Hiding My Identity From My Husband — Chapter 8

SHINE YOUR SHOES~

GET YOUR SHOES SHINED~

DO YOU SHINE WOMEN'S SHOES TOO?

OF COURSE! FIVE PENNIES AS A SPECIAL SERVICE FOR LADIES...

Y-YOU'RE...!

MAKE A SOUND OR RUN, AND YOU'LL REGRET IT.

I-I SHOULDN'T BE TALKING TO AN AGENT...

IF I BREAK THE RULES, I'LL BE SCRAPPED...

IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM SINCE I JUST CAUGHT A SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN MY JURISDICTION.

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'D BE IN TROUBLE IF THIS SITUATION GETS OUT.

SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST COOPERATE?

W-WELCOME, CUSTOMER! I'LL SHINE THEM FOR FIVE PENNIES!

SIT IN THE CHAIR AND PUT YOUR LEFT FOOT UP FIRST!

...AT LEAST YOU HAVE SOME SENSE.

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. WHAT IS ONE OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR HENRY'S MEN DOING IN THE CAPITAL?

...I CAN'T SAY.

THEN SHALL I GUESS?

YOU-

YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE HOLY RELIC, AREN'T YOU?

STRANGE. THAT'S A TOP-SECRET MISSION THE CAPTAIN GAVE ME...

COULD THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR BE TRYING TO STEAL THE RELIC BY FINDING IT FIRST?

NOT ONLY DID HE REBEL AGAINST THE CAPTAIN’S JUDGMENT, BUT HE’S ALSO MEDDLING IN THE MISSION BEHIND OUR BACKS...

ISN’T THAT...

CONSIDERED "TREASON"?

N-NO! IT’S NOTHING LIKE THAT!

EVEN IF IT ISN'T, THIS IS AN OVERREACH SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REPORT TO HIGHER-UPS.

AND IF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR DECIDES TO CUT TIES AND THROW YOU TO THE WOLVES,

YOU'LL BE TAKING THE BLAME FOR ALL OF THIS.

JUDGING BY HIS REACTION, THIS KID HASN'T BEEN AN AGENT FOR VERY LONG.

THAT MEANS HIS LOYALTY ISN'T HIGH ENOUGH TO DIE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

SO HE'D DEFINITELY WANT TO AVOID DYING OVER SOME INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE.

IF YOU SPILL EVERYTHING, I'LL LET IT SLIDE.

WHAT DID YOU FIND?

CHARLES. ARE YOU STILL NOT DONE?

W-WAIT A SECOND! I’M ALMOST DRESSED!

DAMN IT... IT TOOK LONGER THAN I THOUGHT.

PLEASE EXCUSE ME.

AH... WAIT!

AH, SORRY I’M LATE...

I COULDN’T REACH MY BACK...

I BLOCKED THE DOOR WITH A CHAIR, THOUGH? DID HE REALLY PUSH THE DOOR OPEN WITH PURE STRENGTH?

...I FAILED TO CONSIDER THAT.

TURN AROUND. I’LL DO IT FOR YOU.

FOR SOME REASON, MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST...

IS IT BECAUSE I RAN ON MY WAY BACK JUST NOW...?

OR AM I NERVOUS BECAUSE I MIGHT GET CAUGHT GOING OUT...?

ALL DONE. TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

HOW IS IT? DO YOU LIKE IT?

...AH, YEAH.

WOW... CLOTHES REALLY DO MAKE THE PERSON....

BUT CHARLES,

HOW ARE YOUR SHOES SO CLEAN?

I DON'T THINK THEY LOOKED LIKE THIS EARLIER.

...SHARP BASTARD.

AS EXPECTED, HE CAME IN BECAUSE HE WAS SUSPICIOUS THAT I WAS TAKING SO LONG.

WHILE CHANGING CLOTHES, I GOT BOTHERED BY THEM AND CLEANED THEM.

IS THAT SO?.....

IT SEEMS I SHOULD GET YOU FITTED FOR A NECKLACE FIRST.

HUH? A NECKLACE?

SO YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY CARELESSLY.

HAAAAAAA...

I'VE DONE WAY TOO MUCH TODAY....

IT'S LIKE HE PLANNED TO BUILD A HOUSE OUT OF CLOTHES...

I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T NEED THAT MUCH.

I DON'T GET IT.

You need to save my face, too.

WHY DOES HE TREAT ME SO WELL WHEN HE SUSPECTS ME?

IT SEEMS I SHOULD GET YOU FITTED FOR A NECKLACE FIRST.

SO YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY CARELESSLY.

THAT SOUNDED LIKE HE NOTICED I WENT OUT.

WHY DIDN'T HE QUESTION ME RIGHT AWAY?

EVEN IN THE HOLY KINGDOM, LOUVANDES KEPT SUSPECTING ME WHILE ONLY WATCHING ME.

HE COULD'VE REPORTED IT TO THE GUARDIANS OR TALKED TO MY ADOPTIVE FATHER.

...IS HE PERHAPS WAITING AND SEEING UNTIL HE GETS PROPER "EVIDENCE"?

MY HEART'S GOING TO GIVE OUT FROM SHEER ANXIETY, SERIOUSLY.

ONCE THIS JOB IS DONE, I NEED TO QUIT THE GUARDIANS AND RETURN TO THE EMPIRE.

FOR NOW, LET'S CHECK THE SHOE POLISH I GOT FROM THAT AGENT.

I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING YET....

BUT I DO HAVE INFORMATION PASSED DOWN REGARDING THE HOLY RELIC.

THIS MUST BE THE SECRET INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOLY RELIC

SECRETLY TOLD TO HIS SUBORDINATE, RIGHT?

EUREKA.

IT'S A CIPHER USED IN CATACLE.

GOLD....

HE WHO MAKES GOLD SEEKS TO SET THE RIGHT PATH.

"HE WHO MAKES GOLD" ...AN ALCHEMIST?

IF THIS REFERS TO THEMIS, IT MATCHES THE INFORMATION SECURED BY THE GUARDIANS.

IS THIS "TRUTH" ABOUT THE HOLY RELIC?

SEEING THAT THE INFORMATION FROM BOTH THE GUARDIANS AND CATACLE IS SIMILAR,

IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE THIS ALCHEMIST KNOWS SOMETHING.

THEN IT'S CLEAR WHAT I NEED TO DO.

WHETHER THEMIS TRULY HAS THE HOLY RELIC OR NOT, I MUST KEEP LOUVANDES FROM FINDING OUT.