The carriage arrived at Alice’s hometown. She bowed politely to the coachman and walked toward her familiar home.

The area between her thighs still hurt. It burned with a sensation similar to having been filled by a thick club. When she staggered, someone supported her body.

Looking up from the well-polished shoes, she saw Connor gazing down at her. His eyes fixed on the area around her neck.

“The carriage you arrived in belongs to Count Walsh.”

“…Lord Connor.”

“Count Walsh is famous for his appetite for young women… Did you sleep with him for money?”

“…”

Connor’s hand gripped Alice’s chin firmly.

“…I suggested you become a concubine because you said you were inexperienced… But now I see you’re quite worn out. And with such an old man. Why did you reject my offer and go to the Count? Did he pay you more than I would have?”

Alice winced in pain and grabbed his wrist with both hands.

“Please… stop.”

“I do like experienced women. However, I should correct myself, seeing how unpleasant this feels.”

“Ugh…”

Tears streamed down Alice’s face. Connor’s grip loosened momentarily.

He didn’t understand why he felt so angry. The women he usually slept with were widows or married. He never cared if they had slept with their husbands the previous night or had kiss marks on their necks. But the moment he saw the kiss marks on Alice’s neck, his blood seemed to boil.

“…My offer still stands. The moment you become my slave, your family will be freed from slavery.”

“…”

Connor found her ear and bit it hard enough to draw blood.

“Ahh…!”

Alice cried out in pain, and Connor licked the blood with his tongue.

“Think about it carefully. While you hesitate, they continue to live difficult days. They might even resent you.”

Connor created new marks over the existing kiss marks on her neck.

She was the first woman he had come to like. The thought that Count Walsh had embraced her put him in a foul mood.

“Think carefully until I return next time. That will be your only opportunity. I won’t make this offer twice.”

“…Yes, Lord Co…nner.”

Connor turned sharply and walked toward his carriage. In truth, he wanted to grab Alice right now, put her in his carriage, and take her to his castle. But he restrained himself for the future. He wanted Alice to come to him willingly.

After watching Connor’s carriage depart, Alice continued toward her home. Limping, she arrived at the house and immediately lay down on the bed.

She was exhausted.

[Think about it carefully. While you hesitate, they continue to live difficult days. They might even resent you.]

Originally, she had been sold into slavery because of her father, so there was no way her father would resent her. The creditors had taken two gold coins and would never return. The immediate crisis had been averted, but somehow her heart felt empty.

One month later.

Khalid visited the information guild. The guild operated a small café, and a woman sat across from him. She was the woman who had married Noel.

The woman who had married Noel was named Lauren, famous for doing anything for money. Lauren spoke.

“What kind of request do you have?”

Lauren blushed while looking at Khalid sitting across from her. Height 180 centimeters. A man with soft blonde hair and blue eyes was incredibly handsome. His skin was so pale it seemed inhuman.

‘He gives off the impression of a vampire from mythology.’

Nobles generally had good skin since they didn’t do rough work, but this man seemed especially so.

Khalid looked at Lauren and smirked.

“Do you also pretend to be a bride in fake weddings…?”

“My goodness! Of course. That’s my specialty! I did one recently too. The pay was reasonable.”

“…How much did you receive?”

It sounded like an interrogation, but Lauren answered sincerely. She had a weakness for handsome faces.

“Three silver coins. Not bad for a day’s work.”

“The groom was a man named Noel, right?”

“…Oh my.”

Since client information was confidential, Lauren became wary of Khalid. At her signal, mercenaries in the café surrounded the table. A rough-looking mercenary frowned.

“What’s this, mister? Did you come to investigate rather than make a request?”

“You should watch your words. We strictly protect our clients’ secrets.”

Looking at the two mercenaries, Khalid snorted.

“Even without me asking, this woman has already talked freely… I’m just trying to confirm a name.”

Lauren raised her hand to stop the mercenaries.

“…Due to client confidentiality, I can’t speak in detail. However…”

Lauren formed a circle with her thumb and index finger.

“For the right price, I’ll tell you everything.”

Lauren sensed that Khalid not only looked good but also exuded nobility. What did loyalty to a client matter if she could receive a substantial sum?

‘Does loyalty put food on the table?’

The man called Noel had no money. Actually, he didn’t even look like a man. She had helped him for three silver coins because his situation seemed pitiful, but it wasn’t much money.

‘In my opinion, the person called Noel didn’t look like a man. Everyone else must have knotholes for eyes. Where would you find a man so feminine and delicate? And this man looks like a noble, so why is he investigating a commoner? This must be love! I smell money! Definitely.’

Lauren’s eyes filled with curiosity.

The large mercenary watched Lauren’s expression. Lauren had an excellent nose for money and distributed it appropriately.

Khalid took out one gold coin he had prepared. Seeing the shining gold coin on the table, the three pairs of eyes sparkled. Lauren pretended to hesitate for a moment.

“Well… one gold coin isn’t enough to reveal a client’s secrets…”

“I’m also curious about Noel’s hometown. And his family.”

Khalid added two more gold coins, making a total of three. Lauren and the mercenaries’ eyes widened.

When Lauren remained silent, Khalid reached for the coins on the table to put them back in his pocket. At that moment, Lauren grabbed his hand.

“I’ll… I’ll tell you everything!”

“…Good.”

Lauren immediately activated the guild’s information network. The guild master served Khalid a drink reserved for VIP clients. Lauren whispered to the master.

“Quickly send requests to other guilds too! We need to provide the information today to get those three gold coins.”

“…Understood. Leave it to me.”

The mercenaries also hurried to other guilds. Lauren sat across from Khalid, pretending to be composed. The shining gold coins on the table continued to tempt her.

“Hmm. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“…The groom was a man named Noel?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What about his build and age?”

“Height about 160 centimeters and age 22, probably. He’d be 23 now. He said a fake wedding would make him a commoner. You know how difficult it is for a slave to become a commoner, right? I felt sorry for him, so I helped.”

“…I see. Then his hometown?”

“Well. It was in the territory ruled by Viscount Cook. A place called ‘Kidel.’ Oh, and.”

Just then, the guild master brought a paper and handed it to Lauren. It contained information hastily purchased from other guilds.

“Ah, information about Noel’s family just came in. My, how pitiful. That person.”

“What is it?”

“His father incurred debts to Belphi, a vicious loan shark, through gambling. Hmm. So his wife and second son became slaves. According to our information, they’re being held by Helgrip, forced to work. That place is so harsh that people don’t survive two years!”

“…Is that so?”

“Someone else requested this information. They seem very interested in Noel. Hoho! That’s why we could obtain this information easily.”

Very interested in Noel? Khalid clenched his fist. It seemed Noel was still charming people everywhere with his appearance.

“Who requested that information?”

“It says Connor Cook. He’s the eldest son of Viscount Cook’s family, the ruler of Kidel territory.”

“…Sigh. I understand.”

Khalid stood up.

Having obtained three gold coins, Lauren’s mouth nearly split from smiling. She bowed deeply and waved her hand.

“Please come again! Customer. You’re always welcome!”