"No. He just came to say a few words to me." Annan shook his head.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."
"You really are dependable, Baron." Annan offered the flattery at just the right moment.
If his mission hadn't been to rescue Blackwatch, Annan would already have used the baron's favor to do as he pleased in the Chaos Cult and plant his own people there.
Come to think of it, if everything was part of the Empire's plan, would the upcoming prison break even need him?
But Annan realized he was already too deeply involved. With everyone believing he was Albeck's nephew, pulling out now would only make the Gray Mist suspicious...
Did I just make more work for myself?
Thinking back on that man's last words, Annan couldn't shake the feeling that his tone had been odd... Hopefully, nothing else will go wrong.
"Um... are you free right now?" Baron Kelly rubbed his hands together sheepishly. "I'd like your help choosing a leading lady."
"Come on, you don't have to ask! I'm your assistant. Helping you finish your work is part of the job!"
Dozens of minutes later, Annan sat on a sofa in the banquet hall, yawning again and again.
Baron Kelly circled a girl who stood stiffly before him. She pressed her lips together, trying hard not to show her fear. After several laps, he kept shaking his head.
"No. She won't do either..."
Annan had spent ages helping him choose and was losing patience. "There are so many pretty girls here. How can you be unhappy with all of them?"
"Because they're not the same!" Baron Kelly cried, eyes red as he raked his fingers through his hair.
The girls standing to one side after being rejected were too