Chapter 172

Before recapturing Elte Trading Company (1)

? I remember it from probably more than a year ago.

It was a day with unpleasant rain pouring down continuously.

The words he heard back then often still linger in Lortel’s mind.

– ‘Did you say that power gained through betrayal ultimately falls through betrayal? Even though I was so brave and guarded, it doesn’t make any difference to me.’

Elte, the Golden King, who was bound and sitting in the carriage heading to the imperial palace, glared at Lortel through the wooden bars.

There was even a chill in his appearance mixed with a fishy smile.

– ‘Look at me, do I think I’m funny?’

His always luxurious robe was covered in dust and torn here and there, and his heavy beard and mustache were soaked in blood.

The sight of him sitting on the floor of a dirty carriage, drenched in the rain... was too ugly to be considered the words of a colossus who once commanded the continent.

As soon as the convoy departed, Elte Kecheln looked directly at Lortel and spoke.

– ‘You’d better not laugh. Look straight ahead.’

I expected him to curse and verbally abuse me, but surprisingly, he spoke calmly while looking at Lortel.

As he lifted his arms, a mass of rags was revealed that were so worn, torn, and dirty that they could no longer be called the clothes of a colossus.

He spoke to Lortel with a dark smile in the back compartment of the convoy carriage, which was so narrow that he couldn’t even spread his arms out.

– ‘It’s your future.’

As Lortel watched the carriage moving away, he felt strangely uneasy.

Those who thrive on betrayal will ultimately end in betrayal.

From phrases in temples to sayings among merchants. It was a phrase you could find similar phrases wherever you went.

The weapon of betrayal is a magic sword that, once in your hand, sticks to you and leaves a curse until you die.

Once someone is labeled a traitor, no one will trust them.

It is possible to continue a relationship out of necessity or understanding.

However, no one wants to work on a once-in-a-lifetime project with someone who has a history of betrayal, or build a relationship of trust that goes beyond interests.

If you gain power through betrayal, you must live in solitude until the day that power is usurped.

The moment I let down my guard and lose my mind, the blade of betrayal that was held in my hand a long time ago will pass into the hand of someone else and pierce my chest.

If you already have that prohibited weapon in your hand, there is no way to escape now.

This goes without saying, especially in the world of commerce where trust and credit are worth thousands of dollars.

As we head toward a predestined catastrophe, we struggle to hold on for just one more day... and when the time comes, we will have no choice but to face death humbly.

Until that final moment, no one will believe in Lortel Kecheln.

At least in the world of merchants, that was always the end of someone who ascended to the throne through betrayal.

pouring rain.

Lortel Kecheln narrowed his eyes as he watched the convoy leaving.

For someone who was always smiling like a snarky serpent, she had a very serious face.

*

“Why is the mood like this?”

I asked the same question once more, but this time the target was different.

A clean and beautiful private villa in Lortel. Lortel, who changed his clothes and sat down in the rocking chair next to the fireplace, looked at Belle who was standing quietly next to him and asked him straight.

“Why are Senior Ed and Senior Yenika acting cautious and reserved with each other like newlyweds who have just had a one-night stand?”

“...”

“And Mr. Bell, why can’t you make eye contact with my question?”

Lortel’s question is sharp. Belle’s brain was working full force while shedding a cold sweat.

I have experienced all kinds of crises while working at Ofilis Hall, but this is the first time I have been cornered like this.

I tried everything I could to find a way to alleviate the situation, but of course there was no solution.

So in the end, there is only one option for Belle to choose from. All it does is convey the facts as they are without any addition or subtraction.

“Lady Jenica and Master Ed kissed.”

One-line summary success.

I only uttered one sentence, but Belle almost lost her breath. When I saw Lortel’s expression with such difficulty raising his eyes, I felt surprisingly relaxed.

“...”

No, it was frozen.

“Are you embarrassed?”

“...little bit?”

“You should be embarrassed.”

“No. Actually, when I think about it again, it’s not something to be embarrassed about. I was the one who put the clothes on first in the first place.”

“...Yes? Have you two ever kissed?”

When Belle asked in surprise, Lortel swallowed in vain.

“...I made a mistake.”

“...It’s okay. I have a heavy mouth.”

“No, it’s not something to hide in the first place. If possible, it might be better to reveal it to the world.”

Lortel, wearing skirt-shaped pajamas and braiding her hair on one side, looks different from usual. She looks more like a girl than a cool-headed merchant.

Unlike the Ofilis Hall, where you must maintain your dignity at all times, or the Elte Company, where you must maintain your cool as a merchant... it is okay to be as comfortable as you want in Lortel’s private villa.

This was better and more comfortable than expected, so Lortel was secretly excited even before returning to school. Even though we have accumulated so much wealth, there are not as many environments as we think where we can put the burden on our shoulders and rest comfortably.

“You’re going around exposing it to the world?”

“Yes, that’s right... I was the first person to kiss Ed-senpai... By making such a fuss, I guess I’m making it a fait accompli...” “

...”

“...”

“...”

“... “Of course, that’s not right. I also have a thing called shame.”

Although she goes around looking sly and fox-like, Lortel is still a girl of that age.

I can’t be the type of person who proudly boasts about who I kissed. Anyway, in terms of dating, it’s not even that much better than Yenika. Rather, it is closer to nonsense.

“Ugh....”

I had dreamed of a life at the camp full of bumps and bumps, bumping into Ed whenever I could, but seeing Yenika with a pink aura blooming as soon as I got here didn’t make me feel very good.

The conflict with Yenika was something I had prepared for to some extent. Still, the situation is more troublesome than expected.

Lortel pressed his pounding head and sighed.

“After taking care of the backlog at Old Deck and squeezing out some of the pus, Aken Island is moving completely differently than I expected. There is not a single day where I feel relieved.”

“That... Lady Lortel.”

“...why?”

“Are you planning on using any other techniques?”

Bell asks a question that is quite personal. In fact, the more skilled a maid is, the better she is at drawing a line between herself and her employer and never going beyond that... Belle had an expression that made her look desperate for something.

In fact, Bell had already expected it. As for the messed-up heterosexual relationship around Ed Ross Taylor, he has already given up on stopping traffic.

Whether it was three gold coins or a billion dollars, his eyes were somber. He looks at Lortel and seems like he might say hello to Lortel.

He is a person who is completely out of sync with Lortel’s worldview.

Until he left the cold streets of Oldeck and came to Aken Island, where Sylvania is located.

I have met many people, but among them, He could be said to be the most unusual human being.

What is trust that can be given and received without anything in return? How much do you have to pay to buy something with money?

How valuable is the mutual trust that can be gained by not paying money to buy something?

“Ed. There are quite a few people like you.”

“...”

Human beings are truly sad creatures. They are designed to crave more of what they cannot have.

That is why, for Lortel, communicating with Ed means holding an expensive glass work in hand. It’s as nerve-wracking as walking.

If they go astray and their relationship diverges, the relationship between Ed and Lortel will be defined by the logic of self-interest... it will become a transactional relationship.

However, if you just give it away without any interest, it will end up being nothing more or less than a relationship maintained by money.

Maintaining that sense of balance is a suffocating and nerve-racking task even for Lortel, who has trained his management skills on all kinds of commercial fronts.

I’m afraid that my mutual trust with Ed will disappear if I make even the slightest mistake, whether it goes one way or the other.

fear.

Yes. The name of that emotion is fear.

It feels like I’m clutching a handful of sand in my fist. It feels like if I let my guard down even a little, it will slip through my fingers and turn into dust and disappear.

If you open your fist too late, there will be nothing left there. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of that.

“Actually, these days, I’m feeling all kinds of emotions that I’ve never felt in my entire life.”

“Oh my. You must have been in a lot of trouble.”

“No, it’s not hard. Rather, fun might be an appropriate way to describe it.”

Sense of loss, jealousy, desire for exclusivity, love, fear, joy, excitement, tension, anxiety, sense of accomplishment, relief.

It feels like pouring lubricant into my heart, which has hardened like a cold machine while living in the soggy world of commerce.

I have lived my entire life as a merchant, building walls and drawing lines with anyone I meet, and observing the other person’s movements from the outside.

To Lortel, these arrogant thoughts and feelings are rather special. It feels like someone who has lived blind for a long time sees the world in full color again after decades.

I think of the boy sharpening his bow over the campfire rather than the business representative across the negotiating table.

Rather than looking for toxic clauses in the contract or thinking about how much our profits will drop... I think about what the boy is thinking, what his worries are, what he ate today, what appointment he will make tomorrow, etc.

The sound of the crackling fireplace tickled his ears, like the sound of a camp fire, and warmed Lortel’s body.

Seeing Lortel slowly closing his eyes and resting peacefully, Belle quietly closed her eyes without saying another word.

If we say that every moment of pushing and pulling with Ed is a precious time for Lortel, then that would also be valuable.

In the first place, that value judgment was not made by Bell. A maid’s job is only to do housework and assist with daily living.

With that in mind, Bell busily prepared to leave work.

*

“By the way, I received food supplies from Elte Trading Company... but the unit price has increased significantly. From now on, I think I will have to reduce the order quantity to match the delivery unit price or apply to the academic headquarters for an increase in the budget.”

“Oh, well... that’s how it happened. For some reason, the prices around Aken Island are rising.”

“I see... I was really surprised when I checked the price list this morning. The Ofilis Museum will also take action as soon as possible, so could you maintain the distribution for the time being? The poor quality of the meals is due to the Opilis Museum’s operating policy. “Because this is an unacceptable issue...” Let

’s talk about the matter as briefly as possible.

To begin with, Lortel, who is in a private villa, is in a position to rest. Bell is not tactless enough to want to discuss logistics and distribution at an event like this.

After completing all basic tasks, Belle opened the door and went out to return to Ofilis Hall.

Just before saying goodbye, I was planning to finish my business by sneakily mentioning work.

“Hmm... I expected that the price of grocery delivery would rise... but was it really that burdensome?”

“I thought you were aware of it because Lady Lortel’s approval was included in the price list document.”

“Because I was away. During my absence, Dune, the action agent for our commercial association, is taking charge of the Sylvania branch’s work area. Approval is probably also handled by Dune.”

Lortel spoke, tilting his head as he pulled on the fluttering collar of his pajamas.

“However, I was expecting a rise in prices, but I didn’t know it would be to that extent. I’ll have to check it myself tomorrow. I wonder if there’s any data left in the file room of the Chamber of Commerce branch.”

“It was probably finalized yesterday or today, so it will probably remain.”

“Okay, I’ll maintain the distribution volume itself. Ofilis is a good customer, so we should accommodate that level of convenience. From the looks of it, the distribution volume is so large that it doesn’t look like there will be a loss.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

So Belle politely greeted Lortel. I thought it would be enough to end the work conversation here.

“Oh, that’s right, Mr. Bell. Next time you come, please bring me some wine. The kind I personally kept in my room when I was at the Ofilis Building.”

“There’s no problem bringing it, but... can you keep it?”

“I personally gave instructions to build a small wine cellar in the basement of the villa. I haven’t confirmed it yet...” ”

I haven’t received the key to the basement yet. Work on the basement was recently completed and I haven’t even cleaned it properly yet. “I left it there.”

“I see. That’s a bit unfortunate. Next time, please get the keys and clean up after me.”

“All right.”

After receiving Lortel’s greeting, I closed the door and left the villa. Lortel’s villa, which was built quite neatly and nicely, looked attractive even late at night.

When I look at the other side, I can see Ed’s camp a little far away. Although it was already midnight, the bonfire was still burning.

When I got a little closer, I saw a blond boy sitting around the campfire. He had not yet gone to sleep, but was quietly looking at the fire and smelling the scent of the grass in the forest.

The boy sat alone in the middle of the forest, filled with only the sound of rustling leaves.

“Are you not sleeping?”

Belle gathered her belongings and glanced at Ed as she crossed the camp.

Ed was sharpening his bow with a dagger. Sure enough, he was working.

“...”

“Don’t make that face. It doesn’t take that much effort to refine the equipment. It’s perfect for rehabilitation exercise.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“...”

Bell already knew from experience. Ed is not a person who will be stopped just because he is stopped.

However, Bell’s concerns went in a slightly different direction.

Watching Lortel, who attaches deep meaning to his relationship with Ed and feels at peace with that connection itself... my feelings become complicated.

Whether it’s Lortel, Yenica, or Lucy, they all have a part of them that leans on Ed in their own way.

However, Ed’s body and mind are all one. Why can’t humans be divided into three? God is also truly cruel.

Feeling complicated, Belle sat across from Ed for a moment.

“...Why are you looking so tired? Well... If I have some time, I can refine my bow... I won’t overdo it, so don’t worry...” “It’s

not like that. It’s just...”

Belle sat down somewhat and looked at Ed for a long time with a pained face.

“Do you know how to use something like a self-immolation jutsu?”

“... Did you eat something wrong?”

“No... I’m sorry...”

The night at the camp was getting deeper.