In a secret basement, where not even the sun could reach, Emily never expected to see a man whose handsome face could light up the entire city.
Isn’t it illegal to be that handsome?
Is he some kind of idol or actor in this world?
Does the concept of a reverse harem exist in Emily’s world?
If Emily had previously thought that her move to this new world was a hardship, it seems she was wrong.
“Is this world full of handsome men?” Emily muttered when she met Damian.
“Pardon ?” Damian asked, wanting to be sure.
“…Huh, no.
I’m sorry, hehe,” Emily replied, panicking.
So how did this encounter happen?
Let’s rewind to half an hour ago.
— Half an hour ago —– “So, did you get the money?” Iris asked after meeting up with Emily and Anna at the clinic.
“Yes, I’ve collected 3,000 gold coins,” Emily replied, showing the pouches of gold coins that Anna was carrying.
Meanwhile, Emily had asked Alfred to leave them alone before they reached the clinic.
Emily didn’t want Alfred to see her hanging around in a clinic that was supposed to be closed.
“Alright, then let’s head straight to the person who can help us.
Damian is the one who controls the underworld market in the Grand Duchy of Leander.
So I hope you’ll still be careful.
Because he’s as sly as a fox,” explained Iris.
Emily and Anna nodded in agreement with Iris’s warning.
After all, they knew absolutely nothing about illegal trade, so they could only follow Iris’s instructions.
They then set off on foot for about 20 minutes from the city center, into an area filled with inns and drinking establishments.
It seemed this was where merchants from outside the Grand Duchy came to drink and rest.
They stopped at a fairly large bar called Feliz.
From the outside, it looked like any ordinary bar.
Since they arrived in the middle of the day, the place was still quiet.
There was only a young male server wiping down tables and a bartender in his 40s polishing glasses behind the bar.
Iris then invited Emily and Anna to approach the bartender.
“Hi Iris, looks like you’ve brought some new friends.
What would you like to order?” the man asked, smiling warmly at the three girls who had just arrived.
“Hi Jack, they’re the winegrower.
We’d like to order Red Fox meat,” Iris replied, pointing toward Emily and Anna.
Emily and Anna, who didn’t understand, simply greeted the man named Jack by bowing their heads.
“Very well, your order is ready downstairs,” Jack replied with a smile.
“Thank you, Jack.” “You’re welcome.” …
After being invited in, Iris led Emily and Anna down the stairs until they reached a basement room.
Knock knock knock… Iris knocked on the door.
“It’s Iris.
I’ve brought the winegrower I promised you.” “Come in,” replied a man inside.
Emily’s heart was pounding wildly.
What kind of terrifying person was Damian, considering he was the one who controlled the underworld trade?
Emily was afraid, but no matter what, she had to do this for the greater good.
She couldn’t back out now just because of some silly fear.
And when the door opened, what Emily had feared never happened.
The basement room looked like an office that was excessively luxurious.
A single-seat sofa stood behind a large desk.
A glass cabinet was filled with various types of wine bottles.
In front of the desk were rows of comfortable chairs provided for guests and a long glass table in the middle.
The floor was covered with soft, luxurious carpets, apparently intended to reduce noise.
The walls were also adorned with several beautiful paintings; Emily wasn’t an art connoisseur, but she was certain the paintings were of great value.
In the middle of the room sat a handsome man, who looked to be about 28 years old, with silver hair and an athletic build.
He wore a slightly long black shirt, the buttons slightly undone, revealing his broad chest.
If that man existed in Emily’s real world, he would surely have debuted as an A-list actor or a top idol.
“Is this world full of handsome men?” Emily muttered when she met Damian.
Anna and Iris turned to look at Emily in surprise.
“Pardon?” Damian asked, wanting to be sure.
“…Huh, no.
I’m sorry, hehe,” Emily replied, panicking.
Damian just chuckled, watching Emily’s antics.
“Please, have a seat.” The three girls then sat on the sofa—the one in front of Damian’s chair.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked kindly.
“No, we don’t drink,” Emily replied.
“That’s too bad,” Damian responded with a smile.
“We’d like to proceed with the purchase of the items I ordered.
I’m here as an intermediary for Miss Emily and Miss Anna.
I think for the sake of future transactions, it’s better for the seller and buyer to get to know each other.” Iris explained.
Damian didn’t answer right away, but poured a drink into his glass and sipped it as if savoring every drop.
A few moments later, Damian turned his gaze toward Emily.
“Miss Emily, why do you want to open that clinic?
You don’t have a medical license—are you planning to poison the villagers?,” Damian asked, sipping his red drink.
Emily was a bit taken aback by the question, but she already knew that a question like that was bound to come up eventually.
“I don’t have a medical license, but I can guarantee my skills won’t be any worse than those of most doctors today—maybe even better,” Emily replied confidently.
Damian remained silent, staring at Emily as if searching for the true intent behind her answer.
There was no denying it—Damian was one of the most handsome men Emily had ever seen, but when he was this serious, his aura was truly intimidating.
It was as if no lie could escape his gaze.
Is this what they call the result of years of experience?
Of course, he is not an underworld boss for no reason.
“Don’t we all have secrets we want to hide?
I do, too.
But my situation doesn’t diminish my desire or ability to help the poor with their health issues,” Emily replied honestly.
Anna turned toward Emily in surprise.
‘What situation is Lady Emily hiding?
And where exactly did Lady Emily acquire her medical expertise?’ those questions popped into Anna’s head, but she never dared to ask Emily directly.
“Iris and I have been working together in this business for a long time.
We aren’t exactly saints either.” Damian chuckled softly as he set down his glass.
“But we’ve never harmed an innocent person.
I’m counting on you, Miss Emily.” Damian said, fixing Emily with a sharp gaze.
Emily nodded in agreement.
“Alright, your belongings have been prepared by Jack and Daniel upstairs.
Take care of it there.” “Thank you, Mr.
Damian,” said Emily and Anna, bowing their heads.
“We’ll take our leave now.
Thank you,” Iris said, leading Emily and Anna out of the room.
But just as Emily took a few steps toward the door, Damian called her name again.
“Miss Emily… I’m waiting for a surprise from you.” “I won’t let you down.” Emily turned and replied confidently.
‘Wow… My heart feels like it’s about to burst,’ Emily thought as she continued walking out of the room.
…… When the three girls reached the upper floor, Jack and the waiter—who turned out to be named Daniel—were already waiting for them behind the bar counter.
“Red Fox asked me to pick up the order here,” said Iris.
“We’ve already loaded your order into the carriage we prepared; Daniel will be the one to take you there,” explained Jack.
“Thank you.
So, how much does all this cost?” asked Iris.
Jack smiled at the question.
“For this order and the delivery fee, we usually charge 950 gold coins.
However, you only need to pay 800 gold coins as a first-time purchase discount,” Jack replied with the signature smile of a corporate salesman.
‘Turns out it’s the same everywhere.
I think people with a natural talent for marketing are just born that way.
Because everything feels so smooth,’ Emily thought as she counted out the money to pay.
=============================================================== Meanwhile, in the Grand Duke’s office, Arthur was reporting on everything that had happened today, including Emily’s meeting with a merchant boss named Damian.
Cedric’s expression turned serious and sharp.
“So you’re saying Emily would rather sell her personal belongings than ask for my help?” Cedric said irritably.
“What’s more, she actually bought goods from a merchant instead of her own fiancé, who is clearly a ruler in this region?
Unbelievable!” For some reason, anger had completely filled Cedric’s mind.
“…Hah, doesn’t she know I could destroy that place right now?” “My Lord, if I may speak.
It seems Lady Emily still wants to keep the opening of the clinic a secret from Grand Duke Cedric, out of fear that My Lord will suspect her intentions,” Philip interjected cautiously.
“Does that matter now?” Cedric asked angrily, clenching his fists on the table.
“My Lord, isn’t our goal to monitor Lady Emily’s movements?” Arthur cut in.
Cedric was also taken aback when Arthur cut him off so abruptly.
“The fact that Grand Duke Cedric is more focused on why Lady Emily chose to act without your help, rather than on her intentions for opening that clinic even though she herself has no medical education.
I’m afraid the Grand Duke has strayed rather far from our main goal, to be frank,” Arthur said bluntly.
As a knight who had always loyally accompanied Cedric on the battlefield, his courage was second to none.
After all, you couldn’t hesitate or show pity or sympathy for an enemy on the battlefield.
Philip, hearing Arthur’s words, felt his heart race.
It was true they had once been childhood friends, but confronting Grand Duke Cedric so directly about Lady Emily seemed a bit too reckless.
Lately, Grand Duke Cedric had indeed become more sensitive whenever he heard news about Lady Emily.
‘Arthur, just how many lives do you have?’ Philip thought.
But to Philip’s surprise, Cedric remained silent, saying nothing.
He just let out a long sigh and rubbed his face with both hands.
Then he asked them to leave the room immediately.
As soon as they were outside, Philip grabbed Arthur’s shoulder to stop his friend’s quick pace.
“Arthur, have you lost your mind?
Do you want to throw your life away like that?” Arthur turned around with an annoyed expression.
“What should I do?
I’m frustrated too.
Everyone in this residence is gossiping that Grand Duke Cedric has always been secretly paying special attention to Lady Emily.
But the fact that he himself doesn’t realize his own feelings is what’s upsetting me,” Arthur replied in a serious tone.
“This isn’t like the Grand Duke Cedric I know.
He’s a man who never wavers, but now I’m not even sure if the person I’m following is the same man.
Whatever his decision, if that’s what he wants, I’d gladly die for it.” Arthur brushed Philip’s hand off his shoulder and turned away.
“You’re his closest companion; try to bring some common sense to him.” Arthur said, then walked away, leaving Philip frozen in place.
Arthur… I understand how you feel, But how can Grand Duke Cedric think rationally, When he is currently overcome by emotions and feelings, for the first time in his life?
The duty of being his closest companion is harder than I thought.