Chapter 32

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Chapter 32 – A Way To Get Close To (3)

Gold and silver treasures were shining brightly in the intense light and formed a mountain.

“If there is not enough space in the cart, give up on cash. You don’t have enough time to work, so move right away.”

After the firm order was given, Rot and other workers hurriedly rushed to the gold and silver treasure. The work that went on wordlessly lasted about four hours. There was a time when the hand of a worker who was sneaking some precious metal into his bosom was cut off, but other than that, there was no disturbance. Work went smoothly, and when the evacuation order was given, the wagons driven by the workers were full. After exiting the mountain, they were divided into four groups according to the number of hooded people. Rot and two other workers were led under the guidance of one.

They spent time outside Vetern until the day when the sun was bright. The movement resumed after being joined by five men in leather armor.

‘Mercenaries…?’

Unlike the men in hoods, they were all showing their faces. While Rot was observing the new people, the men surrounded the cart. It looked like mercenaries escorting products of a guild. In fact, when passing through the walls of Vetern, the man wearing a hood named a guild that Rot had never heard of before. After completing the checkpoint and entering Vetern, the remaining work was quickly completed. Arriving at the mansion located on the outskirts, all they had to do was move the cargo to the basement, so they didn’t have to drag it for long.

After moving all the wooden boxes of gold and silver treasures, Rot looked around. Those who arrived before him gathered together on one side of the basement.

‘The money for who…’

There was no one there who didn’t know what they were doing today. The cave they visited at dawn must have been a treasure trove of a certain nobleman. And they just robbed it.

Wouldn’t it be worth paying a risk payment for this kind of work? His heart raced as he thought of the portion that would fall into his hands. He might receive a larger sum of money than he had ever touched before. That was exactly what Rot wanted. He knew that if he was any greedier, he would end up lying next to the corpses he had seen in front of the cliff. The workers, including Rot, knew their role well. It was not uncommon for those associated with nobles to disappear without a word, and Rot did not want to be like them. Even if he wasn’t smart, he had at least a little bit of wisdom. While everyone was thinking the same thing and glancing at the treasure, a woman appeared holding a sack.

It was a woman whose face was covered with a veil.

“You are here.”

“Yeah, great job.”

The man who had led the workers bowed his head. That alone explained everything about the woman. It was unexpected that the client appeared in person. But it wasn’t as surprising as the words that followed immediately.

“What you have stolen today is Count Belleniof’s slush fund.”

The gasps echoed all over the place. Count Belleniof was the treasury minister of the Emperor, and he was a loyalist with a high reputation within the Empire. When they realized they were involved in something bigger and more dangerous than they had thought, they began to tremble.

“If this leaks out, your necks won’t stay in place. Everyone, be careful with your mouth, and I believe no one will spill words stupidly while drinking. I don’t want to clean you up with my own hands.”

But their fears were quickly diluted. It was because the woman who had finished the eerie warning threw the sack she had brought forward.

“Take as much as you can fit in the sack.”

No one made a sound. Even if they only took the gold coins shining on one side, they could have lived a lifetime in comfort, but among the widely spread gold and silver treasures, there were expensive ornaments. Meanwhile, the woman did not limit the kinds of things that the workers could take.

“I think I will need to ask you to do the same thing a couple more times in the future, so you’d better wait without taking any other jobs for the time being. Those who will give you stolen goods will meet you separately when you leave the mansion, so don’t move hastily.”

‘You’re going to introduce someone to dispose of stolen goods?’ It was permission to pick up jewelry with diamonds attached to it. To say that while throwing a sack big enough to carry a human head…!

For a moment, even though they were frozen in shock, as soon as the woman turned around, those who came to their senses rushed towards the treasure.

Even though more than ten people filled the sacks they had been given, there were still so many treasures left in the basement that they formed a small mountain.

Count Belleniof had amassed enormous wealth through various minerals over four generations. They were the biggest financial line of the Emperor, and the favor the family was rewarded with was more than enough to pierce the sky. However, the overflowing amount of gold and silver treasures did not protect the family’s lives.

When Cesar took Vetern, only the Count of the Belleniof household survived.

–Survivors will not be tolerated.

Even though she couldn’t hear it directly, Evelyn was able to clearly portray Cesar’s resolute voice. He killed Count Belleniof’s two sons and granddaughter, as well as the eldest daughter and her children, who had already been married.

It was only natural for Count Belleniof to dream of revenge.

Fleeing Vetern, he headed east. He joined the local Lords that were most hostile toward Cesar. The eastern part of Hereos was the home of the Empress Dowager, who had died when the rebellion broke out. At the same time, it was also the territory of those in power who participated in the fall of the Duke of Arangis in the past. It was the home of those who could never compromise with Cesar.

In the original story, the first area where the war broke out was in the East. Count Belleniof, who began preparing for war there, made full use of his strengths.

However, how can a nation’s war be supported by personal property? War is a swamp that sucks money. The perpetrator’s enormous financial resources that he could not even imagine ran out.

This was the reason Count Belleniof used his slush fund near Vetern.

“It should have been discovered while moving the funds, but…”

In the original work, Cesar detected the Count’s movement as he tried to retrieve his secret funds. The gold and silver treasures hidden in that cave were supposed to have been Cesar’s. But now the treasure that was there was moved to the basement of the mansion where Evelyn was staying. She was going to continue to raise funds by robbing the secret safes of the nobles. It was enough to steal a couple of treasure troves that Cesar will secure later.

“I didn’t hear what you said. Can you tell me again?”

While she leaned against the sofa tapping the back of her hand, Evelyn’s gaze turned to the front. Unlike the beginning, Liam, who started to put on a pretty cool smile, was sitting there. He had started disposing of the stolen goods taken by the workers two days ago and immediately sent a call to Evelyn.

In a way, the servile letter with a polite tone and low attitude as if being considerate of her feelings was quite amusing. That was why Evelyn allowed him to visit. From then on, Evelyn will happily accept Liam’s request whenever he lowers himself for her. To maintain an advantage over him.

“I’m talking to myself.”

Lightly cutting off Liam’s question, Evelyn continued speaking with a slightly refreshed voice.

“What brought you here today?”

“…I thought you would know.”

“It’s not like I can see everything. I just see more than others.”

It was obviously a lie, but it couldn’t be called a complete lie. In this way, where truth and lies are cleverly mixed, Liam couldn’t dismiss Evelyn as a mere fraud.

“Look at how impatiently he came to me.’ He was unsure of Evelyn’s identity.

“Do you mean you didn’t see what happened today?”

“It means there was nothing important enough for me to see.”

Liam’s eyebrows twitched at the languid answer. The smile on Evelyn’s lips then slowly disappeared.

“I.”

Straightening her relaxed posture, she said,

“Are you asking about business?”

By now, Liam must have been imagining brutally killing Evelyn in his mind. If it is insignificant, it can show the lower and upper hand in this relationship. It must have been quite a serious injury to his pride. But he wasn’t immature enough to show his mind carelessly.

“Are you going to complain that it’s hard to deal with stolen goods?”

“…No.”

Denying Evelyn’s suggestion, Liam smiled as brightly as before.

“I came to you intending to borrow wisdom.”

“What do you need?”

“It’s because of Razimall.”

“Aha, the second daughter of your family.”

Liam agreed meekly.

“It’s not easy for me right now… Is there any other way?”

Since he didn’t have the strength to touch the second daughter’s assassins in Razimall, was there any other way to strike her?

Evelyn’s expression softened. It wasn’t clear whether Liam really had come to believe in Evelyn’s foresight. But it was clear that at least he was convinced she was something. Wasn’t he asking for information and showing confidence in that information? It may not be the best result, but it was good enough.

“If yes, there is, if not, there is no…”

It wasn’t difficult to find information to hand over from the original. Still, Evelyn pretended to be in trouble and closed her eyes.

“Mmh…”

There was silence for a long time, long enough for Liam to be anxious.

Even if he paid the price correctly, she didn’t have to tell him everything she knew. Because that made it easier for her to deal with Liam. He must struggle with her to ensure future safety. Will Liam, who recognizes Evelyn’s usefulness, stand by her if she only showed that she was swayed by money? Neither Cesar nor Liam are moved by the blood of others. They wouldn’t hesitate to cut off their limbs and imprison someone to take out only what they want. But what if Evelyn is swayed by her emotions and behaves arrogantly, giving out important information only when she’s in a good mood?

Liam must realize that suppressing her by force was useless. Furthermore, he must realize that such control was no different from cutting the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs. Once such a perception was instilled, Liam had no choice but to maintain a cautious attitude when dealing with Evelyn.

Even if she had money, he couldn’t get anything when she was in a bad mood, so he would keep an eye on her and try to please her. After being proven useful, Liam’s attitude will ensure Evelyn’s safety.

‘You shouldn’t forget. Cesar and Liam are cruel characters.’

Worthless Evelyn was easy prey for them. She had no desire to die or be taken advantage of, locked up somewhere, so she had to prepare a safety net.

“Wha…”

Evelyn didn’t open her eyes until Liam’s anxiety had almost hit the sky.

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