“Am I right?”
It felt like it had been weeks since I last saw him, and he looked terrible—as if something had happened. His complexion was awful, and his cheeks had sunken in, casting more shadows on his face.
‘Why is he here…?’
I stopped in my tracks and watched Uncle Yossel carefully. He was observing the stone house from behind the arborvitae trees.
Interesting.
Direct members of the Count Travel family almost never came near the stone house. They avoided even stepping in that direction, mostly because they didn’t want to be associated with those of lower status.
But here was Uncle Yossel, lingering around without even trying to go inside?
That meant something serious was going on.
I deliberately raised my voice and called out to him.
“Whoa! Uncle?”
“Wh-Who…! Oh, you, ah—”
Uncle Yossel flinched so hard his shoulders shook. When he turned and made eye contact with me, he seemed at a loss for words. My guess was, this might be the very first time he’d ever spoken to me.
“I’m Berry!”
Did he not even know my name?
Only after I introduced myself did he seem to snap out of it and ran a hand over his head.
“Ah… right.”
“Did you come to see my dad?”
I glanced at the thick envelope in his hand as I spoke. It looked heavy with documents.
When I asked if he came to see my dad, he hesitated and shifted awkwardly on his feet.
“Is your dad inside?”
“Probably? But this is usually the time when I—”
“Berry.”
Right at that moment, Dad came out from the stone house, probably to meet me.
He looked pleased to see me, but when he sensed someone else’s presence, he turned his head.
Spotting Uncle Yossel, Dad immediately moved in front of me, blocking my view of him, and asked sharply.
“Why are you here?”
Just from his voice, I could tell—Dad was angry.
It was like a predator growling at another predator that had gotten too close to its cub.
Uncle Yossel, seemingly understanding why Dad was angry, raised both his hands and explained.
“I’m here on business matters.”
***
In Reytan’s study.
Yossel sat on the sofa, head lowered, flicking at his fingernails nervously.
“Damn it.”
He thought.
The head of the Blue Trading Company.
If it hadn’t been that man, Yossel wouldn’t have come to see Reytan, whom he usually avoided at all costs.
“You’re withdrawing your investment…?”
“Yes. I couldn’t even get in touch with you. And I’ve found that you haven’t paid any of the interior design or supply companies. Some of them even came to me, and I had to cover the costs on your behalf. But that’s not the point. I’ve lost trust in you, Master Yossel. I want my money back.”
But asking for his money back…
The only cash Yossel had at the moment was 200,000 Kona in his wallet.
“Come on now. How am I supposed to return that much money right away? What kind of fool just leaves investment money sitting in a safe? I’ve already spent it here and there—”
“I’m in a tough spot too. That money I gave you wasn’t mine—it belongs to a high-profile client of mine, who entrusted it to me to grow it well.”
“W-What? It was someone else’s money?”
“Yes. Otherwise, where do you think I’d get such a large sum in cash? Anyway, if you can’t return it, then I’ll have no choice but to go to the Count Travel family and ask them to cover your debt as co-guarantors.”
“You—! How can you be so heartless?”
Yossel collapsed to the floor and clung desperately to Victor Stings’ pant leg.
“P-please… Mr. Stings… Spare me…”
“…Then how about this option?”
Victor Stings, after carefully considering Yossel’s desperate plea, made a secretive suggestion.
“Try begging the second son of Count Travel to spare you.”
“Y-you mean that brat, Reytan?”
“As for me, I only care about getting my money.”
Victor Stings grinned slyly as he spoke.
Yossel was reluctant to repay the investment with his family’s money because he wanted to avoid ending up in the Stone House.
‘He’s telling me to ask the man living in the Stone House to take on my negative results…!’
Victor Stings even prepared documents to bait Reytan—documents detailing the potential profits he’d earn from taking over the children’s clothing business.
But would Reytan really agree to do him this favor?
Yossel hesitated, but he was at the edge of a cliff now—completely out of options.
On the other hand, Reytan was the lowest-ranking member of the family and uninterested in achievements. Furthermore, Yossel knew Reytan had previously transferred performance credit to Hevant.
‘Maybe…’
Yossel anxiously watched Reytan’s expression. He was seated on the couch, while Reytan sat at the desk to his right.
Having listened to Yossel’s plea for help for over 30 minutes, Reytan remained completely silent.
Tick. Tick.
The ticking of the wall clock pierced the tense silence. It grated on Yossel’s already frayed nerves. His mouth felt dry, and his blood ran cold.
Unable to endure the pressure any longer, Yossel finally spoke up.
“After all… d-don’t you find it more comfortable here, Brother?”
He could feel Reytan’s gaze fall on him. Too scared to look him in the eye, Yossel stared fixedly at the edge of the table as he continued.
“N-no one judges you for raising children from outside the family… and Perry—”
“It’s ‘Berry.’”
“…Right, Berry also doesn’t have to worry about grades or expectations—”
“Why should I take on a 4 billion Kona loss just for your sake?”
“N-no! It’s only 2 billion Kona now. I’ve redone the paperwork so that the children’s clothing business receives investment support from the family.”
Victor Stings had laid out the plan:
1. Transfer ownership of the children’s clothing business to Reytan Quartz Travel.
2. Register the business under the family’s official support programs.
3. Use the initial 2 billion Kona in seed funding to repay Victor Stings’ investment.
“Isn’t it better to lose 2 billion in support funds than to carry a 4 billion Kona liability from a joint guarantee? Even someone as low-ranked as yourself in the Travel family would find 4 billion overwhelming.”
Reytan sneered at Yossel’s reasoning.
“Only 2 billion Kona, you say? If it’s ‘only,’ why don’t you cover it?”
“Me?!”
Yossel shot up from the sofa. Clenching his fists, he stood before Reytan, breathing heavily.
Reytan didn’t even flinch. Resting his chin on a hand propped on the armrest, he simply observed Yossel’s outburst with a calm, cold gaze.
“I…”
Yossel’s fists trembled with rage. Who was this man in front of him? The illegitimate child he had always looked down on—the very master of the Stone House.
But the only person I could turn to now… was Reytan.
“I’m begging you… Brother…”
Yossel slowly fell to his knees and pressed his upper body flat to the floor.
It wasn’t just about 2 billion Kona. Money, he could find somewhere else. But performance—results—were like grades. Once you fell, it was almost impossible to climb back up.
“Just this once. Please? Save me.”
“Save yourself.”
“Oh come on, how’s anyone supposed to live on their own in this life? You’re all I have left, Brother…”
“Not even worth replying to.”
Even though he pleaded with tears, Reytan remained unmoved.
But Yossel knew he had to convince Reytan here and now. If he failed, there would be no second chance.
“If you help me with this, I’ll do anything in return—”
“Anything?”
“As long as it doesn’t cost money…”
Yossel sniffled as he spoke.
Then came a quiet sound—the click of a pen cap being removed. Reytan, who had been silent the entire time, had picked up his fountain pen.
A slow, sly smile crept across Yossel’s face. He felt like he could finally breathe again. He straightened his posture and adjusted his collar.
“And well, if it doesn’t damage your pride or anything—”
“I haven’t signed yet. I was just checking if the pen works.”
“…What do you want, then…?”
“For the next four years—the period that this deal will affect performance—you’ll act as my subordinate.”
“S-subordinate?”
Yossel’s eyes went wide.
To be the subordinate of an illegitimate child? That was absurd.
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask anything too humiliating. I’ll exclude tasks that cost money or damage your pride.”
“….”
That much might be manageable. After mentally calculating the pros and cons, Yossel nodded multiple times.
Reytan nodded once as well and looked down at Yossel, who was still kneeling before him.
His icy blue eyes were especially cold in that moment, and Yossel involuntarily gulped.
“And one more thing.”
“O-one more thing…?”
“What were you doing in the mine on the day Brown died?”
***
[Yossel became Reytan’s subordinate!]
When Aqum returned from the study and said that, my jaw dropped.
~~~
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