Chapter 18

I smirked.

Heros, you clever bastard.

I didn’t know what exactly Heros said, but thanks to him, the man now looked ready to spill everything.

“Count Padelmon Elemoer… gave us a thousand den. As payment to kill you, my lady.”

“Hold on.”

I pressed my fingers to my forehead.

“A thousand den for my life?”

“Pardon?”

I grabbed the startled man by the collar and growled.

“Just a thousand?”

“P-Please, spare me!”

“How insulting! Damn it! Not ten thousand, not a hundred thousand—just a measly thousand den to kill me?”

The man looked at me like I was some uncontrollable psycho.

“Oh, I know. Should I try that thing again? It’s been a while.”

Whatever he imagined, he began trembling violently and pleaded.

“Please! Anything but that… sob… my blood’s far too dirty for your body, my lady.”

“Using blood as skincare? That trend’s long dead. But your skin might look nice as part of my new handbag collection, don’t you think, Heros?”

“Certainly better than the last guy,” Heros replied coolly.

As Heros and I bantered in sync, the man looked like he was about to faint, rubbing his hands together frantically.

Moments like this, the empire’s infamous villainess image really came in handy.

“I’ll tell you everything! Just please, don’t kill me…”

I looked him up and down regretfully, as if I were disappointed not to flay him, then sighed softly.

“Can you testify in court?”

“C-Court?”

“Yeah. I’m going to accuse Padelmon Elemoer.”

And finally put an end to the inheritance dispute he’s stirred up by gathering distant relatives.

“But if I testify, I—I’ll be killed too…”

“You can refuse. Then I’ll just make you handbag #72. Your skin tone is quite to my liking. Though I’ll need to soften it up first.”

My cold glare sparkled, and the man dropped to the ground, forehead pressed to the stone floor in terror.

“I-I’ll do it. But, um…”

He glanced up nervously.

“Count Padelmon isn’t the only one who hired us. That is…”

“Distant relatives?”

He flinched at my knowing response.

Smiling faintly, I spoke almost to myself.

“I plan to deal with them another way. I only need your testimony on Padelmon.”

“But if they kill me afterward…”

“Well, wouldn’t you prefer any kind of death to becoming my next handbag? Think carefully.”

“Hiiik!”

He looked utterly terrified by the madness in my eyes.

“I’ll do it, please…”

“I’ll send you paper and a pen soon. Prepare materials to attach to the lawsuit. Make sure it pleases me.”

“Y-Yes! Understood!”

With a slight nod, I turned on my heel and left the underground prison. Heros followed me out.

“You’ve got a knack for taming prisoners, Heros.”

Since I’d always found Heros’s past suspicious, I ordered him on another errand and snooped through his room.

I’d assumed he was bound to me because of his father’s debt, but I discovered he wasn’t even related to the previous butler—so his name likely wasn’t real either.

While rummaging, I found something: an old insignia from the Scavengers.

“Interesting.”

Thankfully, there were no signs he’d sold family secrets or anything serious, so it must’ve been part of his past.

He didn’t seem to recognize the Scavengers when I first summoned them either.

I’d have to keep a closer eye on him and figure out his story.

“At least he’s cooperating now. That’s a win.”

As I walked steadily down the hallway, I glanced out the distant window, a thought occurring to me.

“By now, the family meeting must be in total chaos.”

Meanwhile…

“You idiots!”

In a smoky gambling den, Count Padelmon Elemoer scowled at the report from his underling.

“You can’t even handle one girl, and now she’s making my life a mess?”

Still, his eyes were fixed on the spinning slot machine.

The reels slowed, then stopped at ‘Miss.’

He slammed the table, drawing everyone’s attention in the den.

Snarling, Padelmon stood and waddled away like a penguin.

“Count.”

His older brother, the heir to the ducal title, had inherited everything—property, wealth, power. But Padelmon, born of a concubine, was left with nothing but a meaningless count title and worthless land.

The only saving grace was that his brother had just one heir—a daughter with a terrible temper and no apparent wits.

But even after his brother’s death, things refused to go smoothly.

“There’s no one useful around…”

“Count.”

Another servant came rushing in.

“Your uncle and several cousins are at the estate, demanding to speak with you.”

So they’d learned of the failed hit on Catrin and came to hold him accountable.

“Impatient fools.”

Sighing, Padelmon rose with annoyance.

That cursed girl should’ve just died—it would’ve made everything easier.

Why must she complicate things so much?

He waddled out of the gambling den and boarded his carriage.

Just before he departed, the gambling house’s owner rushed out and grabbed the reins.

“Count, about the 30,000 den you borrowed… You promised to repay it today.”

Padelmon’s brow twitched.

“You already delayed it two days. If possible, I’d like to send one of my men to collect from your estate—”

“What insolence! A common thug stepping foot into House Elemoer?!”

Padelmon barked, his expression twisted in fury.

He was a noble of the Elemoer line—these filthy gamblers shouldn’t even dare look him in the eye.

“Still, if you delay again, we’ll have no choice.”

The gambling boss wasn’t backing down. Behind him stood a group of intimidating thugs.

Padelmon seethed. If he had disposable assassins, he’d kill them all—but they were all locked up in the Elemoer estate’s prison.

In the end, he changed tactics and forced a smile.

“Fine, I promise. I’ll repay you next time—with 10,000 interest. 40,000 total.”

The boss’s face twitched.

“Actually, I haven’t told anyone yet, but I have a big sum of money coming my way.”

He wasn’t technically lying.

In Padelmon’s mind, Catrin Elemoer’s inheritance was already his.

“In that case, may I have a token of assurance? Something to prove your promise.”

“Tch.”

Gritting his teeth as he stared down the threatening men, Padelmon reluctantly rummaged through his coat and pulled out a small key.

“This unlocks the most important safe in my estate. Without it, even I can’t access it. Will that do?”

The gambling boss—Scavengers’ field leader Cain—remembered Catrin’s words as he accepted it.

“Yes, Count.”

Elsewhere…

Luciano Elemoer, Duke of House Elemoer.

He was known as the most gifted among the Elemoer sons—and naturally inherited the ducal title.

But in a house where each generation passed the title from one prodigy to the next, many siblings fell by the wayside.

Some were given minor titles or bought them. Others, unlike the central Elemoers, drifted into minor provincial politics.

“Speak up, Padelmon!”

The white-haired man shouting now was a baron—Padelmon’s uncle.

Though born the eldest son, he was pushed aside by Luciano and Padelmon’s father, and relegated to the side branch.

Padelmon had convinced him this was their moment—now that Luciano was dead, they had a chance to seize power.

“You said this would work!”

The baron wasn’t alone. Padelmon’s aunts and cousins had come too, voices raised in outrage.

All of them knew by now: the Dobelton operation had failed.