I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 76

Chapter 39.1

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The moment I spotted the footprints on the road, I stopped the carriage.

“Ah, my lady! Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

“I think I saw my brother.”

“Young Master Heron?”

Marie, who had followed me out of the carriage without knowing what was going on, hurriedly chased after me.

“Are you sure you weren’t mistaken? I thought Young Master Heron was supposed to stay at the mansion all day for the Adeline Knights’ affairs?”

“No, I’m certain it was him.”

‘If this mission is connected to Heron, then these footprints must be his.’

Before the footprints could fade, I hurried after the trail, only to find myself standing in front of the same building as last time.

Marie, panting as she caught up, widened her eyes.

“My lady, this place is…”

A building where Allen Basilic secretly ran his information brokerage in Arbonis.

‘So Heron has been coming here all along? But why?’

The last remaining footprint disappeared right before my eyes.

I gazed at the imposing building in silence before finally turning away.

“…Let’s return to the mansion, Marie.”

“Yes, my lady!”

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〈 My lady, are you sure you want to go alone? Wouldn’t it be safer if I accompanied you? 〉

Marie fidgeted nervously, concern written all over her face. But honestly, considering the other person was Allen, going alone was the smarter choice if I wanted to preserve what little favor I had left.

He was particularly sensitive when it came to women’s attitudes.

I fixed my gaze on the bronze bear head ornament and let out a slow breath. Having dealt with him several times before, I reminded myself to stay calm and not to overthink it. Compared to Diel, gaining Allen’s favor wasn’t too difficult as long as I avoided stepping on his insecurities.

‘Of course, that didn’t mean I never failed.’

I grasped the handle held in the bear’s mouth and rapped on the door twice. Then, I took a step back and slipped on the rabbit-shaped half-mask I had prepared in advance.

Before long, the door swung open on its own, and I slowly stepped inside.

The building’s interior was just as I remembered from my past lives. Every window was boarded up, ensuring no one outside could see in. A spell had also been cast over the entire structure to keep any sound from escaping.

Allen insisted it was to safeguard his clients’ anonymity, but in truth, it served to hide the illicit dealings happening inside.

His merchant guild, Bonbearmoon, also operated in the black market under the alias ‘Greener.’

The interior was a vast hall that might have seemed barren if not for the lavish decorations placed throughout, drawing the eye in every direction. As I passed by the familiar sights I had seen countless times before, I came to an abrupt stop in front of a particular ornament.

‘A bear head ornament crafted from magic stone.’

If I remembered correctly, this bear head ornament, inlaid with rare magic stone and flawless emeralds for its eyes, was worth more than what an average family of four would spend in a decade. In one of my past lives, a merchant guild employee had accidentally dropped it while handling it, causing one of the emeralds to fall loose.

〈 P-Please forgive me, Your Highness! I-I have made a grave mistake! 〉

〈 D-Do you have any idea h-how much that thing costs? 〉

〈 F-Forgive me, Your Highness! I-I made a terrible mistake! 〉

〈 A l-lowly worm like you could toil your w-whole life without spending a single coin and still n-never own something like this! 〉

Shaking uncontrollably, the man begged for forgiveness, pleading for just one chance at mercy. He swore he would dedicate himself to the merchant guild for the rest of his life if only he could be shown mercy just once.

〈 S-So you choose to ignore my words? That’s why a l-lowly thing like you can’t even understand that there’s n-no saving you and instead begs to make up for it with your body! 〉

〈 Y-Your Highness! 〉

〈 F-Fine. I’ll see for m-myself just how much your p-precious life is worth. 〉

However, Allen saw that as an act of disregard for his words, and in the end, consumed by his own fury, he took the man’s life as compensation.

And the entire incident unfolded right before my eyes as I arrived to meet Allen.

The man’s hot blood splattered onto my face.

But even as the crimson blood spread across the floor, I forced myself to act as if nothing was wrong. With Allen consumed by fury, I couldn’t risk becoming his next victim.

〈 T-That bastard’s entire family will be made slaves of the duchy. G-Go capture them immediately. A-Anyone who resists can be killed. 〉

〈 Your Highness, the man has a newborn only a few days old. Should we bring the infant too? 〉

〈 I-If you’re willing to become a slave in his place, then y-you can leave the child. 〉

〈 N-No! We’ll take the child! I’ll bring them right away! 〉

Back then, I fought to steady my trembling legs, which felt on the verge of giving out, and wiped the blood away as if nothing had happened.

I thought to myself that it was too cruel to take away his life and ruin his family over one fleeting mistake.