Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Three years later.
Judith Aillan, her red hair tied back in a tight ponytail and wearing a comfortable cotton dress, energetically pushed open the door of the <Gray Information Guild>.
The receptionist, who had been reading a newspaper, sprang to his feet the moment he saw Judith's face.
"You've arrived."
He greeted her with a friendly smile.
"The Master has been expecting you."
The treatment she received now was starkly different from when she had first come here three years ago.
Back then, Judith had abruptly demanded to see the Master. Since then, she had become one of the few privileged clients granted direct access to him.
'Of course. Every piece of information I've provided has been spot-on so far.'
Though she couldn't actively interfere with events before the original story's timeline, she could still scrape by selling information. Upon reflection, she recalled that the original novel contained quite a few passages where narrators briefly reminisced about past events.
There were no groundbreaking business ideas or investment tips, but occasionally, there were useful tidbits like:
["The Baron and Baroness Palena had marital discord even before their wedding. They'll likely divorce someday."]
This was derived from a line in the original novel: 'The Baron and Baroness Palena eventually divorced due to long-standing discord that began before their marriage.'
Or:
["The Count Aten's estate has a secret rose garden. It's the Count's private hobby, and he cultivates many exquisite varieties there."]
This came from the original line: 'Since childhood, Count Aten had maintained a secret rose garden in his estate.'
Of course, Judith was extremely cautious when selling information.
Even the slightest alteration to the original story's flow could potentially derail her plans. So, she only leaked trivial details about minor characters—information that wouldn't affect the overarching narrative.
As a result, while her accuracy was high, the information wasn't particularly valuable. Just enough to barely cover her interest payments and sustain her livelihood.
Still, her accuracy was such that the Master always made time to see her personally and paid her generously.
"Baroness, you've arrived."
As Judith confidently strode into the Master's office, he greeted her directly.
He handed her a lavish bouquet of roses and spoke softly.
"Congratulations on your coming of age."
Today marked Judith's twentieth birthday—the day she officially became an adult.
"Oh my, thank you."
The extravagant bouquet seemed out of place with her modest attire. Judith accepted the roses with delight, her face lighting up with a bright smile.
"But I don't recall ever telling you my birthday."
"Knowing such things is basic for running an information guild."
The Master replied in an even tone.
"Especially when my own age has already been exposed to the Lady."
The Master of the Gray Information Guild.
No one knew his name—Judith, too, only ever called him "Master." He always wore a mask, so his features remained a complete mystery.
Gloves concealed his hands, and his hair color changed every time they met, leading her to suspect he wore wigs. The only things she could be certain of were his tall, slender frame and his solid build.
The Master watched Judith as she held the bouquet, then suddenly asked,
"So, how did you know my age?"
"I told you, it was just a guess. How was I supposed to know you were actually a minor?"
The Master let out a skeptical "Hmm..." as he took a seat.
Truthfully, Judith didn't know the Master's exact age. She had only deduced that three years ago, he had still been a minor.
Because later in the original novel, there was this line:
["When the fire broke out, the head of the Gray Information Guild had only just passed into adulthood. He died far too young. Had he lived, the course of events might have unfolded differently."]
Her intuition had proven correct. She still didn't know his exact age, but at most, he was only two years older than her.
Regardless, the fact that he had built an information guild as a minor and risen to this level spoke volumes about his capabilities. It was just unfortunate that he met an untimely end in the original story...
"Perhaps you'll tell me once we've grown closer."
The Master spoke gently, clearly not buying Judith's claim that she had merely guessed.
"And how exactly do you come by all these other highly accurate pieces of information?"
"I told you, I picked them up here and there while running around to pay off debts. That's really all there is to it."
She shrugged her shoulders once and took the seat across from the Master. Then, with sparkling eyes, she gazed at him and stated her business.
"Today, I have information to sell—and information to buy."
"Ah."
The Master let out an intrigued exclamation.
"This is the first time you're buying information from me."
"Yes, that's right. The information I'm selling today is quite expensive, so I thought it could cover the cost."
"How could I refuse? Expensive information, you say—I'm already looking forward to it."
The Master spoke in a smooth voice.
His tone was rich and deep, yet it had one peculiar trait—it was the kind of voice you couldn't recall the moment you turned away.
He must be using some kind of magical artifact, Judith thought, shaking her head inwardly. He's dead serious about hiding his identity.
"First, what information is the lady seeking?" the Master asked, his voice gliding effortlessly.
Judith blinked before answering.
"Ekian Meius."
"......Pardon?"
"I need information about Ekian Meius."
Ekian Meius—the older brother of the villain, who in the original story was simply described as "ran away from home, whereabouts unknown."
He was known as the Young Duke of the Meius Duchy, a man of exceptional talent in many respects.
No one knew why he had abandoned such a solid path and disappeared. No one knew what he had been doing after leaving. That part was never revealed.
The only certainty was that the Meius Duchy had become desperate to find their missing eldest son. Even his younger brother—still young but destined to become a villain—was anxiously waiting for his return.
"Hmm."
The Master paused briefly.
"You mean... the Young Duke of Meius, who's been missing for nearly five years now?"
"Be precise. It hasn't been five years yet—it's about to be five years."
According to imperial law, once someone had been missing for five years, they could be declared dead. At that point, the title of Young Duke would naturally pass to Ekian's younger brother.
If that happened, reclaiming the title for Ekian later would be troublesome. It would require mutual consent and even another round of deliberation by the vassal council.
Moreover, this was an outright case of running away. Even if he returned, there was a high chance the council would reject him, judging that he had no intention of inheriting the duchy.
"Anyway, yes, that Ekian Meius. I'd like some information about him."
The Meius Duchy was doing everything they could to delay that death declaration.
Judith didn't understand why they were making such a fuss over a runaway son, but they were determined to preserve Ekian's position as Young Duke by any means necessary.
Yet time kept passing, and the five-year mark was fast approaching...
So the Duke and Duchess of Meius came up with an absurd plan—to fabricate a fake daughter-in-law, a woman supposedly carrying Ekian's child.
Every direct descendant of the Meius line carried a distinct aura, and even if it were just a fetus, the family head could recognize that energy.
If they could prove Ekian had been alive recently, they could postpone the death declaration.
I'll be the one to take that fake daughter-in-law position.
Judith mentally revisited the plan she had been mulling over for years.
In the original story, a wicked maid had taken the role and thoroughly ruined the young villain's personality...
But I'll just quietly take the money and leave.
This was her lifeline—the only way to pay off all her cursed debts in one go. The Meius Duchy was crucial to her.
At the same time, she was curious about the missing Ekian.
I'll have to spread false rumors that I'm pregnant with his child anyway—wouldn't it be better if I had at least some information about him?
Under Judith's bright, expectant gaze, the Master let out a deep sigh.
"Why the sudden interest in that man?"
"Ah."
Since it would all come out eventually, Judith decided to give him a small hint.
"Let's just say... I have some interest in him."
"Naturally, you wouldn't seek information without interest. So what kind of interest—"
Judith cut off the Master's calm, tea-sipping remark.
" Romantic interest."
It was only natural for her to say so—after all, she'd soon be lying about carrying his child.
"I have romantic interest in that man."
"Pfft—!"
At the same time, the Master spat out his tea.