Chapter 22 – Johan’s Story

The rain that began in the afternoon didn’t stop even after sunset. Though he took a carriage home after work, Johan Blanc’s polished shoes and crisp trouser hems were already wet.

Holding his cane, Johan stepped out of the carriage and rubbed his aching head.

Mud splattered on the clothes and shoes his servant had carefully prepared—just another headache.

Johan barely responded to the butler’s greeting as he entered the family mansion.

“Brother, you’re home?”

Leticia, wrapped in a shawl against the chilly, rainy weather, greeted him.

Lately, she’d been giving up sleep for her new research, so it was rare for her to greet her family in a clear-headed state.

Though her face was gaunt, with dark circles under her eyes and messy hair.

At least she always remembered to eat. Even now, there were cookie crumbs around her lips.

“Did you want something?”

Johan asked abruptly, noticing his sister lingering nearby. It was rare for her to seek him out with something on her mind, given their not-so-great relationship.

People who heard their stories always exclaimed, “You two are so close…” but the siblings always vehemently denied it. They were not close.

“Yeah. Are you busy tomorrow?”

Why was she being so formal?

Johan’s eyes narrowed at his sister’s uncharacteristic politeness. What was she up to this time?

“A bit. I’m pretty busy.”

“Ah…”

Leticia looked disappointed. She seemed almost betrayed that her brother wasn’t available as she’d expected.

She still didn’t know him well. Weren’t they the type to claim they were busy even when they had nothing to do?

“What is it?”

His sister followed him all the way to his room, settling herself in the middle of it as he took off his coat and loosened his tie.

“Um, well. I got invited to Rosalie Latria’s birthday party tomorrow.”

“Uh-huh. And?”

Johan paused for a moment but quickly feigned indifference before Leticia could notice.

“I’ve already prepared your gift as well.”

By now, he could guess her request—she wanted him to escort her to the party.

Johan had to go to the Latria family’s party for other reasons anyway, so the request was welcome, though a bit odd.

“So, you need someone to escort you?”

“No guys except family…”

She trailed off, looking serious.

Knowing she had no men to ask but family, she seemed to glare at him with her eyes.

But Johan had his own thoughts.

“That can’t be right.”

‘hat about that fox-like puppy always hovering around you?’ 

Of course, he kept this to himself. If the puppy heard, Johan would be in trouble.

“It is right!”

“No, there’s someone who understands you with just a look…”

“If there was, would I be asking you, Johan?”

Her eyes sharpened as her request was about to be refused. She was ready to use magic if necessary.

The request was now a command, and the answer was set. If he hesitated, he’d end up being the one escorted, not the escort.

“Fine, I’ll go. I’ll escort you, then we go our separate ways.”

“Of course.”

Johan reluctantly agreed. He wondered why she didn’t think of Valerio Lester, but he could guess the reason.

Either way, he had to attend the Latria family’s party, so this was a good opportunity.

The ribbon on his clueless sister’s head fluttered. Johan knew well who gave her a new ribbon every year, and he shook his head inwardly.

* * *

The reason Johan had to attend the Latria daughter’s birthday party was because of an order from his superior.

Yesterday, his boss had summoned him secretly.

“Retrieve the Angel’s Tear.”

“…Angel’s what?”

A certain item was to appear at the Latria family’s charity auction tomorrow, and he was ordered to win it at all costs.

The so-called Angel’s Tear. The item with the embarrassing name was said to be an egg-shaped jewelry box.

Luckily, the informant added that the Latria family didn’t seem to know its true value.

Winning it was one thing, but if he failed, he was to use force. Johan sighed, looking at his own soft flesh.

He was a desk worker, not built for combat or self-defense. He even lost to his little sister, who was only good at magic.

He’d never been able to beat her since childhood.

He’d grown up accumulating embarrassing stories with Leticia.

As a child, he’d teased her, saying she should leave the house, and she’d headbutted him so hard he nearly passed out…

Then, after she entered Nyren Central Academy first, she dragged him into that den of evil too.

It helped his career, but still. He learned at the Academy that research wasn’t his path.

Yesterday’s ghoul-like sister was now radiant, shining like the May sun or the sparkling sea.

Feeling his gaze, Leticia covered her mouth with a fan and glared. 

“What are you looking at?”

Johan replied with his eyes. 

“If I get in trouble, call Valerio. Maybe he’ll save me if you say his future brother-in-law is in danger?”

Of course, his lovely sister didn’t understand a word.

Still, the process of winning the jewelry box went smoothly. It was pretty, but that was all—it didn’t even open, and people thought the wish-granting rumor was nonsense.

Most bidders were just playing around.

Johan’s real challenge was not the auction, but Leticia.

“Why did you pay so much for this?”

“It’s pretty.”

“It really is. I admit it! But still, no!”

“It grants wishes, too.”

“Quiet. Give it here.”

“Gasp. Are you trying to steal my wish?”

“What are you talking about? I need to check if it’s dangerous before you keep it.”

“Oh, come on. It’s just pretty, what could be dangerous?”

“Hand it over nicely, Brother.”

Maybe because of recent troubling rumors in the capital, Leticia was wary even of ‘pretty’ things she loved.

Normally, she’d be melting, but now she was cautious.

Johan hugged the jewelry box protectively, grinning. He wouldn’t hand over an unknown object to his sister so easily.

Leticia eyed the box like a wolf after prey in the carriage, but Johan managed to keep it safe.

She was better at magic, but their physical skills were similar. Actually, Johan was a bit better, except for self-defense.

After securing the jewelry box, he even slept hugging it, worried she’d sneak into his room at night.

* * *

The problem was, Johan’s order wasn’t to ‘bring back’ the jewelry box, just to ‘retrieve’ it.

His boss had only ordered it to be retrieved. So he didn’t know where to put it.

For now, he’d hidden it in his room, but his sister, skilled in tracking magic, would find it easily.

“What should I do now?”

“Yeah. What should you do?”

‘Why are you asking me?’

Even Johan, who lived without concern, had learned to be careful with his words at work.

No matter his noble birth, the man before him was the Crown Prince.

Yes, the Crown Prince. Johan kept a polite smile while his mind raced. How did he end up summoned by the Crown Prince?

“Such things are troublesome…”

“You said it has a restriction?”

“A restriction you can just break.”

The Crown Prince, who was overseeing the 30th anniversary festival of the Emperor’s reign, discovered during an inventory that several treasures were missing.

One was the wish-granting magical jewelry box.

Eventually, he learned the box had ended up with the Latria family.

Along the way, a member of the Lakewood Viscountcy fell ill for unknown reasons, and someone was bitten in an important place by a dog.

No one had connected the incidents to the jewelry box, but the Crown Prince needed to recover it quickly. Once he knew its location, he used the right people for the job.

Johan Blanc had followed the order without question. Until the very end, he’d done well.

But then he messed up. He was told to retrieve it, not bring it back.

The Crown Prince, looking tired, recited the jewelry box’s origin and its curse-like legend.

A box with no lock, it grants any wish to the one who opens it. There are no limits.

Even if it doesn’t grant in the exact form desired, it can fulfill any wish. In other words, just wishing could kill many people.

And it wasn’t just a superstition.

While recounting these tales, Johan, standing with a sullen face, dared to interrupt.

“I don’t need the details.”

He looked so insolent, but his mind was elsewhere.

“There’s only one wish left?”

“Yes.”

Luckily, the jewelry box had a limited number of wishes. The Crown Prince guessed only one remained.

If it ended up with someone with no greed, it’d be fine. If not, it could be a disaster.

“So bring it here. Now.”

Johan’s boss, who’d secretly relayed the order, was at fault, but it didn’t matter.

Johan, the lowest in the hierarchy, could only agree and leave.

Should he tell the truth? Johan bit his lip. The Crown Prince handled matters more discreetly than people thought.

Besides the spies who found the information, only three knew the Crown Prince wanted the box: the Crown Prince, Johan’s boss, and Johan himself.

He guessed even Valerio Lester, the Crown Prince’s trusted friend, didn’t know.

Probably the main reason Johan was chosen was because of the Blanc family.

The Blanc Earldom sided with the Crown Prince in the tacit struggle for the throne, and was considered trustworthy.

Also, they weren’t a founding family or central noble house, so they were easy to use and discard.

Johan’s reputation for lacking greed was another reason.

Even if he was said to be weak for pretty things, as a man, they didn’t think he’d covet the jewelry box.

Then there was Leticia Blanc—the Blanc family’s daughter and Valerio Lester’s longtime crush.

Everyone but Leticia knew the rumors that Valerio crushed anyone who troubled her.

The Crown Prince knew. If Johan failed, he could use Leticia as leverage.

He could use her magical talent as payment, and manipulate Valerio, who liked her.

The Crown Prince liked Valerio as a friend, but also regarded him as a rival.

A future Duke with power nearly equal to the Crown Prince’s, and a contender for the throne, was not someone to trust completely.

One could understand the Crown Prince’s caution, but…

“Hmph. Not my problem, is it?”

Johan grinned.

He wrote a note, almost poetic, warning his sister not to touch the jewelry box and including a coded message to hide it.

Leticia, except when it came to Valerio, would catch the hint.

Even if she investigated or accidentally opened the box, Johan didn’t care.

Even if she made a wish, what could the Crown Prince do? If it was Leticia, she’d probably just wish for cake. Or…

“Well, I’ll ask Valerio to deliver this note.”

Leticia didn’t realize it, but she liked Valerio. Yet she didn’t dream of dating or marrying him.

Since she didn’t want it, Johan had refused all marriage talks, but even he could see Valerio’s patience was running out.

It was time to get the two together and let them speak honestly.

Folding the note, Johan thought of the jewelry box. He figured it was fine if a cute couple used the last wish.

If the last wish was spent by those two, the Crown Prince would only click his tongue, not get angry.

Believing this, Johan set out to find Valerio Lester.

『Chase & Run』 The End