I Don’t Want to Be a Lady - Chapter 109

“To be honest, I’m worried.” Charter, who was looking at the lights of the Kelteman emperor camp in the distance, spoke softly.

“About what?”

“What is the situation of the Harpion Empire? There is no one there to keep Duke Krow in check, right? It will be difficult for Luiden to do it alone.”

Charter was narrowing his brows as if he was in trouble just thinking about it. I glanced at him. Someone who felt like that jumped into the river after me?

Sigh.  I let out a subtle sigh, placed my hand on Charter’s shoulder, and said, “Don’t worry. There must be someone tightly holding his leash right now.”

“?”

Charter looked at me with a face that he had no clue.

“Why are you looking at me with that expression? Don’t tell me you don’t have any clue?”

“To be honest… Yes, that’s right.”

My mouth opened wide. He really doesn’t know? Why doesn’t he know? No, is it natural that he doesn’t know? I, who was staring into the air quietly, nodded, thinking it could be like that. No one knows him as well as I do.

I lowered my hand from Charter’s shoulder and said, “It’s Count Bornes.”

“Didn’t he…. on the same side with Duke Krow?”

At Charter’s question, I smiled. “Do you think someone like him would really hide Viscount Girol? Even more, without gaining something?”

“Come to think of it… I don’t understand that either.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “He isn’t on either side. He only judges whether it’s good for him or not. And he never forgives anyone who touches him, whoever it is. He’s the kind of person who would only be satisfied when he pays back double to his enemies.”

Charter recalled the incident, written in the informant’s letter remaining in the capital a while ago.

“Ah, are you referring to the imperial investigator’s recent crackdown on Count Bourse’s gambling house?”

I bent the corners of my eyes and smiled, feeling very satisfied. “Duke Krow is on his leash.”

* * *

“You must be diligently gathering evidence, right?”

To Count Bornes’s question, his aide answered politely with his head bowed.

“Yes. As instructed, we have documented all of the recent purchases of weapons and the flow of funds of the nobles he used as his hands and feet.”

Count Bornes nodded satisfactorily and buried himself deeply in his chair. “What is he doing now?”

“There was a message from the informant that he wouldn’t know what had happened.”

Looks like he succeeded. Count Bornes raised his glass, took a sip, and then rolled his tongue to savor the taste of his drink. He felt strangely excited by the excitement right before he cornered his prey and pressed it down.

“I’m going to do something soon, so make sure to keep their mouths shut.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure there is no disruption to your work.”

“Get out.”

His aide bowed deeply and walked out of the study with careful steps. After a while, someone knocked on the door of his study.

“Who is it?”

“Uncle, it’s me, Navier.”

Count Bornes’s head tilted. I didn’t even call him. How come?

“Come in.”

Count Bornes opened the door and looked at Navier with a curious look. To him, a cold-blooded man who didn’t even care about his own blood, Navier was the only one who could shake him. Really, the more I look, the more he resembles her…

Luencina Develun, Navier’s biological mother. She was the first love of Count Bornes. Since he was young, she frequently hung out with him. Her dreamy eyes and languid expression had a charm that made anyone who looked at her flutter with excitement.

She was the first woman he fell in love with. But she became his older brother’s wife. The reason was obvious. His older brother was the eldest son to succeed the baron family, and he was only the second son.

Count Bornes gritted his teeth. He promised that he would definitely succeed and rise to a higher place than his brother. He thought that only then that she would recognize his worth.

“Oh, dear. What brings this beautiful lady to this dangerous alley?”

He drove the princess of Grand Duke Federut into the alley, and the innocent princess fell into his trick without a doubt. In the end, he succeeded. Even though he was criticized and despised for being a shameless man who seduced an innocent woman, he succeeded anyway. That alone was enough for him. Now, he could face Luencina proudly.

However, Luencina passed away before she could acknowledge his success. She looked as thin as grass and suffered from anxiety after giving birth to her second child, and eventually passed away. It made him feel resentment.

Count Bornes never paid any attention to his wife or child until she got pregnant, gave birth to her child, and left him. To him, they were worthless.

His first love had never come to fruition, so it made him in pain. Count Bornes, known by the nickname ‘Blue-Blooded Demon,’ unexpectedly felt a vague emotion as he reminisced about his first love.

“What are you thinking?”

He shook his head and put down his glass at the sound of a voice that woke him of his memory.

“It’s nothing. What did you come for?”

“I heard that Arianne is missing. A search party was sent, but I’m still worried.”

Count Bornes said while looking at Navier, who was worried about his daughter, with a stunned expression. “The search party will figure it out. Stop worrying about useless things and do your job well. In the end, you will inherit these things, so don’t forget to learn any of them.”

“…Yes, I will.”

“If you have nothing else to say, get out.”

“Yes. I’ll leave now.”

Shortly after Navier left, Count Bornes clicked her tongue and spoke in a low voice. “What should I do with his unnecessarily caring personality? He will inherit the family that will hold this empire in the future, yet he keeps being like that. Tsk.”

After saying so, Count Bornes raised his glass again.

Navier, who left his study, left the mansion with a cold, stiff face. It was raining hard outside, but he refused the umbrella offered by the servant and was caught in the rain with his bare body.

“Useless? How can you say that to your own child! Damn it!”

Perhaps all of the people in the Develun family have indifferent personalities.

What should I do? If something goes wrong with Arianne… I…

Navier’s heart was filled with deep anxiety at the thought of losing Arianne, the only person he had opened up to. She was only his family. But no one cared about her. Even her disappearance was buried under the disappearance of Duke Kaien. Everyone only cared about the return of Duke Kaien, but no one was paying attention to Arianne.

Damn it!

Navier walked aimlessly for a long time in the pouring rain. He let go of his anger. Then, suddenly, he stood tall and muttered lowly with a murderous look. “Everything you have. I’ll take it away without leaving a single thing. Uncle. And Roland.”

Let’s see if criminals can remain arrogant and cold-hearted even when they become beggars.

* * *

Moyak, who was lying lazily on the top of the cart, frowned at the scorching sun. (Ah, damn it! I’m getting freckles. Ralpu! Set up the shade!)

Responding to Moyak’s shouting, Ralpu appeared and adjusted the shade on the cart.

(Chief. There’s something strange in the crescent canyon.)

(Something strange?)

Moyak’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she applied the thinly sliced aloe to her face. She took off the aloe, sat down, and shouted. (Let’s go!)

Let’s go see if there’s anything else fun. Moyak was sure something exciting must have happened.

(Yes! Go to the crescent canyon!)

(Yes! Move!)

After a while, Moyak was rolling around, holding her stomach. (Ahahaha! What else is this? Pfft Hahahaha!)

(Urgh, shut up, Moyak.)

Moyak’s eyes gave off an eerie energy at the man’s reply. (You’re the one who should shut up. Before I bury your head, which is the only one that is still stuck up.)

(Urgh.)

Are was in a frenzy. His last memory was getting hit with Dondon’s arrow during the battle with Paku. When he opened his eyes, both his and Dondon’s armies had disappeared. He was buried finely in the ground, with only his head stuck up. As he was buried tightly, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t move.

(I’m going to kill you!) His angry shouts only echoed in the canyon. He was buried with his head exposed for an entire day.

Are managed to drive out various poisonous insects that attacked his head all night and greeted the morning sun without sleeping a wink. While taking a breather for a while, an existence more vicious than a poisonous insect came.

(Moyak…)

It was the worst. He couldn’t believe he was facing her at a time like this. Are gritted his teeth.

(What should I do…) Moyak swept her chin with her index finger and looked down at him.

Upon seeing Moyak contemplating his disposition, Are shouted in tears. (Kill me! Try to kill me as best as you can!)

Oh my. Did he think I would kill him easily if he asked me to? What do you think I am? Moyak’s lips curled up at Are’s whine. (I’m good at killing people, but now… I want to do something else though)

Until just a moment ago, Are’s face was contorted with rage. But now, he sensed the future awaited him.

(Stop it! Don’t come any closer! You crazy bitch!)

When Are shouted with a contemplated face, Ralpu hit Are on the back of his head with a blunt weapon. (You! How dare you say that to Chief? Do you want to die?)

Moyak stopped Ralpu, who was about to hit him with the blunt weapon once again. (That’s enough. It’s not fun if he really dies, right?)

Ralpu carefully asked, with a face as if he did not know her intentions. (Why are you keeping this idiot alive? Wouldn’t it be better just to bury him and leave? There’s nowhere to use him.)

In response, Moyak smiled brightly, revealing her crooked teeth. (I decided to use him as the new mascot for our Surg tribe.)

“Baaaaa~”

The Surg goat welcomed the arrival of Are, waving its tail wrapped in red cloth. Originally, the color of the Surg tribe was red.