Chapter 7
With her hood pulled low over her head, Evelyn deliberately lowered her voice before speaking.
“Hello. Could you recommend a few books for me?”
“Of course. What kind of books are you looking for?”
“I’d like to buy books that a man would enjoy.”
The bookstore owner suddenly gave her a strange look.
“Did you come here because you heard the rumors?”
“Huh? …Yes.”
She had no idea what rumors he was talking about, so she gave a vague answer.
The owner’s face immediately lit up.
“Then you’re the first customer to come here through a recommendation!”
“Well, I can’t let that go to waste.”
“I’ll pick out some truly amazing books for you!”
He hurried behind the counter and pushed an entire bookshelf aside with all his strength.
As the shelf moved away, a hidden collection of books was revealed.
What an efficient design.
Anyone who loved books would probably want a bookshelf like that.
Evelyn found herself admiring it.
“Hehe. We just got a new title in.”
He handed her a book.
ćThe Elegant Days of Lady Ielć
The cover looked perfectly ordinary.
So did the title.
“…Do men really like books like this?”
Judging from the title alone, it seemed like something noble ladies would enjoy much more.
Seeing her confusion, the bookstore owner grinned.
“They absolutely love it.”
“I can barely keep it in stock!”
“In all my years, I’ve never seen descriptions this detailed…”
“…or this intense!”
“I swear it on my own name!”
He was willing to stake his reputation on the book.
Well… times are changing.
These days, more and more men enjoyed embroidery and flower arranging too.
I shouldn’t judge based on appearances.
Deeply reflecting on her own prejudice, Evelyn bought several books the owner recommended.
Then she headed for her next destination.
Her next stop was the blacksmith.
There, she intended to buy the most important item for her plan.
The last room in her grandfather’s basement still had sturdy chains and iron rings attached to the walls.
But…
The handcuffs weren’t in good condition.
She had no idea what had happened to them.
They were damaged beyond repair.
She would have to buy new ones.
Technically… I could lock up the Grand Duke without handcuffs.
But if something goes wrong…
I’ll be the one who dies.
Dying while trying to save her grandfather’s benefactor…
That absolutely couldn’t happen.
So Evelyn hardened her resolve.
She had already chosen a blacksmith.
It was another place recommended by her grandfather.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
She knocked on the door.
But the loud sound of hammering metal drowned it out.
After hesitating for a moment, she carefully stepped inside.
An elderly man with a powerful build sat beside the forge.
He examined a piece of glowing metal with a pair of tongs before finally turning around.
“A customer?”
He had the same strange sense of authority her late grandfather had possessed.
Remembering the past, Evelyn politely bowed.
“Hello.”
“I was wondering if I could buy something.”
“I don’t sell to just anyone.”
Her grandfather had already warned her about that.
“He’s a picky old man who won’t sell to just anyone. But there is a way.”
That method…
Was introducing herself.
“Allow me to introduce myself again.”
“My name is Evelyn El Frilly.”
“I’m Baron Frilly’s granddaughter.”
She gracefully stepped forward and lifted the hem of her skirt in greeting.
The old man scratched his chin with his large hand.
“Frilly…”
“Frilly…”
“I’ve heard that name before…”
Then…
Like a startled lizard, the old man suddenly jumped into the air.
“AAAH!”
“No way!”
“Don’t tell me…”
“You’re that bastard’s granddaughter?!”
His reaction was so dramatic that Evelyn could only blink in surprise.
The old man’s face twisted with disbelief.
“You’re lying!”
“How could someone like him have gotten married?!”
“Damn it!”
“I thought all of that was just another one of his jokes!”
…Why does everyone have such a terrible opinion of Grandfather?
The old man grumbled for quite a while before finally letting out a long sigh.
Then he looked at Evelyn.
“Even if you’re the granddaughter of someone I know…”
“I’m not giving you anything for free.”
“You’ll have to pay.”
“I don’t accept money.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Did that old bastard leave you anything unusual?”
Something unusual…
After thinking for a moment, Evelyn took out one of the strange coins her grandfather had left her.
She wasn’t expecting much.
But the old man smiled.
“That’s it.”
“That’ll do.”
Just what are these coins?
Evelyn couldn’t help wondering.
But the old man clearly had no intention of explaining.
He accepted the coin and quietly stared at it.
His eyes looked distant.
As though remembering someone from long ago.
So Evelyn silently waited.
“…All right.”
After collecting himself, he put the coin away.
“So.”
“What do you need?”
“Handcuffs.”
“…Handcuffs?”
“Yes.”
“The granddaughter really is just like her grandfather.”
“The things you ask for are exactly the same.”
“Fine.”
“I’ll show you.”
***
Following the old man farther inside, Evelyn found weapons and various tools neatly arranged along the walls.
Even without knowing anything about them…
They all looked impressive.
“The handcuffs are over here.”
“Do you know anything about the person you’ll be using them on?”
“Their gender?”
“Their strength?”
“He’s a man.”
“And he’s extremely strong.”
“Then there’s only one choice.”
The old man picked up a pair of handcuffs.
They were made of dark-colored metal.
The lining inside was unusual.
Soft…
Bright pink fur covered the inside.
“This fur comes from a magical beast that lives in dangerous lands.”
“It absorbs impact.”
“When combined with this metal…”
“It creates handcuffs that no one can escape.”
The old man grinned as he handed them to her.
Although they looked like solid metal…
They were much lighter than expected.
Apparently, the metal itself was something special.
“I don’t know who you’re planning to capture…”
“But whatever you’re imagining…”
“It’ll be worse than that.”
“Thank you very much.”
“No.”
“I received what I was owed.”
“And I gave what I owed.”
The old man waved his hand dismissively.
“If you don’t need anything else…”
“Go.”
“I’m busy.”
By the time Evelyn left the blacksmith…
Night had already fallen.
Most of her preparations were finally complete.
The only thing left…
Was kidnapping the Grand Duke.
Her grandfather’s benefactor.
Can someone as ordinary as me…
Really kidnap one of the strongest people in the Empire?
It was like a tiny puppy trying to challenge a giant magical beast.
Evelyn slowly closed her eyes.
Even so…
She couldn’t give up.
If she failed to save the Grand Duke…
She felt her grandfather would never rest in peace.
Every day…
She still heard her grandfather’s voice in her dreams.
Until that voice disappeared…
She couldn’t stop.
Opening her eyes again, Evelyn clenched her fists.
“I can do this!”
There was still more to prepare.
***
One of the most famous newspapers in the capital was Kas.
Among the many sections in its newspaper…
One of the most popular was the advice column.
Readers would send in their worries.
The editors selected the most interesting ones and printed them.
Other readers would then send in advice.
The best responses were published in the next issue.
People whose answers were chosen even received prizes.
Because of that, the column was especially popular among ordinary citizens.
Though…
That wasn’t the only reason.
At first…
The questions had been perfectly ordinary.
“What dishes can I make with potatoes?”
But with each passing issue…
The questions became more and more dramatic.
“My fiancĆ© is cheating on me with another woman. What should I do?”
As the questions became increasingly outrageous…
The newspaper discovered that readers loved them.
So they intentionally began choosing even more sensational submissions.
Then one day…
A new question arrived.
“How can an ordinary woman defeat a Swordmaster?”
One of the reporters looked over the pile of submissions and tilted his head.
“That’s a strange question.”
His coworker nodded.
“It is.”
“After all, there are only about three people on the entire continent who hold the title of Swordmaster.”
“And one of them is here in the Empire.”
“You know…”
“That person.”
“Exactly.”
“He’s currently staying in the capital.”
“That’s why I’m wondering.”
“It’s an interesting question…”
“But should we really publish it?”
What if Grand Duke Grasias became furious after reading it and stormed into the newspaper office?
The reporters seriously considered the possibility.
Still…
They couldn’t help being curious.
Who had sent such a question?
And what kind of answers would people submit?
“…Hasn’t he been a little quieter lately?”
“And besides…”
“He’s never complained about newspaper articles before.”
People often criticized him in the papers.
Yet he had never destroyed a newspaper company because of it.
Well…
There was one exception.
The cheap tabloid newspapers.
They had printed completely fabricated stories about him…
And they had quickly disappeared from this world.
