* * *
Nick. He was practically his father’s right hand, leading the family’s shipping business.
Why would someone like Nick hand over such evidence to this man?
Allen couldn’t understand.
No—more than that, the idea that his father’s project was fraudulent was utterly incomprehensible.
It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.
Taking a deep breath, Allen calmed himself.
He couldn’t blindly trust the words of someone he’d just met for the first time.
“Why should I believe you?”
“I’ll show you the evidence I obtained from Nick.”
Bennett carefully took something from his coat pocket: a small notebook with a worn brown leather cover.
“This…”
“It’s a record of everything that transpired during the New World development project, documented by Nick himself.”
Gulping, Allen accepted the notebook with trembling hands and cautiously flipped through its pages.
The dense handwriting was unmistakable.
Allen knew Nick’s handwriting well, having helped with his father’s business on occasion.
“Oh…”
The initial pages contained nothing alarming, but as Allen read further, the content became increasingly disturbing.
Disappointment upon reaching the New World.
Frustration over finding no gold or resources.
Conflict with the natives.
Horrific massacres.
And the grand deceit that followed upon their return home.
Allen read the nearly full notebook in one breath, unable to tear his eyes away.
His hands trembled as he read, his chest tightening to the point he could barely breathe.
It was horrifying.
The fraudulence of his father’s project was shocking enough, but the atrocities his father had committed were even worse.
“Ha…”
The overwhelming shock left Allen slumping in his seat.
He nearly toppled over but caught himself on the sofa, gasping for breath.
His pale face had turned ashen.
“Now, do you believe me?”
Allen barely managed to steady himself, glaring at Bennett as he opened his mouth with great difficulty.
“So, what is it you want? Do you mean to blackmail me with this knowledge of my family’s crimes?”
“Something like that.”
“What?”
“I’m not an unreasonable man. I have no desire to cause you trouble, my lord.”
“Trouble? You’ve already caused plenty.”
“No. I’ve come here to prevent the tragedy that awaits you.”
“A tragedy?”
“As I said, Lord Wesley came to see me a few days ago.”
Allen’s face hardened.
If what this man said was true… did that mean Remy already knew everything?
“Where do you think I got all this information?”
“You mean… Remy told you?”
“Yes. He instructed me to connect with Nick and uncover the evidence.”
“…”
“The factory manager who referred me mentioned that the evidence would be compiled and distributed as flyers. You’re aware of how dangerous those flyers can be, aren’t you?”
“What, what?!”
Allen leaped to his feet.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“This is absurd… Why would Remy do such a thing…”
“He doesn’t have the best reputation to begin with, does he? Despite my lowly status, I’ve always been well-informed about the affairs of the social circle. I’ve heard a lot of things, and I couldn’t help but think he might hold a grudge against you, my lord. Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to dig into the misdeeds of another family?”
“……”
Thud.
Allen sank onto the sofa, rubbing his forehead as if a headache was setting in.
Things were already tangled beyond belief, and now this?
What on earth had that fool been up to?
And since when? How had he managed to uncover such truths—with that brain of his?
How?
“So, what will you do, my lord? I have both information and evidence. I brought it all to you out of my desire to assist you, so I believe you should offer me adequate compensation in return, don’t you think?”
It was framed as “compensation,” but it was essentially blackmail.
If Allen didn’t pay up, the man would undoubtedly hand Nick’s evidence over to Remy, and soon the Aylesford family’s corruption would be the talk of the empire.
“I’ll arrange for a suitable amount to be prepared through my steward.”
“If the compensation seems insufficient, I won’t hesitate to pay a visit to Viscount Wesley.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Threatening? Oh no, my lord, you misunderstand.”
“Fine, just leave.”
“As you wish.”
Bennett stood, holding Nick’s notebook.
“I’ll return the notebook once I’ve confirmed the payment,” he said with a sly grin.
Allen glared at him, but Bennett simply tipped his hat with a mocking politeness and left the room.
Once Bennett was gone, leaving Allen alone in the drawing room, Allen rose to his feet in a burst of anger.
His shout reverberated through the spacious room, and in his rage, he swept everything off the table, sending objects crashing to the floor.
“Remy! How dare you… stab me in the back? This is absurd! That idiot?”
What enraged Allen the most wasn’t the betrayal itself but the fact that it had come from Remy.
He had always thought of Remy as a naive fool who could only ever be taken advantage of.
But no, it seemed the boy had been plotting Allen’s downfall all along.
And Allen, blind to it all, had allowed him to.
“This can’t stand. I can’t let this slide…”
Although he had managed to quiet the leaflet incident for now, leaving things as they were wasn’t an option.
Allen had no idea how Remy had learned so much about his father’s business dealings, but as long as he knew, there was no telling what else he might do to endanger the family.
“I have to deal with Remy somehow…”
Allen paced the room, thinking furiously.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three, then four.
He circled the drawing room endlessly, racking his brain for a way to crush Remy and turn the situation to his advantage.
“Remy’s image is already terrible. If I spread rumors that he’s consumed with envy and spite, that he’s fabricated these accusations out of jealousy, it might work… But how? Who could I use to make this believable? If someone else set the stage for me, it’d be perfect…”
Then, just as he was about to despair, a name came to him—a perfect candidate.
Someone he’d thought of earlier, right before meeting Bennett.
“Of course! Rex! Rex is perfect!”
Allen stopped dead in his tracks, his face breaking into a wide grin as the worry lifted from his expression.
“I need to see Rex immediately!”
With that, Allen rushed out of the drawing room.
“Oliver!”
On a crisp autumn day with a gentle breeze and warm sunlight, Remy once again went in search of Oliver.
Carrying a basket full of homemade food, as always, he approached the children sitting at the makeshift table with a bright smile.
“Remy-hyung!”
Oliver’s two younger siblings ran to Remy, each hugging one of his legs tightly.
Remy, finding them adorable, patted their heads.
Oliver, sitting at the table, watched the scene quietly.
Unlike his siblings, Oliver didn’t react with the same enthusiasm, but he did offer a polite nod of acknowledgment.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, hyung. What about you?”
“Me too. But don’t you think it’s been getting colder at night? Aren’t you cold when you sleep?”
“It’s a little chilly, but Oliver-hyung covers us with blankets, so it’s fine.”
“Really? That’s good.”
Remy glanced toward the tent’s entrance.
The sight of the tattered, threadbare blankets made his chest tighten.
He resolved to bring not only clothes but also proper bedding next time.
Those ragged blankets wouldn’t be enough when the weather turned colder.
“Alright, you must be hungry. Let’s eat.”
* * *
