Chapter 11

A Smile that Catches the Eye

“Oh, who is this? Lady?”

 

Unlike Chloe, who was in a hurry, Rayleigh was disgustingly laidback in greeting her.

 

“La, La, Lady!”

 

“It wasn’t Lady, it was Lalalady?”

 

“Ugh!”

 

Just like Theodore! Chloe gave a rough sniff at the figure of the sly Rayleigh. I’m not good with the absurd nickname ‘Lady.’ You’re making fun of me when I’m in the spotlight of the whole capital city. 

 

“What’s the matter with you today, who was a cold woman yesterday?”

 

Putting down the document he was holding, he asked a huffing Chloe.

 

“Your Highness!”

 

“Yes, Lady.”

 

With a soft answer, Chloe suddenly realized what she had been missing. Today she has never been called ‘Roy.’

 

“Your Highness?”

 

“What’s wrong with you, Lady? Let’s sit down and talk.”

 

Instead of answering, Rayleigh reached out his hand and pointed to the opposite seat. This isn’t…You’re pretending you weren’t calling me Roy just last night? I’m tired of the appearance of Rayleigh, who is still sulking. However, Chloe voice what she felt was a moderate response to “ignoring” the prince.

 

“Your Grace, this is not the time.”

 

“Sit down. Oh, you don’t need an escort?”

 

“Oh, my God!”

 

Standing up, Rayleigh reached out as if to ask Lady for an escort. Chloe burst into laughter at the polite appearance of him bending his waist, holding out his hand lightly.

 

“I’ll keep doing this!”

 

“Hold on, Lady.”

 

Chloe stamped her feet, but Rayleigh bent over and did not budge.

 

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…”

 

If she wanted to talk properly, she had to follow his lead. In the end, she had no choice but to hold the hand that he put out. When she neatly curled her fingers and put them on his hand, he pulled the tip of her hand lightly. Chloe was slightly surprised at the impossibly polite and experienced appearance he had, considering the ten-year-long gap in his career.

 

“…Lady.”

 

However, his admiration exploded from Rayleigh. Rayleigh’s eyes brushed Chloe’s gently lowered arm and straight back.

 

“What a waste of nicknames. Such a great attitude, you look like an aristocrat.”

 

Oops. Chloe bit her tongue slightly. Chloe was the Princess of Arne, although she was said to have lived her own way in the North. The only princess of the Empire and a member of “Arne” with a long history. The elegance of natural grace and natural education could not be obscured by a mask.

 

“Stop teasing me!”

 

Cold sweat flowed through her spine, but her expression was so brazen.

 

“What a fuss over standing upright!”

 

“…Oh, you’re a little distracted now, aren’t you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Your face looks human now, Roy.”

 

Smiling, Roy’s hand was lifted by Rayleigh, and put it to the tip of his chin. Cold skin on the back of her hand, only then did Chloe realize she was frozen with great tension. It wasn’t because his ridiculous, sneaky ass was sulky? Chloe slowly looked up at Rayleigh. The man looking down at her was very caring.

 

****

 

“Oh, my God. Lady?”

 

At night, a giggling laugh broke out at the Empress’ Palace. It was Empress Catherine who laughed while tapping her armrest.

 

“How dare you ask for a private meeting over such a tivial matter.”

 

“Is it too much?!”

 

The man sitting across from her is Count Gilot, Empress Catherine’s brother.

 

She is in a hurry, and this is such a sight to see. So what, a male thief wrote ‘lady’ on a note, yet you have to come here to complain?. Well, I don’t know what to say to you. Catherine sighed and rubbed her forehead.

 

“Don’t you know Baron Clant? He used six boxes of gold for the Baron title. He set up a townhouse and put a lot of money into security. But he was robbed of everything. All of it.”

 

“So? Did he pay you in copper or was that taken too?”

 

“That’s not, no, but…”

 

“Or did the thief steal his entire fortune?”

 

Count Gilot’s mouth shut as if the ground was about to collapse.

 

“Count.”

 

“…….”

 

“Before you move, no, before you even speak, think of Prince Nash. Who will the Count be in the future for our prince? Are you going to come to me even if my tree dries up and dies?”

 

Bang! Catherine’s blue eyes flashed fiercely as she threw down the teacup she was holding.

 

“Please, think about it.”

 

“Your Majesty, isn’t that why I came running?”

 

Count Gilot’s voice, who was scolded by the Empress, was intense.

 

“I’ve told you that there’s someone who’s going to get the ‘Self-Made’ title that was on the retirement order.”

 

“Ahhhhhhhhh…”

 

Catherine’s eyes suddenly opened wide at the subtle words. Gilot nodded his head.

 

“That’s right. We’ve decided to hand over ‘Self-Made’ to Clant.”

 

“Didn’t the dismissal order fall through anyway?”

 

“We’ll make it again soon. But Clant, who was going to pay for it, was robbed big.”

 

Wasn’t he just a thief? The smile was lifted from Catherine’s face.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Your Majesty, the jewel that Lady stole from Clant’s house last night is not as cute as six boxes of gold. The jewel he swept away was worth tens of millions.”

 

“What, what!?”

 

At the sound of tens of millions, Catherine gasped softly.

 

“So Clant lost all the jewelry they had.….”

 

“Oh, my God.”

 

The amount of money that disappeared is beyond counting. Count Gilot came to her groaning. Catherine felt like her head was splitting from irritation. Recently the emperor’s foolish act of blowing their chance with Princess Arne, but the headache is worse with this series of sad news. Catherine hurriedly swallowed the pill and opened her mouth.

 

“Come and see me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t just cry, do whatever you want!”

 

Blue flames erupted in Catherine’s eyes that burst into anger.

 

 

 

She felt much better after drinking the warm tea that Rayleigh gave her.

 

“…I thought you’d take off the mask when you drink tea.”

 

Chloe replied fiercely.

 

“Even if it’s not your highness, there are many people desperate to find out who I am. You don’t want to turn me in, do you?”

 

“You shouldn’t have done that in moderation.”

 

Chloe, who put down the teacup she was holding, looked quite upset.

 

“I don’t know how much I did. No……yes, I’m so proud of myself. ”

 

“…….”

 

“I wish you were there. It was such a ‘welcoming’ atmosphere due to how relaxed the guards were.”

 

That can’t be true. Rayleigh smiled bitterly at Roy, who was grumbling in a voice of injustice. It was the mercenary guild that escorted Baron Clant. He didn’t know that she would bring all the targets from such a place. How embarrassed he was when he saw the jewelry filling her pockets.

 

“Ha…What should I do?”

 

“Mr. Subordinate, it’s a little early, but next time grab the target item and gold coins.”

 

“You want me to bring something heavy and loud? Why don’t you just hope I get caught?”

 

“Yeah right.”

 

At the pouting words, Rayleigh suddenly looked displeased, but Chloe shot back the same look he was giving her.

 

“I’m very capable, but I don’t have to risk it, do I?”

 

“I’m not asking you to bring it here. Take the gold coins and hand them out to the people.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Chloe, who was grumbling, tilted her head at Rayleigh’s words.

 

“Do you know what the Emperor cares about?”

 

“…well?”

 

“It’s the eyes of the people of the Empire. The emperor remembers that the dynasty was established by Theodore as a ‘rebellion’, so he’s extremely wary of being seen as a tyrant.”

 

He’s already a tyrant. Chloe swallowed the sound that came up in her throat.

 

“That’s why he hasn’t deposed me from the crown prince position. And the withdrawal of the tax increase plan in the wake of the civil war. That’s what it’s all about.”

 

“He may have withdrawn it, but he sent the Duke of Arne to the headquarters for the civil war.”

 

“I sent Arne. It is a duke that is trusted by the people of the Empire, so even the leaders of the civil war will subside without much opposition. Even if things go wrong, does the emperor have anything to lose?”

 

“…….”

 

“Listen, when you rob a noble family, you must throw gold coins or small jewelry to the common people. Then you’ll be the Empire.”

 

“It’s like a ritual, right?”

 

“It doesn’t matter what it is. Make sure to hand it out.”

 

“I’ll rob you, I’ll give it away, I’ll come back… I must be busy.”

 

“You don’t have to stop by here.”

 

Chloe snorted loudly at Rayleigh’s seemingly generous words.

 

“Are you asking me to hold on to those jewels?”

 

“You want me to worry about you running away with it?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

Chloe was stunned at what Rayleigh was asking. Jewelry was not so precious to her as a princess, but things are different for Roy! After a moment of embarrassment, Chloe raised her chin and snorted.

 

“What if I get caught holding a stolen item?”

 

“…are you bothered?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then, drop it off here, but are you going to be okay?”

 

“Who’s not gonna be okay? Don’t worry. I’ll bring it to you very gently and quickly.”

 

“That’s very reassuring, isn’t it?”

 

Rayleigh smiled as he swept over a piece of paper. The paper that came across the table was filled with things similar to yesterday. Chloe, who glazed over the piece of paper without saying a word, whistled.

 

“Should I thank you for this? Everyone seems to love townhouses. Is it because it’s not that far away?”

 

“Isn’t it home to the aristocracy that everyone covets?”

 

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“Well, it’s not my cup of tea.”

 

The place where Chloe was born and raised was not this fancy, and the noble families she knew were not so kind and gentle. She comes from a rough place with a cold wind. Arne is the nobility of the North. Chloe’s expression, who murmured softly as she recalled her longing, relaxed smoothly. The thin closed lips are curved and stretched out, and the blue eyes behind the mask give a gentle glow. She looked so lovely that he couldn’t take away his eyes. Rayleigh couldn’t even blink.