Prologue
A Swindler Who Swindles Swindlers
A rural estate in the western part of the Laute Empire, Mata.
— Why did I meet you, only to end up in so much pain~ Yeah~ Wooah!
In the only coffeehouse in Mata, a soulful breakup song was playing as usual.
Since Mata was an estate that held the breadbasket responsible for producing 70% of the empire’s wheat, most of its residents were involved in agriculture.
There were occasional drifters from the capital who came to experience some sort of month-long stay, but they usually couldn’t endure the manure-scented lifestyle over the romanticized ideal and fled quickly.
Those who left, lamenting that a city where everything closes at sunset couldn’t be called a real city, numbered in the dozens of wagonloads.
—I resent the family that took you away~ Woohoo~ I still wander, even now~
Yet, in this rural estate, there were three outsiders who had stayed for quite some time. To be precise, there was a noblewoman and her son, who had been there for about a year.
“Was her name Iris?”
And then there was Miss Iris, who had been there for about six months.
They were almost the only customers who visited the coffeehouse during the day. Of course, it was the first time they had come together in this particular combination.
“Yes, Madam.”
“Forget the formalities. Let’s get straight to the point.”
The steam rising from the two coffee cups was slowly fading—
—If you would come back to me~ Yeah~ I would be your steadfast shelter…
Just as the breakup song was reaching its climax.
Thud!
A dull sound cut through the poignant melody and settled on the table.
“Here, take this. I’ve put enough in it so you won’t feel shortchanged.”
The noblewoman in an elegant dress motioned towards the white envelope she had just tossed down.
“In return, promise me you will never see my son again.”
… Wait, this conversation is…
The coffeehouse owner’s ears perked up towards the table. His quick hands subtly lowered the volume on the turntable.
‘Good, that was smooth.’
As he nervously rolled his eyes, he noticed men passing by outside, wiping their drool away as they glanced in.
The woman sitting opposite the noblewoman, Iris, was an astonishing beauty.
Her honey-like platinum blonde hair sparkled as it caught the light pouring through the window, and her eyes were like transparent, icy lakes.
With her lips firmly sealed, she looked just like a wax doll.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
The noblewoman, who had rudely thrown the envelope first, seemed most displeased by this.
When the noblewoman snapped again, Iris finally bowed her head deeply.
Her honey-blonde hair drooped down like curtains, covering her face.
“I, um… I mean…”
Her voice, which came out as quietly as an ant crawling, made the corners of the noblewoman’s mouth slowly curl into a sneer.
‘That’s right, you’re nothing.’
Although she didn’t say it out loud, her raised eyebrows and the creases in her brow conveyed the sentiment clearly.
The more Iris hesitated, the deeper the noblewoman’s sneer grew.
At that moment, Iris, still with her head bowed, reached out for the envelope.
“If you insist so much…”
Her fingers trembled slightly, like an ant’s might, and when her hand finally touched the envelope, her shoulders even twitched.
Gulp, the coffeehouse owner swallowed nervously, watching the noblewoman.
“Ha!”
The noblewoman, who had been silently watching the slow movement, finally scoffed openly.
In the meantime, Iris clutched the envelope with both hands, fumbling with it, while the noblewoman, as if she had seen enough, stood up abruptly.
“As I thought. You approached my son just for the money…!”
“I can’t give up on him.”
Clatter.
The owner, pretending not to be interested and busy polishing the already shiny coffee cups, almost dropped a cup.
The situation was becoming more intriguing.
“Ha. Are my words meaningless to you?”
“Of course not! If they were, I wouldn’t be listening!”
“What is this? I treat you with civility, and you forget your place…?”
In the end, the noblewoman threw away the mask she had barely been wearing.
“Break up with my son immediately! How dare a girl of no standing like you go after my son!”
“I can’t…”
Stunned by the sudden harshness, Iris clutched the envelope again.
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she shouted.
“I can’t do that! I have no other choice!”
“Where do you get off talking back to me!”
“Sniff, I…”
Iris hesitated again for a moment.
Her hands, which held the envelope, pressed the white surface as if playing the piano, and eventually, she placed the envelope back on the table.
“… I just can’t take this.”
Her voice was filled with strange reluctance. Her downcast eyelashes trembled faintly.
The noblewoman’s patience reached its limit.
“How insolent. If I’m giving it, you take it. You’ve accepted it. So from this moment on, if you show up in front of my son again—”
“Mother!”
“Who are you calling your mother!”
“You’ll regret this!”
Clatter.
The cup almost slipped from the owner’s hand again. Iris, who looked like a fragile flower petal, had a surprisingly loud voice.
Ignoring this, the noblewoman hurled the white envelope onto the floor and stormed out of the coffeehouse.
Iris jumped up and shouted as well.
“You’ll really regret it!”
Regret- Regret- et- et-
Her voice echoed even louder in the cramped coffeehouse than before.
The noblewoman never looked back.
‘Oh dear, Miss Iris must be quite heartbroken.’
The owner was wondering if he should bring her a cookie when it happened.
Slurp.
Iris finished her coffee in one gulp and briskly approached him.
Then she pulled out a bill from the white envelope, which had clearly been tossed on the floor just moments before.
“Here’s for the coffee.”
“Oh, yes… Huh?”
The owner accepted the money in a daze, and she, no less than the noblewoman before, turned around without hesitation.
She was so fixated on the white envelope that it seemed like she might cram her face into it if it were possible.
“Oh, goodbye! Please come again!”
Ding.
The coffeehouse door opened and closed.
Soon, a carriage that had been waiting pulled up in front of Iris.
“Miss Iris Plan? You called for a carriage? Is it just the two trunks?”
“Yes. Please take me to Mata Station.”
“Haha, are you off on a train trip? You’ve picked a perfect day for it.”
“Indeed. It’s a wonderful day to leave.”
Her eyes, filled with a strange excitement, sparkled in the bright sunlight.
* * *
Toot!
At that moment, one of the few trains passing through Mata was belching black smoke, preparing to depart.
Bang!
“Y-Young Master! There’s big trouble!”
“What? I’m busy right—”
“Miss Iris is on her way to catch the train!”
“What?”
“I repeatedly told Madam that the two of you were absolutely not involved, but she said not to lie…”
“Damn it!”
The man who had been sitting jumped up and stumbled against the armrest of his chair, then sprang up as if burned.
“Call a carriage! Get a carriage!”
He dashed out, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
“Huff, huff…”
He nearly collapsed from exhaustion as he barely reached the train station in time, but he continued to run.
Luckily, it was a rural place with only one platform.
‘If I make it in time, I’ll be able to find the train Iris is boarding…!’
Toot! Toooot!
Just as the man’s efforts seemed to be in vain, the train released another burst of steam, and its engine rumbled through the station.
“No! Iri—!”
Toot! Toooot!
The train’s final loud whistle drowned out the man’s cries.
“What a pathetic sight.”
Iris, who had just taken her seat, turned her head away as soon as she spotted the man collapsed outside.
In her blue eyes, the sunlight glinted off the envelope.
“Sniff, sigh…”
As the aroma of tea, prepared for first-class passengers, wafted through the air, she caught the faint scent of her beloved money.
A hum came to her lips.
To be honest, it was rather thin, but it was unexpected money, so whatever.
She thought the noblewoman would put more in if she refused to break up, but oh well.
“Hmph.”
Counting the bills carefully, one, two, three… Iris hummed as she counted and then happily waved out the window.
The image of the man, unable to give up, chasing after the train and eventually tripping, slowly faded away.
His shirt was disheveled, one shoe already tossed far behind.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
The man, who had been running after the train all the way to the end of the platform, finally collapsed to the ground…
“My money! My mooooneeey!”
He cried out for the money she had swindled from him.
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