Chapter 4. After the Proposition

Clack

Footsteps echoed through the marble floors, breaking the stillness of the grand mansion.

The sound made the man sitting on the sofa, his back to the door, rise to his feet.

“Ah, you’re here…”

Adjusting his attire as he turned, his words faltered when his eyes landed on Serenia’s dress. His gaze moved to the faint bruise on one cheek and the split on her lip, narrowing slightly.

It lasted only a moment before his face softened into a well-practiced smile.

“I’ve been waiting for you. It’s an honor to see you again, Lady Barishart.”

His bow was courteous, his manners impeccable. Unlike their last meeting, his attire was considerably subdued—no flamboyant wide-brimmed hat or long flowing coat. Instead, he wore a simple shirt and trousers, which suited him surprisingly well.

However, the violet-tinted glasses remained, and his previously pink hair was now dyed a striking crimson, making it even more conspicuous. Serenia’s brow instinctively furrowed at the sight, the color reminding her of someone she didn’t want to recall.

She forced herself to smooth out her expression before replying, “Thank you for your hospitality, especially at such a late hour.”

“It’s nothing at all.”

He replied smoothly, gesturing to the sofa.

“Please, have a seat. It’s a modest offering, but still.”

The sofa he referred to was anything but modest. Crafted from the finest leather, it was clearly a luxurious piece worth at least a thousand krovats.

‘If this is modest, then my house must be a ruin,’ Serenia thought, suppressing the sting of pride as she sat down.

“Since it’s late, I’ll get straight to the point and skip the pleasantries,” she began.

“Of course. By all means.”

He replied with an easy smile, leaning back slightly as he gestured for her to continue.

“I’m here to sell something priceless. Something no amount of money could usually buy. How much will you give me for it?”

Her words gave him pause, but only for a moment. Then he replied with a polite smile.

“My lady, I must apologize. This isn’t a pawn shop.”

“I know that. But isn’t there little difference between a pawn shop and a loan office? You lend money against collateral either way,” Serenia countered.

“…A loan office, you say?”

His expression flickered, just slightly.

Unperturbed, Serenia continued.

“I’d have gone to a pawn shop if I could, but they wouldn’t take what I have to offer.”

Realizing where this conversation was headed, the man nodded slowly, his curiosity piqued.

“Something a pawn shop wouldn’t take… You’ve certainly captured my interest.”

He leaned back further, crossing one leg elegantly over the other as he laced his fingers atop his knee. His demeanor shifted slightly, his tone taking on the sharpness of a seasoned moneylender.

“Still, I’d need to know exactly what this collateral is before I can provide a valuation.”

Serenia met his gaze steadily, her face blank as she delivered her answer. “Me.”

The single word froze the man’s practiced smile for a fleeting moment.

He quickly masked his reaction, his lips curling back into a faint grin as he replied.

“Hmm. You do realize that the sale of titles is illegal, and anyone caught will face execution, don’t you?”

Despite the veiled threat in his tone, Serenia didn’t so much as bat an eye. Instead, she countered boldly.

“Sale of titles? I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I made it clear—I’m here to sell myself.”

“But human trafficking is just as illegal…”

“Ah!”

Serenia cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Then let’s say I’ve fallen head over heels for you. I’m giving up everything—my title, my family—because I’m madly in love. There’s no law against that, is there?”

His eyes gleamed with mischief at her words.

“Oh? So you’re offering everything for free, out of love?”

“Do I look insane to you? I said it’s just a pretense,” she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

“…Ah. That’s a shame.”

He replied with exaggerated disappointment, his smile turning playful.

“For a moment, I thought I’d struck gold.”

He clicked his tongue softly, muttering to himself.

Despite his words, there wasn’t the slightest hint of regret on his face.

Serenia narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully before letting out a soft sigh and breaking the silence.

“So? How much are you willing to pay?”

At her repeated question, he smiled faintly instead of answering. Rising from the sofa, he walked to a desk and retrieved a checkbook from one of its drawers. Returning to his seat, he scribbled something quickly with an expensive-looking fountain pen, then tore out the check and handed it to her.

Serenia blinked at the long string of numbers scrawled on the crisp white paper.

3,000,000 krovats.

‘Huh? Did I read that wrong?’

She rubbed her eyes, double-checking the check. No matter how many times she reread it, the figure didn’t change.

‘Let’s see… one, two, three… six zeros.’

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million.

Three million.

Counting the digits with her fingers again and again, she finally accepted the reality of the number.

‘It’s real. Three million krovats?’

Expecting no more than a mere hundred thousand at best, Serenia was completely stunned by the staggering sum.

To put it in perspective, a middle-class family of four typically spent about 250 krovats a month. Three million krovats was enough for such a family to live comfortably for a thousand years.

‘No, wait, that’s just the principal,’ she corrected herself.

If deposited into a bank, even a modest annual interest rate of 5% would yield 150,000 krovats a year. The interest alone could sustain fifty households annually.

This was, without a doubt, a fortune to celebrate with open arms. Money was always welcome, after all.

But three million krovats for a powerless, honorless, and tarnished countship?

‘Something’s not right.’

Her sharp instincts flared, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized him.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. Serenia had learned that lesson long ago. Raising her guard to its highest level, she asked bluntly.

“What’s your real motive?”

Still smiling that enigmatic smile, he replied.

“Motive? My lady, I’m simply a man with precise calculations.”

“What?”

Serenia’s expression shifted, incredulous at his bizarre response.

He chuckled lightly and added.

“Besides, it just so happens that I’m in need of a title.”

Though his words were accompanied by a smile, there was a subtle chill to his tone that didn’t escape Serenia’s notice. Her brow furrowed as she pressed further.

“You don’t ‘want’ a title—you ‘need’ one?”

“Exactly.”

He said, nodding without hesitation.

“That’s the very reason I approached you outside the bank.”

Serenia’s already tense expression hardened further.

She had suspected his approach was deliberate but never imagined it had anything to do with her title. Taking a moment to choose her words carefully, she finally asked.

“Why do you need a title?”

He studied her quietly for a moment before flashing a bright smile and replying.

“To retire.”

“Excuse me?”

His answer was so far removed from her expectations that Serenia was left speechless.

Not political ambitions, business expansion, or social prestige—retirement?

Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, unable to process his reasoning.

Shrugging, he continued.

“Honestly, this job has a very short shelf life, and let’s be real, it doesn’t exactly have the best reputation.”

‘A short shelf life? But there are loan sharks who’ve been at it for decades…’

Serenia thought, unable to hide her confusion. She nodded reluctantly, however, at his comment about the job’s poor reputation.

“…Fair enough. That part makes sense.”

“Still, if I may say so myself, I’ve been quite successful in this field,” he said, his tone taking on a boastful edge.

Serenia gave him a sour look, unimpressed.

“Oh, really? How nice for you.”

Unfazed by her sarcasm, he continued cheerfully,

“Yes, very much so. In fact, my superior constantly tells me that this is my calling. He says I was born for this work and that dedicating my entire life to it would benefit both society and the country.”

“Uh-huh,” Serenia muttered, her voice flat.

“Which is why he insists that unless I somehow become a noble, I should keep working tirelessly until I drop dead.”

Finally, Serenia realized why he had spent so much time bragging about himself.

“So you need a title… to retire.”

“Exactly.”

His straightforward confirmation made Serenia scoff as she smirked.

“Wow. Can’t even retire without a title? Your line of work sounds more like organized crime these days.”

To her surprise, he laughed loudly and nodded.

“In some ways, you’re not wrong. Both involve squeezing money out of people over nothing.”

She cast him a sideways glance, her expression skeptical as she mulled over his reasoning.

‘It sort of makes sense, in its own ridiculous way. Though spending three million krovats just to retire is absurd… If he has that much money, I guess he can afford it.’

As if sensing her thoughts, he watched her with a foxlike smile before asking.“So, do we have a deal?”

Serenia took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and answered.

“…Deal.”