episode_0054

Emma Agnelli returned to her dorm room through the back alleys of Delphi like someone possessed, and that’s how she spent her Saturday.

Time flowed, and Sunday morning quickly passed, the repayment period rapidly approaching its end.

Her roommate Lizley had gone out to meet Leon and stayed out, probably planning to return Sunday night.

Normally, Emma would have lamented Lizley’s absence, but now she considered Lizley’s weekend absence a blessing in disguise.

Emma had no confidence in hiding her current expression from Lizley.

‘Where did… what go wrong..? No, that’s not important….’

She clutched her whitened vision, trying to sort out the situation.

The black mage Lergo chose death without returning a single penny of the penalty fee, and his body couldn’t even be found.

Emma herself owed 14 Talentum gold coins to the terrible loan shark Iorca… and sadly, she had no ability to repay.

Emma racked her brain, trying to think of any way to get money…

‘My family… 14 Talentum gold coins, yes… if I tell my family, they’d probably be able to get it right away. But… I’d have to tell them I took out a private loan…’

More concerned with confessing to her family that she took out a private loan than with the debt looming directly before her, foolish Emma wasn’t very aware of her family’s financial situation.

This was because she was an extremely narrow-minded and closed-off person who considered handling and calculating money to be vulgar.

‘Money? Isn’t that something vulgar commoners diligently calculate and fuss over? A powerful noble hanging onto money looks ugly.’

This was the way she always thought, and spoke out loud whenever she had the chance.

It was born from a sense of rebellion and inferiority towards Lizley, whom Emma herself considered the most noble in the world and worshipped endlessly, for having been “sold” to a commoner for money.

Emma was precisely such a foolish smarty-pants, the only daughter who was supposed to inherit the family, yet had never properly looked at her family’s ledgers.

On the contrary, the Etgard family, who were practically the Agnelli’s true masters financially, had a much clearer grasp of the Agnelli’s wealth level.

Not to mention adults like Logier, Ras, and Brida, even Rinaldo, who was still just a child, knew more about the Agnelli’s wealth level than Emma.

Naturally, the Agnelli family was far from financially abundant.

From the start, the Gracia family, whom the Agnelli served, was the ducal family with the worst financial status among the current dukedoms.

And when Gracia was pushed to the brink of complete bankruptcy, having even used private loans, a major reason Agnelli couldn’t cut ties with Gracia like other vassal families was precisely money.

It was because they themselves owed Gracia various debts, which was why Gracia would never let go of Agnelli.

At that time, Gracia, in a hurry, broke off master-vassal relationships with vassal families who had some money in exchange for receiving funds, but Agnelli, being poor, continued the master-vassal relationship instead of giving money.

Compared to Gracia, who had become much better off financially after Ras and Lizley’s engagement due to Etgard’s financial support, Agnelli remained poor.

Of course, since they were nobles, they could somehow manage to raise 14 Talentum gold coins in a lump sum, but the problem was the timeframe.

With the Agnelli family’s capabilities as impoverished nobles, they couldn’t conjure and send that amount within the family in just one day.

Especially if it was a weekend when banks and everything else were closed, making it impossible to quickly secure a loan based on noble credit.

There was a reason Ras deliberately set the repayment deadline much tighter than typical private loans and chose a weekend for the due date.

‘Family is on hold for now… Next, Lizley… ha…. Lizley..?’

Meanwhile, Emma didn’t know that the most realistic solution was to immediately turn on her communication magic tool, cry and beg her family head, the Viscount, to save her by honestly revealing the situation, and she even avoided it.

It could be seen as a tragedy that occurred because Emma’s life had never truly contained sincerity or self-reflection.

If something happened, especially if it was due to her own mistake or fault, she would immediately feign ignorance, get annoyed, and blame others.

‘I am not at fault; others are. Even if I honestly admit my mistake, they will pressure and tear me apart, so I’ll just resolve it somehow and then cover it up.’

Thus, Emma Agnelli’s life was always filled with evasion, lies, deceit, and brazenness, and these very things became the daggers that stabbed her in truly critical situations.

Well… given her rotten personality from the start, it’s no surprise she even took out private loans to harm others.

‘If I tell Lizley about this… I could actually die. The money is gone, and the black mage died… Ah..!’

She thus realized the terrible truth.

The black mage Lergo was originally a black mage who traded with Emma’s masters, Leon and Lizley… which meant.

‘At the very least… from the Prince’s perspective, Lergo must have been a useful business partner… But, I made a contract with him, and because of that contract, Lergo died…’

It was true that Lergo had miserably failed Emma’s request, whether by mistake, error, or some other reason.

However, because he was a black mage who had actively traded with Leon, there might have been some use left for him to Leon as long as he was alive.

‘My pride… and suspicion… because of those, I even signed an additional guarantee contract with my life as collateral….’

What would happen if Leon and Lizley found out about this?

Would Leon just shrug it off with the easygoing smile he always showed, saying ‘That can happen’?

‘No…. The Prince isn’t a soft person… This is something that goes beyond a mere trifle and will practically harm him…’

For once, Emma’s not-so-bright head hit the mark.

Indeed, the proverb that even a broken clock is right twice a day was a magical phrase applicable at any time.

If Emma, unable to distinguish right from wrong, were to go to Leon or Lizley, confess everything truthfully, and babble it all out…?

The true psychopath Leon would make Emma neither truly dead nor alive that very day, so Emma had, in that moment, saved herself.

Of course, telling Lizley would also yield a not-so-different result.

‘My family, the Prince, Lizley… no. I can’t ask them for help. At best, my family… but even that would surely involve Lizley. Then, all that’s left is Garett…’

In the end, only Garett remained.

But after having caused such trouble with her petty pride, could she now ask Garett for help?

[Garett. I have something to talk about. Come out to the gazebo next to the library for a moment.]

Of course! Emma was brazen and had stubbornness rooted in useless self-consciousness, but her self-esteem based on dignity was infinitely small, making such an act possible.

However…. the ways of the world were truly mysterious…

*Thump-thump-thump!*

“Hmm? What’s that sound, Garett? Is it your communication magic tool?? The sound is very peculiar.”

“Ah! Oh, my… I’ve done something quite rude. Haha… I had this set up so that when Emma contacts me, it sends an alert like this. I should delete the registration.”

“Huhu, splendid as expected. But… if it’s not rude, could you let me see it?”

“???”

Garett, though perplexed, obediently handed over the magic tool to his liege (in his perspective, they weren’t yet lovers as he hadn’t confessed).

Skada, having taken the communication magic tool with satisfaction, quickly tapped away at it.

[I’m Garett’s lover. Don’t cling to him now that it’s over, and if you contact him again, I’ll find you and beat you to death, so don’t try to flirt. This is your warning, got it?]

Skada, who had typed out the most feminine reply possible, fearing she might be mistaken for a man if she used her usual tone, pressed the magic tool firmly to turn it off, then returned it to Garett with a bright smile.

Then, she asked Garett in a soft, lovely tone, rather than her usual rough and overbearing manner of speech.

“Well then, my Knight-nim. Where shall we go?”

“Haha. Although I am a knight, I’m too weak, so could you perhaps instruct me? After learning a thing or two… shall we go see the lake?”

“A splendid knight, aren’t you? Alright… Huhu, I should call Professor Isera-nim too. While I’m at it, I can get some guided sparring after a long time.”

Thus, Emma’s squeaks, having become a sewer rat in the dark underground, couldn’t even properly reach the wholesome people in the sunlight.

Of course, even if Garett had received the message and gone out, he wasn’t the pushover Emma thought he was.

He was someone who would never lend a single penny unless the full story was revealed, so the brazen liar Emma wouldn’t have been able to get any money from him in the first place.

*

*Grind-grind-grind!*

[I’m Garett’s lover. Don’t cling to him now that it’s over, and if you contact him again, I’ll find you and beat you to death, so don’t try to flirt. This is your warning, got it?]

And… this subtly aggressive reply sent by Skada was immediately transmitted to Emma, making her grind her teeth.

“What…? Lover? Is she seriously crazy? Ha, so that’s why? How dare someone like you break up with me… so you were cheating? You piece of trash….”

Emma, naturally, began to hurl insults, accusing Garett of being a cheater.

However, this wasn’t true; rather, it was Emma who had secretly frequented pickup bars and gone on dates after entering the academy.

She had a secretly promiscuous tendency, having simply not been caught until now.

“I felt a little sorry for you, but it turns out you were cheating too? No, you’re even more trash than me. You were just looking for an angle to break up and move on, weren’t you? Not that you’d meet any proper noble, anyway…”

It was the Princess.

Anyway, Emma, so infuriated that she momentarily forgot her fate as a debtor, repeatedly slammed her foolish head into the bed, making it even more foolish.

As she repeatedly slammed her head, what suddenly came to mind was… strangely, the terrifying Iorca.

Despite his undoubtedly vulgar profession and status, it was the flame that strangely set her ablaze.

Iorca was such an attractive man that if an incubus from legends existed, he would feel just like that.

‘He’s different from a boring, old-fashioned man like Garett. He’s wild, strong, and cool-headed… but, surely, what filled his eyes when he looked at me was greed… Ah..!’

If Emma had known that Iorca was Ras, she might have immediately opened the window and jumped out.

But whether it was misfortune or luck, she didn’t even have the slightest clue about Iorca’s true identity, and thus ended up devising the most unworkable plan in the world.

‘I’ll offer myself. Why not ask that man? I could be his lover… What would Lizley do if he just took me away into the underworld? No… rather, creating connections in the underworld and becoming a middleman might actually help Lizley. Because I’ve lost too much credibility now.’

First, it must be noted that “what filled his eyes when he looked at me was greed” was Emma’s thoroughly self-centered and baseless confidence.

What Ras showed in his eyes while teasing Emma disguised as Iorca… was truly the thrill of action derived from extreme amusement, not greed.

Ras, who had been entangled with countless beautiful women and various good and bad relationships, could easily dismiss even the very beautiful Lizley as “pretty enough.”

If even Lizley was like that, what kind of desire could someone like Emma possibly instill in Ras?

Anyway, since misunderstanding was free, Emma’s mind was blooming with a flower garden.

‘He’s a bit big and sturdy… but wouldn’t that actually be good in bed? Come to think of it, when he said I shouldn’t think about dying, did he mean… I should join him?’

Thus, a bizarre spectacle unfolded: she was going to meet the loan shark who would tighten her leash, while putting on elaborate makeup like never before.

Looking at this, Emma truly was a great idiot.

*

“Master-nim~ Pleeease… Just one more game of chess with Pisces, pleeease…”

The minion whined in a drawn-out voice.

But no way!

“Hey, that’s called slaughtering commoners, you know? If you do that in a chess salon, you might get a chair smacked on your head~”

I played chess with Pisces and was miserably crushed.

The reputation of the champion who won Semere’s Kashmir Royal Palace Chess Tournament back in the day was now reduced to dust.

‘Ahaha..! To beat your chess opponent until they forfeit and then advance. Did you want to win that badly, Ras?’

‘Whether it’s chess or boxing, the one who endures wins. Now, there’s only His Majesty left, so come at me.’

Of course… I was miserably defeated by Semere, but she was the host anyway, so she should be an exception, and I’m still the champion, right?!

“Hmph..! Master-nim is mean. Not playing chess is mean, but thinking about other women when you’re with Pisces is really hateful. Hateful, hmph!!!”

Startled.

But how does this one catch it like a ghost whenever I think of other women?

Feeling curious, I asked the creature.

“Hey, how do you immediately catch it when I’m thinking about other women? That’s a truly amazing ability.”

The creature answered in a very sad and pitiful voice.

“Ehh… it’s just something like that. Your expression is just like that, Master-nim. I can even roughly read the pattern of who you’re thinking about..! Is it because you have so many women around?”

“Really? Having my expression read is a very bad habit. I should correct this…. How is it different?”

As I showed great interest, Pisces puffed up slightly and elaborated.

“Hmm..! For example, when you’re likely thinking of that foolish seagull woman, you make something like a fatherly smile? Something like that. A smile where I can’t tell if you’re an oppa, a dad, or a baby daddy. Humph!!!”

When I think of Irha… now that I hear it, it probably is that kind of expression.

That one is pitiful, then when she does something well, she’s surprisingly admirable… and yet cute.

“And then… when you’re likely thinking of Rosalie… that dragon-like woman…!!! You just love it to death! Honey drips, completely captivated… like someone who met an incubus…!! So hateful, hmph…”

This is quite accurate too.

My belated, bitter regret for her who tried to save me before the regression, and the various sweet atmospheres after the regression…

Rosalie-ssi has been confronting me with her true feelings, and I like her as if possessed.

So much so that I decided I must confess my feelings to her without a single lie in the near future.

“Hmm… then what about you? What about when I think of you? Or when I’m directly with you?”

At that, Pisces promptly snuggled right into my arms.

“I think you find me adorable. You find me cute, and a little annoying… but sometimes, I can read a sense of lingering affection and apology for me in your eyes. I don’t know why, though.”

I can’t deal with this.

This clever and astute creature knows too much, and its affections and love are all deep.

“Pisces. If your lover or husband was someone who had multiple relationships… would you dislike that?”

“Yes!”

I tried sounding a bit hesitant compared to usual, and this one immediately answered, ‘Yes!’

Indeed, it will take a bit more care and time to persuade her….

“But then. Well, it might depend on who the lover or husband is. For example, someone who pulled me out from the bottom of the sewers… or someone who released me from a curse… if it’s someone like that, I might be able to tolerate it..? Hehe.”

The creature, speaking so cunningly, was truly endearing today.

“But don’t overdo the salvation. Don’t save people who don’t deserve it. It’s not a matter of morality or goodness. After all… I’m not exactly a good person either.”

“Is there a qualification for salvation?”

At the creature’s serious demeanor, I became curious and asked.

“At the very least, one should be able to honestly appreciate the salvation given. That’s a matter preceding good and evil or morality. Repaying kindness with enmity and not knowing gratitude—I think that’s something even below evil.”

What the smart creature said was also similar to my usual thoughts, so it resonated with me.

“Yes. There’s nothing to disregard in your words, so I’ll engrave them well. They’re similar to what I usually think.”

“Hehe..!! Oh, it’s hard to like a popular, amazing man…. Pleeease~ You won’t even play chess… Oh right, but I have another question.”

“What is it?”

The creature asked me, its eyes sparkling wide with a truly unknowing gaze.

“Just now, the person you thought of while we were talking about chess… I don’t know who it is. You often think of this person out of nowhere, but the emotion is too strong… and it feels too painful.”

To the smart subordinate who couldn’t be deceived, I shook my head in disbelief and gave a casual answer.

“There is. Someone I’m too busy to see right now. And for your information, she plays chess better than you. She’s the smartest person I know…”

“No!! Then be busy forever. Pisces is absolutely against you, Master-nim, meeting that woman. If you take away being smart, what do I have left?!”

Thanks to the creature, who was startled and loudly declared absolute opposition, the slightly somber atmosphere lifted, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Wrong. My top minion is pretty, smart, loyal, and adorable. You’re unique, so it doesn’t matter, you little thing.”

“Ehehe… Caw-!”

Seeing her act like that whenever she’s happy, our Pisces has completely turned into a crow.

Even though she washes herself clean and fluffy every day these days.