“Let’s start by discussing the situation you are in.”
Ian, having introduced himself to the woman named Haseo, moistened his lips with the water she had provided before he began to speak.
He had thought that if the matter was as significant as he anticipated, he would have no choice but to deal with it; however, if it was something he could handle alone, he planned to quickly wrap it up and go to meet his older sister.
Haseo hesitated for a moment at his question, then eventually began to speak. “We came here 7 years ago. Originally, we were commoners.”
Her story was brief. It was exactly as Ian had expected. Upon moving to Zen 7 years ago, they had encountered a broker who misled them, resulting in a debt of 700 gold in the empire’s currency.
700 gold seemed like an amount he could simply pay off himself. As he listened, he briefly considered using the simplest solution out of annoyance. However, if he were to handle it in such a manner, it was clear the broker would simply find another victim, perpetuating an endless cycle of exploitation.
This is troublesome.
Ian ran his fingers through his hair and lightly tapped his lips, pondering. Although it didn’t seem like it would be too difficult to handle the situation, Haseo’s speculation that the broker might have a powerful backer made him hesitate to act rashly.
If the broker wasn’t acting alone, it meant that dealing with this could consume more of his time.
Worried about his mother… I wonder if it would be okay to stay here a few more days.
After much contemplation, Ian organized his thoughts and then spoke to Haseo, who seemed somewhat tense.
“Only as much as to deal with the broker and your debt.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s all I’ll help with. As for the rest… gather information roughly and pass it to the investigator here. It’s your matter, so you should be able to do at least that much.”
“Yes! Of course! I’m grateful for even that much help.”
“But if it comes to that, both you, living here under a false identity, and your brother… Anyway, it could harm your brother. Even so, are you prepared to endure it?”
“I’ve been prepared for that from the beginning. After all, it’s true that we’re living here as criminals.”
“If you wish, I could help you return to the empire.”
It was a momentary impulse to offer to send her back to the empire if she wished. Driven by an inexplicable impulse, Ian momentarily hoped for Haseo and Yoon’s safety.
Since he had never uttered a word without rational judgment and certainty, he felt bewildered internally, hoping this emotion wouldn’t show outwardly. Truly, it was a strange occurrence.
Upon his suggestion, Haseo’s gaze flickered for a moment, and soon she smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“No. You don’t have to go that far. I’m already more than grateful for your help. And who knows what harm could come to you for helping us. I’m thankful enough for your offer.”
“Sure.”
“When should I provide you with the information about the broker?”
“Tell me the time and day he comes to you. I’ll come then too.”
“Oh, if that’s the case, it should be tomorrow at noon. He always comes at that time.”
“Understood.”
Ian nodded and then stood up. Following him, Haseo got up with wide, eager eyes.
“Are you leaving already? It’s late for dinner, so maybe…”
“That’s okay. You seem to have a lot of mouths to feed, and I don’t want to impose. I should be going. Make sure the door is locked tight.”
“…Yes. See you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye, ugly mister.”
He turned away, holding back a laugh that wanted to escape as he alternately looked at Haseo and Yoon, who were bidding him farewell. Somehow, their appearance struck him as immensely cute, like wet dogs, and he unconsciously thought so.
Crazy.
Eventually, realizing his thoughts, Ian’s face hardened.
He must be going mad.
***
After leaving Haseo and Yoon, Ian was about to return to his lodging but instead, he changed his direction towards the house of his eldest sister. He planned to check if the information was correct and to look around the area before taking a rest.
The house where his eldest sister lived was a small one, located about 5 minutes away from the harbor. The purpose behind buying a house near the harbor was blatantly obvious – it was to make it easier to flee at any moment.
…Did she really hate coming back that much?
Leaning against an old tree, Ian looked at his eldest sister’s house, from which smoke was gently rising. From a distance, it appeared similar to the dilapidated house they lived in when they were demoted to commoners. This similarity, rather than causing aversion, brought a sense of familiarity.
“Should I go back now…?”
He murmured, attempting to take his eyes off the house, when a small girl burst out from it. The girl ran out, laughing brightly, and grabbed someone’s hand.
“!”
The person pulled by the child’s hand was his eldest sister, Serbia. Serbia looked at the child and smiled brightly, spinning around happily while holding the child’s hands.
Why…
Unable to complete his thought, Ian covered his mouth with his hand and hurriedly left the spot, almost about to ask out loud.
Why is the eldest sister happy?
The left-behind people were having such a hard time. How, how can you smile as if it doesn’t bother you at all?
***
“Sigh…”
After fleeing in front of his elder sister’s house, looking disgraceful, Ian spent the night wide awake and eventually left the accommodation without having accomplished anything. His mind was full of thoughts, but he moved his body because he had already made a promise.
As promised with Haseo, by noon, Ian went in front of Haseo’s house, where he saw Haseo already being grabbed by the collar by someone. There, Yoon was also there, glaring at the person who grabbed Haseo’s collar, hiding behind the door like a mouse.
“Huh?”
Ian checked the time again at the somewhat unexpected scene. He made sure not to be even a bit late for noon, in case something happened. But to see this already, he felt somehow perplexed.
“You told me to come up with the principal plus the interest! But how dare you defy my words and bring only the principal? You need to be taught a lesson to understand…!”
“Excuse me.”
“What?”
Ian, who had been standing idly and listening to the skinny man venting his anger, finally intervened.
When he had only heard Haseo’s story, he expected a burly man to appear, so he was caught off guard by the unexpected appearance.
No matter how weak someone might look, the moment they show the intention to hit someone, they should be considered a threat.
The man, possibly annoyed by Ian’s interjection, glared fiercely at him. Then, he threw Haseo aside and strode aggressively towards Ian.
Of course, since it was significantly smaller in size, it wasn’t particularly threatening.
“And what are you?”
The man pressed against Ian’s chest with his index finger, asking not out of genuine curiosity but rather implying a dismissive attitude, as in what business do you have interfering in this situation. Then it hit him, the broker.
Ian silently stared at the man, organizing his thoughts. If this man was the broker who had brought Haseo and Yoon to this place from the Empire, he must undoubtedly be an imperial citizen. And if he was from the Empire, he would surely know of the Obelton Dukedom.
In fact, it would be more beneficial if he could talk his way through this situation rather than abusing power. Ian swallowed a slight regret and twisted his stiff neck around.
He didn’t come to a foreign country to start a violent incident, and more than anything, he didn’t want to take a more difficult path when there was an easier one.
So, just this once, he decided to pull rank using his title as the Duke of Obelton.
“The Duke of Obelton.”
“The Duke of Obelton, as if… What? The Duke of Obelton?” The man’s complexion turned pale at once upon hearing the familiar name “Obelton.” The lips that were initially dismissive gradually closed shut.
Ian swallowed a laugh as he observed the wandering eyes of the man. Despite tormenting Haseo to such an extent, he hadn’t expected the man to fold so easily.
“Oh, why is the Duke of Obelton here…?”
Finally, the man, now shrinking in stature, cautiously asked Ian. For someone who did not hesitate to raise his hand against Haseo, his behavior was a perfect example of picking on the weak and fearing the strong.
“I came to help Miss Haseo, as it seemed she needed it. But let’s see, does the imperial law turn a blind eye to such broker activities?”
“Your Grace, that is…”
“I can’t seem to recall any clause allowing it. Oh, I do remember this one. An imperial citizen traveling to another country in a manner not permitted by law can face a fine of at least 3000 gold or even imprisonment at worst.”
“Your Grace!”
The man finally seemed ready to admit his guilt and promptly knelt before Ian. His haughty demeanor had disappeared without a trace.
“I must have made this mistake due to my lack of understanding of imperial law. If you could forgive me this once, I promise never to commit such an act again. Please…!”
“Hmm, what to do?”
Ian murmured softly, glancing at Haseo with an embrace.
Interfering further would have been an excessive meddling. Even the broker, the cause of the problem, had admitted his guilt. I hadn’t considered the possibility that the man had truly repented, but it also seemed ridiculous to guard against him without reason.
Let’s stop here.
“If you understand, then you may leave now. If you catch my eye once more, I will formally respond.”
“Thank you! Thank you, Your Grace!”
The man, who had bowed deeply as if to press his forehead to the floor, quickly left in case Ian changed his mind.
Ian watched the man leave and turned his head towards the room where Yoon and Haseo were. That was the moment.
“Liar!”
Yoon, who had been quietly in Haseo’s arms, suddenly shouted out loud.
“Hm?”
Ian’s brows furrowed at the irritating noise.
Yoon, who had rushed to him, tightly gripping his fluttering robe, snapped sharply.
“You said you would help! If you were going to help my sister, why did you just let him go?”
