Chapter 88

88

Thud, thud.

“Who the hell is making all this noise?!”

A loud, irritated voice.

Soon, a large bald man opened the door.

Former executioner Godwin.

His appearance was as intimidating as ever.

“Oh, it’s you?”

Godwin’s expression softened a bit.

Although it was a mutually beneficial deal, he was still grateful for the medicine that had cured his painful illness.

“Yeah, can we talk for a bit?”

“Well, it’s annoying, but I’ll hear you out.”

Godwin nodded his head, signaling for me to come in, and entered the house first.

I followed him inside.

It had been a while since I last visited his house.

It looked much better than when I first came, like a proper home.

His improved health must have given him a better quality of life.

Which meant.

He was probably itching to do something by now.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Godwin asked as he brought me some water.

Water, not tea or coffee.

What a straightforward man.

I took a gulp of water and then spoke.

“Got nothing to do, right?”

I went straight to the point.

There was no need to beat around the bush with this kind of man.

He would just get annoyed.

“Why? Need my help again?”

Godwin frowned, looking annoyed.

“No, not just help. I want you to work for me.”

“…What?”

Godwin’s expression turned to one of disbelief.

I spoke to him calmly.

“You’re unemployed anyway, right?”

“What? How dare you say that to me…”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?”

“That… that’s true…”

Admitting the truth was a disadvantage for him in this situation.

He couldn’t even put up a front, and his face twisted in frustration.

I smiled and continued.

“Isn’t it boring to have no work and no connections in a place where you have no roots? Working and meeting new people makes life more interesting.”

He was in a foreign country, far from his hometown, solely to find a cure.

Naturally, he had no connections here.

Even back home, he wouldn’t have many people welcoming him, given his background as an executioner.

In such a place, I was a valuable acquaintance.

He probably hadn’t met many people who treated him without prejudice.

Because it was me saying it, Godwin seemed a bit swayed.

“Hmm, I don’t know…”

“Think whatever you want, but I don’t think it’s a bad offer.”

“What is it? Tell me more. Is it physical work?”

“I can tailor it to your preference. If you want an office job, I can arrange that too…”

“I don’t want that.”

Godwin spoke firmly.

He would rather stay unemployed than do a desk job.

He was definitely a man suited for physical labor.

“Alright, alright. I’ll let you do as much physical work as you want. How about it?”

“Hmm.”

Godwin pondered seriously.

He must have been quite bored.

“So how many people are there?”

“Two.”

“Two?”

“Yeah, two.”

“Are you really a noble? Are you a fraud?”

“Hey, I’m a legitimate noble with a pedigree. Don’t doubt it.”

“…”

“Have you never seen a noble before? Why don’t you believe a legitimate noble like me?”

“Hmm. Alright, fine. I’ll accept on one condition.”

“Speak.”

“If I don’t like it, I can quit anytime.”

“Deal.”

“Alright, good… Huh?”

Godwin’s eyes widened, thinking it would take longer to make a decision.

It was a condition that wouldn’t work for most employers.

But I was different.

If he wanted to quit, it meant keeping him wouldn’t be meaningful anyway.

What I needed was a willing Godwin, not an unwilling one.

“Is that settled then?”

I asked again.

“Hmm… yeah, I guess.”

Godwin blinked his large eyes and answered.

Getting his agreement was a win.

The fact that he didn’t even ask about the pay showed he wasn’t an ordinary man.

It meant he wasn’t lacking money but was rather bored.

“You made a good decision. So, starting tomorrow…”

“Today.”

“Huh?”

“Starting today.”

“…”

He must have been really bored.

“Alright, let’s go.”

With that, I headed to the hideout with Godwin.

* * *

“What did you think?”

On the way back after eating skewers to their fill, Liss asked her maid, Sana.

“It didn’t seem like they were just being polite.”

Sana answered with her impression.

And Liss felt the same way.

“Indeed… if it was all made up, they would be professional con artists.”

Their expressions and words were sincere.

Even if there was some politeness mixed in, it was only a small part.

It meant that Max was genuinely well-regarded by them.

Which made it even more confusing and hard to believe.

Because her brother was definitely not that kind of person.

“You seem confused.”

Sana said.

“Yes. It’s all just so strange.”

Strange.

That was the perfect word.

They were truly strange people.

So she needed to verify with someone else.

Someone unquestionably reliable.

Such a person would be…

“Sana.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“I think… I need to meet my sister-in-law. Please contact her as soon as possible.”

In the end, Liss decided to meet Regina, even if it meant facing embarrassment.

Central Plaza.

A high-end dessert restaurant located there.

With a wide variety of desserts ranging from sweet to refreshing and tangy, it was particularly popular among young women.

It also had several private rooms, making it a beloved spot for dates.

Liss Celtrine was sitting in one of those private rooms.

She was more nervous than usual, which was unlike her.

It was understandable.

The person she was meeting was her sister-in-law, who had suffered a lot because of her foolish brother.

“Relax, Miss.”

Sana, her maid, gently massaged Liss’s shoulders from behind.

“How can I? I’m so nervous it’s making me feel sick…”

Liss’s voice trembled as she spoke.

She was seriously regretting setting up this meeting.

What was she thinking, asking to meet her sister-in-law, who must be furious because of her idiot brother?

‘No, no.’

Liss bit her lip and steadied herself.

This was the perfect opportunity to find out the truth about that man.

Moreover, her sister-in-law was the student council president.

There was probably no one who knew her brother’s academy life better than her sister-in-law.

‘Okay.’

Just as Liss clenched her fist, the door to the room finally opened, and the awaited person entered.

Click, click.

Footsteps that were neither heavy nor light.

A school uniform like any other student’s.

Liss’s eyes were naturally drawn to her sister-in-law in her uniform.

Tall and well-proportioned, every line of her body was flawless.

Like a finely honed blade.

How much effort must it take to have a body like that?

Admiration and curiosity filled Liss’s mind.

Tap.

Sana gently nudged her from behind.

Only then did Liss come to her senses and hurriedly stood up.

“It’s been a long time, Sister-in-law. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet on such short notice.”

“Not at all. It’s good to see you, Miss.”

After exchanging brief greetings, they sat down.

Liss awkwardly glanced around, struggling to find the right words.

Regina spoke first.

“Of course, this isn’t just a social call. Go ahead and say what you need to, Miss.”

‘Wow, she’s straightforward.’

Liss’s eyes wavered.

She had planned to ease into the conversation with some small talk to break the ice, but now she had no choice but to get straight to the point.

“Ahaha… Shall I?”

Liss laughed awkwardly and fidgeted with her fingers.

“…Sana, could you leave us for a moment?”

“Yes, Miss.”

Sana bowed politely and left the room.

Now it was just Liss and her intimidating sister-in-law.

She could feel sweat trickling down her forehead.

But.

“Ahem.”

Liss cleared her throat and steadied her mind.

She wasn’t the one who had done anything wrong—it was her damned brother.

So she had nothing to be ashamed of.

She wasn’t guilty of anything.

“It’s about my brother…”

Liss met Regina’s gaze and continued.

“I wanted to ask you about him.”

She spoke with a trembling heart.

She expected Regina’s face to show some unpleasant emotion at the mention of her brother.

She had prepared herself for that.

But.

It was strange.

‘…She’s completely unfazed.’

Regina’s expression was as calm as it had been from the start.

Utterly composed.

No matter how strong her mental fortitude, how could she be so unaffected…?

It was almost inhuman.

Liss’s mind was in turmoil.

“You’re not worried about him, are you?”

“What?”

Liss was taken aback by Regina’s sudden question.

It was a statement with an unclear intention.

But.

It was nothing compared to what came next.

“You don’t like him, do you?”

Boom!

Liss’s mind went blank.

…How did she know that?

Could it be that her brother had told her?

But he wasn’t the type to talk about such things…

Then how…?

“I figured as much. It was a bit obvious.”

…Was that it?

It was obvious?

Liss had never shown any such feelings in front of her sister-in-law.

Ugh, how sharp is she?

“Well… yes, I don’t like him. Is that strange?”

Liss, who was flustered, decided to be straightforward.

Unless they were madly in love, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

“No, not at all. It wouldn’t be strange to feel like killing him.”

“Wha…?”

An odd sound escaped Liss’s mouth.

No, no, that’s not right!

If you can read that, it’s scary and makes me want to run away!

What are you, Sister-in-law?

A ghost?

“Just kidding.”

“I… uh… ugh… ugh.”

Liss barely stopped herself from swearing out loud by covering her mouth with both hands.

Her head was spinning.

She felt completely outmatched.

She had dealt with many people, but never someone this difficult.

…A humbling opponent.

“I understand what you want to know, but there’s no real problem. Not with him now.”

Regina said as she took a delicate bite of the milk shaved ice she had ordered earlier.

“What…?”

What is she talking about…?

No problem?

No problem?

Max Celtrine?

It was the kind of statement that made Liss want to flip the fruit sherbet in front of her.

But the problem was…

That the statement came from her sister-in-law.

Someone who had suffered and had a lot of grievances against her brother.

Considering her sister-in-law’s personality, it made the statement even more credible.

But Liss’s brain couldn’t accept it.

“Wait, wait… wait a minute!”

Liss bit into the cold sherbet, trying to calm her bewildered mind.

Her head finally cleared a bit.

Liss forced an unnatural smile and spoke.

“Haha, I see. That was a joke too, right?”

Hoping for the expected answer.

But what she heard was…

“Not at all.”

Boom!

Liss’s brain froze again.