Not long after I started waiting in the hall, I heard a knock on the door.
"from?"
There was no response. Instead, the door opened, and a man stuck his head inside.
“Oh, someone's here. I thought it would be empty because it's so isolated.”
He was a tall man with bright blond hair, and a natural smile on his lips that indicated that he was simply a cheerful person.
The man entered without hesitation and closed the door behind him.
I narrowed my eyes, my displeasure evident.
“Are you really coming into a room with a woman alone?”
"Hmm? Isn't that allowed? Sorry. I'm not familiar with Alvini's customs."
His speech had an unfamiliar tone, and he seemed a little embarrassed.
“I assume you are from abroad.”
“Yes. I am from Nike. My name is Alberto Pucci.”
Nikea was a country located far south of Alvini, and was known for its open and cheerful people.
The man who introduced himself as Alberto sat directly next to me without any hesitation, causing a frown on my face.
“This is a bit inappropriate.”
"Hmm? What's wrong? Oh, are you wary of me? Don't worry. Although I may not be familiar with the customs here, I certainly wouldn't act rudely to a lady I just met," Alberto laughed fleetingly as he spoke.
“It's not that I think you'll do anything inappropriate, it's just about appearance.”
“You don't have to worry about it. No one has seen me here.”
"Even if that's true, it's still important. We never know who might come after us."
Even though I said that, I knew it was unlikely that anyone would come. Perhaps his claim that no one saw him was true as well.
He raised his hands in an exaggerated motion and shook his head, “Okay, okay. You be careful.”
Alberto stood and moved to sit in front of me on the couch.
“Now, no one would be mistaken if they came, right?”
He smiled a smile that fit perfectly with his beautiful features.
His eyes, focused on me, were dark brown.
… wow. If it weren't for his name and the color of his eyes, I almost wouldn't recognize him.
Alberto Bucci, like Clement Cauness, was the pseudonym used by Nicholas in the original story.
Compared to the last time I saw him at Viscount Grandbert's banquet, his appearance was completely different now.
Even if they stand side by side, it is difficult to tell that they are the same person.
His expressions, his voice, his actions... everything is completely different. He must have stuffed his clothes to change his build and height...maybe his shoes are high? Fortunately, colored lenses do not exist in this era.
I barely recognized him because I knew what he was looking for.
It was a really cool disguise, just as the original story described.
I pretended to sigh, and put my hand on my cheek, “That's not enough. Due to some circumstances, I'm very careful now.”
"Circumstances? What are the circumstances?"
Alberto - or rather Nicolas - raised his eyebrows.
“Just some problems. Anyway, I can't be close to a man now.”
“Oh...is it because of your husband?”
I nodded.
“Where is your husband now?”
“Maybe at home. He hates social gatherings.”
“So there's no need to worry, right?”
“You don't seem to understand how quickly rumors spread around here. Is it different at Nikea? I doubt it.”
“Well, people like to gossip everywhere. But still, it'll be fine. If someone comes, I'll quickly hide – maybe behind those curtains.”
Nicholas jumped up and pretended to hide behind the curtains.
I covered my mouth with my hand and laughed softly.
“You sure are entertaining.”
“I hear this a lot. And it's nice to see you laughing. You have a beautiful smile.”
“I hear that a lot too.”
“Haha, I thought so.”
After that, we continued to talk in a friendly atmosphere. Nicholas shared stories with me from his time at Nike, and I pretended to laugh and enjoy.
What a funny thing! It's been a long time since I've laughed like this.
She sighed deeply, then continued: “My husband is a very cold person, and talking to him is not fun at all. Not that we talk much, basically.”
“It's hard to believe. How could anyone neglect someone with your beauty and charm?”
“You are very good at talking. But it is true. Despite his indifference, he is so strict that he cannot bear to see me talking to another man.”
“It's hard to imagine that in Nikia. It's not like you're having an affair.”
“……”
She paused, feigning confusion.
“Wait...are you saying that the circumstances you mentioned earlier were...”
"Yes, well. It's not to brag, but there was... something. Of course, I didn't do anything inappropriate for a married woman, just... well, you know."
“I see. With your beauty, it’s no wonder men are after you. Unless all the gentlemen in Alvini are blind.”
“Oh, stop it,” I waved my hand, laughing.
"I'm serious. But anyway, what happened?"
"That's it. I got close to a guy, and as you mentioned, he was very persistent. And to be honest, I didn't completely hate it. My husband didn't show any interest in me, and I felt lonely... Do you understand?"
“Sure. I completely understand that. If I were you, I would do the same thing,” Nicholas nodded seriously.
“I ended up spending a lot of time with him, but one day, my husband showed up. It turns out he was suspicious of me and followed me.”
“This is terrible. Is he following his wife?”
"That's exactly what I'm thinking. It was a nightmare. He put me under house arrest for over two months. Can you believe it? Two whole months!" I raised my fingers and raised my voice.
“Honestly, fortunately that's all that happened. From what you mentioned, it sounds like your husband could have done worse.”
“Maybe. But nothing really happened with that guy. We exchanged some letters, drank tea together...that's all. Really.”
I tried to look innocent.
“I believe you, but I doubt your husband believes you.”
“Who knows? Maybe the person who was watching me reported something.”
“And what happened to the man? I doubt your husband left him alone.”
“You're right. At first, he threw him in the cell. But he was soon released.”
“And then?”
“I don’t know. People say he hasn’t been seen in the capital for a long time... Maybe my husband kicked him out. He can definitely do it.”
“Hmm...I see.”
Nicholas still had a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes were thinking.
“Anyway, I haven't heard from him since. Not that I would have met him even if he had tried to contact me. I don't want to go through that again.”
“I understand. I don’t blame you.”
“Do you understand now why I am so cautious? If my husband knew I was with you, who knows what he would do. I have only recently been allowed to attend social events, and even now, I cannot attend as often as I used to.”
“I see,” Nicholas scratched the back of his head in confusion, “I apologize for causing trouble. If I had known how serious this was, I wouldn’t have come in.”
“No, it's okay. Actually, I had a good time. No one knows we're here together, right? So, tell me more about Nikiya.”
She smiled cheerfully, but Nicholas shook his head.
“No, I think it's best if I leave. Like you said, someone might come at any moment.”
Then, Nicholas stood up.
I looked at him with wide eyes.
“Are you really going?”
Without answering, Nicholas smiled and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, I dropped my disappointed expression and leaned lazily on the sofa.
“This should do it”
Judging by his behavior, Nicholas seemed to think that there was no more information to gain from me. It is unlikely that he will try to approach me again.
Nicholas may have been reckless, but he was not so foolish as to be completely irrational. He wouldn't go out of his way to find out where Liam was.
Currently, Nicholas' problem has been resolved.
After that, I have to wait for Arthur to find Gabriel.