Cella dressed her in a modest dress that middle-class commoners might wear, as per her request, and elegantly styled her hair.

Then, in a small voice filled with worry, she asked,

“Will it be alright?”

Lately, this had become Cella’s habitual phrase.

She wasn’t the only one hesitating after the change in atmosphere at the duke’s residence.

As Esika Klaus left the room, she wore a pleasant smile.

“You’re too timid.”

“I’m sorry. After everything I’ve been through with the duchess…”

She probably meant she was worried about getting caught up in another scheme.

Apparently, earlier, near the duchess’s room, there had been thunderous shouting and the sound of resounding slaps.

There were also sounds of women crying and screaming for forgiveness.

The duchess could only slap the maids who brought the news, but couldn’t touch Esika.

Even if she did something that went against the ‘family traditions’ and ‘etiquette’ that she had arbitrarily created.

In reality, noble ladies often went out at night when they had no family matters to attend to. They also freely met with their birth families. They were noble ladies, not slaves after all.

All the rules that restricted and abused Esika Klaus were merely the duchess’s means of oppression.

Now, they had become as limp as ropes that had lost their stakes.

“Guard the room well. If any petty thieves try to enter like before, they’ll be in for a harsh lesson.”

Remembering Yuri, who had searched Esika’s room and stolen her ring, Cella nodded.

“Understood. My lady, please be careful on your outing.”

She bowed deeply to see Esika off.

While it’s not uncommon for noble ladies to go out at night, going without a maid… is actually quite rare.

After leaving the mansion, Esika concealed her presence and used light footwork instead of a carriage.

Channeling her inner energy into her legs, Esika’s figure moved at a speed as if running through the sky.

The reason for Esika’s night outing today was ‘elixir’.

Recently, there had been some issues with the elixir that Hemos made and brought her daily.

The limit had come earlier than expected. Side effects like tingling in the body and reversal of inner energy were occurring.

Last time, she even coughed up a bit of blood.

She had to stop Cella, who was on the verge of tears and wanted to bring a doctor.

Most artificially made elixirs were like this. If taken for too long, toxins would accumulate in the body, and there would come a time when one had to stop.

But Esika had no intention of stopping here.

Though she had forgotten for a while, she was the daughter of the Dark Horse Sect leader who had mastered powerful martial arts.

The sword was her friend, training was her daily routine, and she had a goal to regain her previous level.

Besides revenge against the Klaus family, this was something she had to do.

Anyway, Esika had learned about a mysterious substance called ‘Celikser’ from Hemos.

“It’s said to be derived from the legendary elixir of immortality, and is called the medicine of achievement. It’s a medicine with such strong life force that it can even revive the dead. There’s a recipe made by an ancient alchemist, and I’ve heard rumors that it’s circulating in the black market.”

When Esika first sought out Hemos, she knew about the rumors of his background.

Though Hemos was a chef, his father and grandfather were potion pharmacists employed by a merchant group.

It was because of this inherited talent that he had been able to make the elixir well so far based on Esika’s recipe, as expected.

“If I find a book with that recipe, could you make it?”

“I can’t promise, but I’ll do anything for you, my lady.”

The information about Celikser she heard from him reminded her of a legendary medicine from her time in the martial arts world.

‘Gongcheongseokyu’.

A legendary substance said to increase one’s inner energy by several decades with just one drop, or even revive the dead.

Though she hadn’t encountered it when she was a spirit, there were clear records of such a substance existing.

It’s possible that a similar concept exists in this world too.

Anyway, since it was said that a book about Celikser was circulating in the black market, Esika planned to find it.

Just like in the martial arts world, even if she didn’t know the way, Esika never worried.

“Judging by your clothes, you’re not a prostitute, so what are you selling? Drugs? Is your money hidden in your skirt?”

“It won’t take long, so let’s have a little chat, pretty one.”

This was because travel companions willing to kindly show her the way would naturally appear.

“A chat… sounds good.”

Turning around with a chilling smile, Esika slowly raised her hand, beautiful as a delicate bamboo.

Seeing her hand glowing faintly blue, the poor souls hesitated.

It wasn’t long before the sound of an exciting beating echoed.

**

“What’s your name?”

“Chan… Channo.”

“Repeat after me. Whore.”

“Whowe.”

As Esika struck his head, the man clutched his head and jumped around.

It was because he was overwhelmed by pain that felt like his skull was splitting.

“You.”

“Pretty.”

The man with a nosebleed looked at Esika with eyes that seemed to ask for praise for pronouncing it quite accurately.

Disliking that, Esika slapped his cheek hard.

The man also clutched his jaw, making ‘ugh, ugh’ sounds.

“It’s annoying when an ugly guy calls himself pretty.”

Muttering, Esika coldly ordered the two men rolling around.

“Whore and Ugly, if you don’t guide me properly, you know the rest of your fingers will be broken too, right?”

The two men nodded, barely alive.

For those who had lived their whole lives robbing others’ possessions and harassing women in back alleys, the existence of such a monstrous woman was like a natural disaster.

Several of their finger bones were broken and dangling.

But fortunately, their legs weren’t broken, so they could diligently guide her to her desired destination.

A moment later, arriving in front of the black market, they spoke while watching Esika’s expression.

“We… we’ve arrived, boss.”

“Boss.”

And they bowed politely at the waist.

Esika raised the corners of her mouth looking at the entrance of the narrow alley that obviously looked like a black market, then lowered them again as she looked back at the men.

“Let’s meet again.”

As Esika leaned in slightly, the two men shrank their shoulders as if having a seizure.

Surely now, they wouldn’t approach even a woman who just looked similar to Esika from behind.

“Um… which organization’s boss are you?”

“Get lost.”

“Ah, understood.”

When Ugly opened his mouth tactlessly with a bloody nose, Esika frowned once and they ran away in a hurry.

Entering the alley, there were people selling things here and there, living off the darkness of the empire.

Suspicious-looking medicines, strange-shaped daggers, the smell of something burning…

The people were also different from those seen in squares or bustling streets.

Men with dark circles under their eyes and emaciated bodies, women wearing clothes that exposed more than half of their chests.

An old woman covered in tattoos, a sturdy man tied with a leash… I don’t even know what those people are doing.

‘This seems to be the black market Hemos mentioned. Now where should I go?’

Those two guys from earlier knew the location of the black market but didn’t know much about its internal structure.

She needed someone to guide her again.

Preferably someone who knew this place well.

Esika was walking, thinking it would be nice if someone with at least a decent face approached her next time.

At that moment, someone naturally put their arm around Esika’s shoulder.

Feeling the sudden approach without any presence, Esika reflexively turned her body.

As far as she knew, a master who could erase their presence to this degree was…

“…!”

A high nose bridge, appearing even darker in the shadows, was almost touching right next to her cheek.

Resban Deon Lucein, who had slightly lowered his head to her and placed his face diagonally next to hers, whispered in a low voice.

“Looks like you’ve come to do something interesting.”

A cool scent flows along the tip of her nose.

Esika, who had been stunned for a moment, slightly shrank her body and looked at Resban.

Above Resban’s head, a crescent moon that seemed like it might never tilt was emitting a soft light.

Slightly disheveled black hair, a white shirt with a couple of buttons undone revealing a bit of chest, an appearance that no one would recognize as the crown prince of the Turessian Empire.

As the wind blew, his black hair rustled and swayed.

He seemed like someone who would only suit extremely expensive fabrics, but this appearance also suited him to the point of feeling out of place.

A dangerous aura, fitting for villains on the street, flows from his cool gaze.

And perhaps, a slightly captivating feeling.

“I…”

“Call me Resban.”

Resban ordered her in a low voice.

At those words, Esika inwardly flinched a little.

Calling a royal family member directly by their name was a crime of some sort, like blasphemy, wasn’t it?

“…If you don’t intend to put me in a difficult position, that is.”

Well… it wasn’t an appropriate place for the crown prince to appear, and if it became known that a noble or royal was here, this street would soon be turned upside down.

It’s a neighborhood that seems quite far from legal, after all.

“…Resban.”

As Esika’s lips moved, Resban, who had slightly twisted the corners of his mouth, reached out and took Esika’s white hand.

At his movement, naturally grasping her hand as if meeting a lover, Esika flinched for a moment, but soon began walking with Resban.