Unable To Escape - Chapter 41
The time when Alicia found out about the exchange between Rayleigh and the Information Guild was exactly one year after she ascended to the throne.
It was a fact she accidentally discovered while approaching the Information Guild in the capital, looking for an intelligence organization that could operate in secret even from Killian.
At the time, since the reason for needing an intelligence organization wasn’t particularly honorable, she couldn’t let on to Rayleigh that she knew, but she had been quite anticipating the various pieces of information he would bring back from the Information Guild.
‘It was that reliable of a guild.’
Not only would they provide information commensurate with the money paid, but if one gained the guild’s trust, they would even share information that couldn’t be obtained just by paying money.
‘Of course, I was a customer who couldn’t reach that level.’
An Information Guild with such outstanding abilities couldn’t possibly not know Alicia’s true identity.
What good would it do to have the trust of an incompetent emperor?
The Information Guild treated her strictly as a business partner, without showing even a hint of trust.
“What are you thinking about?”
The one who interrupted Alicia’s gloomy thoughts was Rayleigh, who was walking beside her.
His face looked sulky, as if he had given up on managing his expression entirely, clearly showing his displeasure with the current situation.
“I don’t think you would understand even if I explained my thoughts, Viscount.”
“For now… I’ll change how I address you. It’s not good to reveal anything here.”
“What will you call me?”
“…How about calling you Lady Ari?”
Hearing her nickname come from Rayleigh’s mouth sounded surprisingly awkward.
Perhaps that awkwardness and surprise was conveyed, as Rayleigh’s face reddened again and he hurriedly spoke.
“W-well, your real name would be too obvious. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I thought it would be best to use what’s already there.”
“There’s no need to explain like that… but alright. Then what should I call you?”
“Please call me Ils.”
“Surely that’s not a nickname, is it?”
“…It’s just an alias I use here, so you can rest assured.”
“I wasn’t particularly worried about it.”
“…Come to think of it, you really are good with words.”
“Are you trying to criticize me for nitpicking?”
“How could I dare?”
“Indeed, how could you dare.”
“Of course not. I just thought that if you’re someone I can communicate with this well, I should have tried to have more conversations with you earlier.”
“…It seems Ils is quite good with words too.”
“There’s no need to add ‘sir’. Just call me Ils.”
“I don’t like that. Just using the name alone makes it seem too close.”
“That’s a bit mean.”
Why is the conversation flowing so naturally with this man?
Rayleigh’s expression as he smiled playfully while saying she was mean was strange, yet refreshing.
But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
Thinking this as she followed Rayleigh, Alicia was momentarily speechless when she saw the place where his steps had stopped.
…What is this?
Not only the name written in tiny letters on the small signboard, but the flashy exterior that seemed visible even from 100 meters away was absurd to the point of disbelief.
Could this really be the building of the Information Guild?
The Information Guild that Alicia remembered was certainly nestled in the VIP area of a tavern near the square.
How many gold coins did it cost to climb just one set of stairs?
The amount of gold coins she had to pour out to climb the stairs to the second floor and enter the VIP room was so enormous that she couldn’t forget.
But… what on earth is this?
Could it be that he had guided her to a different location?
Harboring such suspicions, Alicia glared at Rayleigh.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re looking at a con artist.”
“Are you trying to say you didn’t deceive me?”
“No, it’s just the shop owner’s taste… what power do I have as a mere customer…”
Seeing Rayleigh’s genuinely wronged expression, Alicia was contemplating whether she should really believe this when the door suddenly swung open as if it had been waiting for the two of them. Startled, she unconsciously took a step back.
“W-what is this?”
“You don’t need to be so surprised. It’s just a failed creation born from the shop owner’s nasty hobby.”
“What do you mean a failed creation!”
A man’s voice was heard shouting as if in protest from inside the open door.
Does he have sharp ears?
Alicia thought that the ‘friend with sharp ears’ mentioned during her conversation with Rayleigh at the spring banquet might be the owner of this voice.
“If it’s not a failed creation, then what should I call it!”
“Agh! I won’t do it! I won’t look! Get lost!”
“At least give me my money’s worth, you con artist.”
“Who are you calling a con artist!”
“Look at the shop name! Anyone would think you’re a con artist!”
…He said his friend would get angry if called that… but the conversation sounded closer to that of bad friends rather than good ones.
“If you’re going to be like that, then just leave… but who’s the beauty next to you?”
The man who had been exchanging heated words with Rayleigh from inside the shop seemed to have just noticed Alicia’s presence.
Alicia slowly took in the appearance of the man who was now demanding an explanation from Raileigh.
Short wax-colored hair and orange eyes.
A face that anyone would likely judge as mischievous-looking.
A fairly tall, slender body.
He was a man she had never seen before, in either the past or present.
‘Who is this man? At least it’s certain he’s not someone I met in the VIP room…’
What role could he play in the Information Guild?
While Alicia was speculating about the man’s identity, he turned his eyes towards her, glaring at Rayleigh who had remained silent about her identity.
“The clothes you’re wearing must be from Madame Phillian’s boutique that you bought recently, and the robe you’re wearing over them is from Daralin’s, right? Wearing those means you must be the daughter of a fairly noble family… Which young lady from a noble family connected to the Andersons are you?”
The man muttered to himself incessantly, scrutinizing Alicia’s appearance up and down as if trying to figure out her identity.
Alicia’s expression hardened as she realized this was no ordinary person, given how he could recite the origins of clothes that even she didn’t know just by looking, or how he already seemed to know about what had happened on the way here.
“Hey, stop before you regret it.”
“Hey, if you’re going to be like that, just tell me! How can you tell me not to try to figure out her identity without saying anything? Don’t you know what my job is?”
“I’m really worried about you.”
“Aoh! Is she your lover or something? Did you come here to introduce her to me? To let me see the face of some precious daughter from a noble family?”
“I clearly told you to stop before you regret it, didn’t I?”
It seemed Alicia had indeed been moving very secretively.
Otherwise, he might not even be able to imagine that the princess might have secretly slipped out of the palace and be standing before his eyes.
Either way, it didn’t matter, but for his sake too, who kept spouting words he might regret later without realizing her identity, it seemed like it was time to reveal her face.
“The Viscount’s friend seems to be quite talkative.”
“No, I’m not talka… huh?”
The moment Alicia removed her hood and revealed her face, the man froze mid-sentence.
Perhaps he had no choice but to acknowledge the situation that seemed to be exactly what he didn’t want it to be?
With trembling eyes, he looked at Alicia’s face and then turned his gaze to Rayleigh, opening his mouth with a voice he couldn’t hide his trembling.
“You crazy bastard… did you bring Her Highness the Princess here?”
“It wasn’t what I wanted either.”
“You brought Her Highness the Princess to this humble place without saying a word to me?”
“I did advise you to stop before you regretted it.”
“You really are crazy…!”
“I’m not crazy now, but I might go crazy soon.”
Are bad friends still considered friends?
Watching him converse freely with Rayleigh despite his pale, shocked face, Alicia opened her mouth.
“It seems you already know, so I’ll skip my introduction. Now I’d like to hear your name.”
“Wow, shit, even her voice is so damn pret…”
“Hey! Hey! Get a hold of yourself!”
“Huh!”
Thanks to Raileigh slapping his back, the man seemed to realize what he had just blurted out and hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands.
Deciding to pretend not to notice, as his pitiful attempt to gauge if he had offended her was quite pathetic, Alicia asked for his name again.
“I-I’m Jay.”
“Your surname?”
“What surname would a nobody who grew up without parents have? Just call me Jay.”
“Ah…”
“There’s no need for that expression. It’s more strange to have proper parents in this line of work, you know.”
Waving his hand as if it was no big deal, Jay burst into laughter. He brought a chair and placed it in front of the table in the corner of the shop, then bowed to Alicia.
It looked like the most luxurious item in the shop.
“What about my chair?”
“Just grab whatever and sit down.”
Clicking his tongue at Jay’s irritated words, Raileigh went to find his own chair.
Meanwhile, Jay brewed some tea and brought it over, pouring it into an elegant teacup and placing it in front of Alicia.
Putting a chipped teacup in front of Raileigh was probably his small act of spite.
“Since you came with that rotten bastard, I assume you know where this is?”
“I have an idea.”
“Then allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Jay, the Guild Master.”
“…Guild Master? You?”
“It seems that crazy bastard didn’t mention that part to you.”
“I knew he had connections with the Information Guild, but I didn’t know he was friends with the Guild Master.”
“Friends? What nonsense!”
“That’s right. How could I be friends with that con artist?”
“Shut up, you money bag.”
“I’ve told you before, pick one between crazy bastard, rotten bastard, and money bag.”
“I don’t want to, you sucker.”
While Killian’s subordinates call him Master, Lord, Duke, Your Excellency and such, and are told to unify their form of address, it seemed Raileigh was called crazy bastard, rotten bastard, money bag, and sucker.
“I’m not a sucker!”
Ah… perhaps he doesn’t like being called a sucker?
Alicia gave up on thinking any further, faced with the noisy yet affectionate conversation between friends.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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