“Well… isn’t that a proposal anyone could make?”
“Yes, but it was found to contain toxins, and my daughter and wife were exposed to that cosmetic. Moreover, it seemed at the time that Baron Harbor was aware of the toxicity in the product.”
“…So you’re saying that Baron Harbor proposed the business knowing there was a problem with the product?”
“Yes. Isn’t that right, Baron Harbor?”
Derrick turned to Victor with a cold gaze.
The people who had been listening to their conversation started to murmur.
“What are you saying that could cause such misunderstanding? I clearly told you back then that I didn’t know! What kind of wicked person do you think I am to do something like that?”
“But if I hadn’t noticed the toxicity in the product at the time, I would have suffered significant losses, and my family would have been greatly harmed. Even if I forget about it and say it was a coincidence, there have been many issues between us, haven’t there?”
“If you were dissatisfied with such matters, you should have spoken up when it happened. I find it quite bewildering that you would only now say you had issues after being silent all that time.”
“Well, judging by Baron Harbor’s current demeanor, I doubt it would have made any difference if I had spoken up.”
“What?!”
“If you truly wanted to resolve our misunderstandings, you would have asked to meet privately, not come here using Count Humphrey as an intermediary. Moreover, it seems that Count Humphrey has been misinformed about the situation between Baron Harbor and me, don’t you think?”
“Erm…”
It was a direct criticism of Malrus’s earlier claim that the problem lay solely with Derrick.
“This situation is absurd. It’s been a month and a half since our dispute began, hasn’t it? Have you sent me a single letter in that time? A month and a half is more than enough time to reflect and take action.”
If Victor had truly wanted to maintain friendly relations with Derrick, he should have approached the matter differently, just as Derrick had pointed out.
“And you keep speaking as if you’re the only ones who have suffered, but I have my own grievances as well. Although my business is no longer associated with Harbor Transportation, there are many other independent businesses in Bayern. So, what did Baron Harbor do?”
Baron Harbor had spitefully terminated all transport contracts with businesses in Bayern, causing temporary chaos in the region.
This was a matter between Frost and Harbor, but it had affected the people of Bayern, who had nothing to do with it.
That incident made Derrick realize once again the malice Baron Harbor held against him.
“Go ahead, explain yourself.”
Derrick’s warm demeanor sharpened as he pressed Victor.
Victor was utterly flustered.
The Derrick he knew had always been kind, unable to refuse requests, and too naïve to notice even the most cunning of deceptions.
He had expected that if he brought in Count Humphrey, Derrick would quickly lower his head and concede.
‘What on earth is going on here…?’
But his expectations had been completely shattered.
Realizing that prolonged silence would be akin to admitting Derrick’s accusations, Victor hurriedly opened his mouth.
“You keep saying I never apologized, but I distinctly remember saying I was sorry that day. Wasn’t it Baron Frost who ignored my apology and got angry?”
“Apologized? When?”
“When? I said it was my fault and that we should clear up the misunderstanding…”
“No, but, you never apologized.”
Victor, bewildered, looked around and spotted Hestia standing nearby. His face twisted as he struggled to maintain composure, his mouth trembling slightly.
“…Little one, you shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking, you know?”
“But you’re lying, Baron.”
“Lying? Who’s lying…!”
“I clearly saw it. You barged into Dad’s office without an appointment.”
‘Who are you trying to fool?’
Hestia had been watching everything from the moment Victor approached with Count Humphrey. She had remained silent, trusting her father to handle things. But seeing Victor now try to weasel his way out of the situation, she couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
“You stormed in angrily. It was only after that my Dad got angry, too, that you started talking about clearing up misunderstandings… but you never apologized.”
“…Will you be quiet?!”
As the murmurs around them grew louder, Victor gritted his teeth and whispered so that only Hestia could hear.
But Hestia was not one to be intimidated by such threats.
“What’s all this commotion?”
At that moment, the host of the reception returned.
Icarus stood alone; neither Luciad nor Flora were with him.
‘Did they finish their business already?’ Hestia wondered, glancing around to see if Luciad’s tormentors had been caught.
But her thoughts were interrupted when Icarus placed a hand on her head, giving her a warm smile.
“Thank you”.
‘Th-thanks… but, what are you thanking me for?’
Puzzled by Icarus’s silent mouth movements, Hestia tilted her head. Icarus chuckled softly and glanced around, taking stock of the situation.
“It seems some unintended guests have drawn more attention than the main event. Let’s wrap this up, shall we?”
As the duke and the host of the reception, Icarus’s words carried weight. People around them, sensing this, began to leave, though some lingered, glancing back with curiosity, but no one dared to further upset the Duke.
“So, what’s going on among the branch families?”
“It’s just that Baron Harbor…”
Derrick was the first to speak, providing a calm yet objective account of the situation. Icarus stroked his chin as he digested the details. Before he could respond, Malus and Victor exchanged a glance.
Even though it was a bit ambiguous to fully side with Victor, Malrus had his sights set on Icarus, so he decided to step in.
“If I may say something, Your Grace?”
“Go ahead.”
“While this seems to be a misunderstanding between the two Barons, I regret that Your Grace didn’t step in sooner to mediate the situation.”
“Hmm?”
Icarus raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem particularly offended.
“As you know, our branch families and the Winston family businesses are tightly intertwined. If we break this unspoken agreement that has been passed down since our ancestors, other branch families might follow suit. So it would be best if you, Duke Winston, personally stepped in to resolve this matter.”
“That’s not an unreasonable suggestion.”
“I understand that you’ve been overwhelmed since ascending to your dukedom, but handling matters like this will reassure us that we can trust and rely on you.”
‘What a crafty way with words.’
Beneath the calm tone of Malrus’s words lay a hidden blade, which Icarus undoubtedly noticed.
“Taking over the title at such a young age must be challenging. But what’s past is past, right? You can always do better moving forward. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be happy to assist you, Your Grace.”
‘Of course, that’s what he’s after.’
Hestia looked at Malrus with cold, dispassionate eyes.
He appeared to be a kind middle-aged man, but the slight upward curve of his lips and his narrow eyes revealed his naked desire.
Perhaps it was because she knew what the future held that he appeared this way to her.
Malrus had been chosen as Leonhard’s guardian, and he was the man who would eventually overthrow him and take control of the Winston duchy.
Given his bold ambitions, it was unlikely he had changed much now.
“The Count is right in everything he says.”
Finally, Icarus spoke.
One might have expected him to be offended by the sly remarks, but Icarus seemed calm, either unaware of the hidden meaning or genuinely unbothered.
“Indeed, having someone to mediate would have helped resolve the situation quickly.”
“Then…!”
“So, I’ll side with Frost.”
Victor’s face, which had been filled with hope, instantly darkened. Even Malrus also seemed displeased that his proposal was not accepted, as the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
“May I ask why?” Malus inquired.
“Objectively speaking, Baron Harbor has neglected Baron Frost in some areas. There are promises between our ancestors, and it seems to have become a given that we should care for each other… Still, when it comes to important business dealings, matters should be handled properly, don’t you think?”
Earlier, Malrus had called Icarus incompetent for being clueless about the situation, but in truth, he had already figured out what was going on.
To be precise, he had received reports about the events that had occurred between the two families previously and had gained additional insights into the incident while talking with Derek yesterday.
“I’ve heard that the Harbor Viscount has been delaying payments for quite some time, placing all blame on Frost whenever there’s a problem with their joint ventures, and prioritizing deals with other merchants over his obligations to Frost. Is this true?”
“Well, sometimes in life, things can’t be helped…”
“So, it’s true. And there’s also the matter of the fire that destroyed three warehouses—one of which Harbor had temporarily stored goods in. Yet, all the blame was placed on Frost. Is that correct?”
“Yes, it was a significant transaction, and there was no other place to store the goods at the time. This fire occurred due to Frost’s poor management, didn’t it?”
“But according to Frost, the ones who were accessing the warehouse were Harbor’s men. Frost only provided the space, not the management, correct?”
“That’s true, but it still happened on Frost’s property, so he should bear responsibility.”
“The fire consumed three warehouses in total. One was an empty one loaned to the Harbor Viscount, but the other two contained essential supplies and foodstuffs from the Byron estate.”
In fact, it was Frost who had suffered the greatest losses due to the fire. Not only did he lose significant resources, but he also had to compensate Victor for his claimed losses.
“Moreover, didn’t you refuse Frost’s suggestion to investigate the arsonist? Why were you so unwilling to catch the culprit?”
More importantly, when the fire broke out, Victor had lashed out at Derrick, demanding that he should take responsibility. Derrick had suggested that they should first catch the arsonist before settling the matter, but Victor had only raged about the upcoming deliveries, dismissing Derrick’s proposal.
When Victor accused him that he was dodging the responsibility, Derek had no option but to give in to his ridiculous demands.
“From everything I’ve seen, it looks like baron Frost has been through a lot and put up with even more, This isn’t just a single incident; it’s been building up over time.”
“But, Your Grace, for over a hundred years, we’ve never paid a toll to pass through Byron! You know how essential it is to go through Byron to reach the capital!”
“The toll is only five silver, isn’t it?”
“That ‘only five silver’ adds up over time!”
“And yet, as far as I know, you’ve raised transportation fees due to the tolls, correct?”
“We had no choice but to raise them due to the strain on our finances.”
“Really? Then why raise fees across the board instead of only increasing them for routes passing through Byron?”
Transport routes could be divided into two categories.
One was for deliveries to the capital or the northern region.
The other was for deliveries across the southern, eastern, and western regions.
In terms of volume, about 30% of the traffic passed through Byron, while the remaining 70% did not.
“If you truly wished to reconcile with Frost and maintain past customs, shouldn’t your actions have reflected that?”
Faced with these pointed objectives, Victor found himself speechless. His face reddened with humiliation, and his shoulders trembled in silent rage.
‘…He’s no naïve fox after all.’
Malus watched the situation with a bitter smile. He had thought he could easily manipulate Icarus, but it turned out this wasn’t some naive fox—this was a tiger, almost fully grown.
‘And it seems Frost has already gained Icarus’s favor.’
From the moment Icarus sided with Frost, the outcome was clear.
‘I’ll have to look into this. Something seems off with Frost, whether it’s the scented soap or this current situation.’
This had not been part of Malus’s plan. The focal point of the disruption was none other than Frost.
‘Why does he look like that?’
As Malus scrutinized Frost with his dark, calculating gaze, Hestia—her head at a much lower height than the adults’—noticed the sudden shift in Malus’s demeanor. She instinctively began to feel wary of him.
