TMSTGH 08

Chapter 8

The following day, at noon.

I stared at the sign above Lumiere Dessert & Tea Salon and thought to myself.

I still can’t believe it. Rashak is actually the owner of this place…

Just look at the lace curtains and all the adorable little decorations behind those windows.

Go ahead and stop a passerby to ask them. Who in their right mind would believe this place was a den for an underworld organization?

But even if this place is strange, it’s the best option I have.

I clenched my fists tightly.

Just thinking about what had happened yesterday still made my blood boil.

Working for the Count of Brent’s household.

Working for Renoa and Allen, the two people who had betrayed me, treating them as my masters while watching them live happily together right before my eyes…

And having to work to support their household.

If that was the kind of hell I had to endure—

“I’d much rather work in the underworld.”

And I would earn money, no matter what.

I wouldn’t let them control my life any longer under the guise of concern.

Just as I thought, All right, let’s go in! and reached for the door handle—

Jingle!

The door of the general store next door opened.

Rashak, who had just stepped outside, spoke.

“Hmm? Miss Caveron. Did you come to see me?”

“…Why are you coming out of there?”

“Because it’s my shop?”

“Y-yours, too?”

I looked up at the sign above the shop he’d just exited. It read Uncle David’s General Store.

“Of course, all the paperwork is under other people’s names. And if something goes wrong, I need people who can take the fall for me.”

People who can take the fall for you…?

Just then, the employees of the clothing store across the street bowed respectfully to Rashak.

“…Don’t tell me that clothing store belongs to you, too?”

Rashak smiled and pointed toward Lumiere Salon.

“Starting here.”

Then his index finger moved slowly along the street.

All the way to the high-end restaurant at the far end of the road.

“Over there.”

For a moment, I was completely dumbfounded.

I’d heard stories of people walking into a clothing store and saying, I’ll take everything from here to there.

But the fact that this man owned practically the entire shopping district?

“Come with me.”

I quietly followed him.

We arrived at the very same high-end restaurant that marked the end of his little tour.

Even nobles had trouble getting reservations there, but Rashak strode straight through it as though he were walking into his own living room.

No, actually, it was his place.

“Come in. Sit over there.”

He led me into an absurdly lavish private room, and I cautiously perched on the edge of a chair.

After giving the staff a few brief instructions, Rashak sat across from me and spoke.

“So, have you made your decision?”

I thought it over one last time before answering firmly.

“I’ll work for you, Boss.”

He didn’t bother hiding his smile.

“If we sign the contract, you’ll work as my secretary, Miss Caveron. Wherever I go, you’ll have to stay by my side.”

“Yes. That’s fine with me, too.”

“As I mentioned before, your annual salary will be one hundred million Rupen. There’ll be additional rewards depending on your performance. Your working hours will also be flexible.”

“But I’ll definitely receive compensatory leave for overtime. Correct?”

“You remember that well.”

I nodded before adding something else.

“There’s… something I’ve decided I want to accomplish since yesterday.”

“A goal that came about after a conversation with your unfaithful ex-lover? Now I’m curious. Should I be nervous?”

“I will never, under any circumstances, return to the Brent household.”

I would never accept Allen Brent’s help.

The same went for Renoa and my parents.

“So… I’ll work as hard as I possibly can. I look forward to working with you.”

Around then, the employee returned.

He was carrying an envelope containing documents. With a hand gesture that was almost elegant, Rashak took out the contract.

Even the feather attached to the pen he’d given me was more elaborate than the one Count Brent had used.

I read the contract carefully, signed it, and finally put down the pen.

“All right, shall we go now?”

“…What?”

“You signed the contract, didn’t you?”

He was expecting me to start working the very moment I finished signing.

I froze in bewilderment.

It was like being a high school student who showed up for the first day of school only to be informed, You have mandatory evening study sessions today.

“Hurry up and follow me. I’m busy.”

But Rashak didn’t even give me time to complain. I had no choice but to scramble to my feet.

The moment I climbed into the carriage, an unfamiliar man greeted me.

“Hello, Miss Caveron. I’m Pierce Lapin. As fellow secretaries, let’s do our best together.”

“I’m Hiel Caveron… It’s a pleasure to meet you…”

Mr. Pierce, my senior colleague, smiled warmly.

He had the sort of appearance I’d associate with a pharmacist who was especially friendly with elderly customers.

How on earth did someone like him end up in the underworld?

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you accepted the offer. We’ve been terribly busy lately. Just the other day, we had another incident…”

I could only nod along as Mr. Pierce continued talking.

Not because I found it interesting…

But because I simply couldn’t find an opportunity to interrupt him.

I was already shy around strangers, and having to listen to someone chatter away from the very first meeting drained my energy at an alarming rate.

Eventually, we arrived at—

“The Sterling Trading Company?”

“Oh, you know this place? Did you work here before?”

“No. They were a business partner of my previous employer. But why are we…”

“It’s nothing major. Sterling was up to some shady business and got caught. We’re here to teach them a little discipline.”

Shady business. Teach them discipline.

Those words sent a chill down the back of my neck. As a professional coward, I silently followed behind Pierce and Rashak.

The moment we entered a certain room, I couldn’t help but grow even more unsettled.

It was packed with huge, intimidating men.

Then a whole crowd of equally burly men from Rashak’s side—or, well, our side, I supposed—filed in behind me.

What is this?

Why does this feel like a scene straight out of a gangster movie?

“Look at the great Boss of the Barsen Organization, dragging a bunch of brats along with him. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

The man sitting on the opposite sofa sneered at Rashak.

He looked exactly like someone who belonged in a gangster movie, too. After all, he had a deep scar above his left eye.

Rashak shrugged.

“Do we look like a lot to you? I suppose we would, considering your level.”

“Hah. My level?”

“The Barsen Organization always has more than enough manpower. You lot, on the other hand, seem to have overdone it. What, did you even drag your chimney sweep along?”

“What the hell did you just say, you bastard?”

“You all look utterly pathetic. And you brought these guys here thinking they’re your elite forces?”

Rashak chuckled before adding,

“Oh, right. I suppose it’s hard to see properly after I gouged out one of your eyes.”

Oh, my goodness.

Could someone please send me home?

“Miss Caveron?”

“Th-that… um…”

Mr. Pierce spoke to me as I stood there, terrified.

“Oh, you’re frightened. It’s all right. If a fight breaks out, I’ll move you somewhere safe.”

That means there’s a chance a fight will break out…!

“You know that underworld organizations often provide protection for trading companies, don’t you?”

I glanced around nervously before nodding.

Large trading companies sometimes had their own security forces, but smaller and medium-sized businesses like Sterling couldn’t always afford to maintain one. As a result, they sometimes signed contracts with underworld organizations.

Under these arrangements, the organization typically handled warehouse security, escorting shipments, and similar tasks in exchange for payment.

But I’d also heard that sometimes the organizations ended up swallowing the very businesses they were supposed to protect.

“That one-eyed man is the fellow who provides protection for Sterling.”

“And the person standing right beside him…?”

“Kevin Sterling. He’s the head of the Sterling Trading Company.”

Kevin Sterling was a young man with a youthful face. He trembled as his eyes darted around the room.

Rashak, however, showed not the slightest hint of sympathy.

He gestured with his chin and spoke flatly.

“Pierce. Bring it over.”

A little while later, Pierce placed something on the table.

It was a wooden box that looked fairly heavy.

When he opened the lid, I saw six bottles of liquor neatly arranged inside.

Each bottle bore the emblem of the Bellen Trading Company, a business famous for producing high-quality liquor.

And Sterling, the company we were visiting now, was known for its own liquor, too.

The hostile atmosphere.

Two trading companies famous for their liquor.

Shady business.

Teaching someone a lesson.

Could it be…?

“Is that Bellen liquor… counterfeit?”

At my question, Pierce’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“I was thinking about the possible situations that could have caused trouble…”

“That’s right. It’s counterfeit liquor.”

Pierce nodded.

“It bears Bellen’s trademark, but it wasn’t produced by Bellen. For your information, the Barsen Organization provides protection for the Bellen Trading Company.”

“And you’re suspecting that the people behind the counterfeit liquor…”

“Are Sterling. More specifically, that man over there. As you may have heard, our boss gouged out his eye. They certainly have a serious grudge against each other.”

Now I understood why the atmosphere was so hostile.

Counterfeit liquor was a serious problem.

Damage to Bellen’s reputation? Yes, that was certainly a problem.

But what if someone died after drinking the counterfeit liquor?

Then things would become much more serious.

People who made counterfeit liquor often mixed all sorts of things into it to make people get drunk faster.

Even though law enforcement in the capital was rather lax, if someone died after drinking liquor, the guards would have no choice but to investigate.

And if that investigation traced the counterfeit liquor back to Bellen and then to the Barsen Organization, both could suffer serious consequences.

In short, this counterfeit liquor is an attack on the Barsen Organization.

Rashak gestured toward the one-eyed man with his chin.

“Try it.”

“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You don’t even want to touch it? Do you already know what’s inside?”

The one-eyed man’s brow furrowed sharply. He took the bottle from one of his subordinates, his expression growing even more displeased.

“What the hell is this rancid smell? How could anyone drink this crap?”

“Exactly. You mixed in something that makes it undrinkable. Thanks to that, we caught on before the stuff could be distributed properly.”

“…”

“It was such a stupid scheme that I could guess who was behind it almost immediately.”

Rashak spoke in an even, emotionless voice.

“Since you didn’t succeed, I’ll spare your life. However, take your men and leave the capital. And hand over Sterling, too.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you have proof?”

“It’s always the same with criminals when they’re backed into a corner.”

“Show me the proof, you bastard!”

A tension as sharp as a blade began to fill the room.

But I genuinely did not want a fight to break out.

For starters, I was unarmed. Nobody had even warned me about what I was walking into!

There was no other choice.

I approached Mr. Pierce and whispered quietly.

“Um, excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt when things are so tense, but…”

“Yes, Miss Caveron?”

“Please, just call me Hiel. I think I… might know something…”

“Pardon?”

“If we look at the warehouse…”

That was when Pierce suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Everyone, just a moment! Hiel has something to say!”

Naturally, every pair of eyes in the room turned toward me.

Y-you absolute lunatic—AAAAAAAH!!!