* * *
William wanted a complete dissolution. He knew that flaunting his status would only bring a short-lived result.
“So I thought about how to make them leave on their own.”
William turned from the noisy entrance to look at Hook, signaling that it was now Hook’s turn.
“I’ve told you why. Now think of a way.”
Though William’s abrupt command to think of a solution irritated him, Hook quieted his frustration.
William wasn’t the kind of man who cared for others’ troubles, so expecting more would be pointless.
And yet, as Hook listened to William’s reasoning, an idea started to form.
“Have you come up with a solution?”
“You’ll let me go once it’s resolved, right?”
Before revealing his plan, Hook pressed William for a promise.
He needed to part ways with the Crown Prince soon.
William merely shrugged, as if it were obvious.
“Spread a rumor.”
“A rumor?”
“Spread the word that someone has already claimed the treasure.”
William gestured for Hook to elaborate, intrigued.
“There’s no need to force them out. The solution is simple: if the treasure is gone, there’s no reason for them to stay. Spread a rumor to break their will.”
“That’s a good idea.”
William clapped, impressed, but pointed out a few flaws in Hook’s plan.
“Still, a rumor needs credibility. Who’s going to believe that someone took the treasure just because you say so? If I heard such a rumor, I’d be suspicious too. And who will you claim took the treasure? Me?”
William pointed to himself.
“Using your status would be effective, but the outcome could be unpredictable.”
Some might develop resentment toward the Crown Prince for claiming the treasure.
Perhaps it would be better to choose a more suitable figure.
“So, the rumor needs to be well-crafted to be believable. Are you confident?”
William set the bar high, expecting Hook to craft a convincing enough story to drive them away.
Hook followed William’s gaze to the noisy entrance and shook his head.
“I’ll need time. And to refine the rumor, I know someone better suited than me for the job.”
“If you’re thinking of using this as an excuse to drag someone along, I won’t let you off.”
It was a playful threat, but coming from William, it was enough to be alarming. Still, Hook remained calm and answered.
“Don’t worry. This person is already near you.”
“Someone I know?”
“The one resting at the estate.”
William raised two fingers.
There were two people resting at the estate: Edwin and Henry. Which one could it be?
Meanwhile, the group from the Reve Trading Company arrived in the capital. They were filthy after days without proper rest, but their spirits remained high.
Violet, the daughter of the former owner and their moral leader, had shared her conversation with Henry.
With the support of Duke Timothy, the Reve Trading Company was going to make a comeback. For those who had lost everything, this was the last thread of hope.
However, not everyone was fully convinced.
Paul, the son of the current acting leader, was skeptical.
“It’s strange that Duke Timothy is helping us at all. We’re talking about a duke! Why would a duke go out of his way to revive a fallen merchant guild? I just don’t trust it.”
Paul, who was only a couple of years older than the guild’s strategist, Herze, shared his concerns with the other merchants.
“But the duke’s son guaranteed it, which is why we’re trusting it.”
One merchant tried to reassure Paul, taking his concerns seriously.
“You know who brought us to ruin. The local lord and other merchants targeted us on purpose. But the duke’s status is far above that of a mere lord, isn’t it?”
That was exactly why Paul couldn’t believe it.
“And we saw how the duke’s son acted back then. He probably just noticed us when he was bored.”
“Well, I didn’t see it that way…”
The merchant wasn’t as quick to agree.
While the duke’s son had been casual in his manner, his words had transformed their fate from hell to heaven in an instant. Surely that was worth trusting?
Paul, frustrated, pounded his chest.
“We’re being used! We made it to the capital, but we’ll be abandoned in the end.”
Paul’s voice grew louder, drawing attention from the other merchants. Though they were doing their best to hold onto hope, some couldn’t deny that Paul’s concerns made sense.
“Ugh, he’s making a fool of himself.”
Just as Paul started to puff his chest in satisfaction at how his words were taking root, a voice clicked its tongue in disapproval. It was Herze, the smartest member of the guild.
“Herze, that’s too harsh.”
“I’m not being harsh; it’s just that Paul is being frustrating.”
“You…”
“Right now, we’re heading to seek refuge with the Duke’s family, but you keep saying you don’t trust them. What exactly are you trying to gain from that?”
“Well, yes, but I just don’t want us to be disappointed if the Duke’s family doesn’t accept us. This is my way of managing my expectations.”
As Herze pointed out the issue, Paul started to hunch his shoulders and tried to defend himself.
His reasoning was purely to prepare for the possibility that the Duke’s family might not take them in. However, Herze merely scoffed at his words.
“That’s your plan? Then tell me, what will you do if we get rejected?”
“Uh? Well… we could go back to our hometown…”
“That place isn’t our home anymore. We have nowhere to return to.”
Herze laid out their situation precisely. Their merchant group had already collapsed to the point where it couldn’t even be called a guild anymore.
The people here were merely bound together by the fact that they had once belonged to the Reve Trading Company.
They needed to quickly establish a new group that could serve as a center and secure their position somehow.
“Focus. Our families have already scattered far and wide, so if we want to reunite them, we need this to succeed.”
Paul hung his head sullenly, and the situation was settled. Herze gave him a disappointed look and moved over to Violet’s side.
“Don’t ever give that guy any important responsibilities.”
Finding Herze’s complaint, born out of frustration, endearing, Violet patted her on the head.
“Thank you.”
Violet, who hadn’t stepped in to intervene while Paul was making a fuss, was grateful that Herze had spoken up.
They were putting their trust in Young Master Henry Timothy’s assurances as they made their way to the Duke’s estate, but even Violet wasn’t sure how things would turn out.
That made it even harder for her to stop Paul, but Herze had acted on her own initiative. As Violet continued to gently pat Herze’s head, she turned her gaze forward.
In the distance, the Duke’s estate came into view.
“Halt. What is your business here?”
At the gatekeeper’s question, Violet presented the token given to her by Henry.
“I’ve brought a letter from the person who gave me this.”
Without saying more, she handed over the token for the guard to inspect.
The guard took it to a knight, who immediately recognized it and brought it to the Duchess.
“Someone other than Henry brought this?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The Duchess took the token in hand.
It was something she had given to Henry, allowing him to withdraw money from the bank.
“Let them in.”
The token held more power than just being a status symbol.
The Duchess immediately summoned Violet and Herze into the estate.
Following the Duchess’s orders, the servants moved swiftly, and in no time, Violet and Herze found themselves in the drawing room.
“At least they weren’t lying.”
Herze muttered with relief, shaking off the lingering doubts she had.
As Violet nodded slightly and took in the grandeur of the room, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman entered.
Recognizing her instantly, Herze bowed her head in greeting.
“Greetings to the Duchess.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Violet, following Herze’s lead, bowed as well and cautiously observed the woman seated across from them.
Though her golden hair had faded, it was clear that at one time it had been quite beautiful, and in her features, one could see a glimpse of Henry.
“Which one of you brought this token?”
“I did.”
Violet promptly raised her hand to answer.
The Duchess, after carefully observing her, nodded slowly. Then, with a gentle voice, she spoke again.
“Then I should speak with you.”
Although Herze was the younger of the two, the Duchess accurately assessed the situation and addressed Violet instead of simply following age-based convention.
While Herze’s opinion of the Duchess shifted, the woman turned to Violet.
“You said you brought a letter from Henry?”
Violet pulled out the letter she had been holding onto and handed it over.
The Duchess, holding the letter, stroked its envelope for a moment.
It had been a long time since she had heard from her son, and though it hurt to think about, this letter was precious.
Henry hadn’t sent a single message home, and while she was grateful to receive this, it was bittersweet, reminding her how much she had missed him.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
❤️
Well..
Henry mother is so sweet
Yeah agreed
Thank you for the translation