~Chapter 39~
“I didn’t want to get married either. But I don’t want to live the rest of my life like a loser.”
“Am I supposed to let go of the one I love and just blame fate?”
Noah couldn’t live like that. He thought he’d rather die than go on like that.
Solia meant everything to him.
“I don’t want to lose her without even trying. I’ve never risked my life or given my all for anything before, but…”
Noah’s words trailed off. Maximilian raised an eyebrow.
“So now you finally have something worth risking your life for, Noah? And that’s the daughter of Baron Roten?”
Noah didn’t answer, but Maximilian took the silence as a yes.
Noah let out a sigh and met his teacher’s eyes.
“I’ll escape from Emperor Purka and Dr. Vincent no matter what it costs me.”
He’d only realized what love truly was when he was most desperate. He’d decided to change his fate.
If there was someone who could make Solia happier than him, he might step back.
But he didn’t want to let fate take her away.
“That’s why… I need the Lenister family heirloom.”
He needed that necklace to be with Solia. That necklace…
Noah closed his eyes gently, remembering what he’d told Solia on the hill at the training grounds.
“Do you like necklaces?”
“I don’t really wear them except when I dress up. I guess it depends on who gives it to me.”
“I’ll remember that. That it depends on who gives it.”
Noah opened his eyes again and crossed his legs. He looked determinedly at his teacher.
“I’ve decided to give everything for my wife.”
Wife? They weren’t even married yet. Maximilian wondered at that, but decided to give a warning first.
“You might die because of this.”
“I’m not afraid. Dying without doing anything would be worse.”
Maximilian let out a bitter smile.
“You’ve made up your mind, I see. If you want that necklace, go get it from Marianne.”
“Baron Roten has a lot of money, right? What if we kidnap him and get some funds?”
On the dark night street, footsteps echoed.
A skinny man, Peng, peered down the old barrel of his gun.
“If we take his daughter Solia and sell her at Leona Port, we could get a lot of money…”
Thud!
Peng’s head rang with pain as something hit the back of it.
“Show some respect to the boss.”
“Let it go. He’s just stupid.”
The boss, Macmillan, with a cigar in his mouth, narrowed his sharp eyes.
“Hearing that reminds me of when I was sold as a prostitute at Leona Port… Not the worst memory, really.”
Macmillan had long brown hair tied back and wore leather work clothes. Half his face was covered by a black mask, the other half handsome but lined with age.
“If you ever talk about selling women or that kind of nonsense in front of me again, you’ll lose your tongue.”
Macmillan pulled a sleek revolver and pressed it against Peng’s head.
“Don’t get on my bad side. I’ve killed more than a dozen men.”
“S-sorry…”
Peng trembled, and Macmillan smiled coolly.
“Boss… isn’t the mask uncomfortable?” Peng asked, trying to change the subject. It was a stupid move.
“There are a lot of perverts among those arrogant nobles.”
Macmillan smiled lazily, then took off the mask.
“…Gasp!”
Peng made a sound, unlike the big silent man next to him.
Macmillan seemed to expect that and snickered.
“He was a useless man. I was just a prostitute, but when I didn’t laugh, he tore my mouth.”
Peng could see the right corner of her mouth had been crudely stitched up, the scar running up toward her ear.
“Is my smile not good enough for you? Because it’s only on one side?”
Macmillan twisted her lips, then put the mask back on.
Once, she’d been called the “flower of society.”
The big man spoke quietly, “Boss, I’ll find that guy and rip him apart for you.”
“No, don’t bother. I killed him myself back then.”
That’s why she was beaten nearly to death and thrown out of Leona Port. She considered it a small point of pride.
“He’s a target, but not now. First, we need to catch that woman… Cheryl Malone.”
The woman who sold her into prostitution.
“I need to see Cheryl’s head cut off. That’s the only thing that makes this bloody, miserable life worthwhile.”
For Macmillan, revenge was everything.
“Now the arboretum is mine.”
Early in the morning, I received a letter appointing me the new manager of Baron Roten’s arboretum.
Today, I was on my way to fit the dress I’d wear at my wedding.
My ankle had healed, and after two weeks Edel had finished gathering all the information on Cheryl from the guild.
Buddy, riding in the carriage with me, looked like she wanted to say something.
“Don’t ask if I’m getting ahead of myself, Buddy. You have to get your wedding dress ready early or it’s a pain later.”
“I said it without thinking…”
We reached the capital. The fancy carriage moved smoothly down the road.
“Huh? This road leads to Iris Dress Shop. Are we really going there?”
“For now. Baron Roten said he made a reservation. I don’t believe it, but we’ll see.”
“Wow! Isn’t that the place Empress May went to when she was still the daughter of Count Delphinus? I can’t believe we’re going there!”
Buddy blushed with excitement, but I didn’t really care.
‘Did Baron Roten really make a reservation? Would a place like that even accept the daughter of a nouveau riche?’
Still, if Baron Roten was Duke Benjo’s ally, maybe it was possible.
“A wedding dress from Iris Dress Shop! That’s so fancy!”
Buddy was excited, but I just curled my lips.
“Yeah, fancy. All the noblewomen who go there are people with real power.”
When we got out of the carriage, they wouldn’t let us in.
“There’s no reservation for ‘Solia Roten.’ Please leave.”
“Could you check again? My father said he made a reservation. I’m sure…”
“I said there’s no reservation! Do you know how many people lie about that?”
A big man answered sharply. Buddy protested, “But the Baron really did make a reservation!” but the man just glared at her.
“If you keep causing a scene, we’ll use force.”
The big man warned us, and the skinny guy beside him snickered.
“What a joke! I can guess your size just by looking. You show up in a fancy carriage but you’re just a fake.”
“You’re trash from birth. How dare you come here?”
He shouted rudely. I didn’t get angry—it was just what I expected, so I stayed calm.
“You’re right. I’m the daughter of a nouveau riche, coming here without knowing my place.”
I squinted and nodded. Too bad, but I’d just have to go.
“Then get lost! And don’t come back!”
“Let’s go, Bud—ugh!”
I was about to leave, but the man shoved my shoulder.
“Why are you talking to my lady like that, you skinny stick?”
Buddy stomped her foot and pushed him back in anger.
The skinny man grabbed Buddy’s hair.
“Let go! Let me go!”
That bastard…! Was he crazy?
I was furious. I kicked him in the shin.
“Ow! Are you nuts?!”
“Yeah, I am. Who do you think you are, touching my maid in a place like this?”
I shouted low and pulled Buddy behind me. Her shoulder shook from shock.
“What’s all this noise? Don’t disturb our important clients!”
A higher-up came and scolded them. The man I kicked glared at me with sharp, weasel-like eyes.
“Do you know how important Iris Dress Shop is? Empress May went here when she was the Count’s daughter!”
