Chapter 111: A Not-So-Ideal Gigolo Life (2)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: A Not-So-Ideal Gigolo Life (2)[R-18]
“Y-you?! What are you doing here! Have you been stalking me all this time?!”
“What kind of nonsense is that... You’re the one who walked into the library on your own.”
“What? Who are you calling nonsense?! And a library? You’re the one talking nonse—eh? Huh?”
Helen, who had been scowling, blinked in confusion.
It was strange.
As Ian said, she looked around and realized she really was in a library.
“Why am I here? I... I was sure I was heading to catch a carriage...”
“How should I know? Anyway, what were you sighing so much for?”
“Hmph! That’s none of your business! Mind your own affairs!”
“...Then at least stay still. I tried to ignore you, but you’ve been pacing back and forth and sighing like you’ve been dying for me to talk to you.”
“D-d-don’t talk nonsense! There’s no way I did that! More importantly, what time is it... Aaah!! I have a meeting today! I’m late! This is all your fault!”
As Helen shrieked, Ian shook his head.
“Wow... You’re actually blaming this on me? More importantly, keep it down. We’re in a library.”
“Of course it’s your fault! Whose else would it be?!”
“Fine, fine. Let’s say it’s my fault... You said you’re late for a meeting, right? Is it okay if you don’t go?”
“Ha! Hmph! Hah! I’m going whether you tell me to or not!!”
Helen’s jaw dropped at the sight of Ian waving his hand dismissively as if she were a nuisance.
What kind of man is he! I’m absolutely speechless!!
She had been agonizing for days over whether she might be pregnant, yet the man who was the father didn’t show a single trace of worry.
Stomp! Stomp!
Helen marched boldly toward the library door, but...
How am I supposed to turn a man like that into a decent human being?
Step... step...
Strangely, her pace slowed the closer she got to the door.
No, the more I think about it, the more furious I get! Why am I the only one who has to care? I have to give him a piece of my mind!
Stop.
Retreating now didn’t feel like the choice Helen Redrose would make.
“Hey, you.”
“...What now.”
“Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“How did you know... I do have one thing.”
“Oh?”
The corners of Helen’s mouth curled up slightly at Ian’s answer.
He acted like he didn’t care at all, but it seemed he actually did.
I knew it! He must be the type who’s secretly quite shy.
She could understand his cold attitude from earlier if it was just to hide his embarrassment.
After all, how could he not care after being the first man for the great Helen Redrose?
“Hmph! Fine. I’ll spare you a moment of my time. Go ahead, say it.”
“No, it’s a bit sudden to do it right now.”
“A man shouldn’t be so gutless... Just spit it out already.”
As Helen placed a finger on her cheek, her lips twitching with anticipation, Ian spoke up.
“Then, could you lend me some money?”
“Sure. Of course... W-what?”
“I’m asking you to lend me some money...”
Grind—
Helen’s heart, which had been soaring for a moment, plummeted instantly.
This man’s goal was money after all.
He said 'lend,' but he was essentially threatening her to hand over cash while holding the 'Rose Brooch' hostage.
“Tell me the exact amount. How much do you want?”
“100... no, maybe 150 if possible?”
“...Are you insane? It’s absolutely impossible to prepare 15 billion Eris right now.”
Helen spoke in a chilling voice.
It seemed he had lost his sense of reality just because he briefly possessed the 'Rose Brooch.'
“Who said billion? I said 'million.' 1.5 million Eris.”
“...What? Not 15 billion Eris, but a mere 1.5 million?”
Helen frowned at Ian’s words.
Since he was dragging his feet, she naturally assumed he meant 15 billion, but 1.5 million wouldn't even buy a single plate from the gallery she visited yesterday.
Ha! Spoken like a true commoner! They say daughters take after their fathers—if Harini ends up being that stingy, what am I going to do?!
Shaking her head, Helen opened her wallet and pulled out a 2-million-Eris check.
“Here.”
“...I asked for 1.5 million.”
“Just take it. What’s the difference between 1.5 million and 2 million anyway...”
“...Thanks, anyway. I’ll pay you back as soon as possible.”
“Hmph, do whatever you want.”
Seeing this man look awkward while taking a measly 2 million Eris, she felt she needed to teach him how to spend money before teaching him how to earn it.
Sigh... He really is a handful.
Once Helen became the head of the Red Rose family and officially inherited the commerce guild, she planned to introduce a completely new management style that had never existed in the Empire: the ‘Separation of Ownership and Management.’
Since it was a method currently only used by some demon guilds, she expected significant backlash, but she was determined to push it through for Harini’s sake.
I won’t let Harini grow up like I did.
It was fine if she didn’t inherit the guild.
But even if she gave up her position in the guild, she had no intention of raising Harini in poverty.
She would feed her only the best, dress her only in the best, and grant her every wish.
They say the father needs to help a lot with a child’s education...
But looking at Ian, she felt like she’d be raising two children instead of getting any help.
“Sigh...”
“....”
“Siiiiiigh...”
“....”
“Siiiiiiiiiiiiigh....”
“....”
“....Hey.”
“What.”
“'What'? Did you just say 'what'? If you’re a man and a lady like me is sighing like this in front of you, shouldn’t you at least ask why?”
“Even if I ask, you’re just going to say it’s my fault again.”
“Hmph! At least you know. You know, yet you still act like that?”
“...What did I do this time to make you sigh like that?”
“You’re asking because you don’t know? You, the baby’s fa—mmp!”
Helen clamped her hand over her mouth.
Are you crazy?!
She had almost said, 'You lack awareness as the baby’s father!'
“Baby?”
“Ugh... Never mind! It’s obvious! Why are you playing dumb when you know exactly why!! It’s because you stole my ‘Rose Brooch’!!”
The moment Helen shouted to change the subject, Ian’s finger touched her lips.
“I told you not to shout. We’re in a library.”
“....”
Ian spoke seriously, but Helen didn’t hear a word.
...W-what is this... all of a sudden...
All of Helen’s nerves were currently focused on Ian’s finger.
Seeing it like this, she knew for sure.
It was definitely much thicker and longer than her own finger.
No wonder it felt so good when she was being poked by a finger like that...
“Helen?”
“E-eh? What? What?!”
“Sigh... I just told you. Don’t shout in the library.”
“Ugh! You’re the one who raped me here, and now you’re acting like you’re the only one with common sense!”
Despite her words, Helen’s voice had obediently dropped to a whisper.
“Right. Speak at that volume.”
“I’m seriously speechless... Anyway. You... why do you keep speaking so casually to me? Where are your manners?”
“You said you liked it last time. And we’re in the same grade, so you should just speak casually to me too.”
“Ha! That’s not the kind of 'liking it' I meant!!”
Helen flared up again for a moment, but she realized she was just getting swept up in this man’s ‘Flow.’
She had to stay calm and bring the ‘Flow’ back to her side.
“Phew... Fine. Regardless, are you sure you’re taking good care of the ‘Rose Brooch’ you stole? If you lose it or even a tiny scratch gets on it, I won’t let you off!”
“You’ve been phrasing things strangely for a while now. It wasn’t rape, it was a trade. And I didn’t steal it, I received it. Also, don’t worry. It’s right here.”
Clink!
She wondered why he was wearing a necklace she hadn’t seen before; it turned out he had turned the ‘Rose Brooch’ into a necklace.
“W-what kind of item do you think that is, putting it in such a vulgar place?! D-don’t tell me, since the day you stole it from me, you’ve b-been keeping it close to your heart while thinking of me...”
“No, I left it at home and only started carrying it since yesterday. I figured you’d be coming around soon.”
“...I see.”
She didn’t know why, but a sudden surge of irritation washed over her, and she briefly considered snatching the brooch away by force.
...Calm down, Helen. You know that won’t work.
She hated to admit it, but as Ian said, the ‘Rose Brooch’ hadn’t been stolen; its ownership had been transferred.
If she tried to take it by force, the enchanted protection magic would activate.
Ugh!! I shouldn’t have told him it was the symbol of the successor!
If she hadn’t, she might have been able to buy it back at a reasonable price...
Now that he knew the value of the Rose Brooch, she couldn’t even imagine what kind of price he would demand.
Reach—
“Here.”
“...?”
Just then, Ian held out the ‘Rose Brooch.’
“...What are you doing?”
“I’m giving it back. It’s important to you. Don’t you want it?”
“I-I never said I didn’t want it! But do you even know what this is?”
“You said it’s the symbol of the Red Rose successor.”
“Exactly! And yet... you’re...!”
“But it’s important to you, isn’t it?”
She was so flabbergasted she couldn’t even speak properly, but Ian spoke as if it were nothing.
“F-for such a trivial reason... Honestly, if you just took this to my brother... mmp!”
She didn’t know why she kept making mistakes she had never made in her life whenever she was in front of this man.
Especially this time, the slip-up was incredibly fatal.
This time, even Helen stole a glance at him and spoke tentatively.
“...No matter how much of a piece of trash you are, you wouldn’t do that, right?”
“What do you take me for... In the first place, I only asked for this as proof that you yielded, because it would be troublesome if you claimed later that you didn’t.”
“I-is that really all?”
Helen blinked her green eyes in disbelief.
“I told you. Well, if you don’t want it, fine.”
“...I’ll take it!”
Swish—
“...What are you doing?”
“Ah, I forgot to mention...”
The moment Helen reached for the ‘Rose Brooch,’ Ian held his hand up high.
“It’s not free, of course.”
Ian whispered into Helen’s ear with a mischievous face.
“Ugh...! You trash! I knew it!”
“Don’t glare at me like that. I’m not planning on asking for anything grand.”
“Do I look like a fool to you? Shut up and just say it. What do you want!”
Slide—
Ian’s fingertip pointed toward Helen’s chest.
Last time, she had mistaken his fingertip for pointing at the ‘Rose Brooch,’ but...
“Ngh...!”
This time, she knew exactly what Ian wanted.