Fair Trade (2)
I stared coldly down at Gail, who was on his knees, looking utterly lost.
‘Words are wealth. Stealing horses from the imperial family is no different from embezzling imperial property.’
‘Either way, this works in my favor.’
It was fortunate that Gail had grown far too bold. Thanks to that, I now had a solid weakness to exploit.
“I know there were others involved besides you.”
Clear water flows from the top down, as they say.
The ones who had helped Gail smuggle out the horses were all pages loyal to the Second Prince.
“What do you think will happen if their superiors find out about this?”
“N-no! Please!”
Gail scrambled forward on his knees and clutched desperately at the hem of my skirt.
“Please, not that! Anything but that!”
“Please?”
“F-fine! I’ll do whatever you say! One horse, right?”
“Two.”
At the word two, Gail’s pupils shook violently. His sweat-soaked hand had already slipped toward his pants pocket.
‘How predictable.’
He must have a knife hidden in there. Even in this situation, he was still calculating his next move. The little rat was quick with his schemes.
I had known he was good at sleight of hand ever since he rigged that monte game. But as always, he was just one step short of being truly clever.
His transparent intentions made me snort.
‘He’s probably weighing whether it’s better to do what I ask and keep me quiet, or just kill me here and now.’
I watched Gail’s eyes dart around frantically and let out a cold laugh.
‘How ridiculous. Does he actually think he can win if he pulls a knife on me?’
My pride took a small hit at the thought.
‘I guess one punch wasn’t enough to show him the difference in our strength.’
It seemed I had appeared far weaker to him than I’d intended. I made a mental note to increase my training and spoke again.
“Of course, I’ll pay a fair price.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you call it a deal?”
I tossed five gold coins onto the floor. Gail’s gaze trembled as he stared at the coins that clinked against the stone.
“Five nomas.”
The noma was the gold coin of the Ventrum Empire. Each one bore the face of the current emperor, Cabelius III. Though no larger than half a palm, it was the only currency accepted across the entire continent.
“Five nomas per horse. This is the down payment.”
The moment Gail saw the gold, his eyes changed completely. I caught the greed flickering in them and smiled.
“You’ll get the rest when I receive the horses.”
Ten nomas for two horses. It was practically a steal compared to market price, but it was by no means a small sum. Ten nomas was roughly equal to a newly appointed imperial knight’s first year of salary. For Gail, it was an offer he had no real reason to refuse.
“How the hell do you have this much money…?”
“The source is clean, so mind your own business.”
Gail glanced at me nervously before quickly scooping the coins into his pocket.
“Hmph! What a thief. Trying to buy horses for pocket change!”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
“Ugh, damn it. Of all the rotten luck… getting stuck with someone like you…”
He grumbled, but it was clear he had no intention of giving up the money. After all, this was the same greedy coward who had dared to smuggle imperial property just because he was blinded by gold. There was no way he would turn down coins tossed right in front of him.
“I don’t want any mediocre animals. Bring me at least thoroughbred quality.”
“What? Then I’d need at least twenty nomas per horse—”
“Do you have something else to say?”
When I asked in a chilling tone, Gail immediately tucked his tail between his legs.
“N-no. Nothing. By when do you need them?”
“No later than the day after tomorrow. And you will deliver them yourself.”
Gail frowned.
“That’s too tight! And why does a nanny need horses in the first place?”
“That’s none of your concern, nor is it something you need to know.”
“Hey…!”
“One more thing. The fact that we made this deal must remain strictly confidential.”
I bared my teeth in a smile as I issued the threat.
“If you open your mouth and cause me any trouble, I won’t just sit back and take it. Remember that.”
I took one step closer and grabbed his plump chin.
“From the moment you accepted that gold, we became accomplices.”
“Wh-what…”
“If you tell anyone about me, I’ll reveal everything—how you embezzled imperial property and how you took money to smuggle horses for me.”
That was exactly why I had deliberately paid him in gold. A financial transaction like this could serve as undeniable evidence in any number of situations.
“Quite a fair trade, wouldn’t you say?”
“Ugh… ughhh…”
I released the terrified Gail’s chin and smiled.
“Then I’ll see you on the promised date, Mr. Accomplice.”
Just as one would expect of any back alley, the slums of the imperial capital were a breeding ground for every kind of scum imaginable. Pickpockets, gamblers, pimps, drug addicts, smugglers, slave traders, and contract killers.
It was a place ruled by the ragged and starving, and by those who reeked of blood.
‘It’s been a while.’
I thought I might feel out of place after growing used to living with two warm, soft children, but the sensation was strangely familiar.
I pulled my worn hood low over my face and walked slowly deeper into the alley.
Clack. Clack.
The sound of my low heels striking the uneven cobblestones echoed through the narrow passage.
The alley dwellers, who would normally swarm like hyenas at the sight of a naive civilian who had taken a wrong turn, simply stared at me in silence.
‘It must be strange to see a woman walking alone in a place like this.’
Yet none of them dared to approach me first.
‘Well, anyone that stupid would have died long ago.’
There were no fools in these alleys stupid enough to attack someone just because they looked small and female. After all, there were plenty of female mercenaries and assassins, and many monstrously strong individuals who appeared as elderly people or children. It was only natural.
Because of that, an unwritten rule had long been established here: never touch anyone first, no matter who they might be.
“You son of a bitch!”
I opened the door to a shabby tavern that had no signboard.
The moment the door swung open, shouts and curses slammed into my eardrums.
“How dare you try to cheat me!”
“Did you see that? Did you?!”
“Hey, bring more drinks over here!”
Inside, rough voices and vulgar jokes flew back and forth. Every single person gathered there held either cards or dice in their hands. They looked like they would die if they weren’t holding something.
“Ehhh?”
At that moment, a massive, drunken man staggered toward me.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in a filthy dump like this?”
He casually draped an arm over my shoulder.
Well, there were always a few lucky idiots who somehow managed to survive.
“Take your hand off me.”
I didn’t even glance at the man as I delivered the icy warning.
“If you don’t want to lose it.”
I deliberately lowered my voice to sound like a man. I had no desire to deal with the hassle that would come from using my real voice.
The man must have sensed my killing intent, because he flinched and quickly stepped back.
“Hey.”
I approached the bar at the back of the tavern and called out to the owner.
An old man with a kindly face came over.
“Looking to order?”
“I’ll take what I have on hold.”
The owner smiled brightly at my words.
“Name?”
“Angela.”
“Just a moment.”
He disappeared through the back door and returned shortly after. In his left hand was a large travel bag.
“Here it is. Is this what you left with me?”
I glanced at the bag he placed on the bar and smiled.
“That’s it. And I’d like to place one more order.”
“What will it be?”
Instead of answering, I handed him a slip of paper.
The owner unfolded it, then froze.
“You really want this?”
“Yes.”
I pulled five nomas from my pocket and held them out.
“This is the advance payment. I’ll pay the same amount again when I receive the goods.”
The owner hesitated for a moment, then grinned and pocketed the coins.
“Understood. Shall I send the items to the address written on the paper?”
“That’s right.”
I picked up the bag from the bar and left the tavern without another word.
Clang.
The sharp sound of metal bells rang out loudly, as if seeing me off.
The noise reminded me of something I had almost forgotten.
“Ah, that’s right.”
I quickly turned my steps toward the bustling city center. I needed to stop by the bookstore on the way back and buy the fairy tale book I had promised the princess.
“Th-this is…!”
Edwin and everyone else living in the Third Prince’s Palace were left speechless when they saw the horses I had brought.
“What magnificent animals!”
“Wow, their coats are so glossy. They must have been fed only the best.”
The maids who knew their way around horses each offered their praise.
Even Sage stroked his beard and observed the horses with curious eyes.
“Horses!”
But the one who reacted most passionately was none other than the Third Prince, Edwin.
“Do you like them?”
The horse I had chosen for Edwin was a mare with a brown coat and white markings only on her hooves. The pattern looked exactly like she was wearing little socks. It was adorable.
“Is this really mine? For real?”
Edwin couldn’t stop smiling. It was obvious he was delighted.
“I picked a gentle, well-behaved one, so you should be able to train her easily.”
The boy, who had been examining the horse with sparkling eyes, turned to look at me.
“But why did you bring two?”
“Ah, this one is for me to ride.”
The second horse was a black stallion with white only on the tips of his ears and around his muzzle. The rest of him was as dark as if he had bathed in ink.
Snort.
He clearly didn’t like me holding his reins and kept tossing his head.
“I’ll need to accompany Your Highness during the hunting competition, after all.”