The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 103: Information

Chapter 103: Information

Her father informed her of their intelligence guilds placed all over the Empire... Which included the Eastern Duchy. Time to make contact. She needed to have a list of all the women who were registered dead five years ago...

She shook her head. She couldn’t believe that he killed the mother of his child just to ’tie up loose ends’. What would happen if Everett found out about this? Forget it.

She couldn’t rule out the possibility that the woman was a commoner, so she didn’t restrict her search to just nobles. Who knows what reasons this woman had for going after a married man? Whatever, it wasn’t her business.

She would have gone alone but her gut told her that leaving Dimitri alone like that wasn’t good. During the celebration dinner, their uncharacteristic calmness really troubled her.

They were planning something... Something that might hurt Dimitri, she just knew it. She couldn’t help but worry, because of her selfish motives, there was a target on Dimitri... She sighed heavily.

She wouldn’t let him out of her sight. If she was going out, he was coming with her. She knocked on his door and informed him that they were going out. He simply nodded without asking too many questions.

He had only one policy, do everything Adeline asks you to do. No matter how questionable it was... How very questionable... He narrowed his eyes.

Adeline carefully adjusted her cloak as she and Dimitri moved through the bustling streets of the shopping district. The Duchess made sure to send some of her knights with them for protection.

Whatever Adeline was up to, it would be an interesting watch. She was looking forward to seeing what this capable young lady could achieve. But that didn’t mean she would allow a child to take risks!

They walked past stores filled with luxurious fabrics, glittering jewellery, and ornate household goods, all catering to the nobility and wealthy merchants of the city. It was clearly a place only for the rich.

She had to admit, everything was just... Beautiful. This place was famous for its art alright.

But what she needed was information and the best place to find it was a hidden intelligence guild known for its extensive network and discretion. The West was known for its military prowess, sure, but its main source of income was information trade.

That was why it was easy for the Marquess to find the ex-priestess. After all, information was quite important for the military.

Five years was a long time, but with the right contacts, she hoped to uncover information that others might have missed.

As they walked, she spotted "Lily’s," the inconspicuous shop she was searching for. It was a jewellery store... Barely. The store appeared as if it was falling apart, with a cracked sign hanging ominously above her.

Dimitri felt very uneasy, he wanted to leave. Just why were they entering a shop that looked like it could collapse at any moment?! There were other jewellery shops around them! Ones that didn’t look like a safety hazard.

Adeline could just make out the faint script of "Lily’s" painted on the board in front of the store, the letters were have faded away under the sun and rain.

She gestured for Dimitri to stay close as they entered. Inside, the lighting was dim, and the walls were lined with shelves displaying modest jewellery and trinkets, many of which looked neglected or dusty.

My lady has... Interesting tastes... He still didn’t know why they were there. Adeline didn’t tell him about her plan. She was very secretive about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, it was just that she was stressed!

Any more anxiety and her pretty pink hair would have turned grey.

An old man immediately appeared to greet them, anyone would think he was this excited because someone finally stepped into his dying store. His eyes immediately fell on the little girl in front of him.

He had an idea of who she was, but he couldn’t verify it just yet.

She carefully took off her hood, to reveal her pink hair. Her bright blue eyes stared at him with confidence and power.

Just as I thought, it’s Master’s daughter, the old man thought. He couldn’t just let her in though, he had to follow protocol.

"What is a Lily? Adeline whispered, "A flower of her remembrance."

This was the code Alaric had taught her. Her father would lovingly call her mother Lizzy, it was a beautiful coincidence that her favourite flower rhymed with her nickname.

For a moment, Adeline felt sad... She never thought of it before... Her mother... Her family, are they hers? She took the place of the Adeline from the story.

She wasn’t their real daughter... In the beginning, she was so overwhelmed by her coming into this world and the direction of the plot that she never had the chance to think about it.

She took a deep breath and focussed. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, as they were led into a separate room, Adeline regained her composure.

She looked to her side to see Dimitri feeling uncomfortable. "It’s safe here, trust me," she whispered, her voice soft but confident. "This place may look run-down, but it’s a sanctuary for those who know where to look."

The cluttered display gave way to a well-organised, hidden space filled with polished wooden furniture and shelves lined with intelligence reports and maps.

A large desk sat in the centre, and behind it was a muscular man with a short beard and a prominent scar running from his neck to his chest.

His shirt hung loosely on his broad frame, his intimidating presence softened only by his calm, calculating gaze.

Adeline took a seat in the chair across from him, motioning for Dimitri to sit beside her. She glanced up, meeting the man’s eyes directly. This was no time for nerves; she needed to make her request clear and concise.

The man didn’t speak, waiting for her to start. Adeline felt more confident by now, so she spoke with ease. "I need information on women who were pronounced dead or went missing around five years ago," she said, her voice firm. "Especially those who were involved with prominent families."

"That is a very specific request, Lady Adeline... Is there anything specific you are looking for?" He asked. Whatever she asked would be the top priority, she was the boss’s daughter after all.

"I need to know who was involved with the Eastern Duke." She didn’t want to reveal too much. After saying this, she gave him a meaningful look. He understood, he didn’t want to pry more.

"I will have the details in two days time, my lady."

As they left the store, Adeline felt a strange mixture of relief and nervousness. She knew that they were very capable, they would have the information... It should make her feel relieved but she didn’t...

As she came closer and closer to the truth, she would be pushed further into danger. She turned to look at Dimitri who smiled gently at her. She felt more assured with him by her side.