Chapter 14
My Life, Pawned —
If the lower floors were dazzlingly colorful, the upper floors carried a quiet, elegant air.
The grand, cathedral-like arena, shaped like a castle with arched structures, was said to be managed by different administrators on each level.
From the second floor upward, the space was also used for lodging, so the atmosphere changed completely.
Irina had spent quite a while listening to Howard’s explanations as they toured the place together.
Before long, they arrived in front of his office.
Even before the ornate, intricately patterned door was opened, Irina spoke up.
“So… am I going to be coming here often? Wouldn’t it just get in your way if I came while you’re working?”
Howard pushed open the door.
The moment they stepped inside, the smell of wood and paper filled the air — mahogany-colored floors and walls surrounded them.
One wall was lined with weapons, the other filled with shelves of books and documents.
His desk was piled high with all sorts of paperwork.
There was also a narrow hallway leading off to one side — perhaps another room.
As soon as Irina stepped all the way in, the door closed behind her.
“This place will soon be under joint management by husband and wife.”
Irina froze mid-step and turned sharply around.
“Joint management? With who?”
“Well, with you and me, of course.”
“What?”
Irina’s eyes widened.
“Wait—hold on. You said this was only for a year! What do you mean by ‘joint management’?”
“I thought that’s what you meant earlier when you said we should ‘get along.’”
“Don’t joke around.”
“It was written in the contract, you know. Don’t tell me you didn’t see it?”
“The contract?”
Damn it.
What else did he have written in there?
Irina glared at him with confused eyes.
“I’ll check the documents when I get home, and we’ll talk about it then.”
“There’s no point. You can’t undo it anyway.”
His tone implied — why bother?
Irina glared even harder.
“In return, I’ll give you a portion of the profits once everything is successfully settled.”
“A portion?”
“Enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life.”
If he hadn’t added the arena’s daily revenue figures, Irina would’ve flatly refused.
Truly.
“F…fine.”
“I knew you’d agree.”
“Hmph. Try being in my position for once.”
Irina sat down on the sofa, muttering awkwardly, but Howard only responded with an amused smirk.
“I should have some tea brought in.”
“Then I’ll take something cold, please.”
Irina winked one eye slightly as she said it — a cold drink would help soothe the lingering headache she’d had since earlier.
Howard, who was about to leave the room, suddenly stopped and stepped back toward her.
Then he reached out and gently placed his hand on her forehead.
“What?”
“Is your headache that bad?”
“No, just a little. …You knew?”
“I thought it would’ve gone away by now.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
Mumbling something she couldn’t catch, Howard straightened up again.
“It’s nothing. You should rest for a bit. My apologies — I may have rushed things too much.”
He blamed himself for not pacing things better while worrying about her condition.
“It’s just a headache. I’ve had worse — don’t make a fuss.”
It really was just a headache.
But it seemed Howard was about to forget all the work he had to do.
“I didn’t bring you here to suffer. There’s a resting room inside — would you like to lie down?”
He pointed toward the narrow hallway connected to the room.
Irina waved her hand dismissively.
“No thanks. Just get me something cold, or I’ll start tearing this place apart.”
“Understood.”
“Where’s Casey?”
Earlier, Casey had said she’d be right back after taking Howard’s orders — but she was taking longer than expected.
“She’s probably upstairs, organizing your room.”
“Ah.”
There had been so much to prepare that Irina had already decided she’d stay the night here.
Sleeping in such a luxurious place didn’t sound bad at all.
Casey must’ve gone upstairs to prepare her things.
“So that’s what you sent her to do,” Irina murmured.
Not long after she drank the cold tea, a visitor arrived at the office.
“We met earlier — I’m Welden, the general manager.”
It was the same Welden she had greeted earlier, now smiling brightly.
“I’m Midian, the deputy manager in charge of the upper floors. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Midian, standing beside Welden, was as tall as Layer — with wavy brown hair tied up high, her sharp features stood out even more.
“And I’m Layer Calden, manager of the basement.”
His introduction came with a playful grin — and it reminded Irina of the man she had seen earlier in the central district.
Maybe it was just the blonde hair.
“Nice to meet you all,” Irina said, shaking hands with each of them.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you! I heard you were coming, but I just couldn’t wait any longer!”
Midian exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
The three of them clearly seemed to be from the far southern regions — their words carried a warmth and liveliness typical of that area.
“Boss, so when’s the wedding?”
While Welden and Midian respectfully called Howard Your Excellency, Layer always called him Boss, speaking in a way that felt more like a comrade than a subordinate.
Irina watched with amusement as they chatted casually.
“I’ve never been to Arendor before,” she said. “I was born and raised in Borman! I heard it’s not too hot there — I’d love to visit someday.”
“It snows a lot. Sometimes so much that your legs sink right in,” someone replied.
“Wow—where I lived, we were lucky if it even rained!”
Their laughter echoed around the room.
They were easy to get along with — exchanging jokes and laughter as if they’d known each other for ages.
Howard sat at his desk, reviewing papers, occasionally glancing at Irina.
“So, have you three worked here long?” Irina asked.
“It’s been two years now. Being promoted to manager was a huge deal! Haha — we’re just that good.”
“Oh? What kind of skills?”
Irina’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“……”
“……”
“……”
Should they say… “we’re great at dealing with troublemakers”?
Or maybe, “we handle dangerous situations cleanly”?
In truth, Welden, Midian, and Layer were all former gang members.
Now, thanks to Howard, they had cleaned up their pasts and started new lives — though it wasn’t exactly something to brag about.
Still, their skills came in handy.
Howard smoothly cut in for them.
“They have excellent customer service skills.”
“Oh, I see.”
Irina nodded without suspicion.
“Y-Yes! That’s right!”
“Exactly!”
“We’re number one!”
The three nodded so hard it was a wonder their heads didn’t fall off.
Irina considered asking about Howard’s own past but decided against it — she wasn’t particularly curious.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A neatly dressed employee entered.
“Everyone’s here, I see. Sir, you’re needed in the Arena Hall.”
The Arena Hall meant the basement.
Layer immediately stood up.
“I’ll be heading down first, then. If anything comes up in the basement, just call for me. Excuse me.”
Bowing politely, he quickly left the room.
The other two stood as well, saying they should also check on things.
It was obvious they were giving Howard and Irina some privacy.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Once the three left, the office fell quiet — almost empty.
Only the soft sounds of Irina sipping tea and Howard flipping through papers filled the room.
After a while, Layer returned.
“Boss. Sorry, but you’ll need to come down to the basement.”
Apparently, whatever was happening couldn’t be handled without him.
Before Howard could rise, Irina spoke first.
“Go ahead — I’ll stay here.”
Howard stood and walked over to her, pointing to a black magic stone embedded in the wall near the door.
“If you need anything, place your hand here. This area is safe, but still — don’t go out alone. Always have someone with you.”
“Got it. Don’t worry. Go on~”
Howard hesitated — unable to shake his concern or his distrust — before finally leaving with Layer.
Irina quietly sipped the rest of her tea.
The cold drink had nearly erased her headache.
Tapping.
She swung her legs idly from the sofa.
When he didn’t return for a long while, she looked around and finally stood up.
“Hmm.”
She walked toward the wall Howard had mentioned, eyeing the magic stone but not touching it.
“Just how rich is he, to install magic stones everywhere?”
Compared to Arendor, this place was like attaching a mansion to a palace wall — practically luxurious to excess.
Irina clicked her tongue in disbelief.
She considered calling a staff member but decided against it — they’d probably stop her from wandering freely.
Instead, she stepped outside.
She had seen a balcony earlier that connected to the hall, not far from here.
“To the right after stepping out… then left down the hall, I think?”
She strolled along the long, carpeted corridor, the deep wine-colored rug glowing softly under the polished floor.
Turning the corner, she froze.
There was Howard’s back.
“Oh, shoot—”
She instinctively pressed herself against the wall.
He’d probably scold her for wandering alone.
Howard was speaking with someone — not Layer.
“Is that why he stepped out?” she wondered, peeking curiously.
She couldn’t hear everything, but from bits of the conversation, it seemed to be about some family matter.
There were no raised voices, but the man facing Howard looked displeased.
And then — suddenly —
A voice whispered right beside her ear.
“Pretty lady, what are you doing here?”
