“Our shop owner says he’d like to hear a bit more detail about what you’re asking for. Would you follow me?”

The woman gave a light nod and followed the clerk into the office.

“Welcome.”

Inside, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties offered her a seat with a smile not much different from the clerk’s.

“Please, sit here.”

The clerk who’d guided her in bowed politely, then stepped aside—positioning herself like a barrier in front of the doorway.

“You said you’re looking for something carved with two black snakes?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you tell me a little more precisely what it is you’re looking for?”

“Information. With black snakes.”

“.......”

The shop owner’s smile deepened.

“We don’t hand that item over unless your identity is certain.”

At that, the woman made no protest. She slowly removed the robe she’d been wearing pulled low.

The moment her face was revealed, both the shop owner and the clerk bowed with formal respect.

“Welcome, Lady Camilla.”

The person beneath the robe was Camilla.

“Of course you recognized me right away.”

“Though assassination is our primary work, we pride ourselves on information that surpasses any organization.”

The assassin group, Khan.

There was one reason she’d come here in person.

“Where is your master right now?”

Jainer—he’d disappeared.

The way he always did, she’d assumed he’d come back late at night or at dawn.

But it had already been three days, and there hadn’t been a single word.

What is this, all of a sudden?

By now, even the Duke of Sorpel and the rest of the family were starting to find it strange. A guest staying with them vanishing without notice wasn’t something you could just shrug off.

I covered for him, saying I heard he had urgent business and would be away a few days.

But she couldn’t stop worrying anymore. The seat of Master of Khan was not a safe one.

If something had come up and he had to be gone this long, he would’ve warned her, at the very least.

Days with no contact at all was—no matter how you looked at it—wrong.

And the way her thoughts kept sliding toward the worst possibilities... she couldn’t help it.

She’d even thought about informing Duke Kais Escra, but—

There’s too much that could go wrong.

What if nothing had actually happened to Jainer, and she was just overreacting?

Wouldn’t it only make things bigger and end with his identity exposed?

If a secret he’d hidden for so long—even from his own family—was revealed because of her, how was she supposed to bear his resentment?

But I can’t just sit here, either.

In the end, Camilla had no choice but to come directly to a branch of Khan.

Finding it wasn’t as hard as she’d expected.

I’ve been here before.

When the Guardian’s Tower collapsed and she hadn’t known whether Ravi was alive, she’d come to a Khan branch with Jainer’s help.

She’d been out of her mind back then, but she still remembered the location clearly.

And Jainer had told her how to use Khan, too: across the empire, their shops were disguised as ordinary trading houses. You find the symbol—two black snakes—and that’s how you start.

It was a very simple method, but it was surrounded by countless eyes.

He’d said there were dozens of hidden gazes at the entrance alone—watching and monitoring every customer who walked in.

And even if you knew to ask for the black snakes, that didn’t mean your request was accepted on the spot.

A contact would meet you like this—but that still wasn’t the end.

They verified your identity thoroughly. Then Khan selected a separate day and went to the client themselves.

Only then did a formal contract happen.

“I can’t get in touch with your master.”

At Camilla’s words, the shop owner’s face darkened noticeably. He hesitated, unable to answer—then finally let out a long sigh.

“There’s been a problem.”

“...He’s hurt?”

When someone said problem, that was the only thing that came to mind. Had he been badly injured on a job?

If he’d taken a serious wound, he wouldn’t be able to return to the ducal estate.

I told you to stay quiet for once!

What kind of job had he taken this time?

“It seems that way.”

“What do you mean, ‘it seems’?”

Camilla’s brows knitted tighter at the answer that held no certainty.

The shop owner let out another long sigh.

“We lost contact as well. We followed his last trace, but all we found were signs of battle. After that, there’s been nothing—still.”

“So you don’t know where he is at all?”

“We’re searching as hard as we can, but....”

Camilla’s expression hardened, fast.

This wasn’t just “hurt,” was it?

It meant something so serious had happened that he couldn’t even contact his own subordinates.

Don’t tell me he’s—!

Gasp—no. Stop. Don’t think that.

Even if you die, you’re supposed to get your compensation before you die, aren’t you?

If you die like this, you’re going to be furious. Dorman said he’d compensate you—so hang on to your life, no matter what!

What am I supposed to do?

Should she tell Duke Kais Escra after all?

Or at least tell her brothers—borrow the family’s power to search for him?

“Please don’t worry too much.”

Seeing Camilla sink into grim thought, the shop owner spoke quietly.

“He’s not someone who can be taken down easily. We’re searching tirelessly. We’ll learn his whereabouts soon.”

His faith in Jainer sounded absolute.

Camilla let out a short sigh as she watched him.

Honestly, if even they didn’t know where he was, there was nothing more she could do. Worrying wouldn’t solve anything.

Still...

“Is it really okay for you to tell me all this?”

Suspicion rose, belated.

She’d come here in a rush, but she hadn’t expected them to answer so easily about Jainer’s situation.

She’d assumed she’d have to pry it out—pay money, offer something, whatever it took.

Were they really this easy?

“Khan told us.”

“Jainer? What did he say?”

That bastard had never once said anything normal in his life. What kind of nonsense did he say this time?

“He said that, for Lady Camilla, we should treat you the way we treat him.”

“For someone saying that, the fees you’ve taken from me so far didn’t seem especially gentle.”

Not once had he cut her a discount.

“Ha ha.”

So they were going to laugh it off?

Camilla clicked her tongue and stood. She’d come all this way, and in the end, she’d gained nothing.

Where the hell are you?

Are you even alive?

He wasn’t the type to die easily, sure—but he understood this life really was the last one, didn’t he?

A long sigh spilled out of Camilla again.

“Damn it!”

Why do I have to worry like this, too?

When Camilla suddenly swore, the shop owner and clerk flinched.

What? Why?

I swear all the time. The only thing I picked up in show business was swearing!

“Ha....”

So she really did have to go there, then.

There....

The Ducal House of Sephra.

Camilla decided she’d go right now—to the one place that might know Jainer’s last trace.

*****

“Lady Camilla?”

As Camilla was leaving the trading house, she froze at the voice calling her name. It was familiar.

She turned—and Priest Daniel stood there, smiling pleasantly.

“What brings you here?”

“I needed to get something.”

“Ah, I see. But you appear to be empty-handed.”

“Couldn’t find what I was looking for.”

“I don’t know what it is you’re looking for, but would you like me to help? The temple purchases goods from many places, so I happen to know quite a few trading houses.”

“No. I already placed an order. I’m just leaving.”

“Is that so? I wanted to be of help. What a shame.”

Camilla was about to leave immediately, ending the conversation there.

With someone tied to Eva Faith embedded even in the temple side of things, she wanted to avoid contact with anyone affiliated with it as much as possible.

Especially Priest Daniel.

The ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) one who handed her the holy relic.

He was the most suspicious.

Of course, there was a very real chance he knew nothing and was simply gifting and selling holy relics without understanding them—but there was no harm in being careful.

And I have somewhere I need to go right now, too.

The Ducal House of Sephra.

She’d clearly seen someone lurking around Jainer recently.

Luna.

It looked like that beast thought she was being stealthy as she tailed him, but to Camilla, she’d been far too obvious.

We even made eye contact.

She could still picture it: the moment their eyes met, Luna had started wagging her tail like crazy.

I don’t know why he had Luna attached to him.

And she’d decided it wasn’t her place to interfere. So she hadn’t said a word to Jainer about Luna at all.

I was going to keep pretending I didn’t know.

But to learn where Jainer was, she probably had to go to Sephra. If Luna had followed him the whole time, she might know something.

“Lady Camilla, do you have time right now?”

But just as Camilla tried to leave, Priest Daniel grabbed her urgently.

A long sigh escaped her before she could stop it.

“I’m a bit busy right now.”

“Is that so? I have something urgent to tell you—about Sir Jainer.”

“...Jainer?”

She wanted to ignore him and leave, but she couldn’t.

Jainer?

Why was he saying that name?

“A few days ago, I found him collapsed.”

“...Excuse me?”

“He was injured far too badly. It seemed like he’d been dragged into something serious, so I couldn’t easily inform others. I’ve been treating him with my meager holy power.”

What?

Was he saying he had Jainer?

“But his condition has been getting worse and worse...”

Daniel kept sighing, as if he truly felt sorry.

“So I had no choice but to ask you for help, Lady Camilla. With your holy power, you should be able to save him. And you’re close with Sir Jainer as well.”

When he saw Camilla’s face harden, Daniel’s voice turned even more earnest.

“Please help. A person’s life is at stake.”

“Where is Jainer right now?”

At her affirmative answer, Daniel bowed deeply, relief and gratitude clear.

But a faint smile had already formed at the corner of his mouth.

His gaze slid toward somewhere else—the trading house Camilla had just come out of.

Seeing the clerks at the window watching them, his smile deepened further.

“Just follow me.”

“Let’s hurry.”

As she followed Daniel’s lead, Camilla’s gaze naturally drifted back to the trading house as well.

There, she saw the shop owner she’d just met staring at her with a rigid expression, looking like he might burst out and grab her at any second.

You can’t do that.

Camilla gave him a small shake of her head, then even offered a faint smile—as if to tell him to relax.

Why does this feel exactly the same?

This situation was awfully familiar, wasn’t it?

It was like this with Rania, too.