Chapter 36 (1/2)

The poor maid was flustered. She tried to tell her master about Annette’s whereabouts.

“Yes. She went out somewhat… around two hours ago.”

Where could she have gone now? Are there any places where she would go around here? Raphael was displeased with the fact that Annette was not at home. It wasn’t good for a small, slender woman like her to wander around this time. Does she know even what could happen to her? Like the last time, someone like the Crown Prince may appear and try to get close to her with the pretense of saying goodbye, or a crazy bitch like Diana Mcclaire could pretend to be close with her, only try to embarrass her by bringing up how she couldn’t become the crown princess.

Raphael frowned, recalling all the dangers present outside the mansion. Because of this, the maid’s complexion became more pale. However, Raphael wasn’t interested in the maid’s reaction and asked casually.

“Is it somewhere around here?”

“Yes, I think so. Perhaps a maid named Mary knows Madam’s destination. May I call her now, Master?”

The maid who somehow wanted to escape from Raphael’s interrogation said earnestly. Raphael wasn’t really going to look into it or anything, but the maid’s suggestion didn’t seem bad. It was not that he wanted to imprison Annette inside the house or something, he was just worried about her, so he was just trying to find out where she had gone.

“Okay. Bring her to me.”

Thinking like this, Raphael nodded his head. Then the maid quickly disappeared to go and find Mary. Looking at her quick action,  Raphael felt satisfied as an employer. Becoming an aristocrat was the most satisfying reward he ever had. It was because of this he was also able to marry Annette Bavaria.

“Wait, why would I think like this….?”

He found his own thoughts strange. Raphael frowned and turned around. Seeing his affection for Annette grow like this, he became anxious. He had always been alone and so, felt much more comfortable like that. Because of this, he was determined to continue living like that in the future.

* * *

A white, elegant hand came close, as if it was about to grasp Annette’s hand. But the hand, moving like a white snake, only circled around her hand, lightly brushing against the bandage. The owner of the hand said in a chillingly soft tone.

“You’re hurt.”

“Ah, yes. There was an accident.”

Annette answered casually and shifted  her injured hand to the side. Maybe a week or so later she could remove the bandage. But the man looking at Annette’s injured hand didn’t seem to think so at all. The purple-haired man with a gorgeous face clicked his tongue.

“You have beautiful hands, but what a pity! It would be hard to embroider like this.”

Only then did Annette recall how she had boasted about her embroidery skills in their last meeting. She replied, covering her hands feeling ashamed. She was really relieved that the veil couldn’t show her face.

“It’ll get better soon. It’s just a minor injury.”

The person who Annette was conversing  with right now, was Railin Mosley, who ran the smuggling guild “Secret.” He had promised Annette last time that he would send her all the information on smuggling, and because of that, they finally got in touch.

Railin handed a thick report, finely bending his red ruby-like eyes. Annette casually took it and checked the contents. It had information about all the good villages to settle in Osland, recommended jobs there, and even the average price of housing and land prices. She was satisfied as she could meticulously plan and make a good choice with this.

“That’s great. I’ll take a look. After making up my mind, I’ll contact you.”

“I am glad that you liked it. Please feel free to contact us for further information or advice. Our ‘Secret’ always prioritises our customer’s satisfaction first.”

Railin snickered. Annette looked at his face unknowingly. His colorful purple hair, which resembled hyacinths, had beautiful curls, and his hooded, feline red eyes had a decadent beauty. Particularly, the mole near his smiling mouth made his divine beauty reach its zenith.

If Railin had been born as a woman, the men of Deltium sure would have thrown all their riches to his feet and offered their everything to him. He was the type of person who could enslave people with just a wink or a smile.

‘I envy you.’

Annette’s eyes, under the veil, were filled with envy. All she had learned to do was to keep a noble and graceful smile, to raise her chin high, and maintain a graceful and dignified posture. These things might be helpful for her social life, but they were pretty useless when it came to improve her relationship with her husband. It would have been nice if she also had such a bewitching beauty.

At this time, Railin suddenly opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry if this seems rude to you, but I just want to know why you want to leave this place? You don’t really look like you’re lacking anything, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you why.”

Annette was startled at his sudden question. She had never revealed her identity before, but he asked as if he knew who Annette was. Seeing Annette become wary and silent, Railin said in a nonchalant tone, as if asking about her neighbors next door.

“Oh, I’m sorry if you found my question offensive. I am asking this so that we can take care of the situation, just in case, if your husband tries to find you in the future. That’s why I just wanted to check in advance.”

This made it clear that Railin knew who she was. She had very carefully hidden her identity while coming to this place, so she could not understand how this happened. Annette, who had been silent for a while, sighed and said.