Chapter 80
* * *
As befitted the Baldomer estate, the drawing room was decorated with dark mahogany furniture and black marble.
At the center of the immaculate room, Kallion, who had arrived first, sat on a pitch-black leather sofa.
Meeting his openly hostile gaze, Lloyd leisurely sat on the sofa opposite him.
“I didn’t expect you to go so far as to invite me here.”
At Lloyd’s calm words, Kallion’s brow briefly tightened.
It lasted only a moment.
He soon returned to his usual expressionless face, leaned back against the sofa, and spoke.
“Let’s get straight to the point. Baldomer has no intention of giving up on the diamond mine auction.”
At Kallion’s sharp gaze, Lloyd crossed his legs with an indifferent expression.
“Neither does Silverstel.”
Kallion sighed at Lloyd’s refusal to yield and spoke heavily.
“If neither house backs down, the bidding price for the mine will rise without limit.”
“Then Baldomer can withdraw.”
“…We’ll guarantee Silverstel twenty percent of the diamonds produced by the mine at half price.”
Even if Silverstel succeeded in winning the mine, it was located near territory under Baldomer’s jurisdiction, so transportation would be far from simple for Silverstel.
Ultimately, just like with the iron mine business, Silverstel would have no choice but to cooperate with Baldomer whether they liked it or not.
Lloyd apparently had already expected Baldomer to offer such a deal, because he replied leisurely.
“You’ll need to give us around fifty percent.”
Kallion ground his teeth at Lloyd’s shameless bargaining.
“Thirty percent.”
“Forty percent. We can’t compromise below that either.”
“…Thirty-five percent. That’s the most Baldomer is willing to concede.”
Even that was an extraordinary offer.
Securing diamonds in advance wasn’t something money alone could guarantee.
“Very well.”
Only then did Lloyd smile and extend his hand.
Kallion merely looked at the hand with displeasure.
The fact that he was even conducting this negotiation felt like proof that he was moving exactly as Lloyd had intended, and it infuriated him.
Even at Kallion’s cold reaction, Lloyd merely continued smiling leisurely.
“I look forward to a productive partnership in the future.”
A productive partnership, my a*s.
Cold murderous intent flickered in Kallion’s eyes as he stared at Lloyd’s outstretched hand.
The unaccepted gesture became awkward, but Lloyd withdrew his hand with an unconcerned expression.
He rose as though to leave.
Then Kallion, who had remained silent, spoke in a low voice.
“Why did you lie?”
The energy of the Dark Spirit, which Kallion normally kept tightly restrained, began seeping around his body.
The hostility and rage were entirely different from when they had been discussing business moments earlier.
He looked almost like a reaper carrying death wherever he went.
Kallion ground his teeth and asked again.
“Why did you lie and say Juliana gave you the information about the diamond mine?”
At the blunt question, one of Lloyd’s eyebrows tilted.
“Wasn’t your first mistake believing the word of a competitor?”
Kallion’s eyebrow twitched when Lloyd, who always wore such an amiable expression, answered informally with an icy gaze.
What did that mean…
Lloyd glared at Kallion and curled one corner of his mouth in a mocking smile.
“I warned you, didn’t I? I said I’d move in the moment I’d see an opening.”
It sounded almost as though he wanted Juliana to be driven out of Baldomer.
Even after Lloyd left the room with those final words, Kallion remained motionless for a long time.
* * *
As Lloyd headed toward the carriage, his gaze turned toward the garden.
Juliana was sitting at a garden table with a blank expression.
Unlike the ladies of other great houses, who normally traveled with several maids, the only person beside her was Kate.
Lloyd silently watched her stare into empty space for a long while before finally walking toward her.
“You seem to have grown thinner already.”
The cold expression he had worn while facing Kallion disappeared.
Wearing the gentle smile Juliana knew, Lloyd looked down at her bitterly.
Seeing that she looked even more worn down than when he had last seen her, Lloyd frowned.
“You should have asked me for help. If you had asked, I might have revealed the truth.”
At Lloyd’s direct words, Juliana turned an indifferent gaze toward him.
“That makes it sound as though what you revealed wasn’t the truth, but a lie.”
Lloyd fell silent at Juliana’s question, which struck straight at the heart of the matter.
“Wasn’t it?”
“……”
“Why did you do it?”
At Juliana’s flat question, Lloyd pressed his lips together tightly.
Then he lowered himself onto one knee.
Even at his sudden action, Juliana merely looked down at him without emotion.
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