Kaien and the real boss of the Beanstalk turned in surprise to Philome.
“Milady? What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“You… you, you…!”
“Me?”
The real boss of the Beanstalk pointed at himself with his index finger in response to Philome.
“Yes, you… Jack!”
“Eh? Boss?!”
Jack, recognizing Philome’s voice, quickly took off his hat.
“Is it really you, Boss?! You were Duke Wintbell’s fiance?! Weren’t you married to that young master?!”
“No, Jack…! Are you the real boss of the Beanstalk?”
They stumbled over their words, asking only what they wanted to know.
“Oh my. I was planning to seduce the boss and become her paramour.”
At that point, I grimaced in disgust.
“What are you talking about?! Why would I accept Jack as a paramour?”
“Of course, it was just my delusion.”
Since Jack always wore his robe low, he had never seen my face properly. But a paramour?
Still, now that there’s nothing to hide, it feels easier. I took off the uncomfortable hood.
Jack looked at my face and seemed a bit surprised, his eyes widening.
“What a pity, what a pity…”
“Excuse me? Don’t you see that my fiancé is right next to me?”
Kaien tapped the table.
At that, Jack lifted his head with a sullen expression.
“No, let’s explain the situation first.”
Kaien sighed before continuing.
“So, Jack, who was distributing the lady’s magic scrolls, is actually the real boss of the Beanstalk?”
“Yes. But why would the head of such a large organization be involved in distribution? And hiding his identity?”
“It’s a side job. Just something to do when I’m bored.”
Jack trailed off, sipping his drink. He seemed to realize how absurd his own words sounded.
“Anyway, I’ll take care of the Marquis of Kevan family. I should help the boss.”
“Ah, no. You don’t need to help. I think it’s best if our relationship stays just as it was before.”
“Boss, others are dying to connect with the real boss of the Beanstalk, you know?”
“Then… let me just ask one thing.”
At my words, Jack’s eyes lit up.
“Anything. I even know the safe’s password for the Marquis of Kevan family.”
“That sounds tempting… No, why is the business named Beanstalk?”
“Was that the question you wanted to ask?”
Jack looked at me with a puzzled expression, then answered.
“Just… I used to grow beanstalks in front of my house when I was a kid. I didn’t think much about it, so I just named it randomly.”
Could he be possessed, too?
Jack and Beanstalk? It felt oddly perfect yet left a strange aftertaste.
Noticing my suspicious gaze, Jack scratched his cheek, looking puzzled.
Meanwhile, Kaien summarized the situation.
“So, I take it the conversation has gone well?”
“Ah, yes. By the way, Duke, what are your current interests?”
“If you’re looking to do business, you’ve got the wrong address. I’m not interested in anything the Beanstalk is involved in.”
“Tch, I could have caught a big fish.”
Jack muttered openly.
As I stood up to follow Kaien, Jack waved his hand.
“Boss! This is my shop, so feel free to come by anytime! You can have everything for free, just for you.”
“That’s probably a lie, Milady.”
At Kaien’s whisper, I nodded.
“Yes, I wouldn’t have believed him even if I didn’t know his true identity… Now that I know, I trust him even less.”
‘The reason isn’t that ‘Jack is involved in the underworld.’
Even before, I kept my distance from Jack and only dealt with him on a business level. I had trust in him as a business partner, but to be honest, I couldn’t trust him as a person.
After getting into the carriage heading back to the mansion, I suddenly felt curious and asked.
“By the way, Duke, when will the operation start? I mean, I’m curious about when you’ll begin approaching the Marquis of Kevan family.”
“Operation?”
Kaien blinked and then smiled.
“It’s already started.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Secretive operations usually take place in secretive places.
The basement, ideal for illegal activities, sparkled the most at night.
However, this place, accessible only to nobles, had a bright and elegant atmosphere, unlike other basements. It felt as if everyone here was engaged in something very noble.
And Ethan Kevan, the eldest son of the Marquis family, was one of those who fell under that illusion.
Ethan looked at his hand and sensed victory.
“I’ll bet it all.”
Gasps erupted around him.
“Oh my, Young Master Kevan. Are you really going to bet all 2,000 gold?”
“Yes. It seems I’m the lucky one today.”
Ethan spread his cards with a victorious smile.
As he reached out to take the money, a person beside him grabbed his wrist.
“The winner hasn’t been fully decided yet, has it?”
“Hey, you must be new here and not know the rules. There’s no hand that can beat this one.”
Ethan boasted.
But instead of responding, the opponent revealed their cards.
“Gasp!”
The onlookers, who had come to watch Ethan bet all his money, held their breath. The newcomer had beaten Ethan’s hand.
While Ethan was still in disbelief, the opponent’s subordinate collected all the money on the table.
“Are you guys cheating?!”
“Young Master Kevan, calm down. There are days you win and days you lose.”
Ethan glared at his opponent, seething with anger.
The man, whose face was partially covered, smiled at Ethan and said,
“It seems the lucky one today isn’t you, Young Master.”
The opponent, wearing a hat, nodded politely, but to Ethan, it looked like nothing more than a sneer.
“Young Master Kevan. Let’s have one more round… Young Master Kevan?”
Ethan abruptly stood up and left the table.
His pride was hurt, and he didn’t want sympathy from others, plus he had run out of the money he had brought today.
Admitting he couldn’t play anymore because he ran out of money was something Ethan’s pride would not allow.
“If I had just played one more round, I could have won… I’m the smartest one among those idiots, so I could have done it.”
Ethan muttered to himself as he walked away.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
The servant following behind Ethan seemed even more bothersome than usual today.
“Hey, I clearly told you to bring plenty of money. Do you think I’m joking? Huh?”
As Ethan poked the servant’s head with his finger, the servant bowed.
“I-I’m sorry. The madam told me to bring only this amount.”
“Is your brain not working? Mother is one thing, but I’m the heir to the Marquisate. Whose words do you think you should prioritize? Because of you, I lost everything today!”
It was an unreasonable outburst, but the servant quietly bowed his head.
“I’m sorry… Actually, the madam wasn’t in a good mood. The young master was found in a dumpster in the slums.”
“What? That kid continues to cause trouble until the very end. He should have been sticking close to Lady Bonita! If he had, he could have at least gotten some money from the duke by making her his mistress!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“What is this?! I can’t even have fun!”
“Do you need money?”
Ethan was startled by the sudden voice and turned around.
“You…”
Ethan realized that the person speaking to him was the one who had won the last round.
He wanted to demonstrate his strength, but only nobles had access to this place. Not knowing which family the opponent belonged to, he couldn’t act recklessly.
“Since I’m in a bad mood today, I’ll let you pass.”
“Shall I give you money?”
“Ha, do you think I’m some beggar?”
Ethan muttered curses as he approached.
At his feet, a heavy pouch fell with a thud.
“The Young Master may not know me, but I know you well.”
Ethan hesitated, recalling one by one the people he didn’t get along with. It was as if the other person had read his thoughts and added,
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. It’s because I like you.”
“…What?”
‘They like me? No way.’
Ethan was well aware of his bad personality traits. So, the claim that someone liked him made him even more cautious.
“To be more precise, I really like the business that Young Master Ethan is involved in.”
At those words, Ethan’s expression instantly softened.
“Oh, what’s this? You’re a member? Then I’ll gladly accept.”
As Ethan gestured, the servant approached and picked up the pouch that had fallen to the floor. It was heavier than expected, causing the servant to be taken aback, while Ethan’s smile brightened.
With money in hand, Ethan was excited at the thought of jumping back into the game and waved casually at his opponent.
“Come to my place next time and mention my name. I’ll give you special treatment.”
Left alone in the alleyway, the figure moved quietly.
He moved like the wind—silently and swiftly.
When he reached his destination, he took off his robe. He was Ken, a subordinate of Kaien.
“The plan went as expected.”
Kaien, who had just returned to the mansion, nodded.
“So it’s true that he’s really involved in ‘that business.’”
A clear disgust was evident on Kaien’s face.
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Good work, Ken. I’ll pressure the Kevan family and gradually cut off their funds. Keep providing Ethan Kevan with gambling money.”
“Yes, understood. And Duke, I heard Ethan Kevan talking about Lady Philome.”
At those words, Kaien, who had been rubbing his temples, sprang up like a spring.
“What did he say?”
“He thinks that Lady Philome has been meeting with you for a long time, and if he had known earlier, he would have married her and made her your mistress to get more money.”
“Ha.”
Kaien let out a hollow laugh and barely nodded.
He was genuinely thankful to Philome for deciding not to kill him outright. A merciful death was a luxury for such trash.
“Ha… I understand. I’ll look into this further.”
“Yes, understood.”
Even after Ken left, Kaien couldn’t relax comfortably.
He recalled what Philome had said the day after they made their contract.
“I hope that even though we’re bound by a contract, we can still show each other courtesy and respect.”
Now he understood why she made that request. Philome had never been respected by anyone.
With a heavy heart, Kaien let out a deep sigh.
The image of Philome asking to be held appeared in his mind. At that time, she seemed like a ten-year-old child.
Perhaps it was because she was smaller and more fragile than he had expected when he held her.
At first, he just wanted to comfort her somehow, so when she said she wanted that, he embraced her.
But…
“I really can’t understand why this is happening.”
Just recalling that moment made his heart race and heat rise to his face, which was something he had never anticipated.
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