The first thing I had to do for the divorce was to withdraw the assassination contract and erase the evidence. After all, one needs to be alive to get divorced.

The guild master didn’t keep records.

He knew that if the request was discovered, he would be in the most danger for unethically and immorally obtaining money through murder.

‘So erasing his memory would be perfect evidence destruction.’

I pretended to touch my hand, wary of onlookers, and flicked open the lid on my ring’s ornament.

A colorless, odorless drug that causes amnesia for about three days vaporized into the air.

It was a product I had won at an auction my aunt took me to after my debutante ball, saying I needed to experience the underground culture.

I had already taken the antidote from the set, so the vaporization posed no direct harm to me.

‘Good thing I kept it.’

Just as I was smiling ominously and dreaming of the perfect crime.

A disheveled man who looked like he hadn’t bathed in days entered with a rough sigh.

I was certain he was the guild master. He had been there in my blurry vision on that drunken night.

I secretly smiled with satisfaction.

From the moment he breathed in, the vaporized poison would begin actively stimulating his left hippocampus.

“I’m busy as hell, what do you want, my lady?”

The guild master with his fierce expression and ragged clothes sat down heavily on the sofa across from me, breathing hard.

There was a deflating sound from the old sofa with its crudely torn leather.

I elegantly raised my teacup.

“First, have some tea and catch your breath. You seem flustered by this sudden visit.”

Tsk, the impatient guild master drank the cold tea without hesitation, as if it were bothersome. He had no reason to refuse such a simple thing, intending to quickly hear the reason for my visit.

“Keh.”

The guild master roughly wiped his glistening mouth with the back of his hand after downing the tea like alcohol.

“So, what brings you here on this precious visit?”

“I want to cancel the request.”

I said calmly as I set down my teacup.

The guild master frowned deeply and clicked his tongue. Tsk, I should have known better than to take a request from someone drunk.

He muttered to himself and glared at me. As if he might forcibly throw me out if necessary.

“Listen, my lady. Are you going to do this? We make our living off these jobs too.”

It was the reaction I expected. I lowered my eyes pitifully.

‘Though it’s a shame to waste money when I’m struggling for even pocket change now that my ex-husband has taken control of everything.’

I raised my eyes again and said with a faint smile:

“You can keep the deposit.”

The guild master’s eyes widened like saucers. The corners of his greedy mouth twitched diagonally.

“Oh ho. If that’s the case, then we’re talking.”

“Will you cancel it?”

“Of course, my lady. Naturally.”

The guild master winked slyly and pressed a button under the edge of the desk beside the sofa.

“Get over here.”

Bang-.

The door opened forcefully and a boy with hair like chestnuts entered.

While I was wide-eyed in surprise at the speed of the response, the guild master went out and closed the door to talk with the boy.

How much time had passed? Just as I was getting tired of the lengthy conversation, the guild master poked his head through the doorway with a troubled expression, scratching the back of his head.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh dear… what should we do, my lady?”

The guild master showed his yellowed teeth in an awkward smile.

“They say they’ve already sent someone out.”

What?! I jumped up with a pale face. The teacup overturned from the sudden motion, spilling tea that soaked the table and dripped onto the floor.

“Sent out.” That was the euphemism used in assassination guilds.

‘Damn it…’

Yes, it meant they had gone to escort someone to the afterlife.

* * *

Razvel Road, 3rd Avenue.

A woman could be seen moving while carrying a gift box, groaning, “Ugh, ugh.” She was heading towards the popular cafe street past the square that was all the rage in Razvel.

She appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties.

Fine, soft hair like silver threads in a half-up style. Dark brown eyes that shone with innocence and clarity.

‘Found her. Lilien Mifidian.’

I smiled with satisfaction while hiding my body in an alley.

The guild master had told me the location where he sent the assassin and described Lilien’s appearance.

‘Lady Lilien Mifidian of the Mifidian Count family, the client’s target is a young lady with silver hair and puppy-like dark brown eyes, can you recognize her?’

Yes, very well. I wanted to answer him now.

I borrowed a horse and rushed over as soon as I heard from the guild master. I was so tense that I didn’t even realize how stuffy it was wearing a mask.

I was sweating so much from assumptions that I might be late or unable to find her that the reins were soaked.

‘Now I just need to find the guild member.’

That’s when it happened.

In the moment I relaxed my tension and loosened my grip on the reins, the horse reared up and bolted out of the alley.

‘Oh no…!’

What’s worse, the horse was heading straight for Lilien.

“Eek!”

Lilien, who had been approaching the alley, was startled and dropped the box.

People scattered with a commotion, and just as the horse was about to rear up on its hind legs towards Lilien.

I quickly grabbed Lilien and pulled her into the alley, holding her in my arms. As a result, the box she had been carrying was strewn at the entrance of the alley.

The agitated horse reared up once more.

Outside the alley, someone cursed crudely, asking if anyone had let a horse loose. A little later, the security squad took the horse away and the commotion finally died down.

As the sound of hooves gradually faded, I unconsciously looked up and noticed a glint of light on the building’s roof.

“…!”

The assassin was peeking out his head, licking his dagger sickeningly with a thick tongue.

‘So that’s where he was.’

I immediately took out the contract termination document with the guild master’s scrawled signature from my chest.

The hidden assassin nodded, put away his dagger, and disappeared.

Ha, what a relief. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief and relax my tension. Thankfully, I had prevented the chain of murders from the original story. With this, I should be safe too, or so I thought.

“Um, excuse me…”

A troubled-sounding soft voice came from under my chin.

Oh right. I quickly stepped back and removed my mask. My luscious hair fell, slapping Lilien’s face.

Lilien blinked blankly, rubbing her cheek. She didn’t seem to comprehend what had just happened to her in such a short time.

Finding her quite adorable, I laughed through my nose and asked:

“Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes! I’m fine.”

Lilien answered with a look of sudden realization, then noticing my attire and guessing I was a noblewoman, she asked demurely in return:

“Are you… alright, my lady?”

Even though she must have been the most startled by the situation, Lilien was a kind and harmless person, just like her impression, caring for others.

‘She seems so nice, how did she end up catching the eye of that scumbag…’

I sighed, then belatedly nodded instead of answering.

At that, Lilien, who had been anxiously examining me, closed her round eyes and smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you weren’t hurt. Thank you for saving me. I could have died.”

Almost died… well, she almost did. I couldn’t laugh at her joke. This time, my conscience was pricking me.

Meanwhile, Lilien, worried that someone might step on the box that had fallen at the entrance of the alley, spoke up with a troubled expression.

“Thank you for your help, my lady. Is there anything I can do to repay you…”

“No repayment is necessary.”

Lilien blinked her large eyes once. Normally, it would be proper to insist a few more times, but seeing my firm attitude, she seemed to think it would be rude to press further and nodded.

“Is that so…? Well then, my lady, I should be going now. Thank you, and please take care.”

Just as Lilien was about to hurry off to pick up her box after giving a perfunctory smile, I quickly opened my mouth with a troubled expression as I watched her silver hair flutter.

“The man you’re seeing now, don’t meet him anymore.”

“Pardon…?”

Lilien turned back, dumbfounded. She had an expression of disbelief, as if doubting her own ears.

I sighed and opened my mouth. With a slight sense of mission to save this naive young lady.

“That man is married.”

Lilien’s face gradually turned pale at the bombshell statement.

“He-he’s married?!”

‘As I thought, she didn’t know.’

Devon thoroughly managed his public image. He was so meticulous that no one knew about his adultery until the end of the original story.

There were a few conditions he had for choosing his affair partners.

First, she must be a woman from the provinces unrelated to social activities.

Second, she must be a woman without the ability to physically confront him.

Third, she must be a commoner who wouldn’t be able to tell if he lied about his status.

He was so cunning that he didn’t even show interest in women from affluent families, even if they were commoners.

While he acted like a clergyman in high society to craft his image, he would flirt like a lowlife as soon as he went to the provinces.

In this way, Devon produced victims in every region he visited on business trips, and apparently all one hundred out of one hundred fell for his handsome appearance, gentlemanly manners, and thoughtful kindness.

‘Lilien must have been caught while on a trip somewhere too.’

Although Lilien was the daughter of the empire’s only ducal family, she was looked down upon when her younger brother, who was to be the next head of the family, was demoted to the status of a count who was a vassal.

During the 9 years her younger brother was away on a subjugation mission, no noble women helped Lilien, and she naturally became isolated in high society.

Even now, 9 years later, when her brother had gained fame as a hero, she was still intimidated and dressed plainly, so even the thorough Devon wouldn’t have guessed she was a noble.

While I was briefly lost in thought, Lilien, who had been frozen like a stone, suddenly came to her senses.

“But, who are you to know this?”