Chapter 23
“You’ve really improved your acting.”
Diana said as she removed her hat.
“You could join a theater company soon. You really looked like a royal attendant.”
“Do you think I could compare to Miss Diana?”
Orlando chuckled as he removed his shoulder strap.
“Now even your voice is perfect. It really felt like serving a royal inspector.”
“Really? Then all the effort practicing that serious tone was worth it.”
Diana’s smile lasted only a moment.
“Don’t give them anything but water.”
Her eyes carried a sharp warning.
“For the sake of other victims of construction fraud, you can’t let them off easy. If they caused that much chaos at the royal casino, imagine how much they scammed others.”
“Of course. This is the perfect chance to teach them a lesson.”
Orlando nodded quickly.
Diana didn’t need to study her targets closely. Just a few contacts with people who had been victims of construction or repair scams had produced a string of horrifying accounts.
“When will you negotiate with them?”
“When they’re properly scared. These people don’t build shoddy buildings because they’re incompetent. If they want to survive, they’ll finally fix things properly this time.”
“If I had known, I’d have locked up the others too. Seeing them cry and beg is so satisfying.”
“Then the basement wouldn’t have been enough. But I did make sure the bail was generous.”
Diana thought of the contractors and inspectors who had only been part of simple scams. Compared to those, these three were easy targets. Especially compared to the defiant construction inspector before, this was like eating cold potatoes.
As Diana’s threats became more specific, her targets began to change their attitude. They begged for mercy, eventually paying bail and giving the safe’s password. By the time they apologized, Orlando may have felt a flicker of sympathy—but it was probably just his imagination.
“Now, only the casino dealers remain.”
“About that… sorry, we had witness info, but they hid like moles.”
Orlando sighed deeply.
“They must have an accomplice nearby.”
“Where were they last seen?”
“Rigoletto.”
Diana’s eyes widened.
Rigoletto? If her memory was correct, that place was…
“The card club on Senaca First Street?”
“Exactly.”
Ander’s capital had many clubs, but Rigoletto was one of the more popular ones. Anyone could enter with proper attire and manners, regardless of status, making it a trendy spot for commoners’ dates recently.
“Do they have resident dealers? It’s a card club, after all.”
“Of course. They have games like blackjack. Plus, there are other gambling houses nearby, so it’s easier to find work.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“We’ll check nearby lodgings more thoroughly. Could you give us a little more time?”
“It’s actually me who should ask. I’ll wait.”
Diana nodded lightly.
“Uncle! Uncle Orlando!”
A small, cute group of unexpected guests rushed in then.
“Uncle! We’re here!”
“Oh? There’s a pretty sister too.”
“Ah, hello…”
“Don’t barge in without knocking, you little rascals!”
Familiar faces burst into the office.
Each child carried bags of varying sizes, with a faint earthy smell.
“Hello, Jess, Hen, Tita. How have you been?”
They were the kids Diana had given cookies to before. Jess and Hen were fearless, while Tita still shyly nodded her head.
“Sister, Diana! We collected trash! Look! The bags are full!”
“We clean every day, so it’s much cleaner now. Today we even went to the next area!”
Sure enough, the white bags were packed.
It seemed they were keeping their promise well.
“Leave the trash outside, then wash your hands.”
“Ugh, too much trouble!”
“Hurry up!”
Orlando raised his voice, and the kids scurried out like squirrels.
Soon, the sound of the city pumps whirring could be heard.
“It’s nice to see the children doing well.”
“All thanks to you, Miss. Now the residents no longer drive them away.”
Even the kids, once thought hopeless, were earning the townspeople’s respect through their diligence.
“Tomorrow, I’ll have them help with surveillance and searching too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Kids like them are everywhere. In a city like this, they make perfect scouts.”
“I trust your judgment, Orlando.”
Diana seemed to understand his intentions. Despite everything, Orlando was happy to pay the children fairly for their work.
“Uncle, we washed our hands…”
“C-can we come in?”
“Come on in.”
Diana smiled warmly as she invited the children.
“The streets are spotless! Since you kept your promise, I’ll reward you with something delicious. What do you want?”
“Bread! Donuts too!”
“I want donuts too! With a hole in the middle!”
“Bread and donuts, got it. Tita, what do you want?”
“Anything… something with a lot…”
“Can you share with your little brother?”
“Yes…”
Orlando touched his forehead, noticing how close Diana had become to the kids without them realizing.
“Oh my, I told you not to ask such things…”
“It’s fine. I brought it up first.”
“Well, I truly apologize.”
Though he spoke with concern, he felt a strange warmth. The beautiful lady would surely return with lots of bread, cookies, and donuts next time, keeping her promise.
In the past few days, Diana Wellington had proven to be that kind of person. Her fair kindness stood out more than her striking beauty or terrifying threats.
‘I heard the Marquess of Crawford likes her… seems like a perfect match.’
Of course, if they heard it, they’d surely object immediately.
Club Rigoletto.
Even though it was still bright outside, one man deeply focused on his cards suddenly stood up.
“This is impossible! I was winning the most just a moment ago!”
He shouted, almost ready to overturn the table.
A young man nearby chuckled and forced him back into his seat.
“Now, now, don’t get too excited.”
“What? Who are you to interfere?”
“Me? I’m Carmine, the owner of this card club.”
Hearing he was a noble, the guest immediately changed his attitude.
Carmine felt a crude satisfaction in the sudden shift. This sense of superiority was a pleasure he never experienced in the remote countryside.
“Looks like you lost quite a bit, huh?”
