"YOU ALL WILL GET CURSED. HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THIS-"
The loud voice woke me up next morning and I quickly hurried downstairs to check up on what happened.
I suddenly found a tied up lady struggling to get free and thrashing on bed and last night flashed in my mind.
'Oh yeah-! I did leave someone tied up last night...maybe I should apologize and clear up the misunderstanding?'
I made up my mind about this, but as soon as I opened the door, a pair of sharp eyes glared at me and the look in those eyes was very familiar to me.
It was a look that told me that I was in trouble.
"Tsk, are you the one who tied me up? You will pay for this. Let me go right now, or else-"
The female tried to get the rope binding her hands off but she was unsuccessful. I could hear her speaking under her breath but I did not want to hear her curses so I maintained my distance.
I waited for the female to get tired and calm down, but as more and more time passed, that seemed like an impossible task. So I… decided to speak up anyway.
"You should not move around too much, Miss. I patched up your wounds last night, but if you keep moving, they might reopen."
I told the female and she paused and finally seemed to realize that her body felt much better compared to last night.
"You… patched me up…? Why would you help me out. What do you want from me?"
The female asked as she calmly asserted her situation now. The way she held herself told me that she was someone important… or, at least she thought she was someone important.
Not that I would know because I did not know much about this world and its political structure. Heck, I did not even know who the duchess was until she introduced herself.
"I just helped you out of the goodness of my heart (and to stop you from bleeding out in front of my shop), so please don't overthink. If you promise to not harm me, I will free you now."
I told the female and her eyes sharpened.
She seemed to be thinking about something before she concluded whatever she was thinking about and nodded to herself.
"Hmm, maybe you are not such a lost cause after all. I guess I can make a vow to you. I, Reeze Spencer, give you my word that I shall not harm my benefactor."
The female spoke with full confidence and I felt a shiver go down my spine. I watched the female chant a few more words before she gave me a look.
"I am done. Now, let me go."
She told me and I quickly freed her hands. My instincts told me that the danger had passed and everything was fine now.
The female moved her hands around slowly and her eyes widened a little bit at the ease she was able to move around.
"Don't move too much. I gave you some pain relief medicine but I am not sure how long they will last. Meanwhile, would you like some tea? Do you have a preference?"
I asked the beautiful lady who had taken her seat at the sofa already. Her blond hair and blue eyes gave her an elegant look.
One could have mistaken her for an aristocrat if not for the air around her. She just… felt different from the nobles I had seen up until now, but I could not explain why or how.
To me, she felt like that young girl Emma in a way.
"I have no preference for tea. Though, I do enjoy a slightly stronger sweet flavor."
The female told me and I added extra sugar in her part before giving it to her. She took a sip of tea before giving me a look.
"So, what do you want from me? Do you want me to make you rich? How about influence? Do you want to make more connections? I can give it all to you."
The female told me and I felt a little tempted by her offer.
But then, my brain finally did its job to remind me why this was not a good idea— I had no idea who this female was. She could even be a part of the mafia and I would never know.
So the right thing to do here was to decline.
"You can just pay for your treatment and forget this ever happened. I am not going to seek any payment from you."
I told the lady and she looked shocked by my generosity.
"You… are you sure? I am Reeze Spencer? The Reeze Spencer? Are you sure you don't want my help?"
The female asked and I just gave her a look.
Now I was more than sure that this female was famous. The way she repeated her name told me that much.
But I was also certain she was not a noble… so that only left one place.
'Shit-! So I did get involved with the mafia after all. I need her to get going right now.'
I told myself to not get involved anymore than necessary, but I also did not want to make an enemy out of her.
"Miss, I am flattered by your offer and I will reach out to you in the future if I need your help. But for now, I truly do not need anything from you. Ah, but you are always welcome to visit my shop as a client."
I told the female and her expression looked beyond shocked.
As funny as it was, I felt like I had just dodged a huge bullet as the female got herself under control and let out a relieved sigh.
She snapped her finger and then looked at her hand in shock. But slowly, her shock became understanding as she looked at me.
"You are… I see-! No wonder you don't need my help. Very well then. I understand. I will make sure to stop by once in a while. And I will pay for my treatment now."
The female told me and I had no idea what she suddenly understood.
But I was not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth and I allowed her to pay. I also slipped her a few pain relief medicines to ensure she won't come here anytime soon.
As she was about to leave, I had one last thing to say to her.
"Miss, if you are going to be a regular here, please make sure to time yourself right. You are not the only one who comes here, after all."
Since she was so famous, I did not want her to run into people who might recognize her and report her.
Or rather, I did not want to be seen as an accomplice to her, so I told her to be careful.
The female stopped at my door and gave me a glance before she waved.
"I will be careful not to cause you any trouble, shopkeeper. Then, I will see you again in a few days. Please, call me if you need any help."
And with that, the female finally left.