Chapter 108
Of course, since I’m a good student, I acted properly shocked.
“What? Wh–what do you mean? Seraphina’s leaving?”
“That’s right,” the count said gravely. “Living in the capital is far too expensive, you see. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Seraphina this, but… sob… we’ll have to sell the house to pay off our debts…”
“Madam, please don’t cry!”
“To think our incompetence is taking away your dear friend… I’m truly sorry. But since you came, I felt I should tell you…”
What a load of nonsense. They’re planning to ditch their daughter and flee, and yet they’re trying to guilt-trip me?
As expected, the count soon launched into his real pitch.
“I heard you and Seraphina are inseparable friends.”
Not quite, but sure.
“Yes! I don’t want to let Seraphina go!”
“Then… could you perhaps help our family a little?”
“H-help you? How?”
“It’s nothing serious. Hmm… You’re the same age as Seraphina, right? Sixteen is the perfect age to start developing a sense of money.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“The best way to learn about money is through direct investment. Could you ask your father to, say, lend you some money ‘to try investing’?”
“Investing? In a business?”
Wow, they’re really shameless.
The countess quickly jumped in.
“It’s nothing risky! We run a furniture business, and in luxury goods, having reputable clients is crucial.”
“So you mean… it’s about image management?”
“Exactly! If people think you’re supporting our business, we can keep Seraphina here in the capital much longer.”
Isn’t this just your typical startup scam?
They’re trying to fake legitimacy by pretending they’re backed by a powerful noble house. When you look closer, their so-called “connection” usually turns out to be something trivial — a one-time sponsorship or a minor subcontracting deal.
I feigned innocence.
“Really? If I do that, will you stay in the capital with Seraphina?”
“Of course! How could we ever leave after receiving help from House Schlaeger? We’d have to stay here out of gratitude to our hometown friends!”
Yeah, these two are definitely going to run.
If they just fled, it’d almost be better — but more likely, they’ll scam more people first, claiming, ‘We’re investors supported by House Schlaeger! Ask them if you don’t believe us!’
Damn, no wonder the original novel didn’t bother to describe them in detail. They’re pure trash. Now I understand why so many protagonists’ parents are either dead or missing.
“I’ll think about it and talk to my father,” I said.
“Good, good. I hope you decide soon. I haven’t been able to tell Seraphina, but things are really bad right now…”
The count looked around his house with a sorrowful gaze. It was large but empty, and an old maid in a worn uniform was clumsily cleaning the place.
A soft-hearted person might see this and think, ‘Oh, how tragic!’
But since I know the future, all I could think was, ‘So, you’re busy preparing for a midnight escape, huh?’
Still, I smiled politely. After all, they’re my friend’s parents.
“Please don’t worry. I could never let Seraphina cry — I’ll do my best to help.”
That was at least half sincere.
Just then, Seraphina returned to the drawing room, carrying a small box of cookies.
“I remembered I got these cookies from the temple. Would you like to share them?”
“Oh, thank you. We can’t even afford to entertain guests properly these days,” the count said with a grin.
“So, Seraphina,” he continued, “is there a fine gentleman giving you bouquets these days? I bet there must be one.”
“There are plenty who offer flowers,” she replied calmly. “But the temple is a sacred place. I have no kindness to spare for the blasphemers who dare try to court women there.”
“Ah… right.”
When the parents are trash, sometimes it’s a problem if the daughter’s too good — but in this case, it’s a relief she’s practically a saint.
Still, what should I do about these two?
Even if I prevent their bankruptcy, it could still be trouble. Once Seraphina is officially recognized as a Saint, they’ll probably exploit her name to start new scams.
They were smiling ear to ear now, as if their debts had already been cleared, throwing out meaningless small talk.
I didn’t stay long. The count and countess eventually made it clear they couldn’t afford to host guests any longer.
As I was leaving, Seraphina bowed her head again and again.
“I’m sorry, Sol. I checked the kitchen earlier — all they have are preserved foods. If you don’t mind those ingredients, I could try to cook—”
“It’s fine. I was planning to eat at home anyway. If I skip weekend meals with Father, he gets all pouty— er, I mean, disappointed.”
“I see. Thanks for coming today.”
Seraphina smiled faintly — a bitter smile. I’d never seen that expression on her before.
Even for someone as righteous and independent as her, family troubles must still hurt.
“…Sol, you talked with my parents, right? What did you think?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll try to check some rumors.”
“You don’t need to apologize. Just worrying about our family is enough. See you next week at school.”
She walked me to the main road before running back into the narrow alley.
It’s probably been a while since she’s gone home. I wonder if she’ll even eat properly tonight.
Ugh. But seriously, what do I do with that rotten couple?
Should I ask the Duke for advice? No — he’d probably say, “As it happens, there’s an empty cell in my townhouse basement.”
Who else could I consult? Someone intelligent, reliable, and immune to manipulation…
…Right. There’s only one answer.
After returning to the Duke’s residence, I sat down and began to write a letter.
The recipient, of course, was—
My brother, Benen.
It’s been three days since I sent the letter.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. He must be swamped with work managing the Flogel territory. I’d have been grateful even for a short bit of advice.
But instead of a written reply, what I got was—
“Hey there, Sol.”
Benen Schlaeger.
His sharp blue eyes curved slyly behind his glasses.
The man who should’ve been buried in paperwork as the acting Duke of Flogel had just walked boldly into Grüner Bandt Academy.
“B–Benen? Is that really you?”
“Of course. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten my face? Hmm, but you really don’t grow up, do you?”
“It’s only been a few months!”
“Elberen grows taller every month. Are you eating properly? Maybe I should check whether you’re stealing from the school’s meal funds. Everyone in House Schlaeger is tall except you, you know.”
“…That doesn’t apply to me.”
“…Ah.”
At last, he shut his mouth. Finally, my turn to talk!
I made sure my next class was one of the boring ones, then shoved him toward a quiet corner of campus.
“Explain. What are you doing here? How did you even get in? Outsiders aren’t allowed past the Temple building.”
“Don’t you have class soon?”
“Skipping one won’t kill me!”
“Haha, fine. If you get dumber, I’ll take responsibility!”
He sounded far too amused to actually mean it.
Anyway—
I sat him down in a secluded spot, and he explained. His story was even more ridiculous than I expected.
“You’re saying you took on the Temple audit just so you could come help me?”
“Yep. If I came to the capital without an excuse, Father would’ve kicked me out.”
“Fair point.”
“Around the midsummer festival, all the provincial nobles submit their financial reports, and central officials are stretched thin. They were recruiting external auditors, so I applied. With my estate management experience, I got in easily.”
I didn’t fully get the details, but… impressive, I guess?
“Lucky you got assigned to the Temple.”
“Luck? I chose it. Wanted to be close to you.”
Wow. So shamelessly straightforward.
Benen grinned.
“Remember, Father donated that holy relic during your entrance ceremony? I used that to justify checking how the donation was processed. Worked like a charm. So, are the school meals decent?”
“I’m eating fine.”
“Then where’d your cheeks go?”
He casually tugged at my cheeks.
Weird. It’s been two years since we met, and last time we only spent a day together — yet it doesn’t feel awkward at all.
Naturally, I reached out and grabbed his sharp jawline in return.
“Eat more before you lecture me!”
“Flogel’s been too busy for meals. Want to grab dinner later?”
“I can’t stay out late.”
“Just tell them you’re meeting with an auditor.”
“So sneaky.”
“I’ll do my job properly. Getting caught slacking off would be a hassle even for me.”
“….”
In the original novel, the ultimate villain was Duke Schlaeger. But now, it feels like Benen might be taking that crown.
Still, when he looks at me, the sharpness in his eyes softens, and he smiles like a mischievous fox.
“So, shall we talk about those ‘problematic people’ now?”
Right — the real issue.
I told him everything I knew. Which, honestly, wasn’t much.
The Tilren couple.
An old noble family, but their title came with neither land nor position — nobles in name only.
Benen frowned.
“So basically, they’re just ancient freeloaders?”
“Harsh, but accurate.”
“Maybe one of their ancestors funded a national project and got the title that way. And now they’ve lost everything, even their seat in Parliament?”
“Yep. They can’t even maintain their house. They asked me to pretend to support their business, just for show.”
“They dare try to borrow the prestige of House Schlaeger? Using their daughter’s friend, no less? Unbelievable.”
“What should we do?”
They can’t go bankrupt — but they can’t be allowed to harm others either. Seraphina’s parents must stay by her side, but without dragging anyone down.
“…That’s really complicated,” I admitted. “If it’s too much trouble, maybe we should just find something to charge them with and send them to jail.”
I was dead serious.
Seraphina might be lonely, but that’s better than her parents running off in the night.
But then—
“Too difficult for me, you say?”
Benen’s eyes gleamed, and he smiled — like a devil about to have fun.
