Hiding My Identity From My Husband — Chapter 3

...LOUVANDES.

YOU'VE HERE, CHARLES.

...UH, YEAH, LOU.

I THOUGHT WE'D ONLY SEE EACH OTHER BY EVENING, BUT TO MEET RIGHT AWAY LIKE THIS...

MARDI. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

SINCE I HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT WITH CHARLES, DO YOU MIND LEAVING US FOR A MOMENT?

YES! I'LL COME FIND YOU AGAIN AT DINNERTIME.

Please have a good rest, then!

CHARLES... NO, AGENT CHARLES.

HOW CAN YOU SIGH THE MOMENT WE MEET?

I'M CERTAIN I SENT YOU THE BRIEFING ABOUT OUR SITUATION IN ADVANCE.

...I REMEMBER. EARLIER IT WAS JUST... BECAUSE OF DIZZINESS.

Maybe because I rode the train for so long.

CHARLES...

YOU SURELY HAVEN'T FALLEN VICTIM TO "DEFICIENCY OF WILLPOWER," HAVE YOU?

IT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE "FAILURE TO PROPERLY GRASP MISSION DETAILS," EITHER.

IF YOU'RE PISSED OFF, JUST GET PISSED OFF INSTEAD OF BEING SARCASTIC.

ANYWAY, THE "VIPER" NEVER CHANGES, DOES HE?

*Louvandes used to go by the nickname "Viper" in the Guardians.

I GET IT. WE JUST NEED TO DO WELL NOW, RIGHT?

Huu...

I'M GLAD YOUR SICKNESS SEEMS CURED.

SHALL WE SIT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT THE MISSION DETAILS, THEN?

—YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A GENERAL EXPLANATION FROM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR,

SO I'LL EXPLAIN THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

WAIT, THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK BEFORE THAT.

WHY PICK ME OF ALL PEOPLE?

IF THE PROBLEM IS THAT MATCHMAKING OFFERS KEEP POURING IN,

YOU COULD HAVE JUST MET SOME NOBLE YOUNG LADY WHO FIT THE RIGHT CONDITIONS.

YOU'RE STAYING TEMPORARILY BECAUSE OF THE MISSION; IT'D BE TROUBLESOME TO GET ENTANGLED WITH AN IMPERIAL CITIZEN.

EVEN MORE SO IF IT'S SOMEONE WHO HOLDS FEELINGS FOR ME.

AND I CAN'T TRUST ANYONE WHO ISN'T AN AGENT.

BUT I'M NOT EVEN CLOSE WITH YOU...

DIDN'T YOU HATE ME?

WELL...

CHARLES, YOU MIGHT HATE ME,

BUT I LIKE YOU. VERY MUCH SO.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO LIE, AT LEAST WET YOUR LIPS FIRST.

...HA.

...HAHA, YOU CAUGHT ME.

WELL, I JUST THOUGHT YOU WERE THE MOST SUITABLE PERSON.

AFTER ALL, YOU'RE THE GUARDIAN POWERHOUSE RIGHT AFTER ME.

ANYWAY, THE MILK IS ALREADY SPILLED, SO-

LET'S DO OUR BEST TOGETHER FROM NOW ON.

I WANT TO RUN AWAY EVEN NOW!!

CHARLES,

TODAY YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY NOT ACT AS AWKWARD AS YOU DID IN FRONT OF MARDI.

I KNOW. I'LL DO FINE WITHOUT YOU SAYING IT, SO DON'T WORRY.

IT SEEMS THE REPORTS THAT "LOU VANZEN" WAS POPULAR WEREN'T FALSE.

EVEN DURING THE SHORT WHILE UNPACKING LUGGAGE,

LETTERS AND INVITATIONS DIRECTED AT LOU'S FIANCÉE POURED IN LIKE A TIDAL WAVE,

AND THANKS TO THAT, I ENDED UP HEADING OUT TO BANQUETS WITHOUT A MOMENT TO REST.

IT'S OBVIOUS.

THEY PROBABLY WANT TO CHECK ON THE WOMAN WHO SNATCHED THE CHANCE TO BECOME "LOU VANZEN'S" FIANCÉE.

I'M ALREADY TIRED THINKING ABOUT GETTING SCRUTINIZED.

BY THE WAY, CHARLES.

...I'VE WANTED TO SAY THIS FOR A WHILE NOW.

Y-YEAH?

WHAT IS THIS? SUDDENLY PUTTING ON AIRS...

CHARLES... DO YOU ONLY HAVE THAT ONE OUTFIT?

...EHH??

...WHY ARE YOU PICKING A FIGHT WITH MY FAVORITE SKIRT FROM THE MORNING?

Why have an attachment to something like that?

I'M GLAD IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE HE'S DOUBTING ME, BUT I FEEL STRANGELY ANNOYED.

LET'S GO SHOPPING SOMETIME SOON.

TODAY CAN'T BE HELPED, SO LET'S GET MOVING.

DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

THIS IS THE DATA REGARDING THE COUNT FLORIA FAMILY WE'RE VISITING TODAY.

I'M SURE YOU HAVE LOOKED INTO IMPERIAL NOBLES IN ADVANCE TOO, BUT I PREPARED IT JUST IN CASE.

AH, THANKS.

THE PARTY IS BEING HOSTED BY THE COUNT'S DAUGHTER, "EVELYN FLORIA."

SINCE SHE'S SOMEONE WHO USED TO LIKE ME A LOT,

THIS INVITATION PROBABLY COMES WITH SOME INTENTION OF KEEPING YOU IN CHECK.

BUT BECAUSE THE FLORIA FAMILY HAS INCREDIBLE INFLUENCE IN HIGH SOCIETY, I ACCEPTED THE INVITATION FOR NOW.

FURTHERMORE, COUNT FLORIA IS A BIG NAME IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY.

HE EVEN HANDLED PROCURING MILITARY SUPPLIES IN THE WAR AGAINST THE HOLY KINGDOM.

IF THE COUNT IS CLOSE WITH THE IMPERIAL FAMILY, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THEY KNOW NEWS OF THE HOLY RELIC.

YES, AND THUS I PLAN TO MEET THE COUNT AT THIS PARTY.

CHARLES, I'LL LEAVE THE LADIES TO YOU.

BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE LADIES' GOSSIP.

Hmm...

...RIGHT.

LOUVANDES'S WORDS MAKE SENSE,

BUT IT'S HARD TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION FROM GOSSIP.

LOUVANDES, WHO IS TO MEET THE COUNT, WILL LIKELY FIND OUT ABOUT THE HOLY RELIC FIRST.

IF SO, THAT MEANS I SOMEHOW HAVE TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR MEETING...

IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

I'LL JUST HAVE TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AT THE TEA PARTY...!

THEN LOUVANDES WON'T HAVE TIME TO CHAT WITH THE COUNT, HE'LL BE TOO BUSY TAKING CARE OF ME, AND...

Oh my~ I'm sorry, I'm nervous and sweating so I keep dropping things~

IF I SHOW EVERYONE SUCH UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOR,

THE YOUNG LADIES WON'T INVITE ME TO HIGH SOCIETY ANYMORE-

SO I CAN ALSO REDUCE TIME WASTED ON NON-MISSION MATTERS!

OF COURSE, THAT MIGHT DEEPEN LOUVANDES'S SUSPICIONS...

RIGHT, LOU. JUST TRUST ME.

YOU SEE, I'M QUITE POPULAR WITH WOMEN.

YEAH, WHATEVER. I'M GOING TO TOTALLY WRECK THIS PLACE-!!