TCBUP 88

Chapter 88

 Strange Numbers

What’s this? These bizarre numbers.

All the others rounded neatly into the millions, but oddly enough, only this promissory note looked different.

Nox furrowed his brow, lost in thought for a moment, then picked up the next note.

“Let’s continue.”

“Ah, yes.”

“40,000,000G.”

I resumed jotting down the amounts he read aloud.

By the time one page of the ledger was filled and halfway through the next, the list of amounts finally ended.

While I was double-checking to make sure I’d written everything correctly, Nox was busily scribbling something on a sheet of paper.

“With this sum, we could begin right away.”

“……”

“But I’ll check with Leon once more—”

“There’s no need.”

“…Pardon?”

The pen that had been darting across the page was neatly set down on the desk.

Then, Nox reached for the bundle of promissory notes and the ledger.

“He’ll just tell us to go ahead as is.”

And how could he be so sure of that?

I sent him a questioning look, but Nox calmly began organizing the notes and the ledger without a single word of explanation.

His hands moved quickly, yet his expression was displeased.

I couldn’t for the life of me guess the reason, so all I could do was blink back at him. He offered no clarification.

When I got home from work and opened the door, the first thing I saw was Leonardo and Leon.

Judging from the way they were squared off, it seemed they had been playing tug-of-war. Leon was down on one knee, facing Leonardo.

“You’re back?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Hmm? Sure. Leonardo, sit.”

Calming down the overly excited Leonardo, Leon came to sit in front of me.

“Are you out of your mind? What if you blow all your wealth in one go? You didn’t sweep up your subordinates’ money too, did you?”

“It’s not all my wealth. And no, I didn’t touch my men’s money. Believe it or not, I’m not that kind of exploitative employer.”

“……”

Still doubtful, I eyed him carefully.

Leon tilted his head, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“Didn’t I already tell you? I have quite a bit.”

“Well, you did say that…”

“Then you should be happy. Your fiancé’s rich. You love money, don’t you?”

“Don’t make me out to be a shallow materialist.”

I pouted, and Leon chuckled softly.

He leaned forward on the table, propping his arms up.

“But I like it. That my fiancée is materialistic.”

“……”

“It’s clear and straightforward. Better than someone pretending to be pure and innocent only to stab you in the back.”

“…Did a woman ever betray you like that?”

“I’ve spent my life marching through battlefields. What women? And don’t you remember? You stole my first kiss.”

Ack. That embarrassing memory tried to resurface.

Shaking my head furiously, I tried to banish that humiliating past.

“Anyway! Are you really sure about this?”

I hurried to steer the conversation back to the original subject.

Even though the scene had been pushed out of my mind, my face was still flushed bright red.

Which Leon clearly enjoyed, given the mischievous grin he didn’t bother hiding.

“Real estate investments are hard to liquidate. What if you suddenly need cash?”

“I gave it knowing that. And besides, that much is just spare funds.”

“……”

“You really don’t grasp how much it costs to fight a war, do you?”

Well, how could I?

Of course military spending would be astronomical, but the exact scale is beyond the imagination of an ordinary person.

“I told you not to. Don’t come whining later.”

“Alright.”

“The money entrusted to me will be managed wisely, so don’t worry.”

“Reliable as ever.”

I was being serious, while Leon was just breezy about it.

Annoyed, I crossed my arms and scolded him with mock severity.

“You are managing the slush funds siphoned off from Widro properly, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t be wasteful. If things go wrong, I’ll break off the engagement right away. I can’t support a grand imperial prince or a mercenary commander with bottomless expenses.”

“Harsh.”

“I’m materialistic, remember?”

Leon gave a short laugh and stood.

“Hungry? Let’s eat.”

“You’re going to cook again? You’re not supposed to get your hands dirty.”

“It’ll be fine. I already explained things to Mother.”

As he naturally headed toward the kitchen, he turned back.

Leaning against the wall with his hands behind him, he continued.

“I visited my mother’s palace last night. The circus fire reminded me of her lately.”

“Ah, I see.”

“To be honest, I half expected she might appear. But just as you said, she didn’t.”

“Still, she must have seen how you’ve grown. That alone must’ve made her happy.”

“I hope so. Anyway, I said everything I wanted, so now you just sit back and enjoy what I serve.”

He turned back around.

The fleeting smile I caught on his face looked… relieved.

Good. That’s good.

So I followed him with a bright smile of my own.

[Leon/Aiden’s Favorability 41% ⟶ 45%]

Despite having secured a large sum of money—more charity than profit, really—the atmosphere in the office felt oddly heavy.

Not dark exactly, but like trudging through a swamp in a thick fog, with only faint visibility ahead.

And it was entirely because of Nox.

Is something wrong with him?

But his aura was so brooding that I didn’t dare to ask.

It was bearable when he was busy with tasks.

But once he finished, I found myself restlessly searching for chores just to avoid his oppressive silence.

Tidying my desk, watering the plants, rearranging books in alphabetical order on the shelves—anything.

While carefully slotting in books, I sneaked glances at him.

He was lost in deep thought, hand holding a pen that barely moved.

Then sometimes, when our eyes met, he would resume writing—or simply stare at me silently.

“Sir, are you alright? It doesn’t look like you’re making any progress.”

Every time I glanced over, he was still stuck on the same page. It worried me.

So in the end, I had to ask.

“Ah.”

Nox glanced at the papers and gave a wry smile.

Seeing the ink-smudged mess before him, even he seemed to find it ridiculous. He immediately crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash.

“If you need a change of pace, sir… how about going to the Founding Festival with me?”

“With you, miss?”

“Yes, with me. Emily said she’ll be performing too, and I want to go together.”

“……”

“With you, sir.”

But Nox didn’t answer right away.

He fidgeted with his pen, hesitating.

“You don’t want to?”

“It’s not that. It’s just—the Founding Festival, isn’t it? Surely there will be many royal events.”

“Not really. With the palace in such disarray, it won’t be the usual loud feasting. All that’s required is attending the banquet.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. And besides, Prince Aiden doesn’t make public appearances. There’s no reason he’d attend every event.”

I had no idea how Leon pulled it off, but ever since the Inferna incident, Widro hadn’t shown his face in society.

Apparently the Empress learned what Widro had done to me, and now blocked any message he tried to send.

A relief.

If he were confined to his chambers, frustration would only build—and he’d likely vent it on me.

Just for fun.

Come to think of it, what happened with Lily? Does she still visit Widro?

I’d asked Leon, but he said no outsider entered Widro’s palace anymore.

Even Ariana Pites, who was supposed to be his fiancée, hadn’t stepped foot there.

I had probed Demian too, but he flatly said he no longer interacted with Lily.

“So, let’s go together. Please?”

“…Alright then.”

“Yay! Thank you. Let’s have fun.”

Beaming with excitement, I smiled at him. Nox gave a faint, reluctant smile in return.

But soon, he sank back into thought again.

Seriously, what’s going on with him?

If nothing else works, there’s only one way.

If I want to pry open those firmly shut lips… I’ll need alcohol.

We’ll enjoy the festival together, then get him to drink—and he’ll spill everything.

“Agh, so hot.”

Under the blazing sun, Leonardo finally plopped onto the ground.

He’d insisted on going for a walk, but it looked like the heat was getting to him.

“See, Leonardo? I told you it’d be too hot.”

Some things you just have to learn the hard way.

The pup, melting like cheese in the heat, whimpered and lifted his front paws, begging to be carried.

I wanted to scoop him up and hurry home, but that was impossible.

He was far too big to carry comfortably, and even if I tried, I’d collapse after just a few steps, holding such a heavy, overheated dog.

“No, you have to walk.”

“Whine, whimper…”

“Ugh, seriously.”

“Whimper, whine, whine.”

I tugged firmly on his leash to move forward, but was inevitably dragged right back.

“……”

And so, under the sweltering sun, Leonardo and I stood locked in a standoff.