Chapter 1

Favored by the youngest noble lady, everyone is now fixated on me (1) (1/247)

"Alright, from today, I'll be living with you all."

Despite being covered in dirt and having disheveled hair, the child was as beautiful as a doll.

"You should greet them too."

As the large, middle-aged man who was the director spoke, the child, who seemed frightened, shuddered and, with a runny nose, greeted them in a loud voice.

"Ah, hello... I'm Tanya!"

After the greeting, the child, unlike the other children in the orphanage, raised plump arms and waved hands that resembled maple leaves.

It was a situation that matched my past memories perfectly, without a single discrepancy.

'Am I dreaming?'

No, it's not a dream.

I shook my head inwardly while only blinking my eyes, which were wide open in shock.

Hadn't I felt the reality of not being in a dream all day, struggling with hunger?

Faced with an undeniable reality, I froze and thought.

'...Why today of all days?'

The first day after returning from my death at the Elard noble family turned out to be the day the youngest noble lady, Diana, entered the Tessaar orphanage.

It was already hard enough to accept that I had returned to my childhood, but with Diana right in front of me, I was completely panicked.

Just as I closed my eyes tightly and tried to understand the situation,

"Hu, hu."

I opened my eyes wide and slightly lowered my head at the sound of a small sob.

I immediately met the clear blue eyes of the child who was holding onto my sleeve.

"Ah..."

For a moment, I was flustered by the moist, teary eyes, but then I found myself staring at the child's eyes without realizing it.

This naturally brought to mind a man with eyes as cold as ice, the same color as the child's.

And the moment of my death.

* * *

The day before, at the headquarters of the information guild 'Terenchium'.

I panted heavily, climbed the stairs in a few bounds, and burst through the massive closed door.

I froze in shock.

'What, what is this?'

The guild's executives, who were seated around a round table, all turned their heads to look at me as if they had rehearsed it.

I was puzzled by their sudden meeting and then realized.

'It must be the night of the full moon.'

Around this time, the guild's executives, including the master, were particularly busy and often absent.

For me, who was not close to my colleagues except for the executives, it was a period of isolation.

"Lea, didn't you see the sign in front of the door?"

The master, who was sitting in the upper seat, asked.

Unlike the older executives, he looked only in his mid-twenties.

'I don't know exactly how old he is.'

This mysterious man, who was my superior, was the leader of the information guild, which collected all kinds of information, yet no information about him was known.

The master, who had a strand of black hair falling over his face, sighed and brushed it away.

"I told you to check that before entering my room."

"Sorry, I forgot because I was in a hurry."

As I awkwardly replied, trying to avoid the master's red eyes, he shook his head with a smile.

Then the executives around him pounced.

"Master, is this something to laugh about? If you keep letting it slide, Lea will never learn."

"Yes, and to think that a sign had to be put up in front of the door because of Lea. Wouldn't it be better to teach her to knock?"

"Knock or not, who would burst into the master's room like that? I thought it was Lea's room for a moment."

"Exactly. Master, you're too lenient with Lea."

The executives criticized me with mischievous expressions.

They were all teasing me.

'What leniency? The master ignores me so much!'

As I grumbled inwardly,

"Everyone, be quiet."

I opened my eyes wide at the master's sudden serious tone.

Was he going to take my side?

"Teaching such manners won't make Lea listen."

"..."

I was a fool to have hoped.

The master and the executives were collectively treating me like a fool.

'Do they still think I'm a 10-year-old street urchin?'

Despite my frustration, my face, which I prided as one of the most capable in the guild, twisted.

Moreover, my best skill was 'hiding my presence,' so learning to 'knock' when entering a room was ridiculous!

Actually, I had forgotten to knock because I was in a hurry, but I would never forget if I really wanted to.

'Other information guilds are still trying to recruit me...'

As I pouted, the master gestured for me to come closer and asked.

"So, what's the matter?"

The other executives also turned their heads, saying, "Come on, let's hear it."

Only then did I remember why I had come to the master's room.

"A mission, a mission! I haven't received any requests for over a week."

"Already that long?"

Seeing the master's slow response, I felt a surge of frustration.

Some people were eager to become a first-class information agent, recognized by everyone, as soon as possible.

"Master!"

I shouted, but the master only chuckled and lightly tapped my puffed cheeks.

I was about to be hurt by his habitual treatment of me like a child when he said,

"Alright. I'll give you a mission. Finish it by the time I return. Can you do it?"

"Really?"

I asked, overjoyed and without a shred of dignity.

"Will it be a proper mission this time?"

Not like the one where I had to find out what color handkerchief the butcher, Mr. Nick, liked, as requested by the bakery owner, Susan!

"A proper mission..."

The master looked at me with a strange expression, slowly lowered his hand, and nodded.

"Wow, Master is the best! The most handsome in the world!"

Overjoyed, I followed the executives' advice and quickly gave the master a thumbs up.

The master burst out laughing, and the executives tried to suppress their laughter.

I had only done what I was taught, but their reaction was strange.

'But a moment ago, it seemed like the master's hand was about to touch my neck... Was it just my imagination?'

As I tilted my head in confusion,

"Go back. I'll assign your mission and inform you soon."

I forgot my earlier thoughts and nodded happily at the master's words.

And it hadn't been a few hours since then.

"Where? The Elard noble family?"

I blinked and looked at Jade.

"Did the master really give me a mission to infiltrate the Elard noble family?"

Jade, who was explaining the details of today's mission, shrugged as if to confirm that I hadn't misheard.

"Yeah. You did well on the mission where you infiltrated as a maid recently, so he probably decided to give you another one."

"But, that time! It was only because I was the only female among the first-class agents."

The Elard noble family was the most heavily guarded of all the noble families in the empire.

Given its difficulty of access, comparable to the royal palace, being given an infiltration mission meant that the master recognized me.

However, the surprise at Jade's unexpectedly gentle attitude, who usually mocked and belittled me, was greater than the joy of finally being given an important mission.

Then Jade said something even more surprising.

"Actually, no one in our group doesn't know that you are the most skilled among us."

"..."

"What?"

"We all know. We just didn't acknowledge it because we were jealous of the favor you receive from the master."

My mouth dropped open at Jade's words.

His praise was so unexpected.

I was so happy that I felt like dancing.

But I maintained a calm appearance and replied coolly.

"I'm not favored by the master, you know."

If it were any other time, I would have sharply retorted to his annoying comment, but I was in such a good mood that my words came out softly.

I couldn't help but smile, despite trying to suppress it.

Then,

"But you, don't you know someone in the Elard noble family?"

"Wh-what? When did I ever?"

"Don't you remember? The day you first drank alcohol when you turned of age, you talked about the orphanage when you were a child."

Oh. Did I say that when I was drunk?

I blinked, flustered.

The executives had set up a gathering to celebrate my 18th birthday, hoping to bring me and my colleagues closer.

Everyone had come reluctantly, making me feel embarrassed and awkward. To ease the tension, I had fearlessly downed the glasses of alcohol in front of me one after another.

After that, I had no memory, but I was told that the master, who arrived late, had tidied up the place and taken me to my room.

'I was definitely told that I was sleeping soundly!'

I turned pale, realizing that the master might have talked about my past.

"When I'm drunk, I don't say anything! There's no way I could have a connection with such a great noble!"

I raised my voice, as if to emphasize that it was all a show, and stood up from my seat.

In my haste to leave, I didn't notice.

The sardonic smile on Jade's face.