78. Plan

Philip was still lingering in the capital. Rumor had it that a significant deal had just gone down in the city.

He slipped a message to his usual alleyway informant.

At the appointed time, he waited for him in a dingy pub in the alley. Though it was old and dimly lit, it was the closest tavern to where he conducted his business.

His anxiety made it impossible to sit still. He tried to sit but kept fidgeting, his back unable to rest against the chair. In the end, he stood up, restlessly tapping the table and gnawing on his nails.

He noticed glances stealing his way. A young lady of noble appearance wandering around an old pub naturally drew suspicion. Normally, such looks would have intimidated him, but he was too preoccupied with the anxiety of Philip not showing up, so their stares felt insignificant.

“Hey.”

A rough-looking man swaggered over, a large beer mug in his hairy hand.

“You’re a noble lady, aren’t you? This isn’t a place for someone like you.”

He smirked.

“Or are you perhaps a woman sponsored by a wealthy noble? Looking for a patron here?”

As he sneered, his companion beside him chuckled lewdly.

“Sponsorship? What’s that? Trying to be polite because she’s a noble? Still got that mercenary spirit in you? Just call it what it is—selling yourself.”

Whatever amused them so much, the two men laughed heartily.

“Who are you waiting for, huh? If they don’t show up, why not come with me?”

He took another step closer.

Seeing her fingers, red and bleeding from incessant gnawing, he recoiled. Despite the sight of blood, she continued to bite down on her already wounded fingers.

“What the hell, this girl is crazy?”

At that moment, the door opened. Philip entered the pub less than half a day after she had sent the message.

“Leonie.”

He took off his hat, looking just as he did when they met at the ball.

“Philip!”

She greeted him warmly. In that moment, he appeared like a gentleman come to rescue her. The myriad freckles scattered under his eyes seemed more charming than angel wings.

“You should have moved to another place. This isn’t somewhere a noble lady should be. It’s dangerous.”

“I had no choice. If I wanted to meet you quickly, this was the closest place.”

“Let’s move to another location for now.”

He urged me.

Philip pulled me along with a slight urgency.

Holding his hand, my vision started to clear up. As he said, this was no place for a noblewoman to linger. At the alley entrance, an old beggar woman sat, while a large spider web covered the doorway. Bats even hung from the ceiling.

I hadn’t noticed when I first arrived, but in hindsight, it was a relief that all I encountered were a few snide remarks. I was lucky not to have my money stolen.

He led me to a quiet room in the alley. It was much better than the pub. Most importantly, it was enclosed on all sides.

Normally, I would have taken note of the path, but following Philip’s back left me no time to memorize the way.

I didn’t shake off his grip. I was that anxious, almost half out of my mind. I felt like I was floating.

“This place is enclosed and the owner is discreet, so we often use it for deals. You don’t have to worry about anyone overhearing. So, why did you call me so urgently?”

Philip asked. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep due to ongoing transactions.

“…You know Prince Deon has been imprisoned, right?”

“I’ve heard. No merchant could miss that news. The merchants are abuzz with talk that he’ll be executed.”

He put down his bag. It was filled with documents, likely from a new contract he had just signed.

I started to speak in a somewhat calm tone.

“I want you to get him out of the palace prison.”

“What?”

He shouted in surprise, then quickly looked around and fell silent. At the same time, the documents he held scattered to the floor.

Papers littered the ground. I picked up the ones at my feet and placed them on the table as I continued.

“Bribe the guards.”

“That’s easier said than done… It’s difficult.”

I knew he would refuse. But I had prepared something for this.

I took out the jewelry box Deon had given me.

Fortunately, my room in the mansion was left untouched, so I didn’t have to touch my dresses or other jewels. Suren also understood my intentions and sent all the remaining money and jewelry from the mansion.

I brought everything I had in a shabby bag.

I opened the jewelry box. In hindsight, I should have bought more when he offered. I thought it was enough for a few months, but now that I counted, it wasn’t much. Moreover, there were no jewels worth their full price when resold.

Selling in bulk, expensive jewelry and dresses go for a pittance. Most of the price in shops is for the craftsmanship. I already knew that.

That’s why I called Philip, hoping he would give a fair price. It might just be an appeal to an old friend, but I didn’t think he would turn away.

“Won’t this be enough if you sell it all?”

Philip’s face hardened.

“Leonie, no matter how much you give, it’s difficult. Not just for me, but for any merchant group. This is serious. Getting him out of the underground prison… It’s a matter of life and death. If caught, not only you but your entire family will be accused of conspiracy. Releasing a criminal… It’s not something that can be overlooked if discovered.”

“…I know.”

I muttered quietly. He let out a laugh, tinged with a sense of futility.

“Even knowing all that, you still want to do it? Leonie, think again. You’d need bribed guards, well-trained mercenaries, a money launderer, a broker to help cross the border, and someone to change his identity. You’d have to mobilize at least five people. And would they stay quiet? You’d have to keep paying them off until you’re safely across the border.”

I looked at him silently. Sensing my determination, he sighed deeply.

“Leonie, rumors are rampant in the capital that you’ve lost the prince’s favor. They say the prince abandoned you and got engaged. Yet you still want to risk your life for him?”

I hadn’t heard the details, but I figured that was the case. Isella’s entrance into the mansion had already been a sensational gossip topic. When I moved to the separate house, newspapers must have eagerly spread the juicy story. Overnight, I became a laughingstock, the concubine who lost favor and was kicked out.

“You’d need to convert the jewelry to cash. Laundering money without a source would cost twice as much. If word gets out that you sold expensive jewelry all at once, you’ll be a prime suspect. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until they handle it?”

“They’ve already set a trial date while I waited, trusting them. The secretary who would have been by his side has vanished, and his guards are commoners who have no influence within the palace. They can’t even enter the palace, let alone exert any influence. Philip, you’re the only one I can trust.”

I slumped into a chair. I swallowed the tears that threatened to spill. Crying wouldn’t change anything.

“What about the Snowa family? His fiancé?”

I shook my head.

“She’s already turned her back on him. It seems she’s looking for another fiancé.”

“Wasn’t it a political match between families?”

“That’s what I thought too… but apparently not. I understand, though. She’s probably afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.”

Isella had decided that associating with Deon was too risky. And her decision was correct. Deon’s situation worsened by the day.

I had wandered the streets but only heard rumors of her breaking off the engagement and seeking a new one. There was no word of her making any moves to help him. It seemed there was no lingering affection between them.

“They seemed quite close.”

His words made my heart sink. But I couldn’t let my emotions show here. Time was of the essence.

“Please help me. I’ll sell these to raise the money.”

I spread the dresses on the table. What I thought was a lot barely covered one side of the table.

I even laid out the plain cloak and the single outfit from the northern lodge, leaving only my nightwear.

I looked around for anything else valuable. I tore off the cumbersome ribbon on my chest, which had a small jewel in the center. Any jewel or hairpin that could be sold had to go.

When I tossed the clothes onto the table, he sighed.

“It’s still not enough. I said five people, but that’s just theoretical. If you plan to exit through the back door, you’d need to bribe at least two more guards and the sentries. You’ll need a horse and driver to take you to the border, and you’d have to change horses midway, so travel expenses are necessary. And… are you planning to start anew without a penny?”

“Isn’t there any way? I’ll find a way to make up the rest or borrow the money and pay you back. Though it might not be immediate…”

It was an uncertain promise. He was a merchant, skilled at calculating risks.

He probably already knew this was an unreasonable request and a losing deal as a merchant.

There was an awkward silence. All I could do was blink and show my desperation.

In the end, my earnest gaze made him surrender.

“I’ll try to cover the rest.”

“Thank you, Philip.”

I grasped his hand firmly.

“I know it’s dangerous for you too. But thank you for changing your mind.”

“…Where do you plan to go once you get him out? You’ll be fugitives for life. Both you and the prince have lived as nobles your whole lives. Can you really abandon your status?”

His eyes still darted with unease, showing his worry for me.

I hadn’t thought much about the aftermath. But with him, I felt like I could go anywhere. An inexplicable confidence surged within me.

Once I get him out… we’ll have to flee. Beyond the empire, anywhere.