TNMN 13

Chapter 13

“And there’s another reason we absolutely must attend this charity bazaar. Look at the name of the partner company here.”

“The Laosh Merchant Group?”

“We’ve done business with them a few times. Their merchant group is large, and their head is quite sharp in handling affairs. If Duke Whistler truly is preparing for civil war, the only places capable of supplying the funds and goods to stop him would be the O’Claire and Laosh merchant groups. It would be good to build connections with their heads.”

“Do you think they’ll help us?”

“That I don’t know, but we need to build friendships first and think about it later.”

“…Right, understood.”

“Why do you look like that? We’re finally making progress on something you’ve been worried about for days. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“I suppose I should be happy?”

The only thing Dane had done since returning to the past was come to the Nocturne estate, but Alosha’s sudden change, as well as other events that hadn’t happened in his previous life, were cropping up everywhere. It seemed like things were going well, but the problem was that he couldn’t identify the source of the uneasy, unsettling feeling growing somewhere inside him.

“I don’t know. Why do I feel so anxious and unsettled?”

“Maybe God is watching your back.”

God?

At Alexis’s words, Dane let out a scoffing laugh.

“I don’t believe in such things.”

If God truly existed, He wouldn’t have ignored the people bleeding and dying in the Empire. And He wouldn’t have given Duke Whistler, the one who caused that bloodshed, the opportunities to ascend to the throne himself.

Thinking of Duke Whistler, Dane furrowed his brow and clenched his jaw. If God truly existed, Alosha should never have died so meaninglessly.

Hearing the grinding of his teeth, Alexis widened his eyes and asked.

“Are you angry right now?”

“Angry? That’s not enough to describe it. If you were me, you’d never be able to define it with just that word.”

Dane clenched his fists, recalling that day. How cruel the top predator of the food chain could be, and what happened when the powerless caught his eye.

‘I need to become stronger.’

For that, he needed large capital, and as Alexis said, he might need the power of the merchant groups. The problem was how to make those who would even lick the devil’s foot if it benefited them, become his allies.

“Who sent this?”

“The head of the Laosh Merchant Group instructed us to deliver this to the young lady.”

Alosha was staring at the pile of gift boxes that had suddenly appeared before her with bewildered eyes when Alexis came down from the second floor.

“Alosha? What is all this?”

“They say the head of the Laosh Merchant Group sent these gifts for Miss Alosha!”

“The head of Laosh? Why?”

Thinking it might be the jewelry and dresses he’d mentioned the day before, Alosha silently opened the box. Inside was a very high-end dress made of pale blue premium fabric, detailed with densely woven lace made of fine thread, and adorned with jewels.

“Miss! Look at the small box next to it!”

“A necklace?”

When she opened the box the maid handed her, there was a necklace with small diamonds set along a gold chain, and at its center, a large opal emitting a mysterious glow. To secure the opal, gold was wrapped around the bottom like grapevines. Though it looked simple, even someone who knew nothing could tell it was incredibly expensive.

‘He was confident, and he actually delivered.’

Alosha lifted the necklace and was about to put it around her neck when Alexis, who couldn’t understand the situation, spoke up.

“Alosha, why would the head of Laosh send you something like this?”

“Uh… Count, a guest has arrived.”

“Excuse me. I’m from the O’Claire Merchant Group.”

Before the butler could finish speaking, a familiar face from yesterday’s consultation glanced briefly at the stacked boxes. Then, kicking aside the boxes that appeared to be from the Laosh Merchant Group, he began setting down exactly twice as many boxes before Alosha.

‘Why is this man here again?’

Emil had clearly said he would personally inform the O’Claire Merchant Group that a contract had been signed with Laosh, so Alosha had no idea what this situation was about.

[“The items handled by our O’Claire Merchant Group are extremely valuable and rare, enough to be supplied to high-ranking nobles and even the Imperial Court. They are on a completely different level from the ordinary things you might have. Isn’t this a prime opportunity to be the very first to wear the newest dresses and jewelry each season? I’d say this is a pretty favorable condition for you as well.”]

It couldn’t be that they sent this just to prove the head of O’Claire’s words weren’t hollow. Ultimately, it was either a bribe with a purpose, or something sent out of competitive spirit against Emil.

“These are gifts from our head, sent to build a friendly relationship with the young lady. Please accept them without burden.”

When Alosha opened the box beside her with a nonchalant expression, unlike the subdued dress sent by Emil, she saw a dazzling, eye-catching red dress.

“Oh my! Such a splendid and beautiful dress…”

While the maid was fussing, Alosha opened the small box. It held an elegant double-strand pearl necklace, with a very red ruby at its center and square diamonds on either side.

“Alosha, what connection do you have with the Laosh and O’Claire merchant groups?”

Trying to explain that she possessed the Phoenix Ring, the token for trading with the desert merchant groups, and that the two merchant groups were competing to win her favor would only drag things out. In the end, only one excuse remained.

“What reason would a man have for sending such lavish gifts to a woman? Naturally… they’ve fallen for me!”

“What? Fallen for you?”

Alexis’s expression went beyond suspicion to outright astonishment as he asked hesitantly.

“Or what other reason would they have to send me such gifts?”

“…Setting aside the head of Laosh, I know the head of O’Claire is past his forties. Are you saying he’s also fallen for you?”

“…Love knows no borders or age, and one must charge in boldly.”

At Alosha’s shameless expression and words, Alexis let out a short sigh.

“Alosha, don’t take this the wrong way. Of course I know my sister is pretty and lovely, but I doubt the two merchant group heads are approaching you for that reason.”

She’d said her brother’s sister was popular, and he immediately denied it! She’d thought they had a pretty good relationship, but it seemed siblings were still siblings.

“Then why would they do this for me?”

“Probably because of me…”

“Pardon? Because of you, brother? You mean the two merchant group heads like you?”

She’d wondered why there was a distinct lack of love between men and women in the original story—perhaps it was like the recent trend of ‘Brotherhood’ and incorporated BL.

Looking back and forth between Dane and Alexis in confusion, the two, noticing her gaze, shouted in unison.

“No! Wrong!”

“No! That’s not what I meant. It’s because I’m in business, right? I meant they’re probably approaching you because of that.”

“Yes… If you two say so.”

It was hard enough to bend a genre without romance, but if the characters were in love with each other, that would be a problem. Relieved that the genre wouldn’t be twisted once more, Alosha watched as Alexis looked at her with an uneasy expression and spoke.

“Anyway, that’s why I have a favor to ask, Alosha.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t care how much it costs. I need you to bid for me, Dane, and Duke Whistler at the auction.”

At Alexis’s words, Alosha just blinked, wondering if she’d misheard.

“Who and what did you say?”

“I know it’s surprising. But we wanted to discuss some business with Duke Whistler and were trying to figure out how to meet him, when this event happened to come up.”

At the blatant lie in Alexis’s eyes, Alosha snorted.

‘Business, my foot.’

Clearly, he wanted her to arrange a meeting with Emil to prepare for war, following the flow of the original story. Alosha, who had intended to pressure Emil into winning Duke Whistler’s bid, decided to snatch up this fortune that had fallen into her lap before anyone else saw it.

“…Fine.”

—

* * *

And so the day of the ball arrived, and Alosha finally got to experience the preparation of a noble lady’s ball that she’d only ever encountered in novels. Waking up at dawn, exfoliating, polishing, scented oil massages, manicures and pedicures, and her hair—don’t even get her started! When reading about it, it was all excitement and she thought she’d love having someone else prepare her. But experiencing it firsthand was nothing short of torture.

‘I repent to my past self who wrote scenes of ball preparation thinking they were nice, not knowing how hard this would be.’

“Hold your breath and don’t move.”

“Wait… please…”

“What are you saying, Miss! I can tighten it this much more!”

‘No! You can’t! I’ll die at this rate!’

The tightening corset was so painful that she couldn’t even let out a scream. If you want to know pain, try wearing a corset—and it wasn’t just pain, it was nearing death before Annie finally stepped away from Alosha.

Looking at Alosha gasping for breath, Annie wore a very proud expression.

“At tonight’s ball, our young lady’s waist will look the thinnest.”

Usually, people would say she’d be the prettiest at the ball, but Annie only praised her own work. All that remained after the agony was the S-curve created by her drastically cinched waist.

“The Count is waiting for you on the first floor.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Fighting, Miss!”

With Annie’s encouragement, Alosha came down to the first floor—and what was this now?

“Alosha, you’re here?”

“Wow, our little sister looks truly beautiful today!”

Like Alosha, who was dressed to the nines, the two men also seemed to have put considerable effort into their appearance. Alexis looked more harmlessly handsome and kind than strikingly handsome, while Dane, with his hair neatly swept back, stood beside him as a sharply featured, ruggedly handsome man.

‘Shouldn’t the woman be the one looking more spectacular and dazzling in the original flow?!’

They were in the same art style, so why did she feel like she alone looked faded and vague! If this were a typical romance fantasy, they should have been staring dumbfoundedly at her transformed appearance. Alosha felt deeply aggrieved.