“Excuse me…”
I summoned my inner commoner survival instincts and put on the most pitiful face I could manage.
I let my eyes droop sadly and added a tearful plea.
“Isn’t there… any way you could reconsider…?”
“I’m sorry.”
A firm rejection came immediately.
Tch.
I swallowed a sigh and leaned back against the chair. As expected, first-tier banks are ruthless everywhere.
“We would like to accommodate your situation as much as possible, but the amount is far too large. Six months is already the maximum extension we can offer.”
“Ah, right. I understand. I understand.”
The bank officer wasn’t wrong.
Honestly, with a sum this large, the bank would normally want to collect it immediately. The extension itself was probably already a favor based on past credit history.
In the end, I left the bank without achieving anything and popped a candy into my mouth.
Life tastes bitter.
As I wandered around the plaza, I sat down on a nearby bench.
The sky is so blue.
Meanwhile, my life is in the red.
No, stop being self-deprecating!
My first plan had failed, but I couldn’t give up like this. I shot up from the bench and headed toward my next destination.
“Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be a count soon anyway!”
At that moment, I instinctively turned toward the voice.
And I saw a familiar face.
“…What.”
I rubbed my eyes quickly.
I wasn’t mistaken.
Pink hair. Green eyes.
And that sharp, brash expression.
It was my uncle—Xavier Persher.
But right now…
Was he going into a bar?
I looked up at the sky without thinking.
The bright blue sky was unchanged. Meaning—he was planning to drink in broad daylight.
Well, I mean, drinking isn’t illegal…
Honestly, I wanted to drink too.
But this wasn’t some small tavern. The place Xavier just entered clearly looked expensive.
Suspicious. Very suspicious.
I glanced at the clock tower. There was still plenty of time left.
My eyes narrowed.
Something smells off.
A very rotten kind of smell.
Without hesitation, I started walking and followed Xavier.
From afar it already looked grand—but up close, the building was dazzlingly luxurious.
“Welcome. How may I help you?”
A guard standing at the entrance bowed his head toward me.
I smiled brightly and pointed at the door.
“The man who just went in is my uncle. He said he’d go in first because he had a reservation. I have an appointment elsewhere.”
Yes. A blatant lie.
But he is my uncle, and my “appointment” was the bank—so it’s not entirely false.
“Do you have a maid accompanying you?”
“I sent her on an errand for a moment.”
The guard tilted his head slightly.
He seemed unsure whether to believe me, especially since I resembled my uncle quite a bit.
“Lord Persher didn’t leave any instructions…”
“Ah! I must’ve forgotten again!”
I clapped my hands brightly.
The guard’s eyes immediately narrowed. He scanned me carefully.
But this was exactly the moment not to lose confidence.
“As you can see, my uncle is a bit careless.”
A lie has to be confident to sound real. If I waver even slightly, it’s over.
Just in case, I pulled out my trump card.
A seal engraved with the white deer symbol of the Renesti family.
The guard’s expression visibly wavered.
“He told me to come quickly.”
“……”
“Or should I go call him? We’ll see whether I’m lying or not. But if I’m right, I assume you’ll cover the cost of keeping me waiting like this?”
The guard’s expression turned complicated.
He seemed unsure whether I was bluffing.
I quietly swallowed a dry breath.
After a moment, the guard let out a low sigh and grabbed the door handle.
“Please go in.”
I smiled brightly and stepped inside.
“Thank you!”
Just like its elegant exterior, the interior was filled with the scent of money.
The hall resembled a noble reception room more than a tavern—closer to a salon than a bar.
I really should’ve visited places like this before…
I straightened my posture, trying not to look like a first-timer, and scanned the room.
As expected, this was no ordinary drinking place.
Some kind of high-society gathering spot?
Curious, I looked around. There was an open seating area, but also several private rooms for discreet meetings.
At that moment, a staff member approached.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
I gave a slight smile and glanced at the staff.
Then I tilted my chin toward the closed private rooms.
“Do you know where the guests who just came in went?”
The staff responded with a polite smile.
But said nothing.
So that means you can’t tell me.
Not a single word.
They’re really strict about secrecy here.
That was unfortunate.
With a guard, I might have gotten somewhere—but inside, tracking Xavier would be difficult.
Still, I couldn’t back down.
A man as arrogant as him coming to a place like this meant there was definitely a reason.
After thinking for a moment, I looked back at the staff.
“Then could you guide me to a seat?”
The staff bowed politely and gestured inward.
“Please follow me.”
Xavier Persher was the younger brother of the late count, now living under the title of viscount of the Persher family.
By nature, Xavier was greedy and proud of his noble status. Rumor had it he had long been jealous of his elder brother, the rightful heir.
So when the count died, he wasn’t grieving—he was furious about the 20 billion Marni debt left behind.
Well, I already knew he was trash.
Just yelling at his twenty-year-old niece in the middle of the night to pay everything off made that obvious enough.
Anyway, shameless as always.
He’s going to ruin himself sooner or later.
In the original story, Xavier was a one-time character who eventually got humiliated by the protagonist and disappeared without a trace.
Still…
What is he planning?
From what I saw earlier, there were about two or three people with him.
I hadn’t seen their faces clearly, but anyone entering a place like this so casually was definitely no ordinary person—at least nobles.
Are they plotting something weird again?
Given his track record, it was a reasonable assumption.
“Here is your coffee.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I sipped the cheapest coffee available.
Ugh. The taste of capital.
So bitter!
After drinking about half, I carefully scanned the surroundings.
How long had it been? At least thirty minutes, but there was still no sign of him.
Is there a back exit or something?
Honestly, a place like this probably had one.
If so, staying here was just a waste of time.
“Ugh…”
Looking at the wall clock, I felt the pressure of time.
If I was late again, it would be a problem.
I should leave.
No choice.
I’d just count this as paying for an expensive coffee.
I placed a gold coin on the table and stood up.
Damn it. That guy just wasted my time.
If I’d known, I would’ve just gone home quietly.
I glared at the building I just left and muttered as I walked down the street.
But the moment I turned a corner—
My vision flipped upside down.
“Ah—what the—!”
My knee hit the stone pavement hard, pain shooting through it.
I barely swallowed a scream and lifted my head.
“Kyah?!”
And at that exact moment—
My mouth was covered shut.