Chapter 476
Chapter 476
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 476
Chapter Title: Doctor Gam Deok-bae (12)
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Sirius Reinhardt had become the family head at a young age, making him the capital's most eligible bachelor. Wealth, fame, and power to boot. He wanted for nothing, and even his looks were flawless. His personality was a bit rough around the edges... but even so, dozens, hundreds of women were drawn to him anyway.
That meant matchmakers constantly showed up whenever they had the chance, trying to introduce him to potential brides...
'Get lost. Who said I'd meet her?'
'B-but... at least say hello!'
'Hey, take this woman and get out.'
He'd never once agreed to a single meeting.
He wasn't the kind of man so blinded by lust that he'd waste time on women whose intentions were obvious from a mile away. Besides, Sirius had someone he needed to protect. His sister was suffering... How could he even think about romance? To him, that was unforgivable. Sirius was utterly devoted to his family.
"A woman came looking for me?"
"Yes, a stunning beauty, too..."
"Ha, fuck... Hey! What did I tell you last time?! Send her away right now!"
"B-but it's someone Lady Serphin brought..."
"What...? Serphin?"
But today was different. This wasn't some ordinary matchmaker. The one who'd come to see him was none other than Serphin Reinhardt, captain of the third division of the royal knights—and someone with whom he'd shared a long history. Sirius was at a loss for words. That proud woman was playing matchmaker? It was hard to believe. Flustered, Sirius threw open the door and stormed into the reception room.
Serphin and a woman he'd never seen before greeted him.
"There you are. It's been a while, Sirius."
"Serphin... What brings you here?"
"Oh my, do we really need a reason to see each other? Are we that distant?"
"That's not it... but you came here for a reason today!"
"Hee hee hee, you're right. Let me introduce you. This is Chloe Yates, the girl I'm sponsoring."
"Hello! I'm Chloe Yates. Nice to meet you!"
"Chloe... Yates?"
"Yes! Since fate brought us together like this... mind if we drop the formalities?"
"Huh?"
"That's a yes, right? Thanks! Honorifics feel so awkward!"
"......Hah?"
Pink hair and pink eyes. Her sun-bright smile made anyone who saw her think, She's pretty. She was undeniably beautiful. And her figure had just the right curves that even plain clothes couldn't hide. To Sirius's eyes, Chloe was undeniably attractive.
She had every qualification to be under Serphin's sponsorship.
Of course, her casual familiarity from the get-go was a little irritating...
But for some reason, even that about her was endearing. Her straightforward attitude felt refreshing and sparked his interest. She was the first woman to approach him like this—treating him like an old friend despite it being their first meeting. Sirius's heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, Serphin!"
That said... he still couldn't accept her playing matchmaker.
No matter who it was—even Serphin—showing up out of the blue to arrange a marriage prospect was rude. Furious, Sirius raised his voice. Sure, his face had flushed because of her... but wrong was wrong. He glared at Serphin.
"......Hey?"
"What's your deal?! Who the hell is this girl?!"
"......"
"Not gonna answer?"
"Chloe Yates—you might not know this, but she's the eldest daughter of the Yates family, who rule Orient right next to Predenia. What? 'Family'? Sure, they only got their title less than a century ago. But you... you aren't misunderstanding something, are you?"
"Aaaah?"
"I'm here as Chloe's sponsor."
"?"
"Not as a matchmaker, you idiot!"
"Gaaak!"
"Oh my!"
In the blink of an eye, Serphin's fist flew. Sirius, beaten after so long, finally calmed down. Yelling at the knights' mad dog... It had been too long; he'd forgotten and made a mistake. Serphin, pissed off, decided to show off her skills for old times' sake.
"I changed your diapers, didn't I? Fed you milk, didn't I? After all I've done for you... you raise your voice at me? Is that how you treat your aunt?"
"I-I'm not your nephew!"
"If I say you're my nephew, you are! How dare you talk back!"
"L-Lady Serphin!"
"Don't worry. He needs a good hit to straighten up."
"Eek..."
Pain brought back old memories. Come to think of it, every time he'd pulled a prank, he'd always gotten dragged off and thrashed... Damn that spineless old maid. Sirius bit his lip. Maybe... his own violent streak came from Serphin's beatings.
At least, that's what Sirius thought.
"Hey! Eyes down!"
But he couldn't say it out loud.
So he sulked quietly... until Chloe approached and helped him up. A sweet fragrance wafted over, turning Sirius's face red. Not just big-chested— she even smelled good. Iris would hate it if she knew. Sirius sniffed subtly.
"Sirius! Are you okay?"
"......Yeah. I'm fine."
"Lady Serphin! How could you hit him like that? He's going to be working with me from now on!"
"......Working with you?"
"Sigh... See? Now he's misunderstanding."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Tsk, Sirius. Let me reintroduce her. You know those popular cosmetics in the capital lately?"
"You mean 'MINA'?"
"Right. Don't freak out— this girl made them."
"......Whaaat?!"
Sirius's jaw dropped at the shocking truth he'd never imagined.
"So... you want to do business with me?"
"Yes! Specifically with the 'Rain' Merchant Company. I developed a new product, but I haven't found a distributor yet. I was stressing over it... Hee hee, then Lady Serphin recommended you. So here I am!"
"I see..."
"Yeah! What do you think? Pretty good, right?"
He'd thought she was just a pretty face, but Chloe Yates had some unexpected talents. Maybe because she grew up in a rural backwater, she wasn't your typical noble lady who just sipped tea all day.
Chloe had turned her talents to creating a 'specialty product' from Orient. Despite being a noble, she didn't shy away from hands-on work—a truly admirable attitude. And she had the merchant's eye for leveraging her creations.
In a way, she was exactly the kind of talent a merchant company needed most.
Sirius eyed the item Chloe had presented, deep in thought.
"You... you're not thinking of scorning Chloe for not being 'noble' enough, are you?"
"Hmph, do I look like that kind of guy? I'm a pragmatist."
"Right? I knew you were different."
"But... I can't help being skeptical. Chloe, these blueprints and that product... you're saying you made all this yourself? You expect me to believe that?"
"Whaaat?! Hee hee, you think I did this alone?"
"Hah?"
"I just came up with the idea. I've always wanted something like this. So I hired some artisans... Ta-da! After a few trials and errors, we have this 'fan'."
"Hmm... So you know how to manage people, too."
The more he saw of her, the more he liked Chloe. Beyond her natural charm... she was someone any noble would covet. Brilliant ideas, the drive to execute them, and connections like Serphin... Having a woman like this around would make life so much easier. Sirius valued her highly.
After some deliberation, he decided to sign the deal.
"70-30."
"Ehh? 60-40!"
"......Serphin, you need to teach her some basic business sense. 70-30 is already generous. No negotiations."
"No way! 60-40 is the generous one! Is there anything like a fan in the capital—no, the whole kingdom? Nope! And it makes sense—it's usable by commoners without mana! Fuel-efficient too. One low-grade mana stone lasts a week!"
"Ahem..."
"Monopolizing something like this for 60-40? It's a steal!"
"......A steal?"
"Oops... I mean, total profit!"
"Hmm."
"Better decide quick before another company snatches it up."
And she even had negotiation skills. The more they talked, the more appealing she became. How did she read him so perfectly? It felt like she knew his thoughts. Goosebumps? Not at all. For the first time, he was talking to a woman who just got it. Hell, at this point, even if she had come as a matchmaker, it would've been fine... or so he thought.
"Fine, 60-40."
"Really? Promise?!"
"But... answer one thing."
"Huh? What?"
"Why are you so obsessed with money? For your family?"
"Nah, it's... Ahaha, actually, I sponsor an orphanage."
"Orphanage?"
"Yeah! Noblesse oblige! Great concept, right?"
"Hmm..."
She seemed too genuine to call a hypocrite. Was there a special reason she supported the orphanage? Whatever it was, not blowing money on luxuries earned her points. Building a friendship with a woman like this didn't seem half bad.
Besides, with a personality like hers... wouldn't she get along with Iris?
Thinking he should introduce her to his sister as a friend, he nodded slightly.
"You think so too, right? Huh?"
"Hah? W-wait! What are you doing?!"
"Huh? We're partners now! This much is fine!"
"H-hey! When did I say that was okay?!"
But Chloe had her flaws too. This girl... loved physical contact way too much. Whether she really saw him as a friend or not, she linked arms with him casually. Flustered, Sirius's face turned beet red. Serphin burst out laughing at the sight.