About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18. Heating Up Again
The man tilted his head in confusion.
“According to the records, you came and retrieved it yourself.”
That made even less sense.
He examined the ledger again before continuing.
“It was the day after it went missing, and it’s recorded that you retrieved it when this harbor had a brief stopover. You came in person and collected it.”
“That can’t be right….”
At my murmur, the man wiped his spectacles with a handkerchief and spoke.
“In any case, without an identification badge, you cannot purchase passage. You’ll need to go to the Government Office with someone who can vouch for your identity and have a new badge issued.”
I left the Harbor Office empty-handed.
‘What do I do?’
At this rate, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I wandered for a moment before heading to the town Bank.
A burly-looking male clerk was manning the Bank.
I handed the check Luderne Sellen had given me to the clerk.
“Could I withdraw five gold coins?”
The Bank Clerk wordlessly produced five gold coins and verified the balance on the check.
I returned to the Government Office.
The Middle-aged Official I’d encountered before recognized me.
“Ah, it’s that young lady from earlier. Did you find your identification badge?”
“I didn’t find the badge. But there’s something I’d like to know urgently.”
After confirming no one was nearby, I offered him one gold coin.
“I promise you—revealing this won’t cause harm to the person involved. Because I am that person.”
The Middle-aged Official cleared his throat upon seeing the gold coin.
“Since the town is small, I moonlight as an information broker…. Earlier, whose identity were you curious about?”
“Priscilla Sellen.”
“Where are you from?”
“The Bilsty Estate in the Arde Kingdom.”
The Middle-aged Official nodded as he wrote down my name.
“I’ll send an urgent message to the Capital’s Government Office to verify. Come back tomorrow.”
With his promise secured, I left the Government Office and entered the Inn.
“Welcome.”
The Innkeeper greeted me warmly when I asked if there were rooms available.
“As it happens, we have several vacant rooms for travelers. Which room would you prefer?”
“What rooms do you have?”
“A spacious large room, a small but comfortable room for two, an attic room with a lovely view and affordable price but cramped, or a basement room very cheap but where you’d have to sleep with rats. Shall I show you?”
Though the last option was unappealing, I appreciated her thorough explanation and answered promptly.
“Show me everything except the basement room.”
Following the Innkeeper’s guidance, I inspected the rooms and decided to stay in the attic.
True to her word, the attic had a very low ceiling and was barely wide enough for a single bed. The window opened toward the slanted roof, which explained the cramped quarters.
But the blue sea was strikingly clear to my eyes.
Stars glimmered beyond the window, making for quite a romantic night.
* * *
The next day, I returned to the Government Office.
“A response from the Capital’s Government Office has arrived, as it happens.”
The Middle-aged Official greeted me as though he’d been waiting, waving a small document.
He read aloud what was written there.
“Priscilla Sellen, originally from Bilsty Estate. One week ago, a marriage registration was filed at the Capital’s Government Office, and her surname was changed to Priscilla Genoma.”
The contents that fell from his lips aligned somewhat with my expectations. Yet hearing it confirmed directly struck me with considerable shock.
My surname had changed to Genoma.
‘What am I to do?’
As I bit my lip and pondered briefly, the Middle-aged Official who had been studying my face gave a slight shrug.
“It seems you have some circumstances, but this is all the urgent report contains. Do examine it carefully.”
Without hesitation, I pressed another gold coin into his hand.
“Then could I obtain a reissued identification plate? I don’t mind becoming someone else.”
“Much as I’d like to oblige, your misfortune is that the issuing authority isn’t on this island. This is Prince Wintem’s island, so the only person with sufficient standing to vouch for your identity is him.”
The man furrowed his brow and shook his head firmly.
“But he’s not someone anyone can meet. So naturally, obtaining identity verification is far more difficult than plucking a star from the sky.”
Yet contrary to his words, the Middle-aged Official even provided me with the location of Luderne Sellen’s mansion.
“It will likely be impossible.”
He affirmed this conclusion, and kindly at that.
This was a troubling situation for me.
I considered asking the Middle-aged Official to forge an identification plate for me—one I’d use only to leave the island and then discard. I knew it was illegal, but I was in no position to be choosy about means and methods.
I had to leave the island as soon as possible and attempt to correct what had gone wrong.
But I quickly reconsidered my brief thought.
If this went awry, it wouldn’t end with only me facing punishment. The Government Official’s livelihood would be at risk. A mistake could mean imprisonment.
‘I cannot endanger others because of me.’
After this deliberation, I thanked the Middle-aged Official and left the Government Office.
Outside, my throat felt parched.
A two-story wooden building caught my eye. It was a tavern just opening its doors.
“Welcome.”
A young man with remarkably broad shoulders and relatively refined features greeted me. His dark brown hair, neither long nor short, had an oddly tousled quality to it.
He looked me up and down, then asked without hesitation.
“I haven’t seen you on this island before—are you here traveling? I’m Walter, the tavern’s proprietor.”
“I’m Priscilla.”
“A lovely name, Priscilla. Please, have a seat over here.”
Walter guided me to a table and offered a menu with a friendly smile.
“Excellent. What shall I get for you? Tea? A meal? Spirits? Or perhaps a town guide or other information? Or everything?”
“You provide town guides and information as well? Like a Detective Agency?”
“Do you provide village guides or other information? Like a Detective Agency?”
Walter shrugged his shoulders.
“On a small island like this, it’s rare for anyone to do just one thing. You have to do a bit of everything to make a living.”
“I see. That works out well, actually. There’s something I need. First, could I get an orange juice?”
Walter then pointed to the lunch menu on the menu board.
“Juice is fine, but wouldn’t you like to have lunch first?”
“Pardon?”
“Customers will be arriving soon, so Detective Agency work will have to wait until after lunch.”
I understood his intention—he wanted to boost his sales a bit more.
“That sounds good.”
“Wonderful. What kind of request is it?”
“Is there a way to leave this island without taking a ship?”
“Without taking a ship?”
“I can’t purchase passage. My identity badge….”
I was about to say I’d lost it, but I changed my mind. I’d phrase it properly.
“…was stolen.”
“So your identity badge was stolen, you can’t board a ship, but you want to leave the island.”
Walter stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Wondering if I’d made an awkward request, I continued.
“That’s right. I can get a new identity badge made in the Capital later. For now, I just need to get off this island.”
Just then, the tavern door opened and four men who appeared to be fishermen entered.
“Walter, bring us some food. Four of us.”
“Right away.”
After answering briskly, Walter lowered his voice to me.
“I’ll look into it. Let me bring out your meal first.”
There was a hint in his tone that suggested he might have an answer, and my spirits lifted slightly.
Walter disappeared into the back of the tavern.
In the meantime, I surveyed the tavern from where I sat.
In the center stood a round table large enough to seat a dozen people, and along the walls were roughly ten four-person square tables.
There was a long bar in front of the kitchen, but it had no stools. It seemed to serve as shelving instead.
I was waiting for my meal when I suddenly felt my body growing hot.
Despite it not being a warm day.
‘Is it hot inside?’
I opened a window first.
But as time passed, a strange sensation crept through my body, and my breathing began to grow labored.
‘Surely not…?’
Only then did the curse come to mind.
An ominous premonition washed over me, along with worry. I feared I would end up showing these people something unseemly if I stayed like this.
‘What do I do?’
Without thinking, I bit at my fingernails.
‘Should I run away right now?’
Just then, Walter arrived with the food he had ordered.
“Thank you for your patience.”
I rose from my seat in alarm. It seemed best to distance myself from the situation.
Then our eyes met with Walter’s.
“Is something the matter?”
….
As I observed Walter for a moment, I became certain that the dangerous situation from before would not unfold again.
The curse’s energy was undoubtedly coursing through my body. Yet looking at Walter stirred no such impulse within me.
I recalled what Melissa Bilsty had told me.
“You must be with a man for a full day straight, and, well, if you don’t spend nights periodically with the man you first lay with, then, ah… your body will burn with such heat that you won’t be able to endure it.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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