chapter 22
Episode 22. Let’s work together (1)
A busy morning for everyone.
There was only one person still sleeping.
“Ouch. Sleeping late from the first morning! Noble dignity and face!”
Keter’s personal butler, Zach, stood in front of Keter’s bedroom door.
Just before going to sleep last night, Zach asked Keter to trust him. The family members of the Sephira family eat breakfast together no matter what. If Master Keter is to be recognized as a member of the family, he must attend the breakfast table. So get up early, get tidy up, and let’s go to the restaurant!
Not once, not twice. Jacques repeatedly emphasized this to Keter six times.
By the way, by the way!
‘Why are you sleeping? Ah!’
Zach clutched his face in pain.
Even so, recklessly waking up Keter doesn’t fit the law of treating nobles.
In the first place, Keter wasn’t even a child, and it was a huge disgrace in aristocratic society for someone to wake her up.
Because of this, Jacques stood in front of Keter’s door for an hour.
I believed in Keter and waited at the door, but no matter how much time passed, I couldn’t wake up.
‘I’m sure I saw you going into the bedroom. How many hours do you sleep? Ho, by any chance?’
Zach felt sorry for him.
I had forgotten that Keter acted so lively from the first day, but Keter was not welcomed by the Sephira family.
Moreover, the elder Panir did not return yesterday.
Panir is a hot-tempered and impulsive person who is unique among the elders, or rather, in the Sephir family.
rattle.
Zach’s hand on the bedroom doorknob trembled.
‘Couldn’t it be? Anyway, it’s a family… … .’
The more Jacques thought about it, the more anxious he became.
No matter how thoughtless Keter acts as an asshole… I said that this morning was so important last night, but it was strange that it hadn’t happened until now.
‘It’s not like it didn’t happen. You couldn’t get up!’
jump!
Zach opened the bedroom door.
“young master! Huh?”
Again, the predictions were correct.
Keter was half-stretched on the sofa. It was as if he had been attacked while resting on the sofa.
‘It’s poison. You were poisoned last night! Such vicious Elder Paneer… ! No matter how much you hate it, how can you kill your own grandson!’
Zach vowed to argue with Elder Panir even if he had to be dismissed.
“Gagging.”
It was then.
Keter, who thought it was a corpse, made a noise.
“Do, Bocchan, you are alive! Alas, this is not the time. Quick antidote!”
As a butler, you have to be prepared for everything.
The same goes for poison attacks. All poisons require a corresponding antidote, but first there is a neutralizer that delays all poisons.
Jacques took out a vial of neutralizer from his chest and ran to the sofa.
“Kuuul-”
“Yes?”
did i hear wrong?
Jack doubted his ears.
“Kuuu-”
Keter groaned again.
No, this is obviously… … .
“Nose, are you snoring?”
Zach reached the sofa and looked down at Keter. I thought I couldn’t see it because it was far away, but I can see it when I look closer.
Kether was not poisoned.
There are no signs of poisoning anywhere on the body.
It was a simple habit not to ask to sleep in the bed. Shocked, Zach dropped the expensive neutralizer and muttered.
“ha ha ha. Wouldn’t you rather have been assassinated? Then it would be an excuse. What am I supposed to cover for not attending breakfast?”
Zach tried to grab Keter by the shoulder, but withdrew his hand. It was because it was against the law to carelessly touch a noble’s body.
Zach looked around the room and then headed for the window.
The windows were tightly closed with double curtains.
Chew!
I pulled back the curtains and opened the window wide.
The cool morning air and sunlight poured in and circled the room. At the same time, a booming sound followed.
“Mmm.”
Kether, who had been sleeping soundly, narrowed her eyes. Zach cleared his throat for no reason and spoke loudly.
“Hey hey, hey hey! The weather is great today! It’s the perfect weather to wake up!”
Jump!
Keter raised only the upper body.
Zach screamed in surprise.
“Keep! It’s a surprise. Hey, are you awake?”
Keter stretched and said.
“Inspired by Jacques. rice is?”
“Breakfast is already cold. Previously!”
“Let’s eat and then talk.”
“… I will bring the food back.”
“it’s okay. Cooling it down is also a delicacy.”
For now, Zach, who thought it was good that he was safe, clapped his hands, and the ladies-in-waiting outside lined up.
After the maids finished setting the food on the table, Zach started eating with Keter, just like yesterday.
Near the end of the meal, Keter looked outward to the commotion. Quick-witted Zach opens his mouth to explain why, but Keter speaks first.
“Is the merchant here?”
Zach was perplexed.
It is true that the surroundings were noisy, but it was because there was no information at all to infer that the merchant had arrived in the noise. Besides, Keter had just woken up and was in the middle of a meal.
‘How the hell did you know? It’s like a ghost crying.’
It was no big deal to Keter, who already knew the merchant was coming based on her past life memories, but there was no way Zach knew about it.
“yes. There is a guild that periodically supplies all the materials used in the smithy, which are daily necessities in our family, and today is the day when goods from the smithy come in.”
“Hoo.”
Keter suddenly saw an apple for dessert. Fresh tops as if freshly picked. glossy shell. It was obviously the highest grade apple.
Crunchy!
A bite of mooney, sweetness and sourness harmonize appropriately, and it seems to signal the beginning of the day.
‘Hmm. Come to think of it, yesterday’s dinner was like that too.’
All ingredients boasted the highest quality.
Of course, if you are from a prestigious family and have plenty of money, it is not strange to use the highest quality ingredients.
However, the Sephira family can’t afford to do that right now. On such a subject, maintaining the best quality of life?
I know very well that everyone wraps themselves up in the name of aristocratic dignity or pride, but… … .
‘Sefira must be on the verge of bankruptcy right now?’
After consuming even the core of the apple, Keter wiped her hands with a handkerchief and rose from her seat.
I knew from my previous life that the merchant was coming today, but I couldn’t remember what kind of guild it was. Because I wasn’t interested.
“Inspiration. The upper house that deals with the Sephira family, is that an exclusive relationship?”
“yes. The Merchant Company, who signed an exclusive contract with the Sephira family, has been in a relationship with us for several years. But why is that all of a sudden… … ?”
“If it smells, it smells very bad.”
Zach blinked and sniffed, but there was no particularly strange smell.
“I don’t smell anything. Are you trying to change your mind? Last night I must-”
“What’s the name of that trade union?”
Keter interrupted Zeke and asked. Although Zach was angry, he answered with a smile, faithful to his duty as a butler.
“This is the top of Ultima.”
right!
Keter snapped her fingers and grinned.
“Yeah, I knew that.”
“yes? What did you know… … .”
“I’ll be back, old man.”
“Where are you? Where!”
Zach hadn’t even gotten to the point yet. Knowing that he would be dragged around by Keter for the rest of his life if he could not speak this time, Zach stood up and blocked the door with his whole body.
But there was something Jacques was forgetting. Just now, I left the window wide open to wake up Keter.
Without hesitation, Keter stepped on the window railing and jumped down.
“Huh! This is the third floor!”
Zach freaked out and ran to the window, but Keter had already landed lightly.
“her… … .”
Zach, not capable of jumping on the railing like Keter, murmured, rubbing his forehead.
“Please don’t just make an accident.”
* * *
The position of butler carries out a comprehensive task.
However, because certain tasks were so important, there was a butler assigned exclusively to them, such as Hans, the butler in charge of the Sephira family’s finances.
Hans looked at the carriages lined up at the front door. All of them were wagons from the top of ‘Ultima’. The materials delivered to the forge were being moved in perfect order.
“Move quickly and carefully. That one box you carry is worth more than your lives.”
A wagon in his thirties and 200 workers were led by a surprisingly young man. He was the owner of the Ultima Merchant, Ultima.
He was a man who did not fit the image of a merchant. He wasn’t fat, and he didn’t look dull.
A more disciplined body than a trained soldier. Bright eyes and twinkling eyes. He was more of a warrior than a merchant.
“oh my. Did Deacon Hans come out?”
Ultima, who was leading the workers with harsh words, found Hans and greeted him with a kind tone.
Hans replied with a shy smile.
“Nice to meet you, Ultima Sangju. Even though he’s busy, he’ll come by himself, there’s no need for that.”
“hahahaha, what do you mean by that? Prestigious family! It is a delivery service for the great Sephira family, so of course I have to take off my hands and feet and run to it.”
“Mmm.”
It was strange.
Obviously, Ultima is promoting the Sephira family, but Hans could not hide his discomfort.
The reason soon became apparent.
“By the way, Deacon Hans. The delivery of goods price this time will not be an outer box again? You said last month was definitely the last.”
“Lower your voice. I have been raising my funds.”
“Keah hmm. Excuse me. Because I am inexperienced in controlling the strength of my voice. This is the bill of materials for this month. Let’s check it out.”
Ultima held out a thick bill from within. It was a statement of quantity and price for all items.
Hans glanced at the front and immediately checked the back page with the total amount written on it.
“4,200 gold? Hey, Ultima top lord. You reduced the delivery quantity, but why did the price increase?”
If you look at the simple numbers, it doesn’t seem like a big amount.
However, it only looks like that because it was replaced with ‘gold coins’. In general, when converted into fairy tales used by the common people, it is a whopping 420,000.
“Oh, didn’t you know? The materials used for arrows have become extremely rare. To the point where I couldn’t get it even if I paid more. I saved it because it was our top tier.”
“Anyway, the total amount last month was 3,500 gold. I thought it was 3,000 gold no matter how many came out this month. But rather, 1,200 gold comes out?”
“ha… … .”
The atmosphere of Ultima changed in an instant, like flipping the palm of your hand.
“Wow!”
Ultima spat on the floor and said with a grim face.
“So, are you saying you won’t pay me this month?”
Ultima’s tone has changed to that of a knave.
However, his sense of intimidation was on a different level from that of a street gangster. It was the momentum of a real man who had overcome countless battlefields and deaths.
No matter how much he was the butler of the Sephira family, Hans was senile. There was no way he could withstand the young and ambitious Ultima’s momentum.
“That, it is not. Everything is difficult, but I prepared 2,000 gold.”
“I’m going crazy. Mr. Hans. Even if you give the full amount of 4,200 gold you should receive this month, it will not be enough, so eat less than half of that, 2,000 gold and leave, is this it?”
If he said such a thing to a butler from another prestigious family, he would be summarily executed, but Hans was embarrassed and spoke in a passive manner.
“You’ve been looking for money, haven’t you? Please consider my circumstances.”
“Isn’t the situation already taken care of several times? It’s not even once, it’s already been 2 years this year. Do you know what the total amount of the credit was in the first place?”
“As far as I know, I remember it being a little less than 300,000 gold.”
At Hans’ words, Ultima hit her forehead and was dumbfounded.
“I’ll be thrilled. Mr. Hans. Did you even eat senility? 57 million. 570,000 gold!”
Ultima let out a tantrum.
Hans was moved, but he couldn’t get angry. It wasn’t just because 500,000 gold was an enormous amount.
Ultima was a good merchant.
When all the merchants cut off or refused to deal with Sephira, who was in decline, only Ultima took the risk and accepted the deal, even supplying quality items at low prices.
When the Sephira family was in need, they lent them money for free, and they maintained a strong relationship. In response, Sephira completely cut off transactions with merchants who adhered to an ambiguous position, and signed an exclusive contract with Ultima.
But now, many years later.
The Sephira family owed Ultima a large sum of money. Even if Ultima raised her voice and cursed now, the Sephira family had nothing to say.
Even if you turn your back on Sephira, you have to go down to the village to buy Sephira items yourself.
From the standpoint of Sephira, who already lacked manpower and had many enemies, such a risk had to be avoided at all costs.
“Considering the relationship with the Sephira family, they allowed the credit without interest, but to pay back the favor like this. If people in the world knew about it, what would they think of the Sephira family?”
“I have no face. You’re all right. I will apologize on your behalf.”
Hans, an old man, bowed deeply toward the young Ultima. However, Ultima took offense by kicking the ground.
“Damn it, you’re going to treat me like a pet, right? I can’t. I have no choice but to meet the family head and collect the money myself.”
“Cough Coke. Why are you like this? Even though you know how busy the head of household is.”
“Is there an agenda more important than 570,000 gold right now? You’re really talking about other people’s money. A great nobleman like the head of the family won’t meet me, is that it?”
“Please don’t do this. I’ll get the money next month anyway. Please return today.”
A butler from a prestigious family pleads with a young merchant. Ultima said while twitching the corners of her mouth, pulling out her arms.
“No matter how much you apologize. If the family head doesn’t work, I’ll have to meet the elder. I mean, I need a justification.”
Having been bitterly rejected, Hans was agonized.
Gaju doesn’t know. That the Sephira family owed Ultima a huge amount.
It was the dogma of Deacon Hans. He borrowed money from Ultima without reporting because he couldn’t leave more burdens on the family head, who was already busy with family affairs.
But now I can’t honestly say that I have a huge amount of debt. In the end, having to guide Ultima to one of the elders became a fait accompli.
If so, who should I take it to?
There was nothing to worry about. Of the three elders, only two remain in the mansion.
‘Panir’ returned to the family yesterday.
And now, the late hostess Olive’s real father, ‘Leganon’.
It would be difficult to take it to anyone, but Hans thought Leganon was better.
Because Elder Panir was hot-tempered, the problem was likely to worsen rather than be resolved, and on the contrary, it was because he had a certain degree of familiarity with Elder Leganon.
Determined Hans said to Ultima.
“Wait here for a moment. I will tell Elder Leganon and come back.”
“Heh. You made a good choice.”
Ultima spoke arrogantly and crossed her legs.
While Hans was away to tell Leganon, Ultima was smirking.
‘Quack. Nobles, Nabals, all helpless in front of money. Archery name? f*ck or f*ck Money is the best.’
When he first met Deacon Hans, Hans treated Ultima as a shopkeeper.
At that time, Ultima had made a promise. He said he would definitely bring Deacon Hans to his knees.
And today, I felt closer to that dream.
‘Next time I can make you kneel. Quit-quick. And after more time… … .’
It was a time when Ultima imagined the world as happy.
“Hey, who is this? are you right? Up your nose!”
Stinging nose.
A vein formed on Ultima’s forehead. What kind of madman mentions his childhood nickname?
Ultima turned her head quickly.
“What a bastard!”
He doubted his eyes.
Because the person in front of me was a person with absolutely no reason to meet here.
“It’s me, you bastard.”