Chapter 65
Paiki stated only the facts. However, he didn’t tell her everything.
Upon receiving the report that Lord Mullier had been taken, Paiki made a proposal to the loan shark: he would repay the money the Viscount borrowed if they kept him for a few days. Therefore, it was the loan shark, not Paiki himself, who physically prevented the Viscount from returning home.
If Aniella found out about this, what then? In preparation for such a scenario, he hadn’t openly told them to imprison Lord Mullier because he was a nuisance…
‘It will take a few days to prepare the money. Until then, you must keep the Viscount safe and unharmed, without a single hair on his head touched.’
On the contrary, it would paint him as someone who did his best for her father. Paiki planned to later leak this information indirectly to score additional points with her.
“H-how much did Father borrow?”
Aniella, who had no inkling of Paiki’s ulterior motives, asked.
“Ten million gold.”
“Ten million!”
“That’s the amount he borrowed. I heard the interest has piled up to forty million gold.”
Fifty million gold in total?
Aniella staggered from the shock. Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
“There’s more bad news.”
“More?”
Aniella, already pale, cried out in despair. If she heard any more bad news, she might have a heart attack. She pressed her hand against her wildly beating heart, begging it internally to hold on.
“That man your family sent for the duel died again.”
He survived twice… that officer’s swordsmanship must be quite exceptional.
At his tone, which sounded almost admiring, Aniella squeezed her eyes shut. She remembered the face of the man who had told her father to trust him, boasting that if he got his chance, it would be a one-hit victory. She had heard her father gave him a hefty advance payment, insisting he must succeed.
Aniella, who had kept her mouth shut all this time, glared resentfully at Paiki for delivering the bad news just when she was about to head home. As if reading her expression, Paiki raised both hands and asked,
“Don’t you want to hear the good news now?”
“Is it really good news? If not, I think I might collapse right now.”
“You’ll like this news too.”
Paiki nodded with certainty.
In the fairy tale he wrote, the girl’s mother said: No matter how cute a kitten is, you mustn’t take it from its mother, for it will grieve.
In his childhood, he thought it was just an excuse adults made because they found it bothersome to raise a cat. But now he understands. The girl’s mother was right. Forcibly separating them causes problems.
But he didn’t want to just stand by and watch. He knew well what the outcome would be if he stood far away and merely observed. So, what should he do?
After much contemplation, he reached one conclusion. The solution was to take in the entire cat family and raise them. It was impossible for Candy, but for Duke Paiki, it was easy.
“The man standing before you specializes in solving troublesome matters.”
The nickname ‘fixer’ isn’t for nothing.
Paiki spoke confidently.
“Fifty million gold is a large sum, but it’s not an amount I can’t manage. And I have hunters who will move at my word. They’re experts at tracking down and capturing runaways.”
Aniella thought she understood where his confidence came from. The men who had brought the corpse in a sack to the Ducal residence were probably those hunters.
“Why are you going so far to help us?”
“Because then you will smile.”
Paiki approached Aniella and cupped her cheek.
“How about it? I’ll solve all your troublesome problems for you.”
“I’m afraid of how heavy the price might be.”
“That’s not the answer I wanted. The price isn’t very heavy. You just have to admit that you love me.”
“……That is heavy.”
As Aniella retorted, Paiki grinned and tapped the bridge of her nose. He deserved at least that much for bothering him.
Aniella took a breath, opening and then closing her mouth. Paiki’s head moved up and down slightly, following her movement.
“The truth is, I… Your Grace…”
“Just one word is enough.”
“I lo… Fine. Yes. I love you.”
Are you satisfied now?
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