Unlike the strange first meeting, the conversation between Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Illeston and Viscount Lawton went smoothly.
“Of course, I am very interested in investing in the reconstruction of the estate. The potential of this land is highly regarded by our management as well.”
“Thank you very much for saying that.”
"But...”
Viscount Lawton looked very embarrassed. Grand Duke Ileston, who was cutting steak while chatting with him, stopped his hand and looked at him.
“Is there some problem?”
“Hmm...”
Viscount Lawton laughed as if he was embarrassed.
“The conditions for investment... There are many trade ports where we have already started trading.”
The Viscount, who had been nervous and trembling just a moment ago and was treating GranIlleston with unprecedented courtesy, soon returned to his normal self and joked as the conversation progressed to a certain extent.
Now he sees that the Illeston couple is ordinary, lacking social skills as they have not met people for a long time.
‘No, no. Rather than being ordinary, he's lacking and naive.'
What would a person know who has never made transactions or contracts with people?
The trade port within the territory that the Grand Duke of Illeston proposed as a condition for investment was already a trade port that most merchants were secretly using even before the Grand Duke made the proposal.
You can already use it for free without needing to trade, so why bother investing in it?
'The way you say it, I guess you didn't even do any research?'
Even if he refuses, he will be able to continue using the trade port as he is now unless the Grand Duke finds out about it and bans it.
Now that the curse has been lifted, they want to rebuild, but they don't have the money. Then, when they heard that a wealthy person was visiting the village, they rushed to invite him.
It looks like they were in a hurry and didn't do any background checks on the person they were dealing with.
Viscount Lawton sneered inwardly and made a sad expression.
“Of course, I am full of desire to develop this attractive territory together with the Grand Duke, but I am not sure if our superiors also think so.”
"lt is... Lacking?”
Florier asked with a worried face.
Viscount Lawton nodded quickly, even though he looked like he was having trouble answering.
“The conditions... I don't think we can persuade the merchants through the trade port. I just invested at the top, and all decisions are made by the owner at the top.”
Grand Duke Illeston's expression became serious.
This is why they are immature nobles.
It was as if he was seeing a Young Master who had just started taking succession lessons.
Of course, it would be difficult to say that Grand Duke Illeston was young. Well, wouldn't it be similar since he's never learned how to deal with people properly?
But there was something that Viscount Lawton did not know.
Grand Duke Illeston really had no intention of signing a contract with him, and unlike the Viscount who didn't even know the Grand Duke's face, he had completed all of his background investigation on Lawton through Wren.
And in fact, there are two more people here.
“Hmm.”
Viscount Lawton pretended to think for a moment and then looked at the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Illeston.
The Illeston couple were smiling even though they were not in a situation where the deal was about to be concluded.
'Tch, it's an unpleasant laugh to see it again.'
The mouth is smiling, but the eyes are not smiling at all. He doesn't have any weird dolls.
“Is there anything else worth trading besides the trade port? If there’s anything good, I’ll try to convince the higher-ups.”
“Hmm, I see...”
Thud.
The moment when Grand Duke Illeston looked worried. Viscount Lawton turned around at the dull sound coming from outside the door.
“Why, but... Viscount Lawton?"
"Yes? No, that’s...”
Viscount Lawton pointed to the door.
“I just heard a loud noise outside. Isn’t there a commotion?”
“What do you mean, Viscount?”
Grand Duke Illeston tilted his head as if he had no idea what was being said.
“I couldn’t hear anything outside.”
“...Is that so?"
As Viscount Lawton gave a puzzled look, the Duke of Illeston looked at Florier.
“Did you hear something, my wife?”
"No. I didn’t hear anything either.”
“Kelle, would you mind checking the situation outside?”
“Oh, no.”
Viscount Lawton hastily waved his hand.
“I guess I heard wrong. Haha."
"Right. Then let’s continue the conversation.”
Thud
Viscount Lawton looked back again.
He heard it clearly a while ago. The sound of something heavy hitting the ground was clearly heard.
He didn't hear it wrong.
Viscount Lawton turned his head to look at the Grand Duke and his wife and pointed to the door.
You must have heard clearly this time!
“Didn’t you hear that sound just now?”
However, the Grand Duke and his wife exchanged glances as if they still did not understand the meaning.
Grand Duke Illeston winked at Kelle as if he had no choice.
“I didn’t hear anything. Check it out first.”
“Yes, Master.”
That can't be possible?
There's no way you can't hear this sound?
Thud
It sounded so loud, but you can't hear it?
Thud
That can't be possible?
There's no way you can't hear this?
“Stop joking. It’s not pleasant at all.”
"Yes?"
Viscount Lawton suddenly came to his senses at the words of Grand Duke Illeston, who seemed uncomfortable.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Viscount Lawton, we don’t like such pranks. If you’re trying to scare us, stop.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“It’s not like you’re cursed, so there’s no way only you can hear a sound that no one else can hear.”
Lawton's eyes wavered.
Curse.
A curse?
thud
thud
Isn’t the Grand Duke playing a prank? Why can't he hear the sound so clearly?
thud
thud
It's obviously very loud.
A curse?
'I was cursed?'
“Kelle, can you hear?”
"No. I can’t hear anything.”
Grand Duke Illeston, who had received a confirmation from Kelle, spoke with an uncomfortable expression.
“Then let’s continue our conversation.”
“Grand Duke, I, I, I have to go now-”
“To conclude, I do not think that setting up the opening of trade ports as a condition for investment is insufficient.”
"...Yes?"
What is this person saying in this situation...
Grand Duke Illeston smiled.
“This is a deal in which you exchange your life for an abundance of money. Don’t you like it?”
“What is that...”
“Aren’t you already doing business at the trade port in my territory?”
“...”
The Grand Duke knew it.
Viscount Lawton forced the corners of his mouth to raise. His eyes were full of shock and anger.
“I guess you knew everything and called me.”
For the first time, Grand Duke Illeston showed a genuine smile to Viscount Lawton, who was speaking with full anger.
He looked very happy.
“You act like I’ve never done business with anyone.”
“...What do you want?”
“Give me half of your family property.”
Viscount Lawton's body trembled.
Half! Half...!
The elasticity that couldn't escape his throat became his breath.
Seeing his shaken expression, Grand Duke and Duchess Illeston put down their forks and knives at the same time.
Now they have decided to give up acting in front of a murderer.
“If you want to do business with someone, you have to know them well. Aren’t informants and hunters all over my territory?”
"No way...”
Did those bastards sell customer information?
“They say that just a few years ago, the woman who was pregnant with your child visited my territory with you, but disappeared at some point.”
"That, that...!”
“And recently, the white bones of a pregnant woman and her fetus were discovered in my territory.”
The woman's bones were discovered buried in the village while Louis, the Adventurer's Guild, and the village's hunters were investigating.
Probably because he was looking for a place that was out of sight of the empire and nobility, the place he chose was the Grand Duke's domain.
Viscount Lawton shook his head violently.
“Oh, no...! I'm not like that! I've never been like that...”
At that moment, Viscount Lawton noticed someone quietly approaching behind him.
As he was about to turn around in surprise, Puck! His consciousness quickly disappeared, accompanied by tremendous pain.
“All decisions will be made by ‘her’.”
thud
thud
thud
The sound that had been interrupting the conversation earlier was clearly audible until the end.
thud
Isn’t the Grand Duke playing a prank? Why can't he hear the sound so clearly?
thud
thud
It's obviously very loud.
A curse?
'I was cursed?'
“Kelle, can you hear?”
"No. I can’t hear anything.”
Grand Duke Illeston, who had received a confirmation from Kelle, spoke with an uncomfortable expression.
“Then let’s continue our conversation.”
“Grand Duke, I, I, I have to go now-”
“To conclude, I do not think that setting up the opening of trade ports as a condition for investment is insufficient.”
"...Yes?"
What is this person saying in this situation...
Grand Duke Illeston smiled.
“This is a deal in which you exchange your life for an abundance of money. Don’t you like it?”
“What is that...”
“Aren’t you already doing business at the trade port in my territory?”
“...”
The Grand Duke knew it.
He felt like he had been hit hard on the head.
It was a serious crime to conduct trade in his domain without the Grand Duke's knowledge, but what was more problematic was the 'goods' that were bought and sold there.
Is there anything that can be bought and sold secretly in a place where the empire does not interfere too much?
Items banned in the empire. For example, drugs, alcohol, banned books, and people.
If this fact were to become known within the empire, he would definitely be put to death. It would be much more profitable to invest a huge amount of money and silence the Grand Duke.
It was a serious crime to conduct trade in his domain without the Grand Duke's knowledge, but what was more problematic was the 'goods' that were bought and sold there.
Is there anything that can be bought and sold secretly in a place where the empire does not interfere too much?
Items banned in the empire. For example, drugs, alcohol, banned books, and people.
If this fact were to become known within the empire, he would definitely be put to death. It would be much more profitable to invest a huge amount of money and silence the Grand Duke.
Viscount Lawton forced the corners of his mouth to raise. His eyes were full of shock and anger.
“I guess you knew everything and called me.”
For the first time, Grand Duke Illeston showed a genuine smile to Viscount Lawton, who was speaking with full anger.
He looked very happy.
“You act like I’ve never done business with anyone.”
“...What do you want?”
“Give me half of your family property.”
Viscount Lawton's body trembled.
Half! Half...!
Anyway, there are still too many.
If he gives half, what about the top? How many users?
It will soon collapse in an instant.
“Grand Duke! Well, not like that! If that happens, my family will-”
“If you give me half of your wealth, I will open a trade port so you don’t have to sneak in like rats in the future. I will ignore everything that has happened so far. The items brought in through trade, and even the body of the woman you killed and buried in my territory.”
“...Yes?"
thud
Viscount Lawton felt his head grow cold as if all the blood had been drained from the top of his head.
What should I do? How do I get out?
If he gives half, what about the top? How many users?
It will soon collapse in an instant.
“Grand Duke! Well, not like that! If that happens, my family will-”
“If you give me half of your wealth, I will open a trade port so you don’t have to sneak in like rats in the future. I will ignore everything that has happened so far. The items brought in through trade, and even the body of the woman you killed and buried in my territory.”
“...Yes?"
thud
Viscount Lawton felt his head grow cold as if all the blood had been drained from the top of his head.
What should I do? How do I get out?
His head, which had been racing, froze at the last words of Grand Duke Illeston.
‘Now, what...?'
‘Now, what...?'
The elasticity that couldn't escape his throat became his breath.
Seeing his shaken expression, Grand Duke and Duchess Illeston put down their forks and knives at the same time.
Now they have decided to give up acting in front of a murderer.
“If you want to do business with someone, you have to know them well. Aren’t informants and hunters all over my territory?”
"No way...”
Did those bastards sell customer information?
“They say that just a few years ago, the woman who was pregnant with your child visited my territory with you, but disappeared at some point.”
"That, that...!”
“And recently, the white bones of a pregnant woman and her fetus were discovered in my territory.”
The woman's bones were discovered buried in the village while Louis, the Adventurer's Guild, and the village's hunters were investigating.
Probably because he was looking for a place that was out of sight of the empire and nobility, the place he chose was the Grand Duke's domain.
Viscount Lawton shook his head violently.
“Oh, no...! I'm not like that! I've never been like that...”
At that moment, Viscount Lawton noticed someone quietly approaching behind him.
As he was about to turn around in surprise, Puck! His consciousness quickly disappeared, accompanied by tremendous pain.
“All decisions will be made by ‘her’.”
thud
thud
thud
The sound that had been interrupting the conversation earlier was clearly audible until the end.
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