Chapter 33

I thought I was going to die there.

The fear and the horror I felt when the interest started dropping so fast.

This world was scaring me. I didn't even have the time to be happy from all the dangers around me.

I moved my quivering hands behind me and held them together.

Then I opened my mouth to speak.

"...I didn't know it was a secret place. Excuse my rudeness." (Penny spoke in an informal way since she was pretending and also is a high rank noble lady, while Vinter was speaking formally like any store owner would speak to their customers.)

I forced my chin up with even though my head was wanting to shook so badly from the fear.

I needed to act like an arrogant noble lady who doesn't know what fear is. It was terrible.

Vinter seemed a little surprised at such a light and sweet voice and my confident attitude.

"...Please come this way. This is not the place to talk about requests."

He politely tried to escort me out of this place.

It seemed like he wanted to get me out of here as fast as possible.

I walked slowly as I could, to see if the system chart appears.

I did enter the 'mysterious and secretive place' as the quest has explained, but the white box showing me if I failed or not didn't appear yet.

Seeing how Vinter's interest fell, it seemed like entering and coming out again without being caught was the 'hidden quest'.

If that's the case, then I failed for good.

Does all the hard mode quests not inform me about anything like this?

'What a crazy game. Quest or whatever, I'm never accepting it again.'

I decided that multiples of times in my head as I approached Vinter.

As soon as I got to him, he turned around and moved to the hallway.

'Am I a monster who harms kids to you?'

I felt awfully bad about this.

It was my fault for sneaking into this place, but I didn't really do anything here but to help the kids out and play with them.

Just then.

"Noble auntie! Good bye!"

"Let's play again next time, auntie!'

I looked behind me and found 5 animal masked kids waving their hands at me.

The lion mask who tried to cover for me first, brought a finger to the mouth and winked with a 'sh'.

'Cute little ones.'

I felt a little sorry that I had to leave like this without having the chance to thank them.

I waved my hand back. Though my face couldn't be seen through the mask, I still smiled at them.

Then I noticed the rabbit mask who stopped in tracks and was watching me and rushed to him again.

We didn't speak a word while walking down the hallway.

'How did things turn out like this....'

I stared up at the [Interest 3%] with depressed eyes.

I probably died from the laser beam from his staff if it weren't for the kids who defended me.

Vinter was going to be my insurance for just in case Eclise's interests drop, but now I was in a state to be thankful for Vinter's interest not falling anymore.

'Ha....'

I let out a deep sigh mentally.

The hallway was a lot shorter when we walked back out. Vinter stood by the open door and waited for me to exit first.

I walked past him, shivering inside, but perfectly fine on the outside.

Vinter exited the place right after I exited and turned his back to me to ticked his staff to the door we just came out from.

Creak- The door that opened sideways, closed.

'Huh?'

I blankly stared at the door that just closed up.

The rectangular creak was completely gone from the wall as well. I didn't think I'd be able to locate the door if I was to come here again next time.

Vinter didn't give much of a reaction.

He seemed to be locking the door several times using magic with his staff. After that was done, he lowered the staff and moved his gaze to me.

"Thank you for taking care of the kids."

"...."

"But it is too late to hear out your request, so please come again next time." (Again, Vinter is speaking formally.)

Honestly, I thought he was going to ask more about how I got into this place.

But he didn't and spoke well-mannered.

I looked at the window in his words.

It was noon and the sun was starting to set. I haven't focused like I did today in a long time that I didn't realize how much time has passed.

Emily probably realized that I was gone long before now.

"... I'm screwed."

'A conversation with the duke confirmed....'

I wanted to cry.

Now that things have come to this, I decided to go stubbornly.

"I didn't come here to request anything but came here because the white rabbit came to me and delivered the message that I should." (Penny is speaking informally.)

"Ah...."

"I waited for quite a long time since there wasn't anyone here. I could've gone back and come back next time, but I'm quite busy to visit again."

Truthfully, I had more than enough time, but I spoke in a way that I was too busy to come again. This was the pride of a gong-nyuh.

"I was waiting when those kids came out from that place and asked me for help."

Do you get it? This isn't my fault but your fault for coming late.

I pointed at the wall where the door was before with a brazen face.

Vinter seemed flustered ever since I mentioned the 'white rabbit'.

It didn't seem like he had the power to see if the outsider who entered his secret base was the customer he contacted today.

He bowed his head and apologized.

"I am sincerely sorry. People usually come a day or two after they get the message... I didn't think you'd visit us this soon. I am to blame."

My face went red. It was fortunate that my face was covered with a mask.

'What the, they had this kind of convention?!'

How was I supposed to know that the nobles usually come a day or two after they get the message?

I've turned into a person who impatiently went to get the result of my request as soon as the message was delivered.

And the summary of the requested is.

'Desperately finding a man I saw in a party...!'

Vinter could've realized that it was him who I was trying to find right after he got the request.

Since I aimed for that when I was writing the word 'handkerchief'.

I couldn't look up at his face after thinking that far.

"Pretend that I never requested anything. We'll call it even for you making me wait and me intruding that place."

I babbled out any words from embarrassment and turned around.

I don't care about the plan or the additional request now. I was going to think about all of that again after getting out of this place.

I was just about to exit the White Rabbit base.

"Wait."

His desperate voice kept me from walking to the door any further.

"Please wait a moment."

"...What is it?"

I turned around, unable to take another step towards the door.

The ultramarine blue eyes stared straight into my eyes.

"I cannot let a life saver who took care of the kids for me leave like this especially when I was impolite to you by making you wait."

I felt a question mark pop up in my head.

'Why all of a sudden when he was strongly wanting me to leave just a moment ago?

I denied his exaggerated words.

"It's fine. Also, I didn't do much to be called a life saver...."

"Please give me a chance to make up for failing your trust, lady."

Vinter cut through my words and pleaded.

I was going to reject his offer and was about to tell him to make up for it the next time we meet.

I had to hurry back to the mansion before things get too complicated.

Also, I had to change the plan that was ruined by me accepting the hidden quest.

But in that moment, the letters above his head shined and.

[Interest 6%]

I changed my mind.

"...Then let's hear the result for my request."

I moved to sit on the sofa.

Soon, Vinter walked over and sat on the seat across from me.

He motioned his hand in the air.

Then a teapot and two teacups came flying here out of somewhere.

That caught my interest as I watched the teacup pouring the tea onto the cups by itself.

My face was already covered with a mask so it wouldn't show that I was interested.

"Have a sip."

He lowered his hand and the teapot gently landed on the table.

I held the teacup and took a sip of the black tea that was at a perfect temperature.

Vinter opened his mouth to speak.

"... I don't know if the lady knows, but only a very few people know that this informant group is operated by a sorcerer."

'I know that you're a marquis, too.'

I nodded white muttering mentally.

"Adding to that, people who saw that place never went back with their own two feet."

I almost spit out the black tea I was sipping at what he said.

I asked in a cold tone, setting the cup down.

"Are you saying that you're going to try and kill me right now?"

"...What? No. That'd be committing a crime."

Vinter answered, flustered.

"What I'm saying is that the magic that erases someone's memories takes away the persons energy that they fall asleep. Therefore, they cannot go back with their own two feet."

"Hmm hmm!"

I cleared my throat, feeling embarrassed.

"I am supposed to erase lady's memories as well, however...."

Vinter, on the other hand, calmly continued with his words.

~~~~~