Chapter 03
He was a man whose beauty could easily surpass that of the main male lead, Ryan, and the secondary male lead, Kaysen.
His face, framed by long, silky silver hair that seemed even better maintained than my own, could easily be called the best in the empire, and that wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
His sharp, cat-like eyes gave him a fierce look, but the gentle, melodious voice offset that impression.
The way his eyes curved into a smile added to the effect.
…I could believe it if someone told me he was the true hidden male lead.
I stared at the man in a daze and asked,
“Are you really a merchant…? You’re way too handsome to be just an extra… .”
Leti had said the merchant was a fallen noble.
He’s clearly of lower status than I am… but how could someone like him not appear in the original story?
“Unfortunately, I am a merchant. What does ‘extra’ mean?”
The man, who introduced himself as Darcy, tilted his head and asked.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
I’d have to ask Leti later how she managed to find this man.
As I nodded, almost as if in a trance, I suddenly widened my eyes.
‘Did I just use formal speech without realizing it?’
The pressure from the man had caused me to use honorifics instinctively.
No, as the daughter of a marquis, I have my dignity to uphold.
I can’t allow a merchant, whose identity I don’t even fully know, to address me so informally.
I bravely raised my head.
My eyes met his.
The intense gaze and overwhelming presence, like facing a wild beast, quickly made my resolve falter.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
The dignity he exuded was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Despite his somewhat rude manner of speaking, it suited him perfectly.
…Is he like a hidden master? If he doesn’t know who I am, then I guess I can understand the informal speech.
“Do you know who I am?”
I wondered if he didn’t recognize me.
“The only daughter of the Marquis of Etuard, Marso Etuard, right?”
Even the way he slightly furrowed his brow, as if trying to recall, looked like a work of art. It wasn’t that he had a problem with his memory.
As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Darcy chuckled and continued.
“I really dislike using formal speech with nobles. So, please understand if it comes across as a bit rude, my lady.”
“R-right….”
His informal speech was so fitting that I felt uncomfortable when he suddenly used honorifics. Strangely, I started sweating.
He then lowered his gaze and muttered as if lamenting.
“Everyone’s the same, so I don’t get why people are so obsessed with rank and status… .”
There was an strange depth in his words. Referring to nobles as people who cling to rank and status? It had been a while since I met someone with such a modern perspective.
His actions were more aristocratic than anyone else’s, yet his mindset was quite unusual.
“I came today out of curiosity because I heard someone was looking for a magic tool… but if you don’t want me here, feel free to kick me out.”
I found a strange commonality with this person I was meeting for the first time. After all, my only status was being the marquis’s only daughter, and I had never fit well into a class-based society. I decided to be generous toward this stunning man I hadn’t seen in a while.
It’s exhausting to care about what others think, anyway.
“…You can just use informal speech.”
I responded to his informal tone with one of my own.
“Thank you.”
As if he had been waiting for it, the man immediately switched back to informal speech.
The way his eyes curved in satisfaction reminded me of a well-fed cat.
“How did you get in here?”
“I used a magic tool I created. It’s a ring that allows teleportation. I just made it recently and was testing it out.”
A purple gemstone on the man’s wrist gleamed.
It was crafted using mana stones.
The intricate design was as beautiful as something a jewelry designer would make.
To achieve teleportation so easily without hiring a wizard to draw a magic circle for a long time? My earlier intuition was correct. This man is a skilled person.
I initially thought he was just a merchant, but the fact that he created this himself piqued my interest even more. The fact that he’s so handsome is just a bonus.
I should continue the conversation. Since our relationship will be purely business, it doesn’t matter if we use informal or formal speech.
As long as he does his job well, that’s all that matters. I’m not really curious about who he is.
“So you can create magic tools yourself?”
“That’s right. I sell them, too.”
Darcy’s eyes sparkled as he looked down at the bracelet he made.
From the way he spoke, he does seem to be a merchant… .
After a moment of contemplation, I resolutely spoke.
“I want to commission a magical tool. I’ll provide the magic stones.”
“How much will you pay?”
“Let’s say 5 billion gold.”
To think there would come a time when I could nonchalantly mention such a large amount, when I used to fret over spending even a hundred thousand won in the modern world. This was a low offer, considering I was supplying the mana stones myself.
Darcy readily nodded.
“Sounds good. But what kind of magic tool does the only daughter of the Marquis of Etuard want to commission?”
It seemed Darcy was more curious about my intentions. It was understandable.
In a world where everyone shuns magic tools, the daughter of the esteemed Marquis of Etuard seeking out a magic tool merchant was indeed peculiar.
But it’s all for the sake of my reclusive lifestyle!
I handed him a drawing I had made myself.
“A device that can record and replay video.”
My first project for staying holed up in my room.
I wanted to create a movie theater.
“This is just the beginning; there’s more I want.”
Darcy’s face, which had looked disinterested, suddenly lit up with excitement.
***
After a fruitful outing, Darcy activated the teleportation magic tool. In an instant, the scenery changed.
He was now in the bathroom of a dilapidated palace.
He glanced between the curtains he had set up earlier. The guards were patrolling the area.
Their movements, as if they wouldn’t miss a single thing, were almost laughable.
They couldn’t even tell that the person they were supposed to be watching had left the palace and returned.
Even the occasional walks they allowed him to take to ease their guilt seemed absurd to him.
‘Well, thanks to that, I discovered something interesting.’
After all, that’s how he heard the rumor that the daughter of the Marquis of Etuard was looking for a magic tool merchant.
If it weren’t for that rumor, he would have had to either look at the face of Crown Prince Ryan to obtain mana stones or sneak into the Marquis of Ehpecle’s estate, where Ryan’s most cherished woman, Reshwan, resided.
Ah, the second option was far more tempting, considering his relationship with Ryan.
But the effort and time required to do so were just too much.
It’s easier to lure a single naive woman than to sneak into a heavily guarded palace. Especially if Darci knows how handsome he is.
The woman he met in person seemed momentarily captivated by his appearance but didn’t forget her place.
In truth, it was uncertain whether the teleportation would succeed today.
This was a place where drawing a magic circle was absolutely impossible.
His eyes narrowed as he recalled his first impression of Marso Etuard.
Rumor had it she was vain and knew nothing except how to throw tantrums.
Darcy didn’t believe in rumors, but he knew that nobles were hostile to magic tools and mages.
So, he considered it a whim when a noble like Etuard showed interest in magic tools.
He had considered threatening her with a knife to her throat or even cutting off a finger to get what he wanted.
“…I didn’t expect her to genuinely be interested in making magic tools.”
It was unusual from the start that she wanted to create such a peculiar magic tool—to lounge comfortably at home, she said. Some people couldn’t leave their homes even if they wanted to.
Well, that might be why he found it interesting.
Darcy checked the bag filled with magic stones.
It would be enough for his research.
What mattered to him was not the money, but the magic stones. During the deal, Darcy added a few conditions.
Their meetings would always be private, one-on-one. No one should know about their relationship.
If someone found out, the deal would be immediately cut off.
The desperation that drove the only daughter of the Marquis Etuard to seek out a magic tool maker must have been immense.
Marso even seemed impressed by his skills.
It was only natural.
In some ways, it was natural.
Few welcomed magical tools, and even fewer wizards sought to handle them.
Cases like Darci’s were rare.
“Let’s stop thinking for now.”
Darcy, now undressed, immersed himself in the already cold bathwater.
Cold water was perfect for cooling off the clutter in his mind.
He threw a small bead onto the clothes he had just taken off.
It was a fire-starting magic tool.
The sound of clothes crackling and burning echoed on the bathroom floor.
Darcy stared at the sight with an expressionless face.
“Oh, I need to take this off too.”
Blinking, Darcy removed the eye color changer he had placed in his right eye.
This magic tool, which formed a thin film over his eye, was something he had created after growing disgusted by the fearful stares of soldiers, nobles, and even fellow mages.
Darcy’s reflection appeared in the mirror diagonally across from the bathtub.
The man’s right eye gleamed red, contrasting sharply with the blue of his left eye—a juxtaposition that evoked thoughts of good and evil.
Blinking, Darcy ran his hand irritably through his hair.
He left the bathroom and headed to the bedroom.
He shoved the magic stones he had received today under the bed and pulled a scented candle from the drawer.
This was nearly his only pleasure in a life spent cooped up.
His slightly bent posture revealed his toned skin.
With a hiss.
Using the magical tool that ignited, he lit the candle, and a thick smoke began to rise.
Sitting on the sofa, Darci inhaled the fragrance with a languid expression.
The bitter taste filling his mouth reminded him that he was alive.
Exhaling with a sigh, the smoke enveloped his vision.
Though he looked lazily disheveled, the intensity of his downturned gaze was unsettling.
Darci held the paper Marso had given him earlier.
His head tilted slightly.
“A recording and playback device.”
The design he received today was much more intuitive and innovative than he had expected.
The word “new” fit perfectly.
He didn’t know what she intended to use it for, but this research seemed more enjoyable than he had anticipated.
Getting involved in a battle for the throne was a hassle, and enduring this life forever was dreadful. In that sense, this research was a good opportunity to obtain the magic stones he needed and pass the time.
He glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.
The magic tool had successfully teleported him a short distance, but escaping to another country was another matter.
Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door.
“Oh, come in.”
With a nonchalant expression, as if he had never left, Darcy responded shamelessly.
The servant glanced at the paper in Darcy’s hand before presenting the tray.
It contained his meal.
“Your Highness, you stayed in the bath for quite some time today.”
“I feel suffocated being watched all the time. I need to enjoy some time alone too, right? I think a man would understand why.”
When Darcy continued speaking with a blank expression, the servant’s face reddened.
As Darcy nodded, the servant quietly withdrew.
Huff.
Darcy exhaled again.
The smoke filled Darcy’s vision like a dense fog.
His eyes gleamed.
