That evening, Alfred sat in a private room at Granliger’s most popular high-end restaurant.
”Fufu, I’m ever so grateful you came, Alfred.”
”Right back at ye-thanks fer invitin’ me, Natalie.”
The woman across from him was Natalie, the one who’d helped him at the Commercial Guild that very afternoon.
After returning to his inn, he’d received her invitation to this restaurant.
Acceptin’ had been the easy part. Everythin’ after that? Chaos.
He’d scrambled to buy clothes and shoes that met the dress code, bathed and groomed himself, rushed to get his hair styled, frantically reviewed his table manners-he’d been in a mad dash right up until their meetin’ time.
”Fufu, Alfred, you look absolutely lovely tonight.”
Ugh. She totally knows I rushed to get ready.
Which made sense. The clothes shop, the shoe store, the hair salon-all of ’em had been recommended by the inn. And all of ’em were probably in the Commercial Guild’s network. A backwoods baron usin’ their services? Word would spread in no time. Obvious, really. Though he’d acted exactly that way on purpose, so no harm done.
”Natalie, ye look stunnin’ as well. Ye had that cool, professional vibe goin’ during the day, but that blue dress-it really brings out yer hair color beautifully.”
Natalie wore a sleeveless blue dress that matched her short purple-black hair, accented by blue earrings and a necklace. The ensemble suited her perfectly. Lookin’ at her properly now-those big eyes, that sharp brow, those refined features-she was genuinely beautiful.
Once that thought crossed his mind, his heart wouldn’t stop racin’.
”My, my, Alfred, you’re so young, yet so skilled at complimenting women. Wherever did you learn such tricks?”
Not about to tell her it’s from my past life.
”Just sayin’ what I think. I’ve never been to a restaurant this fancy before, and on top o’ that, I’m havin’ dinner alone with a woman this gorgeous. I’m so nervous I can barely stop shakin’. I wouldn’t call that ‘skilled’-more like ‘terrified.’”
”Fufufu, you really are quite the smooth talker. No need to flatter someone like me so much. And your manners have been flawless the whole time-are you truly that nervous?”
”Haha, glad to hear it. I was worried I’d embarrass meself with me table manners. And Natalie, when ye say ‘someone like me’-ye’re genuinely beautiful, and a noble to boot. Isn’t this kind o’ thing old hat fer ye?”
”Being noble? Please. I was born into a viscount’s family, sure, but I’m a mistress’s daughter. The third one, at that. My father has seven children between his wife and his concubines, and I’m nothing but a nuisance-not even useful as a political bargaining chip. That’s why I’m twenty-five and still single. Not even a single marriage proposal.”
In this world, it was common for people to marry at fifteen, right after comin’ of age. Anyone past twenty was already considered past their prime.
”That’s… that’s rough. Someone as beautiful as ye, who’s so capable at work-I’d think ye’d have suitors linin’ up.”
”Fufufu, you really are good with words. Are you sure you’re only fifteen? You seem so composed-it’s like talking to someone older than me.”
”Ahaha, I’m just stiff as a board from nerves. Maybe that makes me look older than I am?”
”Ufufu, let’s just say that’s the case, shall we?”
Never thought the skills I polished in me past life, chattin’ up bar hostesses, would come in handy here.
After that, they enjoyed their meal with light, easy conversation. They shared jokes and laughs, the initial formality fadin’. Alfred felt significantly more relaxed by the end.
Natalie’s cheeks were flushed from the wine, and the effect was intoxicatin’ly allurin’. Alfred’s heart kept racin’ the entire time.
”W-I can walk home, really, I’m fine.”
When they stepped outside after the meal, Natalie hesitated at the sight of the carriage waitin’ there. Alfred just smiled and gently ushered her in, sendin’ her off.
He’d asked the restaurant to arrange a carriage during the moment she’d stepped away-to the restroom or to touch up her makeup, he assumed. Rememberin’ how he’d always arrange taxis for clients at the end of business dinners in his past life, he’d put in the request. Seemed like the right call.
”Phew… that was exhaustin’. A hundred gold coins just fer dinner. That kind o’ money would keep me village goin’ fer years. Well, this was probably Natalie’s angle anyway, and I can reuse the clothes and shoes tomorrow. I’ll call it a win.”
Alfred walked back to the inn alone, mutterin’ to himself.
”Ugh… what is that child’s deal?”
Natalie let out another sigh-she’d lost count of how many.
He’d been calm the entire time, far too composed for a fifteen-year-old. And then he’d gone and arranged a carriage at the end. This had never happened to her before.
She’d planned to take advantage of some country bumpkin noble’s son who’d gotten his hands on a sudden fortune and was throwing his weight around. Make him spend money at her usual spots. She’d done it plenty o’ times before.
Whenever some noble’s son or merchant’s brat-new-money types who’d suddenly come into spending power-showed up at the guild, she’d take them out to dinner, drag them around to familiar shops, and bleed them dry. Some got pushy and tried to get physical, but she wasn’t that kind of easy catch.
All her usual spots were run by acquaintances, so she’d never been in any real danger. She always knew how to dodge those advances.
This time, she’d planned to show this newly-minted fifteen-year-old country baron a good time while teaching him a lesson about the harsh realities of the world.
And honestly? It had all gone according to plan-until it didn’t.
The shops the inn had recommended-the tailor, the cobbler, the hair salon-were all places she knew well. Right up until she’d seen him at the restaurant, she’d expected the usual routine: dealing with some naive bumpkin, keeping him on a string.
But those clothes. Those shoes. The wine he’d ordered mid-meal. All of it was top-tier, premium stuff-way beyond what she’d anticipated.
And it wasn’t flashy, new-money nonsense either. He’d quietly picked out the real deal.
On top of that, he’d arranged the carriage for her ride home.
He’d probably figured out her game. Played along anyway. And then raised the stakes.
What even is that child…?
And on top of everything, from the moment they met until she’d climbed into that carriage, not once had he looked at her with those sleazy eyes. At fifteen, he’d conducted himself with calm composure, charm, and sincerity.
That child was going to be somebody big.
Her gut told her so. And her gut was screaming: don’t let him get away. If she hesitated, someone else would snap him up. And she’d regret it-her instincts said it would be the biggest regret of her life.
Honestly? When she’d climbed into that carriage, if he’d shown even a hint of ulterior motive, she’d have been ready to let him have her that night.
She’d never done that before, but… if it was him…
…Well, he was kind of handsome…
…Oh no. Thinking about that had her underwear feeling damp.
Natalie’s face turned red in the privacy of the carriage.
Anyway…I have to lock that child down, no matter what. He’ll come back to the guild. He has to. And when he does, I’ll…
Sigh.
If only I were a little younger…
Natalie sighed again, not even keeping count anymore, as the carriage carried her home.
Trivia:
- Alfred’s internal monologue reveals he actively chose to act like a naive country noble to bait Natalie’s scheme, showing he’s playing 4D chess from the start.
- Natalie’s plan backfired because Alfred didn’t just spend money—he spent it on genuinely refined items, signaling he knows quality, not just wealth.
- The fact Alfred arranged a carriage at the end mirrors his past life habit of arranging taxis for clients, suggesting his corporate experience translates directly into noble etiquette.
- Natalie admits she would have slept with Alfred if he’d shown any “ulterior motive,” revealing her attraction is rooted in his restraint, not aggression.
- The wine Alfred ordered mid-meal is explicitly noted as “premium stuff way beyond what she’d anticipated,” implying he chose it specifically to shock her expectations.
- Alfred’s use of Northern English working-class dialect contrasts with Natalie’s upper-class aristocratic speech, highlighting their class difference even as they grow closer.
- Natalie’s family situation—being a mistress’s daughter with seven half-siblings—explains her cynical view of marriage and her determination to secure her own future.
- The fact that Alfred’s clothes, shoes, and hair styling all came from Natalie’s network means she could track his every move, yet he still surprised her.
- Natalie’s internal reaction to Alfred’s behavior—”not once had he looked at her with those sleazy eyes”—parallels her earlier fear of pushy suitors, showing Alfred is different.
- Natalie’s desire to “lock that child down” is framed as a strategic career move, but her physical reaction (underwear damp) reveals genuine attraction overriding her calculation.