BTGDF 7

Chapter 7

However, after checking the numbers once more, Evelyn folded the paper twice and returned it to him.

“Is there no way I could get the jewels back?” “The jewels? Is the amount I offered too low? It should be double the market value.” “It’s not too low. It’s far too much.”

Receiving the paper back, Kael’s brow twitched slightly in confusion. Then why?

Seeing the question written plainly across his face, she offered a gentle smile.

“One shouldn’t be greedy. Trying to possess more than what belongs to you always leads to trouble.”

Besides, having jewels inside a cat’s stomach isn’t good either.

Her subtle implication that she simply wanted her own jewels back was filled with warmth.

Instead of answering, Kael glanced at the cat asleep in her lap. Considering everything, it’s most likely fully digested by now.

His gaze shifted back to Evelyn.

“I’m afraid that will be difficult. Setting aside the fact that this guy shows zero intention of spitting them out, they’ve likely been digested already.” “Digested?” Evelyn asked back, startled.

Digested? Since when did jewels become food?

“This guy has monster blood mixed in him, so he even chews up and eats stones.”

Kael fabricated Cat’s identity with a completely innocent face. Cat—who had suddenly been demoted to a monster hybrid—glared curses with its eyes, but Kael didn’t budge an inch.

Clack, clack. Offering a silent apology only to his sword—the dark-red gem set in its hilt rattling to express its displeasure—he opened his mouth to address Evelyn again, only to freeze.

“I see……”

A flicker of disappointment swept across the woman’s face.

She seemed to have secretly hoped that today he would bring back the jewels the cat had thrown up.

“It can’t be helped, then. I’ll just have to start looking for a job starting this month.”

She chuckled weakly, saying that’s what she should have done from the very beginning. For some reason, Kael hated seeing that expression on her face.

“A job? Didn’t you simply need living expenses?” “Our family’s financial situation isn’t good, so I have no choice but to work.” “That won’t be easy.” “I can read and write, and I know arithmetic. I can also speak a bit of the Ancient Language, so surely there’s something I can do?”

The work an aristocratic lady can do is bound to be limited, though.

Yet, looking at Evelyn’s picture-perfect smile, he held his tongue and probed no further.

As he glared with displeased eyes at Cat, who was soundly asleep using her lap as a pillow, a recent event right before he left Claustra Castle suddenly crossed his mind.

“How about a private tutoring position?” “Pardon?” “Do you know the Grand Ducal House of Alphereon?” “If someone didn’t know the Grand Duke’s family, they wouldn’t be a resident of Rauspel,” Evelyn answered with a bright laugh. Following her laughter, a faint smile formed on the man’s lips as well.

“I said I would compensate you, didn’t I?” Kael said almost in a whisper.

“The Alphereon house will be looking for a tutor soon. I’ll put in a word over there, so how about you take an interview?” “Pardon?”

When Evelyn gave him a suspicious look, he pointed his chin toward Cat.

“This guy has a bit of a connection with that place. I can’t guarantee you’ll pass, but……”

Who knows? Kael shrugged, playing it smooth.

Given the circumstances, it wasn’t easy to schedule another meeting with her, leaving him at a loss as to what to do.

He smirked at the woman, who was now listening with wide, round eyes.

“I will calculate the value of the jewels this guy swallowed and leave the sum with the head butler at the Grand Duke’s residence—the main castle of Claustra. You can pick it up after your interview.”

‘I’ll just call whatever amount remains after deducting the jewels’ value an interview fee.’

His brazen persuasion continued, with not the slightest intention of actually recalculating the amount.

“You even rejected the sum I offered today, didn’t you? If I let you go like this, this guy ends up getting off scot-free without paying the price.” “Still……” “I will make sure to calculate an amount that Milady will find completely acceptable.”

He tapped the cat sleeping peacefully on Evelyn’s lap.

“It’s unlikely to happen, but if by any chance you are turned away at the front gates of the Grand Duke’s residence, show them this.”

Kael scooped up the cat and flipped it onto his own lap.

Unbothered by who was poking it, Cat was busy snoring softly in a sweet slumber. Glaring askance at the creature, Kael unfastened a necklace buried deep in its black fur.

Meeow-w-w.

Cat fluttered its eyes open, grouchily swatting Kael’s hand away, which drew a quiet giggle from Evelyn.

With a hollow laugh, Kael unceremoniously set the cat down and nudged its body away with his long legs.

He then asked Evelyn, “Excuse me for a moment,” and lifted her hand.

“If you show them this, they will believe you.”

What on earth is this necklace?

Evelyn held up the necklace the man handed her, tilting it back and forth under the light. Though it was the same type as the gemstone in her mother’s ring, a medallion made of far higher-grade ruby sparkled before her.

“What if I sell this?” “Then that itself becomes your compensation. But if it were me, I’d choose a connection with the Grand Duke’s family over a moment’s money.”

He wasn’t wrong. Rather than taking just this single gem and calling it a day, securing both an interview and compensation was far more beneficial.

She had rejected the amount the man initially pulled out as the jewel price because it was overly excessive, but this was well within an acceptable range.

“Thank you. I’ll give it a try.”

Her green eyes began to sparkle. Kael stared entranced at the vibrant light filling her gaze once again.

“You’re right, Sir. I’ll give it a try.” “Ah, wait……”

As Evelyn began gathering her things to head back, Kael abruptly stood up to follow.

Since his body had moved before his thoughts were even complete, he found himself speechless when she turned to look at him. Why did I just try to stop her?

While Kael searched for words, Evelyn bowed gracefully with a deep smile.

“Although it was an unusual meeting, it was a pleasure to meet you. I will do my absolute best to seize the opportunity you’ve given me.”

Her following request—‘Please don’t scold the cat too much’—carried a touch of playful mischief.

Watching her receding back as she left without hesitation, Kael’s gaze shifted down to his own hand with a strange look on his face.

“It seems it wasn’t my imagination after all.”

His wildly turbulent energy had settled completely calm, as if it had never raged in the first place.

“Wait, is there a child in the Grand Duke of Alphereon’s family?”

On her way home, Evelyn abruptly halted her steps at a sudden realization.

The master of the Grand Duke’s family was still unmarried. So why a tutor……

“Ah.”

It’s because of his nephew.

The story flashed through her mind—how Prince Damian, the late Emperor’s son, had stubbornly insisted on staying in Rauspel with his uncle, the Grand Duke of Alphereon.

Along with the untraceable rumor that the current Emperor, who had been full of anticipation to live with his nephew, was left to return to the capital alone in solitude after being mocked by his younger brother, the Grand Duke.

“Mom, that lady is weird.” “Shh! Don’t say things like that out loud!”

Evelyn, who had been nodding along in self-directed realization for a while, snapped back to reality at the nearby voice.

Right, I’m on—

“But look! She’s nodding all by herself and smiling, mmph!” “I told you to lower your voice!”

—the street.

Locking eyes with the child whose mouth was clamped shut, Evelyn awkwardly waved at the mother and child.

“Ahahaha, the weather sure is nice!” “……”

Watching the woman accelerate from a quick walk to a full sprint with her child on her back, alongside the bizarre stares piercing her from all directions, Evelyn shrank back.

She had meant it to show she wasn’t a strange person, but it brought about a result worse than staying quiet.

Forcing an awkward smile, Evelyn picked up her pace as if nothing had happened.

Droplets of rain began to fall one by one, landing on her blushing earlobes.

“I was completely taken aback when an applicant showed up just as we were about to post the notice. On top of that, to bring that necklace……”

Rousseau Million spoke with a smile that feigned composure.

Out of nowhere, a young lady claiming to be an applicant for the tutor position showed up holding Cat’s necklace, catching him completely off guard.

There was only one person who could have given her that: Grand Duke Alphereon himself.

“From what I gathered, it seems Your Excellency personally egged her on.”

[I suppose I did.]

“Why on earth did you do that? You ignored all the other young ladies who threw glances your way.”

[Who knows?]

Kael offered no real answer to his aide’s question, merely letting out a light chuckle with a sly, scheming look on his face.

“You should have given me a heads-up! Do you have any idea how awkward a position I was put in? I was breaking out in a cold sweat the entire time trying to cover for it!”

[Who was the one who forced me to go to Trausen, claiming there was no need for me to step in personally?]

“Yes, yes, it was me. I insisted you had to go. If Your Excellency didn’t go, His Majesty the Emperor’s fury would have descended upon us—how could I just sit back and watch that happen?”

Kael snorted at the rather lengthy excuse.

[Thanks to that, I suffered on my end too, so handle that matter over there yourself.]

Ah, yes. The person cleaning up the mess is always someone else.

Although he had plenty to say, Rousseau kept quiet. He knew Kael’s twisted personality well enough to know he would never answer when he had that look on his face.

So, he brought up a different topic instead.

“The interview ended well enough, but things have gotten a bit tricky.”

‘I wish to meet His Highness the Prince.’‘…Could you say that again?’‘You didn’t mishear. I was the one who got splashed with water, but for some reason, you look like you’re in more pain, Baron.’‘So you mean……’‘I wish to see him.’

[She said she wants to meet Damian?]

“Yes, Your Excellency. I don’t know what she intends to discuss, but for now, that is her request.”