The giant — no, Mosco, a soldier of Daymond’s jurisdiction — glanced back.

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Well...”

“Then leave.”

“Y-yes, I suppose it is.”

Mosco pushed the one-eyed mercenary’s axe with force.

The mercenary dropped the axe and tumbled to the ground.

Among the mercenary group, the one-eyed giant was the largest, but in front of Mosco, he looked like a child.

Han Jihyeok watched the scene dumbfounded.

Mosco cracked his knuckles.

“Our lady said to teach a lesson to anyone who bothers her friends.”

“W-what...!”

“Stay close behind me.”

That day, Han Jihyeok learned what it meant to be beaten mercilessly on a rainy day with dust flying everywhere.

At dawn, I went down to the courtyard.

The jurisdiction estate was truly perfect.

‘If they just fix a few things, it would look like a brand-new castle.’

Michelan had even retrained the servants in etiquette; everyone greeted properly.

I sat on the stairs waiting for Mosco.

After a while, Mosco appeared walking down the west corridor into the courtyard.

“Mosco.”

“Hm? Miss, you’re up early.”

“I woke early. What about the friend?”

He asked about Han Jihyeok’s fate.

Mosco crouched down to meet my gaze.

I had climbed three steps, but because Mosco was so tall, crouching made us eye-level.

He looked around and whispered,

“That slick face... no, your friend is there. The attackers got what was coming to them.”

“Thanks.”

“...”

Mosco’s eyes went wide.

When I asked why, he chuckled heartily.

“You always say things I’ve never heard before, miss.”

“Thank you, I hope you don’t mind?”

“Who would thank a slave? I’ve never even had a parent stroke my head once.”

I stared at Mosco.

He just smiled without a care.

I gently stroked his head.

“I’m glad to have you, Mosco.”

“...”

“Thank you.”

“...”

Mosco looked very shy.

But he didn’t seem to dislike being petted.

He stayed very still under my touch.

Only after I stopped did he grin and lift me up.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to that slick-faced... no, your friend.”

I rode on Mosco’s back.

The night before, I had made two requests to Mosco.

Save Han Jihyeok.

If saved, bring him to the estate.

“Where is the friend?”

“I left him somewhere safe.”

I nodded.

Then we went to the place Mosco took him...

‘Safe?’

Where exactly?

I shifted my gaze and looked at Mosco.

“Mosco, where is this place...”

“Yes, the safest place in this jurisdiction—”

“...”

“—the general’s bedroom!”

Father was staring in disbelief at Han Jihyeok, who was tied up in ropes.

Enzo called Mosco the strongest spear of Daymond’s army.

Aside from Father, no one could beat Mosco one-on-one.

I wondered why he was still a regular soldier.

‘Foolish, or just pure...’

Father folded his arms and stared steadily at Han Jihyeok.

Father’s gaze was so terrifying that Han Jihyeok turned pale and shivered.

‘He might die from this.’

I needed to separate Han Jihyeok from Father for now.

“He’s Erilot’s friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes! We met yesterday when I went to eat cake.”

“You invited a friend to the estate? So early in the day?”

“My friend was being chased by bad people. So Erilot helped. Asked Mosco for help.”

“...”

Father narrowed his eyes and stared at Han Jihyeok.

Worried Father might suspect, I nudged Han Jihyeok with my heel.

“Yes? Ah, yes... that’s right, friend.”

“You’re an adult, and yet friends with my child?”

I quickly answered.

“Not an adult. A teen.”

Father and Mosco furrowed their brows.

Han Jihyeok looked about twenty.

He was at least 180 cm tall and dressed very much like an adult.

Pomaded hair, white pants, pointed shoes...

Father scrutinized Han Jihyeok, then frowned fiercely.

“You, did you deceive my daughter?”

“Don’t talk about teenagers with that face!”

Mosco snapped as well.

Their expressions said if he had deceived me, they would tear him apart. Han Jihyeok went pale.

“I didn’t deceive!”

True.

He never told me his age.

I figured it out by reading the novel.

Han Jihyeok’s face looked almost tearful.

“I’m fifteen...”

Father and Mosco looked at him as if he was talking nonsense.

He had passed puberty, was tall, and looked older than his age. He really was fifteen.

To scam people, he had to look like an adult, so he exploited his old-looking face to seem older.

“Lies.”

“How dare you.”

When Mosco and Father said this, Han Jihyeok sighed deeply.

“If you release me, I’ll show you my ID.”

Father nodded to Mosco.

Mosco quickly untied the ropes, and Han Jihyeok pulled out his ID card.

[Joe Carter.

Born 1203, Plaud Territory.]

Father frowned looking at the ID, and Mosco groaned.

“Wow. This guy’s had a tough life. He looks old from it.”

Han Jihyeok looked liberated.

I held Father’s knee.

“I want to play with my friend.”

“...”

“Just a little.”

Father looked at Han Jihyeok and pulled the leash.

Soon Michelan came in.

“Yes, my lord.”

“That guy, wash him up and take him to the greenhouse.”

Han Jihyeok looked a mess from the mercenary group beating.

Michelan took him away.

Greenhouse.

I drank warm milk waiting for Han Jihyeok.

The milk was almost gone when footsteps approached the door.

I turned to see someone entering, looking neat.

A clean white shirt, black pants.

Slightly damp curly pink hair.

Blue eyes.

Han Jihyeok.

‘Oh...’

Just lowering his bangs and changing clothes made him look decent.

Like an idol from the original world.

“You don’t look like an old man anymore.”

I said, and Han Jihyeok frowned.

“I used to draw a beard and dark circles to look like an adult.”

“Looks better now.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He sat down in front of me, crossing his legs.

“I knew but didn’t do it. You know how hard it is for a poor, pretty man to live? Noble ladies flirt with me, sometimes creepy guys too... ugh.”

Han Jihyeok was definitely handsome.

‘That’s how it goes with main characters.’

Because his setup was unique, he was also a lead in Bing.Heuk.Son.

He sipped the last milk through a straw when he coughed awkwardly.

“How did you know the one-eyed man was coming for me?”

“It’s in the novel.”

“Why did you help? If the one-eyed man takes all my money, he might hold your hand to get revenge.”

“You’ll get limped from him.”

“What?”

“I’m a bad person, but not bad enough to get limped.”

I said calmly; Han Jihyeok’s eyes widened.

He stared at me, his eyes trembling slightly.

He suddenly banged the table and stood.

“Don’t seduce me!”

“Me?”

I’m three years old.

Han Jihyeok is twelve years older.

Is this crazy?

I frowned in disbelief; Han Jihyeok shouted,

“Not that, I mean seriously!”

“Huh?”

“I don’t trust nobles. After all I’ve been through... No matter what you say, I’ll never fall for it.”

“No one said you have to.”

“Even if you look cute like a squirrel! Even if you have the surprising charm of helping people after being unlucky! I’ll never...!”

“...”

“Got it?”

I paused.

He seemed a bit crazy, but should it be him...

‘Endure it.’

Han Jihyeok was the only person who could know my true identity, a fellow dimensional traveler.

If I told others, I’d have to see a therapist that day.

I looked at Han Jihyeok, still huffing “Never believe!” and said calmly,

“Jihyeok.”

“...!”

“You’ve had a hard time.”

“Damn it... don’t seduce me...”

“I know.”

Han Jihyeok’s eyes twisted.

He clicked his tongue and looked away.

His eyes looked a little red.

‘Yeah, he’s been through a lot.’

I know Han Jihyeok’s story well too.

Born as the son of an alcoholic violent woodcutter, he worked hard from childhood.

He ran from his father, but was still used by adults.

Never paid properly, his self-esteem crushed...

He decided after being beaten too much,

Now he’d be the one who doesn’t suffer but takes back.

‘He was only twenty in the original world anyway.’

He sobbed softly and said,

“What do I have to do?”

“Go to the auction house.”

“Auction house?”

I smiled and nodded.

A few days later, at the auction house.

Han Jihyeok frowned staring at the platform.

It was the turn for ‘that item’ Erilot told him to buy.

“This is a brazier used in an ancient temple. Starting bid is 100,000 gold.”

It sounded grand — ancient, temple — but it was just a brazier.

Nothing special, only ancient-made.

No value at all.

Only he seemed to think so; the starting price was 100,000.

Considering other items start at 1,000,000, it was very low.

‘Is that kid trying to scam me?’

If Erilot put up a useless brazier for auction and paid °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a large sum to win, he’d lose all his money and only have the brazier.

There would be no way to claim it was a scam.

Anyway, the bidder who won would be him.

‘Sounds plausible.’

That kid looked pretty clever...

Then bidders began raising their paddles.

“150,000.”

“200,000.”

“230,000.”

“One million!”

What?!

Han Jihyeok was shocked and looked back.

A middle-aged noble smiled arrogantly.

‘That’s Baron Baslang.’

A wealthy noble famous for collecting ancient relics.

One million bid? Even winning at 500,000 would be nerve-wracking, but one million!

‘Damn it.’

Han Jihyeok raised his paddle.

“One million one hundred thousand!”

Baron Baslang twitched his eyebrows.

“One million five hundred thousand.”

Han Jihyeok stared wide-eyed.

‘Crazy. For a single brazier...!’

Baslang clicked his tongue and raised his paddle.

“One million five hundred one thousand.”

“Two million.”

“Two million one thousand!”

“Three million!”

Their eyes locked sharply.

Baron Baslang frowned and shouted.

“Three million eight hundred forty thousand!”

He usually bid in neat increments of 500,000 or 1,000,000, but this was an odd number.

‘That’s his limit.’

Han Jihyeok’s mouth twisted.

But he couldn’t raise it.

Spend over 3.84 million gold on an ancient brazier?

He’d worked for years scamming to collect 4 million.

He’d survived countless life-threatening situations.

‘He can’t throw that much on a brazier...’

Just then, Erilot’s voice came to mind.

“Jihyeok.”

“...”

“You’ve had a hard time.”

‘Damn it.’

He rubbed his face with both hands and quietly raised his paddle.

“Three million eight hundred fifty thousand...”

He said weakly, his face burned out.

The auctioneer shouted,

“Three million eight hundred fifty thousand! Any more bids?”

“...”

“...”

“Three million eight hundred fifty thousand! The ancient temple brazier goes to the gentleman in white pants!”

Baron Baslang looked at Han Jihyeok in disbelief.

Both looked at each other like, “You’re really something...”

Han Jihyeok bowed deeply.

Daymond’s jurisdiction.

I received the box Han Jihyeok handed me.

I hurriedly unwrapped it and saw the item I wanted.

‘An ancient brazier!’

My face brightened.

“Well done!”

“...”

Han Jihyeok looked even older in the past few days.

“That’s my entire fortune, so handle it carefully—what are you doing!”

While he was speaking, I flipped the brazier and black stones spilled out, scratching it.

Han Jihyeok was shocked and grabbed me.

“Hey, stop.”

“Do you know why I bought this?”

“The brazier is useless.”

“What?”

“The important thing is these stones.”

Han Jihyeok looked at the spilled tiny stones.

Since the brazier was big, there must have been at least 300 stones.

“What are these?”

“Reinforcement stones.”

“Reinforcement stones?”

“Yes, treasures that double the Gaho’s power.”

Han Jihyeok’s eyes widened.

Noble elders’ meeting.

The meeting suspended after the recent attack resumed.

Of course, Marquis Tolliso’s faction, revealed as the mastermind behind the Duke Astra attack, had been removed.

New nobles occupying the vacant seats were cautious around the elders.

‘This is a tense atmosphere.’

Even among the experienced nobles, only the top of the pyramid gathered.

Most lacked the guts to even speak.

“Shall we end the discussion here?”

At Marquis Boushez’s words, the others nodded.

Duke Astra stood.

“Is the Duke Astra already leaving?”

“Is there more to discuss?”

“Not really... but you always leave quickly after the meeting. As we age together, we should have drinks—”

“Nonsense.”

Marquis Boushez shrugged.

Other elders laughed and started conversations.

“Drinking helps. People become more amiable when drunk.”

“Indeed. Marquis Boushez generously sold some ancient stones as well.”

At mention of ancient stones, Marquis Boushez waved his hand.

“Don’t mention it. I regretted it after sobering up. I promised, but couldn’t back out.”

Ancient stones.

They supposedly extended the Gaho duration by about ten minutes.

In battle, those ten minutes could mean life or death, so everyone was desperate to get them.

But Marquis Boushez, who found the stones with difficulty, was reluctant to sell except under special circumstances.

‘Such a sly bastard.’

The Duke frowned.

He guessed why the stones were sold at the drinking party.

He was trying to create a new faction in the elders’ meeting.

Selling stones, which he never would at other times, just to gain favor.

Marquis Boushez laughed.

“If the dukes like it, I’m glad.”

“You bet. It helps in battle and will only increase in value. I’ll profit from this.”

“Well, unless they’re legendary items like reinforcement stones, ancient stones’ value never drops.”

Duke Astra’s gaze turned cold.