TOM Chapter 28

No matter how I think about it, nothing beats cold hard cash.

I need to get my fill and enjoy every luxury before returning to my original body.

If only I had access to the church's accounts, I could play the holy priestess without all these tedious conditions, but right now money weighs more than honor.

Kruelo let out a hollow laugh.

"I can't tell if Darling has little greed or a lot."

"A lot. Very, extremely, tremendously much. So prepare lots of money."

"As you command."

He smiled lightly and uncrossed his legs.

Then.

"Shall we change how we address each other?"

"You want to make it even longer?"

"Not me—you, Darling."

"You son of a... Mm."

"You can call me a son of a bitch if you want. It's unique and nice. You could also call me 'Roy' like we decided before."

You decided on it, so why haven't you used it even once?

Dry saliva went down my throat under his probing gaze.

"Because it sounds childish? I'll just call you by name. Kruelo. Mm, nice name, mm."

"Well... fine. And I'd like us to go on regular dates until the engagement ceremony."

"Why's that?"

"So the rumors spread more properly?"

Rumors that Kruelo has fallen for me?

What's already spread could circle the capital three times over.

When I made a fed-up expression, he smiled and leaned against the carriage window.

"Darling won't believe this, but I was quite a good child."

Right. Young Roy was good.

"To the Council of Elders too. They thought they'd brainwashed me, so I pretended they had. I thought they'd spoon-feed me the information I wanted, but they made me wait too long."

"Mm."

"Now it's time to move."

What am I supposed to say to that?

Since I was the one who broke his brainwashing, anything I said would seem suspicious.

I carefully chose words to respond with.

"Won't that be dangerous?"

"I won't go into details, but if I'm in a life-threatening situation, they'll actually help me. Even at the cost of their lives."

Of course they would.

It's a vessel they spent hundreds of years carefully crafting—they wouldn't just let it die.

"What if they... try to brainwash you again?"

"Ah, that's why I need the dates."

The conversation took a strange route back to the original topic.

"To brainwash someone, they need to receive a major psychological shock first. You slip through the gaps and seize control of the brain."

"So?"

"But as you know, nothing shocks me. I don't have anyone close to me either."

"Right?"

"So if I pretend to be completely smitten with Darling, you'd become my weakness, wouldn't you?"

"Then the Council of Elders would come to kill me."

"Exactly."

"Do you have some grudge against me?"

"Darling won't die. I'm strong."

"The more I listen, this person!"

I shot up to get angry, but the carriage stopped at just the wrong timing.

I almost banged my head on the ceiling.

If Kruelo hadn't blocked my forehead with his hand, I would have.

"I'll do my best to keep you from dying too."

He smiled and ran his hand through my hair just like that.

My hair scattered in several directions as his fingers touched my scalp.

The fine hairs on my neck stood up and I swatted his hand away.

"So what can you gain from this?"

"The hyenas will come."

First, just ordinary assassins.

Later, skilled killers.

If that doesn't work, eventually the elders who've mastered dark magic to the extreme.

"Darling, become my trap."

Kruelo whispered slowly.

I frowned deeply, then exhaled all the cold breath in my body.

Fine, I'll admit it's a decent idea.

"Alright."

He smiled with satisfaction.

Then asked.

"But Darling, how far is physical contact okay?"

"Up to murder."

"...What?"

"I'm quite bold, you see."

"Your Grace, Lady Siora. We've arrived at Count Bonetti's estate."

At the coachman's call, I opened the carriage door without hesitation.

Outside, the now-familiar Bonetti estate came into view.

Let me rest a bit.

I was about to get out with just a perfunctory nod when Kruelo held out some documents.

"Take a gift with you, Darling."

A gift out of nowhere?

Though puzzled, I broke the seal and looked inside.

Huh?

"What is this?"

"A weapon for my love? You'll need it."

His words were meaningful.

When I returned to the estate, unsurprisingly, Betty was there to greet me.

She delivered surprising news.

"The Count has returned. He said for you to come to his study as soon as you arrived home."

Count Bonetti had returned to Count Bonetti's estate!

He'd been under investigation so long I thought he was living at the palace.

Though the Count, who had nothing left to extract, was bothersome, as someone at the bottom of the power pyramid, I had no choice but to head to the study.

Knock knock, two knocks brought an immediate response.

"Come in."

Oh...

Whether the lengthy investigation had been grueling, the Count's condition was terrible.

His face was gaunt and his cheeks sunken, making his expression even more severe.

I was momentarily startled but not sorry for him.

Well, who told him to smuggle things like Beatitudo?

"You've had a hard time. Did everything go well?"

Despite my prickly inner thoughts, I greeted him politely.

Such is life.

The Count stared at me intently for a while.

As the tedious time dragged on, I counted the cats drawn on the carpet.

Why did the Count call me in the first place?

There's really only one plausible reason.

To praise me for helping Gavotte with spirit summoning...

"I hear you've gotten quite close to the Duke."

Guess not. What a heartless person.

He must have picked up those rumors even during the investigation.

"It's not bad."

"It's that Duke, so I can't believe everything. I'd have to peer into his scheming mind to know for sure..."

Finding his cravat stuffy, the Count tugged at his collar to loosen it.

"He doesn't get bored easily, so he'll probably play along for a while."

"Mm, yes."

"Look at this."

The Count tossed a document onto his desk with a thud.

What an overflowing father when it comes to manners and etiquette.

I obediently examined its contents.

Something about mining rights for magic stone mines in the Ollar region, blah blah blah.

What is this? What am I supposed to do with it?

"Duke Whitedesert has the highest probability of winning the mining rights."

"I see."

"Tell him to back out. Ask him to work things so it goes to Bonetti instead."

What is he talking about?

So the Count thinks that whatever I say, Kruelo will listen to everything?

Right now, when we're not even engaged yet?

Noticing my bewildered expression, the Count said.

"This is the Duke's tenth engagement, but you're the only one who's stuck around this much. Seems he wants to play at love, so we should make use of it."

"..."

"I understand you lack self-awareness, but you're also a Bonetti, Siora."

I'm quite self-aware, actually.

Now wherever I go, 'Siora Bonetti' comes out more naturally than my real name.

"You'll enjoy many things, but your duties will be equally heavy. I'm not saying to believe it'll definitely work, so at least try your luck."

"Mm..."

"If you happen to learn any weaknesses or unusual information about the Duke, report it right away."

"So... you're telling me to play spy?"

"Spy?"

He let out a hollow laugh.

"I don't expect anything that grand from you. Just bring me a few things you might stumble upon if you're lucky."

That's the same thing. Who does he think he's fooling?

I recalled Kruelo's words from the carriage.

"A weapon for my love? You'll need it."

At this rate, people will think Kruelo knows the future instead of me.

I pressed my forehead and sighed.

While others worry that people don't believe rumors easily, Count Bonetti's problem is believing them too much.

"I won't do it."

"...What?"

"Neither influencing him nor gathering information."

Sigh.

"My role ended with taking over the marriage proposal. I don't think there are any more duties."

"Siora."

"If that's all you have to say, I'll take my leave now."

There's no more value in listening to this.

I turned and walked toward the door.

Just as I grabbed the door handle, I heard a voice.

"Adoption can be reversed at any time."

I turned back to look at Count Bonetti.

He was glaring at me.

More precisely, it was a gaze that seemed to despise my petty resistance.

"I'd have to endure some personal disgrace, but if I create flaws in you, disinheritance wouldn't be a problem."

The same logic as the Council of Elders. Villains, really.

"Even if the Duke pretends to be in love with you, it'll be different if you're no longer a Bonetti. You'll be discarded in an instant."

We'll see about that.

By now, my value to Kruelo should have risen above being a Bonetti.

But I don't want to create more troublesome matters in this smoothly flowing situation.

I let go of the door handle and leaned against it crookedly.

With my arms crossed, I rummaged through my mind and brought out a few words I'd read earlier.

"Gradient Trading Company forced takeover, threatening the company head and his associates, kidnapping the company head's family, murdering six resisting executives then committing arson."

The Count's expression gradually changed.

His eyes widening in shock were quite a sight.

"Humming Trading Company and Wolffish Company acquired through the same methods. Bribes to investigators and judges totaling 3,000 gold—"

"Shut your mouth!"

That was as far as I'd read anyway.

"I guess you focused on small but promising companies to avoid problems."

"You, how did you know that..."

"Someone told me I'd need it."

The documents Kruelo gave me earlier were a list of Count Bonetti's corruption.

I only read the top part, but the volume was quite thick.

"Ha! Weapons are only useful for people with power. Are you trying to threaten me, you little thing!"

"What can't I do when I'm being threatened?"

"Siora!"

The Count raised his voice.

He'd been calm all along, but now he couldn't hide his flustered state.

The one who shouts first always loses.

Therefore, I won.

"Count, no—Father."

I turned the door handle without hesitation.

"Live righteously, or you'll get punished for it."

I left the study and slam.

Right then, the Count shouted my name with all his might.

Mm, the scream of the defeated.

But I wasn't entirely satisfied either.

Are all those things really the Count's crimes?

Should I just leave that person alone? Is that right?

In terms of importance, the world's survival should matter more than individual transgressions, but standing by wasn't exactly pleasant.

Sigh, I let out a breath and raised my head.

At that moment.

"Minuet."

I met green eyes.