Chapter 127
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128.
Julian shrugged with the ease of one accustomed to Tanisha's hostile demeanor.
"Enough. I thought you'd be pleased since you obtained the Mine you were after. I only helped because you seemed to be in trouble, but it seems I've overstepped. Did I misjudge the situation?"
"Your Grace, I was not in any difficult situation whatsoever, contrary to your assumptions. The outcome may be favorable, but this is my affair. I asked you to deal with Pablo, not to meddle in my business."
Julian's eyes widened slightly.
Croa found herself caught in the middle, wavering uncertainly.
Supporting Julian would upset Tanisha, yet she couldn't side with Tanisha either.
Fearing this would escalate into another full-blown quarrel as usual, Croa began surveying the area for a suitable place to fight.
Contrary to Croa's expectations, Julian merely gazed quietly at the trembling Tanisha.
Since he believed that good results meant no problem existed, he found Tanisha utterly incomprehensible.
Then Rebecca's words came to mind.
'Julian. If you truly don't understand, try switching perspectives. Imagine Zeppelin said what you just said, and that you were his employee.'
No matter what Zeppelin spouted, his mood would hardly improve—an admittedly extreme analogy.
Yet it proved effective. Julian carefully retraced the situation that had just unfolded.
He had been proceeding with his plan as intended, when suddenly Zeppelin arrived and seized it as though it were his own?
And on top of that, he'd had the audacity to say everything was fine since the result turned out well?
'That would be quite infuriating.'
Julian nodded slowly. Then, offering a rather gentle smile, he spoke.
"I apologize. I failed to consider your position. Forgive me."
At his sincere apology, both Croa and Tanisha gaped openly.
Tanisha blinked, carefully processing what she had just heard.
She had been loading retorts like ammunition, ready to fire them off at any moment.
Yet his clean apology left her momentarily stunned.
In truth, Tanisha was well aware that her attitude constituted insubordination.
Had she served any other nobleman, she would have been flogged long ago.
But that was precisely what infuriated her.
Whenever she raised her voice, Julian would regard her as one might watch a house dog barking.
Already burdened by her small stature, forced to look up at him constantly, his condescending gaze from above only fueled her rage.
His attitude of observing her with a scornful smirk continued to provoke her relentlessly.
As a result, her pride had driven her to snap at him all the more fiercely.
But today, he was treating her as a person.
Faced with this unexpected, genuine apology, Tanisha quickly adjusted her demeanor.
"No, no. I lost my temper for a moment. I was disrespectful. As you said, the outcome turned out well, so it's fine. Though it did come at a considerable price. Thank you for your assistance."
"It wasn't for you. It's what Rebecca wanted, so I would stake my entire fortune to secure it."
The moment Julian spoke Rebecca's name aloud, his smile became far more natural.
Tanisha caught that fleeting instant.
It seemed there was indeed a significant connection between Julian's apology and Rebecca.
"Your Grace, shall we go punish Pablo now?"
Croa, whose eyes had been darting between Julian and Tanisha, quickly changed the subject, fearing this fragile peace might shatter.
Tanisha, who had been glancing over Julian's shoulder, let out a soft laugh as she spoke.
"There's no need to go out of your way to find them, is there?"
As she gestured toward the door, Julian turned his back.
Pablo was hiding behind the door, listening to every word of their conversation.
* * *
"So you're asking me to become your new master?"
Julian lifted his coffee cup with indifference.
Pablo wiped the sweat dripping from his hands onto his trousers as he spoke.
"Yes, that's correct. Um, could you perhaps lower your voice just a bit?"
Worried that the Hounds lurking somewhere might be watching him, Pablo glanced around nervously.
It was a blessing that Julian was in disguise.
From a distance, they would simply appear to be discussing ordinary business matters.
Julian wore a cold smile, as if he understood exactly what Pablo was thinking.
"So the Earl of Devonshire frightens you enough to reach out to me?"
"Of course he does! The Earl of Devonshire is a demon. I'm fortunate enough that none of my family members were taken as hostages...."
"Then what can you offer me?"
Pablo swallowed hard.
True to the rumors, his pale yellow eyes held the gaze of a beast.
Pablo felt a silent scream rising within him as he avoided that piercing stare, lowering his head and stammering his words.
"I will become your spy."
"A spy? You, who would switch masters in an instant for profit—why should I trust you as a spy?"
"I will give you everything I have."
A furrow appeared between Julian's brows.
"That's kind of you to say, but there's nothing you possess that I would covet."
"I-I mean I'll offer it as collateral. The only thing I truly have to give you, Your Grace, is one thing."
"What is it?"
"Zeppelin Devonshire."
"Why would I want that wretched man?"
Pablo spoke carefully, suppressing his trembling hands.
"It's not you, Your Grace—it's Rebecca who desires him, isn't it?"
The coffee cup in his hands trembled so violently it sloshed about.
The coffee threatened to spill over, and a few drops already stained his shirt.
Julian's gaze passed over the dark stains spreading across Pablo's shirt and fixed upon his face.
Unlike Pablo's small frame, his tongue moved without pause.
"T-to be honest, it's strange that the Earl of Devonshire harbors no desire for revenge. I know well the terrible suffering he endured. And his obsession with Rebecca remains undiminished even now. I don't believe the recent misfortunes befalling the Devonshire Family are mere coincidence."
"An intriguing perspective."
Pablo stole a glance at Julian's expression.
His face had grown somewhat more lenient than before.
Yet his eyes remained terrifying.
Pablo quickly lowered his gaze.
If the Duke of Johannes could be driven mad by a woman, then what the Earl of Devonshire suffered was hardly surprising.
Pablo hadn't received an invitation to the wedding, but through whispers and rumors that reached his ears, he grasped the general situation unfolding.
'The Duke of Johannes has fallen hard for Rebecca.'
It was a preposterous premise, but the other party in question was that 'Rebecca.'
The very woman who had driven Zeppelin Devonshire to madness—surely she could wrap a young Duke of Johannes around her finger with ease.
The Rebecca I knew was not the sort to commit acts of revenge.
But a cornered rat will bite a cat.
Who could say what that rat had become after all those years of captivity?
And now she had even mounted the back of a tiger named Julian of Johannes.
The outcome was obvious.
Pablo possessed neither the loyalty nor the honor to go down with a sinking ship.
"As merely a retainer, I cannot claim knowledge of intimate details. However, I have extensive experience with the Devonshire Family's affairs. Though it will be difficult, I may be able to turn their retainers to your Grace's side."
"Their retainers?"
Julian fell into thought for a moment.
Rebecca's recent busyness had indeed been due to the Salon business.
The original purpose of opening the Salon was to draw away the Devonshire Family's retainers.
So if Pablo did his work properly, it meant Rebecca would have little need to involve herself heavily in the Salon business.
'If that comes to pass, I'll have more time to spend with Rebecca.'
Perhaps a day would come when I could laze about in a room all day long, as I had during our honeymoon.
As Julian recalled those peaceful times, a gentle smile bloomed across his lips.
Pablo accepted his smile as a positive sign.
The trembling in his hands gradually subsided.
Julian stroked the ends of his mustache as he spoke.
"I'll send someone to contact you shortly. But in the meantime, do nothing at all. If you go stirring up trouble needlessly, your life could very well be forfeit."
At the somewhat menacing tone, Pablo found himself unconsciously touching his own neck.
"Y-yes, of course. I shall remain as silent as a dead mouse!"
"Then I'll see you next time."
"W-wait, just a moment!"
Pablo hastily raised his hand.
Julian, who had been about to rise from his seat, sat back down.
"What is it now?"
"I've prepared a small gift for you."
Pablo quickly gestured to his servant, who was hurrying toward him from a distance.
The servant, holding a deep mahogany wooden box, spotted Pablo and came running over.
He presented the box to Julian.
"Please, open it."
Julian silently undid the golden clasp of the box.
When he opened it, a magnificent silver revolver emerged.
"I noticed you eyeing it at the Auction House earlier, so I took the liberty of purchasing it. It's a firearm crafted by alchemists—apparently you can shrink it to whatever size you wish and then expand it again. It's a remarkably convenient portable item. I thought your Grace, with your keen interest in alchemy, would appreciate such a curious thing."
Julian examined the revolver this way and that without responding to Pablo's words.
Under his indifferent gaze, Pablo began to sweat coldly, wondering if perhaps he'd made a poor purchase.
"Does it perhaps not suit your taste? Then I shall fetch something else at once——."
Click—
Julian loaded his weapon in an instant and aimed it at Pablo.
Faced with the menacingly gleaming silver muzzle, Pablo threw both hands up in the air.
"Eek...!"
The corners of Julian's mouth curved upward in a sinister smile.
"No. I like it very much."
* * *
Rebecca descended from the carriage and rushed straight toward the Duke's Castle.
Belma hurried out to greet her.
She offered a warm welcome, but upon seeing Rebecca's disheveled appearance—so different from this morning—she gasped in shock.
"Good heavens! What on earth has happened to you?"
"It's a long story.... By the way, where is Julian?"
"My, you're still at it despite my advice to use proper titles. The Duke is likely in the Forest."
"I see. Thank you. I'll explain the details later. I must go now."
Rebecca longed to see Julian as quickly as possible.
Only after meeting his warm gaze would this unpleasant feeling finally fade away.
Watching Rebecca's figure disappear into the Forest, Belma smiled to herself.
"Ah, newlyweds truly are something special."
She shook her head with a wistful smile, reminiscing about her own glorious days, and entered the castle.
The Countess who fled has returned
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long Night Sky
Publisher.
Desert Fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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