Chapter 114
Chapter 114
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: A Weakness and a War
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A quiet afternoon.
Yones of the Iselode family was busy trying to read Dante's mood.
A few days ago, he had rushed to the south, claiming his niece Aileen wanted to see him. He returned utterly heartbroken.
Did something happen in the south? It was a question he'd wanted to ask but had given up on after several attempts, fearing he might get caught in the crossfire.
It was only today that Yones was finally able to ask.
"Lord Dante."
"What."
"You can be honest with me."
"About what?"
"You've cut ties with the Astrofel Gaju, haven't you?"
"......Huh?"
The moment the word 'Astrofel' was mentioned, his face stiffened and his eyebrows shot up fiercely. His expression was one of utter disbelief.
There was no doubt. Dante had clearly lost his one and only friend.
Should he let this one slide, then, as a form of consolation?
Yones felt a pang of pity. No matter how irritating his superior was, to think he'd go and get himself disowned by a friend.
"You can be honest with me."
"I don't know what you're talking about. If you're just going to spout nonsense, handle some more of this."
Dante pointed to the remaining paperwork.
Yones, deciding to indulge him just for today, took the documents.
At that, Dante's eyes widened in surprise.
Yones, who would never accept overtime without extra pay, was acting strangely today.
"Don't be too heartbroken. I'll take care of this matter."
"Matter? What matter are you talking about?"
"An invoice arrived from the Astrofel family."
"An invoice...?"
Yones nodded and pulled out the invoice he had hidden. As Dante took it and read, his face crumpled in bewilderment.
The amount on the bill had more than ten zeros.
The reason cited was damage to Astrofel family property.
"Friends can fight. I understand. I'll process it right away."
"No, reject it."
"Pardon?"
"I said, reject it."
"But Lord Dante's paw print is clearly stamped right here."
How could he reject it with such irrefutable evidence? Yones fluttered the photograph the Astrofel family had attached as proof. It was unmistakably Dante's bear paw.
Dante gritted his teeth.
Kaide Astrofel, to think he'd pull something like this. He was the one who had more fun breaking things.
He still couldn't forget how Kaide had eagerly matched his fury when Dante was upset about not being able to see Aileen off.
It was a fact known to both Kaide and Dante that this had only provoked him further, making the mess even worse.
"Reject it, just reject it. It's not what you think."
"Then why did you cause such a ruckus?"
"Ah, that's because I overslept and couldn't see Aileen off on her journey..."
Dante trailed off mid-explanation. A sudden chill filled the summer air.
The pity on Yones's face had turned ice-cold. Wasting their already tight budget on something like this?
Just as he thought. Learning the full story, he offered a bright, business-like smile. The concern he'd felt for a moment turned to ash and vanished.
All that remained was an invoice with a dozen or so zeros.
Dante flinched and averted his gaze. Should he have just sold the lie that they'd cut ties?
"Ah, I see."
"...Yones, first, calm down."
"Calm down?"
How could he say 'calm down' after seeing the amount on that invoice?
Yones placed the stack of documents he had just received right back on Dante's desk.
Demanding tens of billions of gold coins, and he tells me to calm down!
"You resolve this, Gaju-nim. I will never approve that invoice!"
"Fine, I'll reject it myself."
Dante hastily slammed a large stamp onto the invoice. It was the red stamp of rejection.
* * *
"He rejected it?"
"Yes, he did."
"I suppose the mess he made of my home means nothing to him?"
"It would seem so."
Kaide, sipping tea leisurely on the sofa, scoffed. Aser, who had come to the Astrofel estate for a scheduled visit, was listening intently to Baon's sudden, real-time report.
"I reject his rejection. Collect the payment, even if we have to take it in monthly installments."
"Understood."
"The repairs are already finished. It's troublesome for him to act this way."
"My ears are about to fall off because of Surpia. He's been clamoring about when the payment will be deposited. I'll add a claim for emotional distress as well."
"That sounds good."
Kaide gave a slight nod.
Who on earth could make a mess of the Astrofel estate?
Aser, listening to the conversation, couldn't hide his surprise.
It was surprising enough that the person was still alive, but it seemed they had also rejected the bill.
"Well then, I will be back after handling some business. Please continue your conversation."
Baon left the drawing-room.
Aser, unexpectedly left alone with Kaide, kept sipping his tea out of awkwardness.
The atmosphere was at least a little more relaxed with three people, but he could never get used to being alone with Kaide.
*Tsk.* Kaide clicked his tongue and turned his gaze to Aser.
"Did you see the inside of the mansion on your way in?"
"Ah, yes, I did. The atmosphere has changed quite a bit since my last visit."
"How so?"
"There's more to see. The number of sculptures has increased, and the once-plain marble pillars and floors now have patterns."
It had changed to look more like a place where people lived. As if hoping someone in particular would see it.
Kaide wore a satisfied expression at Aser's observation.
"I see. She'll like it when she returns."
"Ah... yes."
He stared at Kaide with a blank expression. It was the first time he had seen such a gentle look on his face.
The news that Aileen Astrofel had left for the north was so widespread that there was hardly anyone on the continent who didn't know.
After all, it was news about the beloved youngest daughter of the Astrofel Gaju.
Was redecorating the mansion a gift for Aileen for when she eventually returned to the south? Aser was inwardly surprised.
To think Kaide Astrofel could be so meticulous.
To the outside world, he was known as a ruthless, heartless man, but the man before him seemed like a completely different person.
"I heard that Lady Aileen has gone to the north."
"I'm sure you did. So, flight practice is on hold for the time being."
"On hold? ...I'm a busy man myself."
"Then shall I make you rest for a lifetime?"
"I misspoke."
Promising to make him rest for a lifetime just for a small protest. Aser shuddered.
Right, this was the kind of man he was.
His gentleness was reserved solely for Aileen Astrofel.
"Enough idle chatter. Let's get to the point."
"Yes."
Aser straightened his previously relaxed posture.
"First, I've looked into the activities of the elders. However, there were no suspicious individuals among the existing elders."
"I see."
"Yes, so I narrowed the scope to those who benefited after the Artban family's intrusion."
"You used your head, I see."
Kaide let out a short laugh. Aser's expression soured at the strangely unpleasant compliment.
He was still an elder of a family, after all. In terms of rank, he was in a similar position to Baon, but this reaction was too much.
But remembering once again who he was dealing with, Aser quickly schooled his expression.
"As a result, I've narrowed it down to a few suspects. Most are individuals whose ranks rose after the intrusion, but among them, there is one prime candidate."
"And who is that?"
"A man named Yust. He was promoted to elder right after the incident occurred."
"That's a little too perfect."
Kaide's brow furrowed. The timing was so clean it was unsettling.
Would the Artban Gaju really plant a mole who could be discovered so easily?
"Look again."
"Are you telling me to look again because it's too obvious?"
"Of course."
Kaide answered immediately.
If he were the one planting a traitor, he wouldn't have chosen someone who could be caught this easily. It was too obvious.
The Artban Gaju didn't seem foolish enough to do something like that.
Or perhaps he was overestimating him.
Kaide hoped it was the latter. It would be much easier to protect Aileen that way. It wasn't that he was afraid or lacked the confidence to protect her. But.
"This feeling is strange."
"Pardon? All of a sudden?"
Aser questioned Kaide's mumble. He didn't answer, instead shifting his gaze out the window.
The feeling was quite strange.
To worry that a precious being might get hurt. It was a feeling he had never once experienced in his life.
Yes, this was. A weakness.
For the first time, he had a weakness.
An anxiety he hadn't even felt when he learned that the Black Mamba's deadly poison had no effect on Aileen was beginning to rear its head for the first time.
Aileen was indeed Kaide's weakness. His one and only, unprecedented and unrepeatable.
Because of this, Kaide couldn't make immediate judgments when it came to matters concerning Aileen.
All because of that one word: 'what if'.
What if his judgment was wrong?
What if that one mistake caused him to miss the spy right under his nose?
What if Aser's report was correct?
"Find and bring me all the information on every suspect."
"But you just told me to look again."
"Report on all of them. Without a single exception."
"Understood."
Aser nodded.
That concluded his report for the day. He rose from his seat.
Just then, the door burst open. Kaide, who had been lost in brief thought, turned his gaze to the door.
The person who entered without warning was Baon.
He looked completely different from when he had left the drawing-room moments before.
Kaide asked.
"What is it, Baon?"
"Gaju-nim, urgent news. The Artban family has reportedly conquered about two-thirds of the eastern territory."