In the quiet coffee house behind the Campanella Grand Theater.
Theorban, the only customer there, jittered nervously, shaking his legs continuously.
He had lost his anesthesia herb farm, but he still had other businesses.
'I must somehow retrieve the anesthesia herb farm!'
Lark was helpless without the anesthesia herbs. So, finding the herb farm was the key. If only he could find that, all his problems would be solved.
For that, he needed money. Enough to re-attract the traitors and rebuild his influence.
Theorban sought investors to expand his business.
'Tax evasion? I can easily bribe the royal family to overlook that. A true man should invest boldly, seeing the bigger picture.'
Once he found an investor and overcame his current situation, paying back the money would be easy.
Then, yesterday, Baron Miley, the only retainer who hadn't betrayed him, came to see him.
"I've found an investor!"
It had been surprisingly hard to find an investor, but like rain in a drought, someone dramatically appeared, willing to lend a large sum for his business. He immediately set up a meeting without a second thought.
The investor wanted to meet quietly, without any attendants. So now, he was waiting alone for the investor to arrive.
'I've placed guards outside, just in case.'
Ding-.
At that moment, the door to the coffee house opened, and a small-statured woman entered.
'Is she the investor?'
The woman was wrapped up in a black hat and black veil, hiding her face.
She also wore a pitch-black fur coat and black velvet gloves, a suspicious figure indeed.
'It's just a woman... Good, this should be easy.'
The woman approached and stood up straight.
Even hidden behind the veil, her demeanor of looking down on others was palpable.
"Count Theorban Alvin?"
Her voice calling him sounded young.
A young woman, alone in a coffee house without even a staff member.
Theorban almost smiled triumphantly but then hesitated.
The air felt unusually heavy.
It was unlikely, but he felt an intimidating aura from her.
'Maybe I'm just tense because it's before receiving the investment.'
"Yes, I am Theorban Alvin, but who might you be, Lady?"
"Just keep calling me 'Lady.'"
Her answer clearly indicated no intention of revealing her identity, and Theorban's expression suddenly hardened.
'Such insolence from a young girl...'
"Please, take a seat."
The woman sat down like a superior and invited Theorban to do the same.
Theorban was irritated, having lost control of the situation.
'Hmph, she's so full of herself, but this will end once the contract is signed.'
He was just enduring it for now since he was in a tight spot.
Clearing his throat, he cautiously brought up the main topic.
"Ahem, so about the business proposal..."
But the woman interrupted him.
"No, I'm not interested in that."
...Not interested?
Before Theorban could fully comprehend her words, the woman spoke.
"How naively you came running, thinking you'd get money."
That's when it happened.
Bang!
"Oh...!"
His vision flashed.
Suddenly, a dizzying pain coursed through the side of his face, shaking him to the core.
Someone had grabbed his hair and slammed his face into the table.
"It seems we need to clean up the house first for smooth proceedings from here on."
The woman's voice was still melodious and soft as she spoke and stepped forward.
Click-clack, she re-entered Theorban's view, holding a flat briefcase in both hands.
Then whose hand is pressing down on my head?
Chills ran down his entire body.
"Guards! Guards!"
Theorban instinctively felt the danger. He had been complacent, thinking he was safe with five wizards stationed outside.
"It's no use, Count."
The woman slowly lifted her veil.
Theorban's eyes widened and looked up. Her face was revealed.
Beautiful.
He wondered if he would ever see a woman more beautiful than the Empress, but the woman before him was devastatingly beautiful.
Yet it was terrifying. Her eyes, vivid as drops of blood, looked down at him indifferently, like a predator ready to tear out his throat at any moment.
"What, who are you!"
Theorban struggled, twisting his body, screaming, denying reality.
"You think you can do this to me and get away with it? Guards! Guards!"
The woman's appearance terrified him. It reminded him of Lark, which frightened him even more.
"Such a pity."
The woman murmured as if genuinely sorry and pulled up a chair in front of him.
"I've grown a bit since then, can't you recognize me?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Navia Eseled."
Theorban's mouth fell open.
Navia smiled wryly and greeted him again.
"It's been a while, Count. It's quite nostalgic and moving to greet you like this."
A past you're unaware of.
Theorban stopped struggling, his expression vacant as if entranced.
Navia took out a contract from the briefcase. Magical ink was also prepared.
"This contract transfers all of Count Alvin's business to Eseled. Please sign willingly and seal it with your fingerprint in the magic ink."
"What... What madness are you talking..."
Navia pulled out another document.
"This is the deed to Count Alvin's mansion. I like its location and plan to build a new villa there."
Theorban wanted to punch something, but his body wouldn't obey.
Navia's eyebrows drooped.
"You still don't understand your situation... It's a shame."
Her voice betrayed no real regret.
"Dad."
'Dad?'
Theorban felt the force restraining him vanish and he sprang up, witnessing an impossible sight.
"You, how are you outside...?"
Why was Lark Eseled outside the mansion?
Nothing made sense. It was a series of incomprehensible events. Theorban suspected it might be a dream.
Lark should not be able to leave the mansion. So, this had to be a dream.
Yet, Lark shattered his hopes calmly stating,
Theorban, realizing he had walked into a tiger's den, sprang up.
Bang!
But as soon as he got up, his vision flashed again. This time it felt like a kick to the head.
"Don't make me violent. It's not good for the child."
"Please, save me! Is there no one here?!"
As Theorban cried for help, his face pale with fear, Navia spoke calmly, almost soothingly.
"I don't want to be too heartless with family."
"Who's family!"
Thump!
As soon as Theorban acted aggressively towards Navia, Lark struck him across the face with his fist. His face was already a mess of wounds.
Navia, still trying to make the oblivious Theorban understand, explained kindly.
"I'm not here to negotiate, Count Alvin."
Swoosh.
Two contracts were thrust before him.
"Sign these."
Theorban wanted to yell back in disbelief. But Lark, standing nearby, was too intimidating.
With no way to control the crazed Lark, and both the anesthetic herb and the mansion now useless, Theorban had no chance of winning.
'I can't just give up everything here. What's left for me if I lose this...'
Theorban, shaking all over, still didn't pick up the pen.
Navia was amazed. Such petty pride, yet so strong. She had underestimated Theorban's iron will.
So she decided to break it herself.
Bang!
"Aaagh!"
Navia took out a magic gun from her briefcase and shot him in the thigh.
Lark admired her decisive, ruthless action.
'That's my daughter.'
"I don't really like guns."
It was true.
"Because they take lives too easily."
Theorban looked at the kindly smiling Navia, thinking her mad. No, she was definitely insane.
And this insane woman would shoot him in the head without blinking.
Theorban was sure of it.
It wasn't the skill of a novice.
"…If I sign, will you spare my life?"
"Of course."
Navia reassured him with a gentle smile.
Overwhelmed by Lark's menacing aura and Navia's presence, Theorban's hand trembled as he signed. Then he dipped his finger in the magical ink and stamped his fingerprint.
The magic ink required the signer's genuine will to activate. And now, the contract was sealed with a cause.
The deal was done.
"Is it done now?"
Navia nodded her head as she lowered her veil again.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Agnes of Water Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Duffman of Dominion Tier ($18) For every $15 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Join our discord server for latest release updates and novel discussions. Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Bonus chapters on reaching milestones. Happy reading!