CHAPTER 101………………………………….
. The Lost Granddaughter
How far had Anje descended the narrow stairs? Unlike the upper floor, still warm from the day, the air that touched his skin felt cool.
At the point where the stairs ended, Anje crouched between the railings to check the storage room entrance. Sure enough, two soldiers were guarding the door.
“What should I do? I can’t just knock out the duke’s soldiers.”
Unable to act either way, Anje sank into thought. He should have anticipated this situation before coming down. Why couldn’t he have thought of this as the duke?
His expression darkened as he watched the soldier pacing in front of the door.
“I knew this would happen.”
So it was natural that Anje felt relieved when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.
“What’s going on?”
Gray shrugged at Anje’s muffled shout.
“The duke said he wouldn’t forgive anyone bothering the captain, but I should’ve spent more time observing him. It’s not that I annoyed him—he’s the one with the problem!”
Clicking his tongue lowly, Gray watched the soldiers closely.
“I went to the captain’s room just in case, but no one was there, so I came here. If you were going to do this, you should’ve said something first. What are you doing recklessly?”
“Shut up. You were wrong first for ignoring me and following the duke’s orders.”
Gray opened his mouth in disbelief at Anje’s words.
“Didn’t the captain say it himself? The client always comes first. I was just following the captain’s orders.”
If only he could’ve kept quiet. Anje’s incredulous gaze fell on Gray.
But Gray was shameless enough to rank second in the empire. Ignoring Anje’s sharp stare, Gray pointed toward the soldiers with his chin.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“If my guess is correct, the men who set this up for the workers to die will come looking for the body. It’s the cleanest way to eliminate evidence.”
“And?”
“I’ll move the body and lie down in its place. Then they’ll take me to their base on their own.”
“Are you crazy?”
Gray’s eyes widened, his expression serious.
“You want to die? Sneaking in alone without knowing who the culprit is? Wait a minute! Your Grace! The captain doesn’t seem to be in his right mind….”
Thwack!
Gray, struck squarely on the back of his head by Anje, finally shut up. Still rubbing the stinging spot, he shook his head busily.
“No, no. Captain, think again. It’s too dangerous. I should do it instead.”
“I’m fine. I checked before leaving the room. There are some minor risks, but I won’t die. You’re tall, so you’ll be noticed immediately. Remember, the dead man was small and slight.”
“So, you mean I can’t, but it’s fine for the captain to go somewhere dangerous?”
“Yes.”
What nonsense was this? Gray was at a loss for words at Anje’s stubborn insistence that nothing would happen.
“Stop saying ridiculous things….”
Before Gray could finish, Anje picked up a nearby stone and threw it toward the overgrown bushes above the stairs.
“Hey! Who’s there!”
As one soldier ran toward the noise, Anje kicked Gray to push him away.
In the dim night, between shadows, the remaining soldier aimed his spear threateningly at the suddenly appearing figure.
Gray raised both hands to shoulder height to show he meant no harm, then suddenly turned and ran, and the soldier chased after him.
Anje cautiously checked the storage room, now left unguarded, and skillfully twisted the key to slip inside.
As expected, the body lay on the wide table in the cool storage room.
Between the long-unventilated, damp smell of the basement and the mustiness of mold, an inexplicable stench lingered. The closer Anje got to the body, the worse it smelled, and he had no choice but to cover his nose.
“Is it the heat? But it’s quite cool in here, yet it’s already….”
With a troubled face, Anje finally resolved to lift the white sheet covering the body. His grimace deepened.
Contrary to his assumption that the stench came from decomposition, it seemed to be poison. The body had swollen so much from the poison that its original form was barely recognizable.
Clicking his tongue, Anje groaned as he dragged the dead man off the table. Soldiers would soon return to check inside, or others might come looking for the body.
He hid the man between large wooden wine barrels, then quickly climbed onto the table and covered himself with the white sheet. To prepare for the worst, he even rubbed the foul smell into his clothes.
“Hopefully, this works.”
Muttering in his heart, Anje squeezed his eyes shut.
The restaurant had no customers besides the marquis. Marquis Crow silently glared at stubborn, hardened food stains that hadn’t been cleaned. These filthy stains seemed to be the source of the store’s musty, old smell.
After a long time without ordering, a server approached the marquis.
“What would you like to eat?”
The server pushed the old menu toward him as if tossing it and crossed his arms.
‘This keeps getting worse.’
Though near a slum and a back alley, why were there no customers in this southern town famous for its resorts…?
“If you’re not eating, leave. I’m busy.”
The marquis glanced at the server and surveyed the empty restaurant.
“From where I’m standing, it doesn’t look busy at all.”
“Who are you to judge if I’m busy? If I say I’m busy, I’m busy.”
Crow’s frown deepened at the server’s rude attitude.
Lazy and unfriendly!
If this server were his employee, he would have kicked him out immediately. But he wasn’t, and this place wasn’t his guild or shop. Too bad.
“Give me your best dish.”
“One silver coin. We require advance payment here.”
The server, scanning the marquis up and down, demanded money first.
A silver coin for a shabby back-alley meal in a rural southern town? That could buy a decent meal in the city.
The marquis’s fierce gaze fell on the server.
“If you don’t like it, leave.”
As the man was about to turn, the clinking of silver coins hit the table.
“I’m looking for someone.”
The server raised an eyebrow as if expecting this. Crossing his arms, he glanced outside.
“This isn’t an information bureau… it’s a restaurant.”
The marquis placed another silver coin on the table.
“I heard I could meet a man named Bill here.”
“I don’t know who told you that, but there’s no one like that here. Eat first, then go.”
The man snorted and grabbed the two coins, about to leave. Then the marquis placed a heavy pouch of coins on the table.
“I’ll give you this much more if you bring Bill to me.”
Only then did the man whistle softly, apparently interested. Resting his chin in thought, he closed the restaurant door behind him.
Seemingly pleased, he returned, almost dancing, and extended his hand to the marquis.
“I am Bill.”
The marquis silently placed the pouch of gold coins on the table.
Before Bill could snatch it, the marquis quickly grabbed it and smiled.
“There are a few things I want to know.”
“There were no such conditions initially. Take the gold, and let’s start negotiations.”
Bill, looking threatening, reached for the pouch. But before his hand touched it, a dagger flew from somewhere and stuck into the table.
Yikes! Right where his hand had been. If he had been a moment later, his wrist might have been cut off. He had confirmed there were only old men in the shop—so where did the dagger come from?
Bill turned his head toward the direction the dagger came from.
A man behind a worn pillar nodded at him. Though dressed like a common mercenary, his posture was unusually upright—likely a knight.
“The promise is different!”
Though he tried to shout, his momentum had already faltered. Crow chuckled and spoke slowly.
“Don’t worry. Answer well, and this pouch is yours.”
Crow waved the pouch in front of Bill. Bill’s eyes followed it.
“Have you ever seen this person before?”
The marquis carefully unfolded a small rolled-up paper on the table.
Bill leaned in closely to examine it. It was an old, worn portrait of a young nobleman.
Looking at the man with dazzling blonde hair and purple eyes, Bill tilted his head.
“I feel like I’ve seen this face somewhere….”
