IOC - 16

“Ah, well, yes… I suppose.”

I had never explicitly said it was the Crown Prince. I was the only one who knew that. Was drawing in that blonde hair the problem? As I scratched my head and tried to dodge the question, Geoffrey nonchalantly set a coin down on the table with a sharp clack.

Perhaps it was because I was working on my day off, but today, the coin seemed to shimmer with an especially golden hue.

“……?”

Wait a second. Golden?

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. It wasn't a silver coin, it was gold, flashing brilliantly.

Yes. It was an entire Gold coin!

While I stood there frozen, jaw hitting the floor, Geoffrey gave a graceful smile.

“I’ll be paying for His Highness’s meal as well.”

“Heh, no, I mean, this much money is…!”

“Keep the change.”

Not that I had any intention of giving it back. How could I? I didn't even have the small change to break a gold coin.

Fearing he might change his mind, I quickly tucked the golden coin deep into my sleeve. My heart thudded at the heavy weight pressing against my wrist.

However, Geoffrey showed no sign of getting up. Instead, he remained seated, his gaze fixed intently on me.

“If even I haven’t tasted this before, it must mean this food didn't exist in this world.”

“Ah, pardon…?”

My mind had been occupied by the gold, but his words made the tips of my fingers go stiff.

“I am much older than I appear, you see.”

Why is he telling me this? I forced out a hollow laugh, but a cold chill ran down my spine.

His violet eyes slowly drifted toward the sauce bowl on the table.

“There were records in my family’s ancient archives. Traces suggesting an ancestor of mine enjoyed spicy, pungent food.”

“Records of an ancestor?”

Spicy and pungent… Could it be chili peppers? Someone else knew about them?

Seeing my face frozen in shock, Geoffrey rose slowly from his seat, like a seasoned actor performing the climax of a long-rehearsed play.

“Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Geoffrey Marches Latour.”

He bowed his head slightly and smiled.

“And I am the Archmage of the Empire.”

“Ah, I’m Shion, the innkeeper.”

I hurried to bow, but his hand reached out toward me. I hesitated before taking it, only for his firm grip to pull me toward him. My upper body lurched over the table, the distance between us shrinking until I could feel his breath.

“……!”

As those violet eyes drew closer, I saw my own reflection in them, a dazed, shaggy-haired brat. I couldn't even breathe properly, my mouth hanging half-open like an idiot.

That was the face I was making right now.

But what was truly dizzying was his gaze. On the surface, it was a calm, weary color, but beneath it, a dark, murky desire seemed to be simmering, as if it had been aged for a very long time.

Pinned by his eyes without knowing his motive or reason, a strange sense of dread crept up my back. Geoffrey watched me, his eyes curving into a soft, languid crescent. He whispered.

“In exchange for having you all to myself on your day off, I will pay you one gold coin, just like today.”

I was so frozen I barely dared to breathe, but Geoffrey continued unbothered by my reaction.

“However, I’d like something other than soup next time.”

“…W-what would that be?”

Gulp.

The sound of me swallowing hard echoed in the quiet room. Geoffrey smiled at the sound. His next words were dangerously sweet, yet utterly captivating.

“Your body.”

My body? Is there an organ trafficking ring in this world? Or does he want to work me to the bone like Gilbert?

I muttered these thoughts to myself, but I knew deep down that wasn't it. The violet eyes looking down at me were far more bizarre and profound than that.

I wanted to take a deep breath, but with my hand trapped and his body so close, I couldn't move an inch. I could only stare at him with wide eyes, like prey facing a massive predator.

The only saving grace was that this predator seemed… satiated.

Geoffrey looked down at my hand as if in deep thought, then slowly stroked the back of it with his fingertips. The unfamiliar, ticklish sensation made my body tremble.

“W-what do you mean by that…?”

“It won’t be a bad deal for you.”

His low voice vibrated through the air. It was strangely sweet, yet had a sharp, clinical edge to it.

My palms began to sweat. Just as the tension felt like it was strangling me, Geoffrey yanked my hand again. My arm, which had been resting on the table, was pulled forward, forcing us into an even tighter space.

“……!”

“Don't you need knowledge to survive in this place?”

It was a strange thing to say. It sounded as if he was certain I didn't belong to this world.

Come to think of it, he had mentioned an ancestor who enjoyed spicy food earlier, hadn't he?

Before I could process the doubt, his grip on my hand tightened, and he reached for my bangs. I instinctively ducked my head to hide my face, but he caught me by the chin instead.

“You’re not from this world, are you?”

“……!”

I tried to shake his hand off immediately, but his grip was far stronger than I expected.

Damn it, ‘satiated predator’ my foot.

The moment I made that judgment, I had already walked into the trap. He had me cornered from the second he stepped inside, there was no reason for him to be in a rush. His composure was backed by absolute certainty.

My face went pale in an instant, and my body shook. I looked exactly like someone who had just been caught red-handed.

How did he know?

Actually, there were plenty of ways he could have known. I was serving food that didn't exist here and even creating my own sauces. Besides, the very existence of this inn on the border was abnormal to begin with.

…Wait a minute.

Did that mean the original Shion didn't run an inn before I possessed him?

Thinking back to the rotten, broken ingredients I found on the first day, it seemed likely. Then how had Shion been living all this time?

A whirlwind of questions sent my head spinning. Before I could catch a single thread of thought, Geoffrey’s fingers slid up from my jawline. His cold fingertips glided over my skin, eventually brushing slowly over my lips.

“……W-wait a minute……!”

Before the words could fully leave my throat, Geoffrey’s low voice cut me off.

“So, let’s make a deal.”

His violet eyes shimmered with a dangerous light. He looked like someone ready to devour his opponent, yet he spoke with the calculated tone of a master negotiator.

“If you accept my proposal, I will answer your questions.”

“…Why are you making this offer to me?”

At that, Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed.

“You should be used to this by now.”

I stared at him blankly, unable to grasp the hidden meaning. Geoffrey tilted his head very slowly. In that movement, his long black hair fluttered, filling my vision.

Suddenly, all I could see was that familiar black hair.

Noticing how my eyes were drawn to his hair, Geoffrey smirked. It was a smile, but it felt heavy with secrets.

“You don't know the story of my ancestor who came from another world, do you?”

“……!”

I didn't.

Nothing like that was ever mentioned in the original novel. All I knew was that long ago, a dragon and its party had established the border, and the story ended with the Saintess and her companions stopping the signs of a returning war.

Keeping that smile, Geoffrey leaned in closer.

“Wouldn't it be absurd to call someone ‘of this world’ when they don’t even know the origin of the Empire?”

“T-that’s…… because my memory…”

“The ‘lost memory’ excuse might work on the ignorant or the young, at best.”

“…….”

I had no room to argue, no chance to escape. As a heavy silence settled over us, Geoffrey’s fingertips brushed my mouth again, chilling, yet eerily gentle.

“So, how about it? My proposal.”

My throat felt parched, but I managed to swallow and speak.

“……Why does it have to be my body?”

The corners of Geoffrey’s mouth curled into a thin line. It looked almost like a sneer.

“Let’s just say you’re my type.”

“……!”

I never knew the phrase ‘you’re my type’ could sound so terrifying. And if that was the case, it meant he definitely had an ulterior motive.

“Then… how much are you going to ask of me?”

At those words, Geoffrey finally let go of my hand. I scrambled back to create some distance, but he remained unfazed.

He slowly raised the finger that had brushed my lips and gave it a slow, deliberate lick with the tip of his tongue. I was internally screaming in horror.

“Let’s start with something light.”

Like what? Start what?!

My confusion must have been written all over my face, because Geoffrey asked with a perfectly serene expression.

“So, what is your answer?”

…What choice did I even have? If I refused, my secret would be out. If I accepted, I’d be entering a deal where I had no idea where I’d be taken.

In the end, I gave a silent nod.

And so, my secret arrangement with him began. Once a week, every holiday, a private meeting between just the two of us.