SCMBRN Chapter 28

How much time had passed? Cedric swept out of the front door, his garments billowing behind him.

 

“Very well. I shall return in thirty minutes.”

 

From his slightly suppressed tone, it seemed he was holding back a surge of anger.

 

“Your Grace!”

 

And with that, Cedric exited the <Forest of Illusions>, flanked by his subordinates.

 

‘It’s only thirty minutes. He could’ve just waited inside. Honestly.’

 

I clicked my tongue quietly while watching his retreating figure.

 

Most likely, his damned pride made it too embarrassing for him to remain here.

 

“Lady Charlotte Lyndsey.”

 

The manager, who had respectfully bowed toward the departing Cedric, now addressed me.

 

“Allow me to apologize once more for missing the appointed time.”

 

“Oh, it’s quite alright. These things happen.”

 

“Then please, follow me.”

 

With a graceful gesture, he guided me up the stairs, the assistant manager trailing behind us.

 

The VIP room was located at the far end of the second floor and exuded a far more luxurious atmosphere than the first floor.

 

“Please, have a seat over there.”

 

As I sank into the plush sofa at the manager’s direction, the assistant manager also casually plopped down across from me.

 

“So, where’d you disappear to? Without a word.”

 

He grabbed a snack already set on the table and popped it into his mouth as he spoke.

 

“You said there were no special plans for today.”

 

I had just thought his tone was quite informal when I was suddenly taken aback.

 

“You scoundrel!”

 

The usually unflappable manager, who seemed unlikely to flinch even in a natural disaster, exploded in rage.

 

“You vanished after dropping off nothing but a vacation request, and they ended up contacting me!”

 

The assistant manager merely raised both hands in a mock surrender, still grinning.

 

“Sorry, sorry. But it was such a sudden break, I figured they wouldn’t approve it if I followed protocol.”

 

“And so you just disappeared without a word? One of your colleagues begged me to cover for you because of some emergency!”

 

“That’s lucky, then. You got to show off your skills in front of others for a change.”

 

“Why, you—! Is that a mouth you’re speaking with?”

 

The manager dug into his pocket, then flung something across the room.

 

“Hey, that’s no reason to start throwing things!”

 

The assistant manager dodged the incoming fountain pen with a nimble move and protested.

 

“Alright, you picked the wrong day to mess with me.”

 

As the manager began scanning the VIP room for something else to throw, the assistant manager grabbed my wrist.

 

“Let’s escape!”

 

And with that, he pulled me out of the VIP room.

 

“You little brat! Stop right there!”

 

Leaving his fuming superior behind.

 

“This way!”

 

The man tugging at my hand led me up to the third floor.

 

Unlike the bustling shops on the first floor and the serene office-like second floor, the third level of <Forest of Illusions> resembled a storage area.

 

The assistant manager entered a narrow room at the far end of the floor and stood before the wall facing the door.

 

An odd thing happened when he tilted one of the candelabra decorations on the wall to the side.

 

A bookshelf filled with ledgers began to move by itself.

 

It opened like a door, revealing a hidden space behind it.

 

“Surprised? Don’t worry. It’s safe. Come in.”

 

Without waiting for my response, he hurried inside the secret room.

 

Judging by how he kept glancing nervously at the door, he must have been worried the manager might charge in at any moment.

 

The inside was more spacious and comfortable than I expected.

 

He used a handle on the back of the bookshelf to easily close the entrance to the hidden room.

 

“Once we’re in here, it’s alright.”

 

Turning to me, he spoke cheerfully.

 

“With someone inside, even if that candelabra is triggered, the door won’t open.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Ah, goodness. I was in such a rush, I forgot to introduce myself properly.”

 

The hood that had been covering the assistant manager’s face fell away. His true identity was finally revealed…

 

“You remember me, right? I’m Kirie.”

 

Naturally, it was Kirie, the court magician and sub male lead from <Looking for a Husband>.

 

Still as beautiful and graceful as ever, he smiled warmly.

 

“It’s good to see you again.”

 

“I’m glad too. But, um…”

 

I shifted my gaze to my wrist, the one he’d been holding the whole way here.

 

“Ah.”

 

He looked at his own hand, then at my face. His expression hardened rapidly as he glanced back and forth between the two.

 

“Aaah!”

 

Kirie let out a desperate scream and sprang away from me, plastering himself to the wall like a sticker.

 

“I-I’m so sorry. I must have lost my mind. I grabbed a lady’s wrist without thinking.”

 

As expected. I’d wondered earlier if perhaps he’d overcome his discomfort with women, given how casually he touched me. But no.

 

‘He must’ve just been too distracted to notice.’

 

It wasn’t so strange.

 

After all, Kirie had been juggling Cedric and the manager moments ago. No wonder he had no mental space left.

 

But now that he was fully aware I was a woman, this reaction was inevitable.

 

“Haha… please, have a seat.”

 

The magician, who didn’t seem comfortable at all, gestured toward a chair.

 

“You too, Kirie.”

 

“I’m fine. I feel more comfortable over here.”

 

“Oh. Still, if you sit so far away, it’s a little…”

 

“Then please, give me five minutes. I’ll stay here a bit longer, then join you.”

 

And so, we settled into an awkward five-minute interlude.

 

I passed the time idly, looking around the secret room.

 

In most novels, rooms like this are filled with mystery and secrets, but this one felt…

 

‘Lived-in.’

 

A cluttered desk full of miscellaneous items, books crammed into shelves, and all kinds of unidentifiable objects strewn about.

 

They were likely magical tools Kirie had either created or was still working on.

 

Even having read the novel, I had no idea this place existed.

 

“Whew, I feel a bit calmer now.”

 

After taking several deep breaths, Kirie finally took the empty chair.

 

“I-I received y-your letter. It was about the r-reward you mentioned before, wasn’t it?”

 

Was he really calm now?

 

“Are you alright?”

 

At my question, Kirie hastily shook his head.

 

“I’m perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about at all.”

 

He said this while subtly shifting his chair closer to the door.

 

‘…It’s not like I’m some monster that eats people.’

 

Objectively speaking, I was the one who ought to be more cautious here.

 

Alone in a sealed, secluded space with a man I’d met only three times.

 

Yet the one sweating nervously and unable to make eye contact was Kirie.

 

“You seem just as nervous as last time. Haven’t you gotten used to it by now?”

 

“That brief time wasn’t nearly enough. And besides, I just realized I’d been holding your wrist for so long…”

 

“Kirie, you’re quite the character. You were so eloquent, or rather sharp-tongued, in front of the Duke of Hickleed.”

 

I almost said “cheeky” but corrected myself midway.

 

“Really? Is that unusual?”

 

As I changed the subject, Kirie responded with much more ease, as expected.

 

“Absolutely. Do you know how many people fear the Duke of Hickleed? They say he’s as cold as ice and snow from the North.”

 

“I’ve heard that too, but when I saw him earlier, my impression was just that he was annoying.”

 

At that moment, Kirie made a surprised sound.

 

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you liked him? I didn’t mean to insult—”

 

“No! I don’t like him! I gave up on that!”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Of course. I only knelt earlier to apologize for something I did wrong in the past.”

 

“That’s a relief. Someone like that doesn’t deserve you.”

 

“Haha… you flatter me too much.”

 

“I mean it. You even figured out the connection between me and this shop with your keen insight. No one knows I’m the assistant manager here.”

 

“Ah, that was just luck. Since my family’s watching, I couldn’t send the letter directly, so I asked an acquaintance to deliver it.”

 

The fact that he visited the store often was public knowledge, even without reading the novel, so I explained it smoothly.

 

“Kneeling before the Duke of Hickleed was a bold move too.”

 

“Oh, it was nothing.”

 

“Not at all. Most nobles wouldn’t even consider it. I myself couldn’t do such a thing due to pride. That’s why, if the Duke were to criticize you again, public opinion would likely turn against him.”

 

The atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant. Why was he showering me with such flattering compliments?

 

‘Could it be… has he fallen for me?’

 

The classic trope where every character falls for the transmigrator… no, that couldn’t be it.

 

Despite the smile on his face, the slight trembling at the corner of his lips revealed his continued unease around me.

 

After a brief taste of sweetness, I returned to cold reality.

 

The root of Kirie’s kindness toward me was, ultimately, the bed.

 

‘It reminds me of my past, buttering up to bosses just to survive. Kind of sad, really.’

 

Life is hard, whether in that world or this one.

 

I’d better relieve Kirie of his burden soon.

 

“Shall we get to the main topic now?”

 

Right on cue, Kirie moved the conversation forward.