I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 15

SO WHAT'S A PRETTY LITTLE THING LIKE YOU DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?

ALL RIGHT, WHICH ONE OF YOU FOOLS INVITED HIS SWEETHEART TO THE GUILD? 'FESS UP.

HAHA, THAT'D BE ME. SHE'S DEFINITELY HERE TO SEE ME.

IN YOUR DREAMS! THAT'S OBVIOUSLY MY WIFE.

I'VE COME TO SEE THE MASTER OF THIS GUILD.

THE BOSS IS A BUSY MAN. HE DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR JUST ANYONE WHO STROLLS IN HERE.

WHY DON'T YOU TELL US WHAT YOU NEED INSTEAD?

WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU, AND WE WON'T BLEED YOU DRY EITHER.

SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK. WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO TALK.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MADE A PRETTY LADY LIKE YOU STROLL INTO A DEN FULL OF ROUGH MEN WITHOUT BATTING AN EYE.

EASY NOW.

YOU'RE GOING TO SCARE HER OFF.

FETCH YOUR MASTER.

HA...!

WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR, SOME STRAY MUTT?!

YOU THINK FLASHING A PRICEY LITTLE RING IN MY FACE MEANS I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT?

HUH?!

YOU'VE ALL BEEN IN THIS LINE OF WORK FOR YEARS, HAVE YOU NOT?

THEN SURELY YOU UNDERSTAND HOW ONE OUGHT TO TREAT A CLIENT CAPABLE OF PARTING WITH SUCH VALUABLES SO EASILY.

OR ARE YOU UNAWARE OF HOW UTTERLY FOOLISH IT IS TO KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS?

WHAT'S HER STORY? IS SHE SOME WEALTHY CLIENT?

WE DIDN'T JUST OFFEND SOMEONE IMPORTANT, DID WE?

SO, I HEAR SOMEONE HAS COME SEEKING OUR SERVICES.

WAS IT YOU WHO WISHED TO SEE ME, MISS?

NO, I CAME TO SPEAK WITH THE GUILD MASTER.

THEN YOU'VE ALREADY FOUND HIM. I AM THE MASTER OF RIVELUS.

SO THIS IS RIVELUS'S IDEA OF HOSPITALITY? SENDING IMPOSTORS TO DECEIVE YOUR CLIENTS?

I CAME TO DISCUSS BUSINESS WITH THE TRUE GUILD MASTER OF RIVELUS.

AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM THE MAN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...?

WHEN I ASKED TO SEE THE GUILD MASTER, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KEPT GLANCING YOUR WAY.

AND YOU SIMPLY STOOD THERE IN SILENCE, CALMLY OBSERVING ME.

AS FOR WHY YOU FELT THE NEED TO TEST ME... WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AFTER WE'VE ADDRESSED THE REASON I CAME HERE.

I'M IMPRESSED. YOU'RE QUITE PERCEPTIVE.

COME. LET US CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION IN PRIVATE.

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF PROPERLY, YOUR GRACE.

I AM MIKHAIL KYNES.

I APOLOGIZE IF MY ACTIONS OFFENDED YOU.

I MERELY WISHED TO SEE HOW DETERMINED YOU WERE TO SEEK MY ASSISTANCE.

YOU SEE, THOSE WHO SEEK ME OUT DESPITE THE RISKS...

...ARE USUALLY DESPERATE ENOUGH TO PAY THE PRICE I ASK.

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

I SUPPOSE THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR CONFIDENCE. YOU WOULDN'T BE SO PARTICULAR ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS IF YOU DOUBTED YOUR OWN ABILITIES.

PRECISELY. AND RIVELUS HAS NEVER BETRAYED THE TRUST OF A WORTHY CLIENT.

THEN LET US DISCUSS WHAT IT IS YOU SEEK FROM RIVELUS.

THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU ARE, THE MORE EFFECTIVELY I CAN ASSIST YOU.

THERE ARE THREE THINGS I REQUIRE.

FIRST, I NEED A SMALL VILLA NEAR ARGENTA, THE CAPITAL OF THE KINGDOM OF CLANIA.

SECOND, I NEED AN ENTIRELY NEW IDENTITY. ONE I CAN USE AFTER LEAVING MY CURRENT NAME BEHIND.

SHE'S PREPARED TO ABANDON HER OWN NAME?

THEN SHE INTENDS TO SEVER ALL TIES WITH HOUSE DELMARQUE.

AS FOR MY SECOND REQUEST, I REQUIRE SEVERAL GENTLEMEN WILLING TO BE INVOLVED IN A SCANDAL WITH ME.

FOUR OR FIVE SHOULD DO.

AS DISCRETION IS ESSENTIAL, I'D ASK THAT YOU SELECT MEN YOU TRUST IMPLICITLY.

IN THAT CASE, PERHAPS I OUGHT TO BE ONE OF THEM.

THAT WAY, I COULD KEEP YOU INFORMED PERSONALLY AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD.

WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE TO YOU?

IF YOU DON'T MIND THE RUMORS, I'D CERTAINLY PREFER IT THAT WAY.

I THINK YOU'RE SOMEONE I CAN TRUST.

SO THEN, WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR SCANDALOUS AFFAIR TO BECOME THE TALK OF THE EMPIRE?

SO YOU'VE ALREADY PIECED IT ALL TOGETHER...?

I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM A PROFESSIONAL. THAT CERTAINLY SAVES ME THE TROUBLE OF EXPLAINING.

I'D LIKE IT TO HAPPEN IN SIX MONTHS.

THEN WE'D BEST START PREPARING NOW.

AND YOUR FINAL REQUEST?

I NEED YOU TO FIND THE OWNER OF A DAGGER BEARING THIS INSIGNIA.

CONSIDER IT DONE.

I'LL INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY AND INFORM YOU AS SOON AS I UNCOVER ANYTHING.

YOU SEEM TO BE IN A RATHER GOOD MOOD, SIR.

I WAS ENTERTAINING A RATHER DISCOURTEOUS THOUGHT.

SHE LOOKED SO SERIOUS THE WHOLE TIME...

THE WAY SHE HELD UP HER FINGERS AS THOUGH SHE WERE EXPLAINING SOMETHING TO A CHILD...

I HAVE TO ADMIT...

I FOUND IT RATHER ADORABLE.

YOUR GRACE.

IT WOULD SEEM HER GRACE VISITED A GUILD TONIGHT.

A GUILD...?

WHAT BUSINESS COULD SHE POSSIBLY HAVE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT?