The Full Story of an Incomplete Divorce - Chapter 34

“Thank you for the information.”

As the man went back inside, just before the door closed, he clicked his tongue and muttered.
“Tch, drowning in alcohol and gambling every day, no wonder his wife and kids ran away. When on earth will he come to his senses?”

Charlotte turned away, leaving the man’s muttering behind. She looked up worriedly at the sky, which had begun to darken, and quickened her pace. It had taken quite a while to get back to Kelston, but fortunately, she found where Ben was almost immediately.
It was an inn with just one large sign hanging loosely; the first floor seemed to be used as a gambling den. The rowdy atmosphere was palpable even from outside the building.
“Goddammit! What kind of shitty hand is this!”

Pushing through the crowd and looking around, Charlotte spotted Ben in a far corner, cursing roughly. Huffing angrily, Ben threw his cards down onto the circular table, and as if that wasn’t enough to vent his anger, he began hitting the table with his crutch. Soon, the manager of the gambling den came down to stop the disturbance.

Charlotte approached Ben a step before he could be dragged out by the manager.
“Ben.”

Ben, who had been glaring with a wary look, blinked in surprise once he recognized her after she pushed back the hood covering her face.
“Well now… Fancy meeting someone of your stature here.”
“I came to find you because I have something to ask you.”

The surroundings were so noisy it was hard to hear the conversation. Charlotte frowned slightly and pointed outside with her finger.
“It’s too loud. Let’s talk outside.”
“Of course, how could I refuse?”

Ben came out to the back of the gambling den, leaned his crutch under one arm, and tilted himself against the wall.
“Frankly, I didn’t expect you to come here personally, ma’am. Though it is what I hoped for.”
“It seems you admit you approached me intentionally.”
“Yes, well….”

Charlotte stared silently at Ben for a moment. As she had thought when they met in the bustling street, Ben had changed so much from the man she remembered over the past few years. From his shabby appearance to his coarse speech. He seemed like a completely different person from when he was a proper servant working for the Valentin ducal house.
“What is it you wish to know?”
“You said you had information I needed to know about Linert’s death.”

Charlotte took a money pouch from inside her robe. Hearing the jingling sound, Ben’s eyes gleamed darkly.
“As expected, you’re someone who understands how things work, ma’am.”
“Before that.”

Just before Ben’s outstretched hand could reach it, Charlotte pulled the pouch back and asked.
“How can I believe that what comes from your mouth isn’t a fabricated story?”
“Ma’am, I’m a man who knows the value of his own life. That’s why I’ve kept my mouth shut all this time.”
“And now your life isn’t precious?”
“I need money to keep my life, you see. As you can tell, ever since I was cast out, crippled like this, it’s been hard to make ends meet.”

Charlotte handed over the money, her suspicion still not abated. Ben opened the pouch, checked the amount, and clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“This is presumptuous of me to say, but for all my talk, I’m actually quite tight-lipped. This amount isn’t enough. You’ll need to double it.”
“Your greed is excessive.”

Even under Charlotte’s sharp gaze, Ben wasn’t cowed in the least; instead, he bared his teeth in a meaningful, sly grin.