Chapter 21:  The Lion and the Wolf (1)

“Who’s at the main house that surprised you so much?”

A blond-haired Mansachs, seated in a luxurious leather chair, asked.

He sat cross-legged, tilting his head slightly.

『A woman called the Western Grand Duke’s daughter left behind two sets of high-end suits and a gold bar. Do you know her?』

“A noblewoman sent a gold bar to my father’s house.”

“A single gold bar is worth a carriage… Quite bold for a gift, isn’t it?”

I didn’t respond to the newspaper heir’s mutterings.

I simply covered my lips with my fist and silently tried to figure out Helena’s intentions.

‘She must’ve watched today’s match from afar.’

If she saw the outcome of the duel, she would’ve sensed that she’d lose the week’s sales competition.

But what reason did she have to suddenly send something like this to me?

I glanced sideways at the liquor glass on Mansachs’ desk.

Seeing that glass stirred up a filthy memory.

『A poisoned grail.』

The day I took the fall for the Grand Duke’s crimes and died in exchange for becoming chief secretary.

The gold bar Helena sent now was the same as that grail.

If I swallowed this gift whole, that cunning woman would seize a weakness over me.

If the Luton family were to find out I accepted a gift from Helena, they’d likely suspect me of being a spy—especially since I’d been producing such favorable results lately.

I’d already been questioned once by Echina, so the suspicion would easily harden into conviction.

‘She’s trying to drive a wedge between me and the Luton family.’

While I happily chewed on the bait in front of me, the predator’s forepaw would slowly tighten around my throat.

Yet even if I refused the gift, Helena wouldn’t take it back.

‘She’s trying to get me kicked out and reel me into her arms no matter what…!’

“Looks like another family is trying to snatch you away.”

Mansachs, apparently catching on, stretched leisurely and spoke.

He looked at me with a pleased expression, as if this situation proved I was a capable talent.

“If one gold bar is the signing bonus, the salary must be several times that. It’s quite the offer.”

That sharp gaze unique to the son of a newspaper company sparkled.

As expected, he was a man who valued ambition over loyalty.

“You’ve already secured enough of the Luton family’s secrets anyway. From your position, wouldn’t it be better to leave and leak them?”

Of course, as he said, following Helena and transferring to the Western Grand Duke’s house wouldn’t be the worst move.

At the very least, being under her wouldn’t result in being forced into suicide.

But—

The information I knew for the next ten years was limited to the Nord region.

To make use of it, I had to stay in the North.

“If they’re trying to steal you from the Grand Duke’s house, they must be a pretty major family.”

As expected of someone I chose as a business partner—his instincts were sharp.

I was worried that returning the gift might provoke her wrath.

“The only family that could possibly poach talent from the Luton family right now would be the Western Grand Duke’s house.”

“Right, it’s Grand Duke’s daughter Helena.”

Mansachs, arms crossed alone, parted his lips slightly at the name Helena.

But he shook his head, as if he didn’t know much about her.

“Then it’ll be all the more difficult to refuse. There’s even a rumor that she doesn’t forgive those who go against her will.”

“Exactly. And knowing her personality, even if I return it, she won’t take it back.”

She wouldn’t see me even if I went to her in person.

After all, this was a bomb disguised as a gift.

“That’s why I’m just going to accept it.”

I picked up a quill from Mansachs’ desk.

Then, as I began to write a reply to my father, the newspaper heir asked cautiously.

“Are you sure about this…? If you’re caught after accepting it, you’ll be suspected of colluding with her…”

As if answering his concern, I wrote my reply to my father’s letter.

“There’s a way to accept the gift without raising suspicion.”

Mansachs seemed curious about that method and stood up to peek at the contents.

And then—

“Wait a minute… You’re seriously going to do this?!”

The face of the calculating newspaper heir contorted completely.

Because what was written in the letter was nothing less than a full donation of the received gold bar.

The location: Saint Istina Grand Cathedral in Nord.

“A donation? You look like someone who has zero faith, and you’re going to throw away that precious gold?”

Mansachs shook his head at my sly, fox-like eyes.

To him, I returned the quill and replied,

“There are two main ways to deal with suspicious money.”

With the lifeless gaze I had during my time as chief secretary, I looked straight at the twenty-year-old before me.

He simply listened quietly, perhaps once again sensing I was becoming more like his father.

“First, don’t accept it in the first place.”

You have to reject bribes that are too much to handle right from the start.

There had been secretaries from other families who took money they couldn’t cover for and ended up losing their wrists.

“Second, if the money comes easily, then spend it just as easily.”

If there’s a bribe you can’t avoid taking, it must be dealt with swiftly.

So your lord doesn’t suspect you of being a traitor.

“Right, so you chose the second option. Donating it is basically tossing it to the ground.”

Still only twenty, Mansachs didn’t seem to grasp the significance of donations.

So I asked him one question.

“If you were me, what would you do with the gold bar?”

“Well, I guess… I’d use it to buy land or property, maybe…?”

At his vague answer, I let out a quiet, dry chuckle.

“Right. Reports would go to the Grand Duke’s house saying that the son of a fallen baron family suddenly started purchasing land or property. Then what would you say the source of that money was?”

The second son of the newspaper family was left speechless, apparently not having considered the origin of the funds.

It was only natural—he had never handled ‘dirty money’ in his life.

“This gift is a trap. No matter how I deal with it, I’ll inevitably fall under suspicion from the Grand Duke’s side.”

With my hands behind my back, I stared at the imperial map hanging on the office wall.

“In that case, it’s better to donate it and avoid provoking either side.”

On the northern part of the empire, large letters marked the Luton family’s vast estate.

To the west, the Yekaterina family was spread out, standing in opposition to the Lutons.

“To the giver of the gold bar, I present myself as a devout and upright figure. And to the suspicious side, I prove that I rejected a bribe.”

This was the best course of action under the current circumstances.

The sharp-minded Mansachs seemed to grasp my point quickly and let out a short sigh.

“Still, it’s a shame. A single gold bar could’ve been a huge help as seed money. But to just throw it away like that…”

Perhaps because he was well-versed in how to work money, he smacked his lips at the thought of such a large sum being unusable.

To him, I returned a sly, fox-like gaze and asked,

“When did I say I was throwing the gold away?”

I pointed to a spot on the map pinned to the office wall.

When Mansachs followed my finger, his expression filled with doubt.

“Why are you pointing to the cathedral you’re donating it to?”

As someone who didn’t particularly believe in any religion, the second son of the newspaper family looked at me with confusion.

There was no reason for a young journalist who relied solely on information and connections to depend on faith.

“Planning to go see the Saintess or something?”

He chuckled, teasing me with a joke.

But his face soon twisted even more.

“Exactly. I need to meet her and make a good impression.”

Because I hadn’t denied my partner’s joke.

The Nord Cathedral had been built in the very heart of the city, where land prices were the highest.

And surrounding that area were numerous commercial shops that supported the cathedral.

Thanks to that, the church had long been the most influential group in the city, second only to the Grand Duke’s house.

“To spend the money I earn from selling the Luton Swords, I need ‘credit.'”

To purchase expensive land or buildings above a certain amount, a guarantor or collateral was required.

A noble could sign contracts with ease, but for someone like me—a commoner—the process was filled with hurdles.

The shortcut to bypass those hurdles was through donations.

“If I donate a large sum to the most influential cathedral in Nord, the Saintess herself will come down to meet me.”

As far as I remembered, Istina was not only beautiful in appearance but also known for being a shrewd woman.

She had received donations from countless upper-class individuals and, in return, exerted her influence in various business dealings.

“If I build a relationship with her, I’ll be able to guarantee my credit rating for future transactions.”

I looked over the empty plots of land—whose value would more than triple within the next year—with satisfaction.

Then, glancing down at Mansachs with the relaxed gaze of a father looking at his son, I said,

“And lastly…”

My business partner looked up at me with a solemn gaze, as if anticipating another hidden benefit.

In response, I calmly raised my index finger and replied,

“You don’t pay taxes at the end of the year.”

Mansachs was momentarily stunned, his expression blank.

But then, as the meaning of my last words hit him, he burst into a snort of laughter.

“Alright, so you’re planning to earn enough by year-end that you’ll even need to worry about taxes.”

The son of one of the three major newspapers seemed pleased with my ambition and chuckled.

Then, while we both looked at the city map of Nord, he added,

“If you ever need help, let me know. I’ll make sure the news of your donation spreads far and wide.”

“Even just hearing that gives me peace of mind.”

After sending the letter, I casually left the academy’s clubroom alone.

――――――

The next day.

The morning passed uneventfully with secretary classes held in the mansion’s auditorium.

My fellow trainees’ expressions were all filled with dread.

They were well aware of the terror that was today’s sudden announcement—physical training.

Though special training was usually held once a month, the schedule always depended entirely on the chief secretary’s whim.

Because of that unpredictability, it felt like we were death row inmates living in fear of an unknown execution date.

“That’s it for the morning class. Everyone, gather in front of the dormitory after lunch.”

“Yes, sir!!”

Perhaps because most of my peers received low marks on the first half-year evaluation, Debier wore a grim expression like an eagle sternly teaching its young.

Knowing the nightmare that awaited, everyone inwardly let out a sigh.

“Damn, special training out of nowhere…”

“I was planning to go into town this evening—talk about bad luck.”

Tobang let out a deep sigh.

He had always specialized in going out to enjoy himself at bars after curfew.

While out, he probably often heard about real estate and properties with potential from his many upper-class friends.

So it was likely he’d already secured a few golden plots of land for the near future.

Unfortunately for him, not this time.

While he’s crawling like a dog under Debier’s command, I’ll make my move first.

“What are you staring at, Roger? Don’t jinx me.”

“Yeah, with those long, narrow eyes of yours.”

I watched my fellow trainees walk ahead to fill their stomachs, pleased.

Then I casually waved to cheer them on.

“That bastard…!!”

“If it weren’t for Lucun, I would’ve killed you long ago!”

Tobang’s signature green eyes glared sharply at me.

But my relaxed, smiling eyes showed no sign of stopping.

“Exactly. That’s why we’re close now, aren’t we?”

With my hands behind my back, I answered him calmly, and Tobang let out a scoff, seemingly at a loss for words.

Still, he wasn’t foolish enough to rush at me right then and there.

He needed to conserve his energy for the physical training scheduled in the afternoon.

“Just wait. Let’s see how long you can keep strutting around like that. You’ll be back in your place before long.”

Pointing a finger in my face, he then disappeared into the cafeteria with the others.

Lucun also passed by me.

Our eyes met, and I spoke to him quietly.

“Go on. I’ll bring back some good news.”

Seeing me skip out on the group schedule alone, Lucun simply nodded.

As if my unusual movements had sparked a number of possibilities in his mind.

“…….”

Though everyone else went into the cafeteria, I didn’t eat anything.

I just sat silently on a bench in the garden, staring down at the wristwatch Debier had lent me.

‘Come to think of it, he never asked for it back.’

Around 1 p.m., I saw the other trainee candidates heading back to the dorms to change clothes.

Only then did I get up from my seat and head alone to the annex of the mansion.

To where Echina was.

――――――

I was guided by a maid in the first-floor lobby up to the second floor.

Then I stopped in front of a room at the end of the hallway.

“Grand Duke’s daughter, this is Julius Roger.”

I knocked politely on the door with the back of my hand.

A composed voice responded from within.

“Come in.”

So she was alone.

Whenever we were alone, she’d slip into informal speech without even realizing it.

With a relaxed pace, I turned the doorknob.

“…….”

The Grand Duke’s daughter’s office wasn’t particularly extravagant for a noble family.

A spacious room, furnished with a luxurious leather sofa and table.

If anything, it felt overly formal—almost dreary—to be a woman’s office.

‘In my previous life, she used to keep flower pots here. She was definitely as barren in personality back in this time.’

“Did you eat?”

Sitting behind the desk was the Grand Duke’s daughter of the North.

She wore a pair of thin metal-rimmed glasses as she lifted her head.

With those sharp eyes framed beneath her black hair and the addition of glasses, she finally looked a little softer—more like a woman my age.

“Yes, I’ve taken care of it.”

Though she belonged to the knight order, her enrollment at the academy meant she was just as dedicated to her studies.

Stacked high on her desk were manuals and texts on command and tactics.

“Make yourself comfortable. I didn’t call you here for official business today.”

Echina spoke softly as she rose lightly from her seat.

She wore a sleeveless dress that hugged her figure, with a cardigan draped loosely over it.

Much like the Grand Duke of the North a few days ago, even her casual style was similar.

“Thank you.”

As I settled into the sofa, my eyes landed on the plain table in front of me.

A teapot and teacups without a single design—back then, I used to deliberately switch them out for something more colorful.

My hands already itched to give the place a little touch-up.

“Here, your report card.”

She tossed the words out casually.

With each step she took, I could faintly hear the soft shuffle of her slippers.

‘What the… She already changed it to a 10.’

The ink was completely dry—she must’ve updated the score right after yesterday.

So she really was trying to excuse me from special training…?

Scratching my cheek, I glanced at Echina.

She plopped down across from me and crossed her full thighs.

Then, without saying a word, she simply stared at me.

She didn’t look angry or particularly displeased.

Rather, she observed me with a strange expression, like a predator seeing an animal for the first time—curious and cautious.

Her uniquely beautiful golden eyes were a little rounder than usual.

“Your performance yesterday was impressive. You knew all kinds of precise tricks—even I didn’t catch them, and I’m a knight.”

“You flatter me. I only spoke up to offer a small bit of help to you, Echina.”

At my refusal to accept even a single compliment, Echina pouted slightly.

As she crossed her arms, the elegant curve of her figure stood out clearly.

“Strange.”

The slipper hanging off her instep swayed slightly.

Her fine toes, wrapped in white stockings, wiggled as if to express her dissatisfaction with me.

Then, at the moment her movement stopped—

“……!!”

Echina suddenly sprang up and lunged at me.

Her chest nearly brushed the tip of my nose—she was that close.

“What the hell are you?”

She climbed on top of me, straddling me with her full thighs.

The scent of figs wafted from her black hair as it enveloped my face.

“What kind of ordinary person reacts that well to a knight’s ambush?”

In an instant, I was like prey pinned beneath a lioness.

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