Even the gun embedded in the wall was discovered. That he was the Duke's subordinate, that he was a former assassin. Now there was nothing more to gain and nothing to fear from this lady who could kill him without consequence.
Luke Havenly closed his eyes. To avoid being caught with dying eyes.
'Will you keep your mouth shut to the end?'
She knew he wouldn't accept the request. If this bastard had any loyalty, that is. What mattered was that today's events would reach the Duke's ears. The Duke needed to know that this side was not to be underestimated.
Surely the information broker had controlled information according to the Duke's orders. By giving only necessary information while narrowing Esperanza's field of view, making her move as desired.
If the dungeon occurrence at Mabelwood was really connected to the Duke... in the end, she had been played in the Duke's hands. So how much had she been underestimated? Esperanza let out a cold laugh.
If it were thirteen years later, this would be impossible. No matter how great a celebrity, even royalty, had only one life. Many things that could be done under the name of Hunter Esperanza were often impossible here even through several intermediaries. It was frustrating but unavoidable.
An era without Hunters. Esperanza had to prove her own worth. Unlike the time when many things could be accomplished through reputation alone.
Since she only had strength, she had no choice but to prove herself through strength.
"Go ahead and run to tell the Duke."
She roughly closed the door and came out. Jack swallowed the cookie he was chewing with startled rabbit eyes. Conscious of the gunshot from inside, he cautiously glanced around.
"Um, inside there..."
"I didn't kill him. You can go in. See you next time."
When Jack went in, the information broker would lose that much time to think. Esperanza ruffled Jack's hair again. Jack grumbled not to touch it, but Esperanza didn't look back.
Jack carefully opened the door. If the information broker and Esperanza fell out, Jack would be in the most awkward position. These grown adults, why couldn't they not fight?
For minor matters, he would side with the information broker given their relationship so far, but if the problem escalated, he would have to choose Esperanza. That lady was a magician. She could cut the information broker's throat right away.
Alter District was a world of survival of the fittest. Young Jack instinctively knew who was stronger.
It seemed today had gone right up to that point. On the wall was a rifle with its barrel blown apart. Teacher touching his forehead where hot marks remained, lost in thought. Still, aside from those marks, he didn't seem injured elsewhere.
Not knowing Jack had entered, the information broker sighed.
Since the gun had exploded, as much as he hated it, he would have to go find Dr. Sullivan. Since he had no idea where he was or what he was doing with whom, even finding him would be a task. Just thinking about it was already exhausting.
The world thought of Count Avondale when it came to eccentric magical engineers. However, Luke Havenly could guarantee that compared to Dr. Sullivan, the Count would be a very gentle gentleman.
Esperanza Hunter had unintentionally given him the ultimate revenge.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
That had been four days ago. Today she had to go to Alter District again. It was the day she had promised Jack.
"Miss Esperanza, what are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Huh? It's nothing."
"You've been staring blankly at the mirror. It seems like you've been like this ever since that party."
"It has nothing to do with the party."
It wasn't completely unrelated. She had been recalling turning the information broker upside down because of what happened then. It was just far from the sweet-bitter reason Annie was thinking of.
"I'll braid your hair. They used a whole stick of butter in the kitchen today. Mrs. Casher must have been determined."
"Really? Will that rose jam from last time come out too?"
"Probably? Miss, you're going to take that to that Alter District kid again, aren't you?"
"I keep worrying about him. That's why I helped you pick flowers."
Even though she had received permission, since she was living here as a dependent, she felt concerned and provided labor. Mrs. Lux scolded her about how a lady could do work that maids do, but after seeing Esperanza lift three apple crates by herself, she pretended not to notice.
"Oh my. Who would say anything about Miss taking a little rose jam? Just don't get too attached to that slum kid."
"Ah..."
"Miss surely knows how to handle things well, but what will kids like that become when they grow up?"
Apart from being uncomfortable with the casually dropped words of disdain, if left like this, that really was all that remained for Jack's future. However, she couldn't take responsibility for that child. She had no such sense of responsibility, and she couldn't stay here until that child became an adult.
"Let's go down."
Esperanza touched her braided hair with complicated feelings. Maintaining distance wasn't easy. Whether with Jack or with this world.
Hadn't she given up the moment she crossed Cider's line?
When she came down to the reception room, Madeline, who was filling a basket, curtsied in greeting.
"Goodness, Madeline! What's all that?"
"It's for Miss to take. Mrs. Casher prepared it for Miss's charity work."
Charity. Esperanza accepted the picnic basket with mixed feelings and put it in her inventory. Could that be called charity?
"Please tell her thank you. But where's Cider?"
"Who?"
"...Where is Lord Avondale?"
Annie let out a squeal. Esperanza sat on the sofa with an awkward expression and hugged a cushion.
"His name! You're calling him by his name!"
"Shh!"
"Ah. I understand."
Covering her mouth with both hands and shaking her head didn't look very trustworthy. Madeline clicked her tongue and put meat-filled sandwiches in the basket.
"The Count went out early this morning."
"Where did he go?"
That gentleman who hardly ever gets up before noon, where did he rush off to so urgently?
"His Excellency the Prime Minister summoned him. Said his parliamentary attendance rate was the lowest."
Annie said with giggles. Wasn't it because of going to Mabelwood?
'Is it because of me?'
"The Count's attendance rate has been lowest for three consecutive years, so now..."
Ah. It was needless worry. Of course, whether Esperanza was there or not, he had originally been uninterested in parliamentary affairs. Even if the Avondale Count's House of Lords seat was revoked in his generation, he would probably be happy to have one less useless honorary position.
"But are you really calling him by his name?"
"...That's how it happened. Ah, why? It could happen."
"But Miss might be the only one who calls the Count by his name."
Annie had simply spoken with interest about this new information. But at that moment, a stone dropped in Esperanza's heart.
He had no father or mother. Having lost both parents at a young age and become a count, the gentlemen who could be called something like friends called him Avondale. Lady Purse, who was said to be his late godmother's sister, was the same. Even close senior employees were ultimately employees, so they couldn't call him by his name.
And Esperanza had pushed away and ignored him who had wanted her to call his name several times.
He had said he was hurt. Though he never usually showed it, he had clearly said so. Her nails scratched the skirt hem. Her trembling hands barely grasped the fabric.
"Miss? What's wrong?"
"...Ah. It's nothing. So when is he coming back?"
"Since he left early in the morning, he should be back soon— oh my, he's here!"
Annie, who had been looking out the window, gestured to call Esperanza. The steam carriage door was opening.
As soon as Cider got out, he tapped the front panel of the steam carriage with the tip of his cane and said something to coachman Taylor. Even from a distance, it seemed there was a problem with the carriage. Taylor drove the carriage to the garage. He seemed to be holding something in his hand. Due to the angle, she couldn't see that far.
Instead of sticking her head out the window, Esperanza opened the reception room door and came out. Butler Howard and Mrs. Lux, who had come out to greet their master, greeted Esperanza when they saw her. The butler was turning a dial attached to his glasses. Sighing deeply with a wrinkled face as if he had a headache.
"Count. Didn't I tell you? If you had just maintained your parliamentary attendance rate at last year's level...! Surely His Excellency the Prime Minister didn't say he would expel you from parliament?"
"If I was going to be expelled for mere attendance rates, he would have expelled me before calling me. Howard, don't worry needlessly."
"Isn't His Excellency the Prime Minister someone who does what he says?"
"It's just an empty threat. He thinks I'll emigrate if I lose my parliamentary seat."
"He's being thorough. Really, there's no one like that. You should do it for about 30 more years."
"If I'm going to do that, I'd rather be king than prime minister."
"Please don't say such impious things!"
Esperanza focused her gaze on the tip of Cider's cane, leaving their conversation behind. She had come out to greet him, but when she actually saw Cider's face, she couldn't ignore the thoughts rising to the surface. But going back in now would also be ridiculous...
"Esperanza. Since you're already out, could you look at this?"
And Cider wasn't someone who would pretend not to notice such things. Esperanza smiled awkwardly. The employees scattered pretending to be busy. Cider, who had approached very close, pressed something firmly onto Esperanza's head.
"What's this?"
"A hat."
Feeling with her hands, it was indeed a summer outing hat. It had a wide brim and lots of decorations on top.
"Why suddenly a hat? I'm grateful you bought it, but..."
Esperanza's words trailed off as she fingered the decoration caught on her fingertips. Something like a hard, round bead. That much was common decoration, but it had patterns like fingerprints carved on it. It wasn't ordinary bead decoration. Esperanza knew materials with such characteristics.
"...Did you go to that hat shop?"
"It's trendy, isn't it? Everyone else has one, so there's no reason you can't have one."
"It's not for research?"
"That's separate."
This was exactly the kind of thing this man would do. It would have been strange if he had only bought one for Esperanza.
"How did you end up going to a hat shop?"
"I just stopped by since there was a shop on the way to parliament. I thought it might not be open at such an early hour, but fortunately it was."
"You were lucky. They say people can't get one even after standing in line for hours."
Wait a minute. Esperanza suddenly raised her head. They said people couldn't get one even after standing in line for hours, so how did he get it? They said maids with purses were lined up to the end of the block, waiting from opening time.
"You..."
"I didn't wait in line among the maids."
"Then how?"
"There are ways to make a shop open before its opening hours."
She could guess what it was without hearing it. To buy just one hat, he had paid extra to open a shop that wasn't even at opening hours yet.
When Esperanza first met Cider, he was an arrogant noble gentleman who paid no attention to anything outside his own interests. It wasn't that he had changed as a person in the meantime, but that he had brought Esperanza inside his boundaries. And it was Esperanza's own choice to jump inside those boundaries.
What followed was purely impulsive.
Cider's body moved as Esperanza pulled him. Golden hair that had been embroidering the frock coat poured toward Esperanza. A cheek that had been in the outside air touched her white shoulder. Long eyelashes gently tickled the exposed nape.
Esperanza pulled Cider's head to rest on her shoulder and quietly exhaled.