettling darkness until the shopkeeper finally returned.

“Here they are.”

He handed me two items. One was a black handkerchief, and the other was a small handheld mirror with a handle.

“How do I use them?”

I asked in the sharpest, most arrogant voice I could muster.

The shopkeeper picked up the black handkerchief first.

“This is a handkerchief for disguises. Fold it into a triangle, press it against your face like a mask, and then remove it. The disguise will take effect.”

The method seemed simple enough.

“I like it.”

At my words, the shopkeeper smirked. Even his smile was unnervingly creepy.

“And this one can be used as a handheld mirror in your daily life. When you need to teleport, simply spin the mirror three times. Reflect your face, spin it once, reflect your face again, and spin it again. Repeat this three times.”
This, too, had a simple method of use.

“I’ll take both.”

“Yes. Are you a member of our shop?”

A member?

Of course, I wasn’t a member. There was no way I’d be registered here under my name.
I had already provided the password—now they needed to check my membership too?

I hadn’t anticipated this. But I couldn’t just run away now. What should I do?

“Do you even need to ask?”

Though I was trembling inside, I acted confidently, crossing my arms and even showing a hint of annoyance.

“Oh, my apologies.”

The shopkeeper’s apology was short and curt. He didn’t seem particularly sorry.
Still, I felt relieved, thinking I had dodged a crisis.

“What is your membership name?”

…Damn it.

Membership name? They didn’t ask the Crown Prince for something like this!

“Was that even a thing? What a hassle. I’m busy, and you’re wasting my time. Do you think I’ll want to use this place often with such bothersome procedures?”

It’s said that the guilty tend to get angrier. I pretended to be irritated, feigning annoyance at the cumbersome process.

“My apologies. However, for the sake of strict confidentiality, we operate on a membership system and use pseudonyms for transactions. This is part of our membership management, so please cooperate.”

“What am I supposed to do if I don’t remember it?”

“Then we won’t be able to proceed with the transaction.”

“Do you not need my money?”

I subtly pulled out a pouch of gold coins from my clothes, letting them jingle faintly. The sound of the coins was almost melodious.

But this damned shopkeeper shook his head.

“We do not conduct transactions unless the membership is verified.”

What a stubborn man.

I bit my lip hard. Was I really going to leave empty-handed after coming all this way?

“I’ll keep the items reserved for you. When you remember your membership name, please visit us again to make the purchase.”

The shopkeeper put the items away right in front of me. It felt like having something given to me snatched back.

At that moment, a voice approached me without a hint of warning.

“Disguise tools and teleportation magic… Are you on the run or something?”

What now?

I instinctively turned around sharply.

“Greetings. I’m also a customer of this shop.”

The tone seemed polite, yet there was an undertone of amusement.

The man standing behind me was wearing a hood, just like I was.

Though his face was hidden under the hood, the golden embellishments on his belt gleamed even in the dim light. If he was a customer here, he was undoubtedly a noble.

“Who are you?”

I deliberately raised my voice to a higher pitch, attempting to disguise it.
Why was he interrupting my transaction?

I glared at him with suspicion.

“Let’s just say I’m Miela.”

“Miela…?”

I froze at the name he provided.

That’s a woman’s name. But this person was clearly a man.

Just as I thought he was being ridiculous, the true owner of that name popped into my mind.

Before she officially became a saintess in the original story, the female protagonist’s real name during her childhood was Miela.
And there was someone who used that name as if it were his own.

He was a lunatic who believed that even the heroine’s real name should belong to him. Whenever he needed a pseudonym, he would use the name “Miela.”

It was none other than the male lead, the Crown Prince.

Of all places, I had to run into that lunatic here.