CH 14

Silence descended.

Let’s look back at the rumors about Mariette, who had the same appearance as Blanche.

There was a rumor that a bird on the hunting ground stopped flying and crashed because of Mariette’s beauty, or that a Knight who participated in a jousting tournament fell in love with Mariette and was disqualified for failing to move his horse.

No one could confirm about the former, but the latter story was true.

In the Lupinus Royal Palace, when Mariette passed by, everyone would be busy looking at her, young and old, with their necks bent as she walked by them.

Because of this, the more time passed since she ran away, the more Blanche realized the destructive power of her beauty. So, she cut her long hair short, exactly opposite of what a noble young lady would do.

But when her face was this pretty, no matter what style of hair she had, they would still stop to admire her beauty.

Blanche couldn’t help it so she brought a drab gray robe to cover her face. She had to do it this way because she didn’t want to attract unwanted attention.

Sylvano, who had been doubting his own eyes for a long time, coughed in vain.

“Hmmm. Miss. We do not accept women as members of the organization. So be on your way. If you go now, I’ll let you go unharmed.”

Blanche’s eyes narrowed. From the moment she revealed her face, the tension was gone and she didn’t like the cluttered atmosphere.

“I won’t listen to you. Call Illia.”

Sylvano became infuriated as she called the Boss’ name like a neighborhood dog.

He beckoned into the air. All the crossbows and muskets aimed towards her again.

“Doesn’t the Lady know how to count?”

“Well. Maybe I do. However…”

Blanche, who was stretching her words, suddenly punched the table near her with her fist.

Kwaang!

The table, which was broken as easily as splitting a biscuit, fell on the floor with a loud noise.

The men who were surprised by Blanche’s beauty had no choice but to be surprised by her strength once more.

Blanche snorted.

“I think I have more power than all of you combined.”

The eyes of the gang, who were at a loss for words, gathered on Sylvano.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

“Fine. I’ll let you meet Boss as you wish. Follow me.”

* * *

Sylvano took her through a dizzyingly winding alley to a two-story red-brick house.

Compared to the mansion where Blanche was born and raised, the building Sylvano guided her to was shabby and narrow.

This house was already considered to be pretty good as one was rarely found in the poor residential environment of Digitalis.

Anyway, she entered the Giotto family’s house and was led to a conference room.

First of all, the conference room was more cramped than expected. Besides, there were no windows to avoid being attacked, so it was stuffy and dark. Also, although there were many sofas in the conference room, they were old and their designs were not uniform and were unsightly.

However, Blanche liked the fact that the old sofas were made in a rectangular shape without a base, and that there was only one sofa covered with a bear skin on top.

She also didn’t like that there were wooden boxes piled up on the walls on all sides as if mimicking a bookshelf. She didn’t know what was in the dusty boxes, whether they were filled with alcohol, cigarettes, jerky, or unknown documents.

Second, it was dirty.

Blanche reluctantly looked at the rugs in the conference room with cigarette ashes scattered everywhere.

‘No matter how objectively you look at it, it doesn’t look like an oasis for an organization that will rule Digitalis in 7 years. At a glance, it doesn’t make sense.’

Around that time, Sylvano introduced Blanche to Illia.

“Illia. This woman wants to become part of the family and came to me.”

Was he in his late twenties now?

Or early thirties?

Illia was a man with wheat-colored hair that half covered his neck and ice-blue eyes. He was a handsome man with stunning eyes and beautiful lips.

The atmosphere around his body was as sweet and kind as the spring breeze, and the cravat on his pure white shirt that tightly wrapped around his neck gave him a stoic atmosphere.

Just by looking at his face, no one would think that this man was a criminal boss. He looked like a Young Lord who grew up in a good family.

Blanche checked his status window.

[Illia Giotto LV 30

Age 35 / Male

Health 170/170

Mana 100

Fame 356

Morality 7

Stress 487]

Surprisingly, like Alphonse, Illia was a gifted man. Although he was a little lower level than Alphonse, he was a spirit warrior.

‘His Fame is 356. Is there a class where your Fame rises by increasing the level?’

But the numbers were ambiguous regarding that. Furthermore, considering that Mariette, who was at a lower level, had a considerable reputation, fame might be a relatively easy stat to increase if one was famous.

‘What do I need to worry about? After all, he will be killed by Ricardo within three years.’

A world where it becomes easier to become stronger by raising the level after the dungeon appears.

When such a world comes, this man will be murdered by his own son.

In other words, Illia was not that important, Blanche thought.

Ilya turned his back on Blanche with a smile as impressive as his face. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to have been swayed by her beauty.

Illia pulled out an unbranded bottle of wine from one of the wooden boxes in the room. Still not looking at Blanche, Illia opened the bottle.

“Beauties are always welcome, but since when did we take women as colleagues, Sylvano?”

“Did you hear that, Blanche? Leave while we’re still being nice.”

“No.”

Sylvano tightened his jaw in response to the impudent answer and glared at her with bitter eyes.

Unavoidably, Blanche opened her mouth again. As if she was being generous.

“I don’t want…to.”

Sylvano rolled his eyes and waved his hands in the air.

“I’m going crazy! I was trying to be nice!”

Illia, who had already turned his back and watched the scene, grinned and headed for the chair covered with bearskin. He sat comfortably in the chair and even tilted the bottle.

“Hey, miss. Since you were born so beautifully, don’t waste your life in a place like this, and leave Digitalis. Tourism is enough, isn’t it? I’ll even attach an escort if you want. Oh yeah. You’ll have to pay for it though. We are not philanthropists.”

Huh, Blanche replied back with a languid voice.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who was born pretty, right?”

He didn’t know he would hear these words from her, so a brief glimpse of surprise flashed across Illia’s face. But Blanche didn’t like this.

Especially his eyes that were looking at her as if he was watching a child act cute!

Blanche’s mouth slowly opened.

“If you don’t want to put me to work, that’s fine. You can do that. But let me meet Ricardo.”

“Ricardo. Who is that?”

Blanche lashed out at him as he pretended not to know while flaunting his pretty face.

“Your first son.”

“Do you know the boy?”

“I know him, but I don’t think he knows me.”

“Hmm.”

Illia stared at her as if observing, raising his chin at an angle. After a while. He got up from his seat and walked over to Blanche.

Suddenly without notice, Illia took Blanche’s hand. Fortunately, the hand he was holding was not the one wearing the [White Sand Bracelet], so she decided to exercise patience for a while.

So Ilya observed Blanche’s hand.

“It’s a pretty hand. It’s a very fine hand with no calluses or scars. Like a noble lady. That’s weird. No noble lady like you would live near here.”

After observing, Illia politely let Blanche go. But he could not retrieve his hand.

In the blink of an eye, Blanche had his wrists clamped. As time passed, the smile on Illia’s face disappeared.

Even so, Blanche gave strength to her hands little by little. As if to ridicule him, she let go of his thumb.

“I asked you to call Ricardo.”

Illia’s eyes flashed at the words that sounded like a threat.

“I am not a parent who introduces my son to unknown women.”

Unable to break Illia’s wrist, Blanche clicked her tongue and threw his wrist into the air. Despite the red handprints on his wrist, Illia chuckled.

He even seemed pleasantly surprised at her unexpected actions.

“Okay. Miss. I will bring you into the family.”

Surprised, Sylvano refused.

“Illia!”

As if to refute, Illia waved his hand once.

“But only if the young lady successfully passes the test.”

Blanche raised one corner of her mouth with a confident expression.

“I will pass whatever it is.”

“That’s a good attitude. Miss. Your name?”

“Blanche.”

“Blanche. That’s Snow White’s name. It suits you very well.”

After nodding his head once, Illia gave Sylvano an order.

“Consilieri. Send Blanche to Mario. Considering the hardships we’ve been through over the past two years, shouldn’t we at least send this much?”

She didn’t know who Mario was, but it was clear that it was a tricky name. Otherwise, there was no way Sylvano would groan like he was suffering from a toothache.

Sylvano nodded his head reluctantly.

“I get it.”

Then Sylvano beckoned to Blanche.

“Follow me. I have something to prepare before you go.”

“Before that, there is something I want to confirm.”

She stared intently at Illia.

Illia asked.

“What are you curious about?”

“If I pass the test, will I be able to meet Ricardo?”

“Of course.”

Then Blanche nodded her head as if satisfied. Although it was satisfactory, her expression was close to being expressionless.

Illia shouted a toast, holding the bottle behind her as she left the room with Sylvano.

“For our new fighter!”

[System/ Illia doesn’t trust you.]

* * *

After leaving the conference room, Sylvano gave Blanche an old corset and a bright red dress.

Reluctantly accepting them, Blanche tilted her head involuntarily.

“Wearing something like this to fight?”

Sylvano answered with a look of indifference.

“Yes. Women should. That’s the rule. If you don’t like it, leave the city right now.”

“Where can I change my clothes?”

Sylvano sent her to a guest room with one old bed. She couldn’t wear the corset by herself, so she only changed her dress, hiding the corset in her inventory.