I Was a Supporting Character

Mimas looked genuinely surprised. Due to the burn, one of his eyes had lost its original shape and was distorted, but his gaze remained wise and warm.

“Your Ladyship Uranos! But if you become the guarantor, you might have to cover the finances of this soup kitchen in case of a shortage!”

“Don’t worry. I’m well aware of that. Oh, just in case, if I can’t be the guarantor, I’ll specify that my heir will take over the role.”

The person who would become my heir would likely be my husband or child if I got married. However, since I plan to leave this world before that, it would probably be my parents. I trust that if they become my heirs, they will fulfil this last request of mine.

Mimas was too moved to respond.

He probably approached many nobles supporting this free soup kitchen, likely appealing more passionately than anyone else. Still, the fact that there was no guarantor until now meant that everyone had declined.

I didn’t harbor any thoughts of blaming those who had refused my superior position. I only thought about the poor people who would go hungry without this soup kitchen and wanted to support Mimas.

“I never expected Lady Uranos to resolve the issue like this… Honestly, I thought you didn’t have much interest in it.”

If it were the usual me, that might have been the case. It would be difficult to claim I had boundless affection for this soup kitchen, maybe sending some money and participating in meal services a few times at best. I might have considered it as a way to satisfy my own sense of practicing noblesse oblige.

Anyway, I was glad I could offer significant help before leaving.

I entered the office and signed various documents that needed my signature as the guarantor. I specified as a special clause that, in the event I couldn’t be the guarantor, my heir would take over my obligations. Now, once these documents were submitted to the authorities, Mimas would officially become the responsible person for this free soup kitchen, and I would be the guarantor ensuring its financial state.

Hmm, it seemed like I might have to dispose of a few jewels from my jewelry box. That way, my future parents, who would inevitably be shocked, might feel a bit less sorry for me later. Hehe.

Smiling at Mimas, I said, “Starting from tomorrow, the meal service will resume smoothly, won’t it?”

“Well, if the approval comes quickly, it should be fine. But until the approval is granted, we can’t access the funds tied up in the bank for the soup kitchen. We need to purchase ingredients for tomorrow at least, but…”

I quickly distorted my expression. Hadn’t it all been resolved yet?

“Then, where did the money for the meals up until now come from?”

“For the time being, we used the funds we withdrew in advance and also a bit from my personal savings…”

A bit? It probably wasn’t just a bit. Oh, this sentimental Mimas.

Sighing involuntarily, I thought, as I mentioned, that many people in this impoverished area would find it challenging to secure meals without this soup kitchen. They probably went without food for the whole day today. I couldn’t let it happen again tomorrow.

I opened my handbag.

“Hey, Uranos? What are you trying to do?”

Opening my handbag, I found a pair of earrings and a jeweled hairpin inside.

“Do your best to cash these in, even if it’s a bit regrettable. Since there are many faces I’d like to avoid if I did it myself, it’s better to assign another staff member.”

I placed the jewelry on the table with a resounding thud.

Even if they were second-hand, I should be able to get a decent amount for them, right? Just try not to cheat me. I won’t visit that store again.

“This is…”

“They’re not that important to me. So, use this to quickly purchase ingredients for tomorrow’s meal. You might be short on time if you don’t start moving now, don’t you think?”

I sharply remarked, looking at Mimas, who was just staring at the table. Mimas snapped out of it and nodded vigorously. He quickly called the staff and gave them various instructions.

Together with Mimas, I headed to the government office. Since the guarantor had to be present for the certification, even if I did the certification, it would take some time for them to assess its suitability. It would be great if they could just stamp it as soon as we arrived. The paperwork process could be quite frustrating.

The government office was near the palace. Riding in my carriage with Mimas, we swiftly made our way through the streets.

Mimas expressed his gratitude once again.

“It was truly unexpected help. Thank you once again, Lady Uranos.”

“Hehe. Don’t mention it. I haven’t been much help usually, so I’m glad I could do something good this time.”

A warm feeling filled my heart. Helping people and showing love to others was truly the most fulfilling for me. And well, doing a lot of good deeds before dying should lead to a better place after death, right?

The government office was always bustling with visitors. It was crowded with people handling various complaints and those who had come to process their business. When we arrived, there were only five people ahead of us in line.

“Hmm…”

I involuntarily sighed, and Mimass followed suit with a sigh.

“We might have to wait for a long time, Lady Uranos?”

I looked down at the ticket in my hand. Will our turn come before the government officials leave work? I glanced at the tired faces of the people in line. Once again, I heard a familiar voice.

“Bianca.”

Ugh, I could tell without even turning around this time.

Before looking at Ares, I put on the most courteous smile I could muster and turned toward him.

“Ha, ha. Hello.”

I might not be able to say his name out loud, even if I were dying. Once again, I ended up just exchanging greetings. Fortunately, instead of expressing dissatisfaction, he smiled gently and spoke to me.

“You seem to have official business at the government office.”

He held a ticket in his hand as well.

Was this novel originally set up for me to frequently encounter Ares?

I glanced at Mimas, nodded my head, and replied, “Yes. It’s about the free food distribution center.”

Upon hearing that, Ares responded with a knowing look on his face.

“Ah, the issue was mentioned at Young Lady Metis Nereid’s tea party. Then the person next to you…”

Ares didn’t seem particularly surprised, even after seeing the scarred face of Mr. Mimas.

I inwardly sighed with relief. If he had shown any shock or discomfort, I wouldn’t have been able to look at Mr. Mimas’s face properly.

Mr. Mimas quickly greeted Ares, “I am Mimas, the temporary manager of the free food kitchen.”

“I’m Ares Stanley.”

Ares looked at the number on my waiting ticket.

“Is your turn significantly delayed?”

“Oh, the turn…”

I unfolded the paper. The number 24 was beautifully written, and the number they was currently dealing with was 18. That meant there were only 5 people waiting in front of me.

18, 18…

“Well, let’s exchange then.”

Casually saying that, he handed me his ticket, and it was number 20! I mean, how many people can he surpass? We just need to wait for one more person!

Ares tried to reach for my ticket without much concern, but I managed to regain my composure and lifted it as a courtesy.

“Are you sure it’s okay to do this?”

Oh no, I absolutely won’t refuse. If I reject as a courtesy and then he insists, what am I supposed to do? His hand was already itching to snatch that waiting ticket!

With an anxious heart, I awaited Ares’s response.

He looked at me for a moment, then flashed a dazzling smile and replied, “If you grant me one favor, I’d gladly exchange.”

Ugh! There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

However, now wasn’t the time to be picky. With Mr. Mimas’s sparkling eyes watching me from the side, how could I hesitate!

“If it’s something I can accommodate.”

I tried to respond with a nonchalant and sophisticated tone.

Ares looked at me with an expression as if he had found a good prey—maybe only in my imagination?—and said, “I’d appreciate it if you could give me all your free time in the afternoon after finishing your work.”

…If an ordinary person said something like that to me, I might think, ‘Wow, he’s asking me out on a date!’ But this person was Ares Ufiter.

Hey, don’t you have Lea?

I hesitated for a moment. I was worried that if I accepted this too readily and it turned into a real villainess scenario as written by the “author,” what would I do?

But well, I didn’t deliberately seduce anyone, and thankfully, the nature of the compensation for exchanging the tickets was clear, so I had enough excuses in case Leia questioned me later.

“All right. Let’s do that.”

Ares’s face brightened visibly. Seeing how radiant his smile was, I couldn’t help but smile along.

I turned to Mr. Mimas and said, “Mr. Ufiter kindly extended his favor. I should finish my work quickly and be able to leave soon.”

Then, a sudden thought struck me. What time would it be when Ares finished his business with my ticket? The later, the better, I thought, but somehow, as if he had read my mind, he calmly said, “It wasn’t urgent for me, so I can come back and take care of it next time.”

Does that mean he’s fine with it being this way? No, more importantly, I ended up giving all my afternoon time to Ares Ufiter without any resistance!

…No, there’s no law that says I have to do that.

I chuckled at the suddenly brilliant idea that came to mind. Isn’t there a great way to keep my afternoon time safe from Ares Stanley? Right here, with Mr. Mimas!

“Mr. Mimas, preparing for tomorrow’s meals must keep you incredibly busy, right?”

He answered with an obvious expression, “Of course.”

Perfect. I had an excellent idea to keep Ares from taking up all my afternoon time. I subtly smiled at the thought.

“Even if the staff manages to secure the funds, setting up the market itself is a big task. It seems like it will be incredibly busy without a moment to spare…?”

I desperately signaled him with my eyes.

Please, tell me you need help! Speak up!

Mr. Mimas hesitated at the end of his sentence, glancing between my expression and Ares beside me. Then, with a feigned cough, he began to speak vaguely.

“Uh, well… The truth is, we are a bit short-handed… If Lady Uranos could lend a hand, it would be a significant help for us… Perhaps.”

I took that as a clear signal. Thank you, Mr. Mimas!

“Helping halfheartedly doesn’t suit my nature. Since I’m offering help, I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”

“T-Thank you.”

With a bewildered expression, Mr. Mimas expressed his gratitude to me and hurriedly ran towards the counter handling number 19. It seems he wanted to escape from this situation as quickly as possible. Hmm.

So, in the end, without Mr. Mimas, I awkwardly sat on the waiting seat next to the male lead.

Ares, still with that smile, spoke to me.

“It seems the soup kitchen is quite short-staffed. I’ll go and help as well.”

Sigh. In social circles, there are times when a smiling face feels more menacing. I dare say this is one of those times.

“Thank you.”

Yeah. It’s probably less awkward to be with the soup kitchen staff, including Mr. Mimas, than just the two of us. Anyway, he showed me a great favor today.

I didn’t have much to talk about with him, so I casually lowered my gaze.

Phew. What am I even doing right now?

Not being able to say a word when the person you admired is right next to you.

Then, Ares spoke first.

“As expected… it seems much more uncomfortable for you when Leia is not around.”

Huh? Why is he suddenly talking about Leia?