As I mulled over Rashak’s words of comfort, one thought came to mind.
I can’t just sit around doing nothing anymore.
Making everything go away with a single apology.
As he’d said, it was something unprecedented. Yet Rashak had trusted me and acted according to my suggestion.
Although Renoa was still gnashing her teeth in anger, the fact remained that Rashak had decided not to take her life.
My family… or perhaps they were only people who used to be my family. Either way, Rashak had spared my family, yet I was keeping quiet even though I knew his own family member was going to die soon.
My conscience wasn’t merely pricking me. It felt as though it was being crushed into pieces.
I have to tell him. Regardless of what happens in the original novel, nothing could be more important to Rashak than this.
The problem was… how was I supposed to tell him?
Should I bluntly tell him that his older brother was going to die this summer? He’d suspect something was wrong.
What if I told him that this world was actually a novel I’d read in my previous life? That would sound even more suspicious.
And then tell him that the novel said his brother would be murdered?
…I’d be lucky if he didn’t think I was a lunatic.
I know who will murder him, but I have absolutely no idea how they’ll do it. I don’t even know why they’ll kill him. There’s a limit to what I know.
My head was full of these concerns, and I hadn’t even reached a proper conclusion yet.
But, cruelly enough, for some reason, my mouth moved before I could stop it.
“Um, Boss. About your older brother…”
Even after the words left my mouth, I nearly slapped myself.
Damn it! I hadn’t come up with any plan at all!
“Hmm? My brother?”
“Pardon? Y-yes. Lord Evan…”
“What about my brother?”
Rashak’s gaze remained on the documents, but he was still paying attention to what I was saying.
If I kept stalling like this, I’d only look more suspicious.
“Um… I guess he really likes tea?”
“…Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
At his puzzled question, I nearly bit my tongue.
It was sudden. But that was the only thing I’d talked about with Evan when we met before!
“When we met previously… he asked me to serve him some tea.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. He won’t have another chance to be so rude.”
Rashak seemed to brush the matter aside as though it were nothing. And why wouldn’t he? It was just a conversation about tea. What else was there to say about it?!
But to me, it was the only connection I’d managed to find.
I hurriedly continued.
“I-I really like tea, too!”
“Do you?”
“So, I was wondering if it would be all right for me to treat him properly next time?”
One of his eyebrows rose slightly.
Rashak put down the documents and looked at me.
“My brother?”
“Ah, w-well, to be precise… I know a place that serves unbelievably delicious tea!”
“……”
“I thought… Lord Evan might like it, too…”
“……”
“If that’s not possible, th-then I suppose it can’t be helped…”
Even after saying all that, my heart was pounding so hard I thought I might go insane.
What if he asked whether that was really my reason?
What if he interrogated me about my ulterior motives?
What if he decided to drag me down to the dungeon…?
“I’ll talk to my brother.”
At his words, accompanied by a slight nod, I let out a deep sigh of relief inwardly.
“Thank you…”
Only afterward did I wonder, Why did he agree? But I didn’t dare ask. He might change his mind and call the whole thing off.
After that, I kept sneaking glances at him, but for some reason, Rashak’s expression was particularly difficult to read today. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
My meeting with Evan was arranged a few days later.
I guess today marks exactly twelve days since I started working for Barsen.
I had only one mission today.
Become friends with the male lead’s older brother, Evan Berzen.
…Even though I had to admit that the goal was so vague I hardly knew what to say about it, but it was the best plan I had.
I knew he would be assassinated, but I didn’t know how, which meant I couldn’t stop it.
And setting aside the how, I didn’t even know why, making it even more difficult to explain anything to him.
So, for the time being, I’d set myself the goal of becoming friends with him.
If I got close to Evan and learned a few things about him, I could casually let something slip, like, Oh! Isn’t that a little suspicious?
…Even after going over the plan again, it was so vague and flimsy that I could only sigh. But I had no other choice for now.
Let’s just give it a shot.
The place I’d invited Evan to was a quiet café on the outskirts of the capital.
Not many people came here, but as I’d told Rashak beforehand, both the tea and desserts were delicious. It was like my own hidden gem.
I hope Evan likes the taste, too.
After exchanging a greeting with the shopkeeper, whom I knew by face, I headed upstairs.
It wasn’t long before a navy-blue carriage arrived.
Curly blond hair, pale green eyes, and a face that looked far too youthful to belong to a twenty-eight-year-old. His pale skin was shaded by… wait a second. An umbrella?
And gloves, too… Why was he wearing a mask-like veil?!
He looks like he’s going to be a real handful…
Whether I sighed at the trials awaiting me or not, Evan strode up the stairs.
After spotting me sitting by the window, he clicked his tongue.
“I knew it.”
“…Pardon?”
“I knew you’d be the kind of thoughtless person who’d choose a window seat for the view and not even care about the scorching sunlight.”
After voicing his displeasure at length, he folded his parasol and sat down at an inner table.
And since he didn’t even look at me, his unspoken message was crystal clear: If you want to talk to me, come over here yourself.
Rashak suddenly came to mind. He’d said Evan wouldn’t have another chance to be rude…
Be patient. I have no other choice.
I got up and cautiously took the seat across from him.
His gaze was openly suspicious, as if to ask, Why on earth did you invite me here?
But since I’d already taken the plunge, I had to see it through somehow. I gave him an awkward smile and handed him the menu.
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Don’t need any.”
“Then perhaps something cold…”
“Don’t need anything.”
“What about dessert…?”
“Stop wasting time and get to the point.”
“Pardon? The point…?”
“I already figured it out. I know why you invited me here.”
What had he figured out? That I was a transmigrator? That he was going to die?
Wait, had I somehow given myself away…?
“For the record, I’m not interested in dating you. You’re not my type.”
Oh, Lord.
Must I really save this man?
“…That’s not it.”
“If that’s not it, then what is? I heard you even took a day off just to make time to meet me. And you begged your superior, someone you’re not even close to, to arrange a meeting…”
“I didn’t exactly beg!”
“You went out of your way to insist that we had a common interest, too… You’re just trying to find some excuse to talk to me, aren’t you?”
Well, yes, I was trying to find an excuse to talk to him.
But not to seduce him! I was trying to save his life!
“Of course, I admit it. I’m rather exceptional, after all. I’ve spent my whole life hearing people tell me how pretty or handsome I am as casually as they breathe. It wouldn’t be strange if someone fell in love at first sight.”
Another miserable aspect of this situation was that I wasn’t eloquent enough to clear up such a profound misunderstanding.
I took a breath and spoke calmly.
“I… really didn’t arrange to meet you with that kind of intention, Lord Evan.”
“Then what was your intention?”
“……”
“You can’t even answer. That’s suspicious. I should get going.”
As soon as he said that, Evan sprang to his feet and headed for the stairs.
“W-wait a moment! Lord Evan!”
I hurried after him, and the moment I reached the first floor—
I suddenly felt a sharp gaze piercing into me from somewhere.
What…?
It was only for an instant, but I was certain I’d felt it.
My years of trembling in every class for fear that the teacher would call on me to answer had taught me to recognize that feeling all too well.
Someone is watching us.
And perhaps… It was the assassin targeting Evan.
There was no reason to hesitate any longer.
I reached out and grabbed Evan’s arm.
“You’re right.”
Before he could say anything, I quickly continued.
“I mean…! It’s not that I’m in love with you or anything like that!”
“…Then what is it?”
“It’s just that I want to… behold your dazzling beauty… one more time. I suppose you could call it… admiration…”
“……”
“It’s closer to wanting to see something beautiful again. Yes, that’s it.”
Evan didn’t respond immediately.
He simply stared at me.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, he broke into a wide grin.
“What? If that’s all it was, you should’ve said so from the beginning.”
“I’m not very good with words…”
“Actually, you’re not the first person like this. When I was young, people couldn’t even close their mouths when they saw me. There was even a time when I seriously considered changing careers to become a dentist.”
As he launched into his endless chatter, I let most of it go in one ear and out the other while cautiously guiding him back inside.
“Y-yes… I’d love to hear more. About you, Lord Evan.”
All the while, I kept my guard up against the gaze I’d sensed outside.
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