‘This is really unfortunate. Or should I say, a blessing in disguise?’
Homer Ryuiken buried his body deeply in the moving carriage. The news of the Royal Guards, who had rushed in at dawn and raided the main headquarters of Zenya and all of its branches near the capital, arrived in the morning.
Eighty-nine executives were captured on the spot. Including the general workers and other staff members, at least thousands of people were taken away one after another.
“Huu.”
Now Zenya, the organization formed by the high-ranking nobles and their vassals of Servan, was practically in the process of being dismantled.
“…….”
At dawn.
The Young Master with his face flushed red like a ripened tomato, returned to the private manor.
Fortunately, he seemed to have no external injuries. If he had ventured into the Inner Palace, he must have seen the Crown Prince, or rather, the man who has become the Emperor now.
The Ryuiken Merchant Company is a multinational organization that has maintained its business operations across the entire continent, operating independently regardless of borders, politics, and religion. It is a pioneering enterprise that has adhered to the principle of prioritizing commerce above all else.
However, the origin of the Ryuiken Merchant Company’s enormous assets was the secret fund of the Servan Royal Family. In other words, it was the slush fund of the fallen empire.
The Ryuiken Merchant Company has changed its shareholders several times over the past five hundred years, and has been with the rise and fall of the Empire. During that time, some merchant companies have drawn a line with the Royal Family, or some have rebelled against the Royal Family. But they have always maintained one principle.
「To the one who holds the key to the secret chamber. We must obey.」
However, the problem was that the ‘key’ disappeared when the territorial war ended in defeat ten years ago.
At first, everyone assumed that it had been secretly passed on to His Highness the Young Archduke. But at the time, the Archduke himself seemed unaware of the existence of the key.
Before the official appearance of the ‘key’, the Ryuiken higher-ups, as well as the 14th Lord, Homer, were in an uncomfortable cohabitation with ‘Zenya’, who claimed to be Servan’s successor. The existence was so they could not fully align with them or completely cut ties with them either.
Now that Zenya has collapsed, what would happen to Servan’s future…… and the future of the Ryuiken faction?
And Eugene. What would happen to the future of the Archduke, who has been raised like a son, no, whom he has raised more preciously than a son……?
Clang.
While Homer was lost in thought, resting his head in his hand, the carriage, which had been moving quite quickly, suddenly came to a halt.
“What, what’s wrong…….”
Homer, who rolled off his seat and hit his forehead against the carriage wall, shouted in surprise.
“Wh, what is happening?”
“Uh, master…….”
“What, what now? Why? Why are you suddenly driving so recklessly at this time of the year…….”
“That. A beggar boy blocked the road…… and…. he….”
“Beggar?”
As Homer opened the door, rubbing his forehead, a red-haired beggar boy who looked like he had starved for a week came into his view.
“Is this the carriage of the Ryuiken family?”
“…….”
“Do you know Chairman Tomma Ryuiken?”
“…….”
“I need to speak with him urgently. Can you tell me where he is?”
“…….”
The beast with golden eyes, no—Klisha with deep almond-colored eyes, who had been roaring in the darkness, made the decision that she no longer wanted to stay in this damn capital anymore.
Just earlier, three of the people huddling together in the alley at the southeast corner of the Grand Plaza were caught, claiming to be ‘Servan’s spies’. Somehow, though, their hands were unusually delicate for beggars.
If Klisha hadn’t sensed the situation and quickly hid somewhere else, perhaps she would have been roaring in a cold prison cell, accused with all sorts of charges, including the crime of breaking from the prison.
Even though she was in a hurry to meet His Majesty the Emperor, the atmosphere in the capital is currently tense. In this situation, the best tactical strategy would be to retreat to the rear base and reorganize the strategy.
At that time.
Seeing the carriage belonging to Ryuiken Merchant guild speeding along the street in front of her, she quickly stood before it.
“Hey, old man. Don’t you know Chairman Tomma? He has black hair, red eyes, and, well, he’s handsome and has an excellent body, but sometimes he looks a bit foolish?”
“Hey. Young man. Ahem.”
Homer swallowed dryly. Foolish…… Who is that?
“I don’t know why you’re looking for Chairman Tomma. I can’t just reveal his location to anyone.”
“So you know where he is?”
“…….”
“Then. Please tell him on my behalf. I think I left my stuff in Chairman Tomma’s carriage the day before yesterday. If Chairman Tomma has some time, please tell him to leave it at the headquarters of Tomma & Currency in Myuta. It looks a bit…… Even though it looks shabby, it’s quite precious to me.”
After finishing speaking, Klisha bowed her head and briefly greeted him before turning around.
The day before yesterday. In the Young Master’s carriage?
“!”
For a moment, Homer pondered the boy’s words, then hurriedly called out to the boy, or rather, the girl who looked like a boy…. a homeless… a beggar…
“Hey, hey! Are you, by any chance, the one who joined the Young Master from Myuta, the one named Shasha Rin…?”
* * *
The southwest of the capital, the Evanor District.
A small city within the larger, vibrant and dynamic city, where new nobles, businessmen, faction leaders, financiers, investors, speculators, and gamblers all gather together, driving the economy of the capital, Zekrit.
A dangerous yet attractive place where the temptations of the day and the charms of the night were intertwined like wisterias.
The main branch of the Central Royal Bank was also located there.
The beggar-like Klisha, who seemed completely out of place, was currently enjoying the greatest pleasure of her life on the top floor of the ‘Ryuiken Evanor Hotel’.
Tomma Ryuiken. He must be quite wealthy.
She could have never imagined that he would have a hotel in the capital, especially in this neighborhood that was even more extravagant and splendid than Myuta.
Not only the entrance to the building, but every pillar and every decoration was gorgeous. Even the bathtub in the bathroom looked particularly pleasing to the eye.
Klisha followed the kind old man, who claimed this was where his Young Master resided, to this seven-star luxury hotel.
The old man gave Klisha a room and told her to rest here for a while. But before leaving, he glanced at Klisha up and down repeatedly and then said carefully.
“Well, if no religious or political issue is involved…….”
“?”
“I’m trying not to be rude, but…… I hope it’s not like you’re deliberately avoiding water or something like that…….”
“…….”
“You can wash up now. Please don’t think of it as someone else’s house, just make yourself comfortable….. Ahem. Ahem. I’ll also bring you a set of clothes.”
“Excuse me, you can bring clothes later.”
“…….”
“Can I have something to eat first?”
After eating her fill, Klisha hummed as she soaked in warm water for the first time in a while.
It has only been a week, but it felt so long since she’s been this pampered.
When she was at home, she was forced to wash in rose oil water every morning and night because of the nagging of her nanny. Goodness. She had never thought a good day would come when she would miss taking a bath.
As the grime and dirt that had been clinging to her for several days slowly washed away, Klisha’s clear and snow white skin was revealed.
A lovely red hue even spread across her plump cheeks, and the fierce glare in her eyes softened, turning into almond-shaped eyes that shimmered like starlight in the night sky.
Clear water droplets formed on her long, voluminous eyelashes and flowed down her cheeks.
Klisha closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a sense of satisfaction. As she recalled the events of the past week, an overwhelming fatigue washed over her, and she fell asleep right then and there.
* * *
“Who?”
Eugene, who was giving instructions for follow-up actions regarding Zenya in the VIP room on the 7th floor of the hotel, turned his head.
“That lady who accompanied you from Myuta…… that one.”
“Shasha Rin?”
“Yes. That was her name…….”
“Why are you bringing up that woman?”
Homer opened his mouth with his eyes tightly shut and his fists clenched.
“No. Young Master. You know I usually don’t oppose you unless it’s absolutely necessary. I may not be aware of all the preferences of young people these days. Times have changed a lot since our day. But that girl… she’s too much. You’ve gone too far, Young Master. No, really, Eugene, I’m saying this like a father would, but this isn’t right. Does she have some kind of childhood trauma? A street child, no! A homeless person, Your Highness. Why? What is missing? You need to think about having children too. No matter how you look at it, she’s someone you can’t even tell if she’s a woman or a man…..”
At the barrage of frustrated words from Homer Ryuiken, Eugene was momentarily at a loss for words.
When he glanced at him again, it seemed as if steam was rising from Homer’s head.
“Father. I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have.”
Eugene rubbed his forehead for a moment and said.
“That woman has absolutely nothing to do with me. She just accompanied me to the capital to confirm something.”
“…… Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did that young lady speak as if she was very close to you?”
“…….”
When Homar stared at him with suspicion, Eugene quickly changed the subject.
“Noah. Bring that woman’s sword. I’m leaving.”
Knight Noah approached Homer, who turned around with his shoulders slumped, and whispered.
“My Lord. Just accept it. Anyway, I even saw the two of them having a secret meeting last night, even pushing each other behind a tree…….”
“No! Not until dirt gets in my eyes!”
The night of misunderstanding deepened.
* * *
Knock.
Knock. Knock.
“Lady. May I come in?”
Eugene entered the suite on the 13th floor of the Ryuiken Hotel, and looked around the room, but there seemed to be no signs of people.
‘Where have you gone so early in the morning.’
Last night.
Homer, with fire in his eyes, was guarding in front of Eugene’s door, so in the end, Noah was sent to bring the sword, and Eugene couldn’t meet her in person.
He needed to clear up what happened last night at the Inner Palace, and the prison uniform… He was thinking of looking into it while having breakfast together.
“That…….”
“……?”
The maid, who entered holding cleaning supplies, said cautiously.
“Master. If you’re looking for the guest staying in this room, she just left this morning, saying she has some business at the bank.”
“Bank?”
Oh. He did hear her mentioning about trust funds in Myuta. Perhaps she went to get them.
“Did you hear which bank it was?”
“She said she was going to the Central Royal Bank….”
“Have you asked when she’d return?”
“That, I haven’t……”
Eugene grabbed his coat in one hand and quickly left the room, heading to the main branch of Central Royal Bank.
* * *
“Who is it again?”
“Klisha. My name is Klisha Mezerine.”
“…….”
“My father entrusted 100,000 Ruel in my name, you know? Trustee Issac Mezerine, custodian the Central Royal Bank, beneficiary Klisha Mezerine. Security number 1005389.”
“…….”
‘No. What’s wrong with these people?’
Klisha, who was standing on tiptoe at the consulting desk on the first floor of the Central Royal Bank headquarters, felt like screaming in frustration.
She needed to retrieve that trust fund, go back to Myuta, pay off her debt, get back her Shukrim, and finally return home. She calculated that she owed about 44,500 ruel in Myuta. If she could get around 50,000, she should be able to pay off the debt, including the interest and settle everything.
“I, I apologize, however…….”
“Eh, what?”
“The beneficiary name Klisha…… We do not have any Mezerine family in our customer information.”
“How strange? Please look again. Kli. Sha. Me. Ze. Ri. Ne.”
The bank clerk, who had called over another employee and was staring intently at the trust account ledger for a long time, suddenly stood up with a look of shock in his eyes.
“Huh? Klisha…… Klisha…….”
“?”
“Klisha Mezerine de Perza! Are you a member of the Royal Family?”
