Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 11

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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 11
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“I’m going out today. Have the carriage brought around.”
I gathered a few items into my bag and rose to my feet.
“Yes, Miss.”
Before the attendant could prepare a dress, I ordered her to fetch a hooded robe that would conceal my face, then pulled it low over my head. As I stepped outside for the first time in ages, the frigid air scraped across my cheeks like ice.
Though the temperature hung low in that liminal season between winter and spring, the carriage interior was enchanted with warmth—a luxury only the highest nobility could afford, given how precious both mana stones and mages were.
‘Money always tastes exhilarating and new.’
Once again savoring the intoxicating power of wealth, I gazed out the carriage window.
The carriage swiftly crossed the estate grounds, passed through bustling city streets, and turned onto an unpaved road where frost clung to the earth—the Atra District, where the jeweler’s shop stood, lay on the Capital’s outskirts.
‘Longer than I expected.’
Still, it wasn’t terribly inconvenient. The carriage, fitted with shock-absorbing enchantments, offered a remarkably smooth ride.
After three or four hours, an unfamiliar cityscape—one entirely absent from Deborah’s memories—came into view through the window. The prevalence of skeletal buildings suggested this district was undergoing active development.
‘Once completed, the layout will be quite impressive.’
It struck me as prime real estate for investment. If Yones was the Bundang of this world, this place felt like Pangyo in the midst of construction.
‘I should remember this. Atra District.’
I analyzed the exotic urban landscape with an architect’s eye until the carriage halted, at which point I gripped the large leather bag resting against my knee.
“We’ve arrived, Miss.”
The coachman set me down before a jewelry shop bearing the name “Diana.”
The shop didn’t appear in any of Deborah’s memories of visiting various jewelers, suggesting it wasn’t yet renowned. Yet it was the first establishment to unveil the pink diamond that had set high society ablaze—and within months, it would become the most celebrated jeweler in the Capital.
‘Quiet now, but this district will surely skyrocket soon.’
After surveying the surroundings cautiously, I left my escort at the shop entrance and stepped inside Diana.
“Welcome. Thank you for visiting Diana.”
The attendants greeted me respectfully and led me toward the display cases.
“A sapphire drop necklace was set just two days ago. Would you like to see it?”
The pristine glass cases gleamed with jewels of every conceivable design. But I hadn’t come for leisurely shopping, so I immediately withdrew the pink diamond case from my leather bag.
The attendants’ expressions hardened the moment they glimpsed the ultra-luxury jewelry box—clearly recognizing my identity—and a heavy silence descended over the shop.
I lowered the hood I’d been wearing deep and opened my mouth slowly.
“You recognize who I am, I see.”
“….”
“Fetch the Shop Manager.”
Exactly eleven seconds later, the Shop Manager appeared before me. It was a testament to just how infamous Deborah was as a difficult customer.
“Miss Deborah. We are deeply grateful for your esteemed presence and for gracing Diana with your visit.”
The Shop Manager struggled to control his labored breathing, which had risen to his throat, and managed to continue speaking.
“Are you the Shop Manager of Diana?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I have questions regarding the pink diamond. Clear out your staff.”
I adopted Deborah’s cold expression and crossed my arms. I’d learned through bitter experience in my previous life that allowing oneself to be underestimated was never advantageous.
At my command, the attendants swiftly vanished from sight. Now that I stood alone with the Shop Manager, all preparations were complete.
“M-Miss. Please, don’t stand there. Would you care to sit in a chair? I shall have tea and refreshments brought at once.”
“I… uh…”
My lips were parched, and I moistened them with my tongue. The mere thought of uttering that password made my limbs curl inward as if I might lose my mind.
“The… Golden…”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve come to conduct business regarding the seventh fang of the Golden Dragon.”
I managed to finish speaking while mentally preparing to flip my hood over my head and bolt if this turned out to be a mistake.
Fortunately, the Shop Manager didn’t regard me as a madwoman. Instead, he quietly repeated the words “Golden Dragon.” The professional smile that had been barely clinging to his lips vanished without a trace.
“Please follow me, Lady Deborah.”
Yes! Yes!
I let out an internal cheer and clenched my fists tightly.
The Shop Manager unlocked the back door of the jewelry shop with a key and walked down a dark corridor before beginning to feel along the wall. A false wall rotated like a revolving door, revealing stone steps descending into an underground chamber.
“We will use the teleportation magic circle to travel directly to where the Golden Dragon awaits.”
In the center of the damp underground chamber—prison-like in its humidity—an intricate magic circle was drawn. The moment I stood beside the informant, brilliant light erupted from the magic circle and the mana stones installed around it. My body lifted into the void, and a kaleidoscope of colors swirled chaotically before my eyes.
The instant my feet touched solid ground, the entire landscape had transformed. I looked around with every nerve on high alert.
“Master, the client has arrived.”
The informant gently pulled a rope installed at the entrance. As I gazed up at the towering arched doorway, I pressed my hood down again.
Thump-thump—my heartbeat was so loud it felt as though my eardrums would burst.
“A client, you say?”
A rough voice echoed from all directions before abruptly ceasing. The ten seconds of silence that followed felt like ten hours to me.
“…Tell her to come in.”
The moment permission was granted, a massive door swung wide open with an eerie creak of hinges.
Whoosh—bang!
The instant I stepped into the dimly lit office, a powerful gust of wind swept across my body, and the arched door slammed shut with a thunderous crash. The hood I had so carefully pulled down was blown backward by the force of the wind.
I smoothed my disheveled hair and slowly surveyed the space shrouded in mist.
“I never imagined that Lady Deborah would find her way here.”
A silhouette buried in the hazy fog spoke in a rough voice.
With each step forward, only the space where the man sat gradually brightened. As the eerie darkness lifted and his face became clear, I felt a strange sense of alienation, as though I were facing a wax figure.
When my gaze met his glassy, mineral-like eyes, tension and fear gripped my chest tightly.
Grrrrr…
That was when I heard it—a beast’s growl from somewhere in the darkness. The moment I came face to face with an enormous creature ambling out of the shadows, I bit down hard on the soft flesh inside my mouth to keep from screaming.
The beast approached me slowly, its golden eyes gleaming. Sniffing and huffing around me in circles, it suddenly began to whimper, its yellow pupils glistening with moisture.
Then, right before me, it flipped onto its back and rolled across the floor—as if playfully seeking affection.
Seeing the creature in such good spirits, the tension that had been strangling my throat loosened. Emboldened, I extended my hand, and the beast began licking my palm with its rough tongue. It rubbed its massive head frantically against my hand, then rolled onto its belly again, whining and whimpering.
“Ha!”
The man’s mask-like face began to crack, apparently finding the scene absurd. He let out an incomprehensible laugh before tapping the table with his black-gloved hand.
“Please, have a seat. Lady Deborah.”
As the Master gestured, a chair flew through the air and landed lightly behind my legs.
“Cookie, come here.”
In the midst of such gravity, the beast’s name was so unexpectedly adorable that I had to bite my lip hard to suppress my reaction.
“Whimper…”
“Ahem!”
The Master called out in a deliberately stern voice to the golden beast circling around me. The creature, which had been drooping its mouth in dejection, reluctantly turned back to him.
“My lady, what did you do to Cookie?”
The Master asked me while stroking the jaw of the beast, whose sadness was evident. Perhaps because Deborah possessed nerves of steel, I quickly regained my composure and opened my mouth with the coldest expression I could muster.
“If you want to know, pay 99 Gold. It’s normally 100 Gold, but I’ll deduct 1 Gold since I have a request for you.”
I mimicked the dialogue of Blanche the Master from the novel, putting on airs.
That was right. The Master before my eyes was the Crown Prince’s cheat key in the novel—no, rather, he was the Crown Prince’s aide and strategist who appeared in the story.
The most capable yet most secretive character in this unfinished novel.
As for how I, a mere supporting character, managed to find him, a broken character…

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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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