Chapter 2 (Part 6)

Roshan felt his patience reach its limit on the tenth day of entering the gambling den. Therese always headed here whenever she went out at night, claiming to visit the library or enjoy an opera. 

Until now, Roshan had faithfully followed his master’s actions without questioning the reason. However, this time, he couldn’t fathom the purpose.

To others, Therese might seem like a bold woman enjoying gambling and drinking. But no one could deceive Roshan’s eyes.

‘Master isn’t enjoying this at all.’

Though her face was covered with makeup and a mask, her face seen under the bright sun wasn’t good.

‘Other things aren’t a problem, but if this continues, she might collapse from alcohol before the poison.’

“Master, won’t you tell me the real reason you’re coming here?”

Therese realized that her attempt to pretend to enjoy herself to avoid Roshan’s eyes had failed.

“Pierre. Relax. I’m fine.”

“But I’m worried.”

However, she hadn’t yet obtained the information she wanted, so she needed to deceive Roshan a little longer. 

If she mentioned it was an undercover investigation, Roshan would immediately carry her out.

“Isn’t this how everyone lives?”

“……Some people do.”

Watching Roshan’s face as he trailed off, Therese clicked her tongue.

“By the way, Roshan, what do you do during your free time?”

Despite spending a long time together, she knew almost nothing about his daily life. After coming to the Caspian Empire, Therese was probably the only person he could rely on.

Feeling guilty for being indifferent, she felt sorry.

“I don’t need any rest.”

Roshan, who answered seriously, recalled his day. He slept minimally and started the day with light sword training. Martial arts required daily practice, or the body would stiffen.

To instinctively block an enemy’s surprise attack, one needed the mindset of engaging in real combat daily.

‘After briefly overseeing the guild’s work in the morning.’

Since he was in charge of guarding Therese, he had no time for personal matters. Not that he needed such time.

“Wouldn’t it be more fun to play cards and drink together?”

It was quite strange. 

People from Roshan’s homeland, Pasa, generally loved alcohol and music. And it was common for a man to have multiple wives. Of course, not all people from Pasa were like that, but Roshan was particularly different. He didn’t touch alcohol and had never been in a romantic relationship.

“I’m sorry for being boring.”

As Roshan was about to say something, she shook her head.

“Are you going to say something about needing to protect me again?”

“That’s my true feeling.”

“If you’re going to nag again, I’ll pass.”

The interior of the gambling den was filled with cigarette smoke. Although a smoking room was provided, wealthy nobles smoked anywhere. Therese, glaring at a gentleman spitting on the floor, coughed.

“Pierre. I feel like I’ll die from this smoke before the poison.”

“Master, please don’t say such things carelessly.”

Roshan, who handed her a drink, still had a displeased expression.

“Shall we try a card game this time?”

Therese sat at a card game table and boldly placed her bets. Initially, she couldn’t distinguish the card suits, but now she had developed quite an eye for it. Of course, that never translated into winning. After losing several rounds in a row, her throat was parched.

“Pi……Roshan?”

For some reason, Roshan, who had been standing by her side, was nowhere to be seen.

‘He always disappears when I need him the most.’

With no other choice, she got up and started looking for Roshan. She searched the large room where gambling was in full swing but couldn’t find him.

“He wouldn’t just disappear without telling me.”

She began to feel unnecessary worry. Tilting her head, she heard a strange sound from a small room at the end of the hallway.

“Please don’t do this, Sir.”

“I’m offering you money, so what’s the problem?”

“This isn’t a tavern. I’m just helping with the cleaning…….”

“Do you know who I am to be acting up like this?”

“……Eek!”

The employees passing by acted as if they heard nothing.

“They seem accustomed to such things.”

It wasn’t even a secret that nobles sexually abused employees. Therese, fingering the dagger hidden under her fancy dress, headed toward the room where the noise was coming from.

As soon as Therese opened the door, she witnessed a woman being slapped and thrown to the floor by a man. Folding her feather fan tightly in her hand, Therese quickly checked the woman’s face.

Her mouth was torn from the hard slap, and blood flowed from one side of her forehead.

‘This wretched……!’

The man was undoubtedly a scumbag for using violence against a maid. Therese bit her lip, and the man shouted.

“Who dares to interrupt me?”

The short, stout man was already intoxicated.

‘I can’t reveal my identity, what should I do?’

After hesitating for a moment, Therese spoke softly.

“I was passing by and heard someone scream, so I came to check.”

The man, who glanced at Therese’s slender body, smiled in satisfaction.

“I see. I understand.”

The man assumed Therese was a woman visiting the gambling den to become a noble’s mistress.

“But right now, I need to fix this wench’s habits.”

“Sir, please spare me. I have a child at home.”

The woman, rubbing her slapped cheek, crawled and grabbed the man’s ankle. The man lifted his foot and crushed the woman’s wrist.

“How dare a worm like you touch me? I will handle everything, so you just stay still.”

Hearing the sound of bones cracking, Therese’s urgency grew. She had to save the maid before it was too late.

“Sir, why don’t you let the crying wench go and be alone with me?”

At Therese’s proactive suggestion, the man, who had been slyly rubbing his bulging lower body, licked his lips.

“You look so demure, but you’re quite bold.”

He pulled out a few gold coins from his pocket and threw them on the floor.

“Stop meddling and get out.”

Due to her injured wrist, the maid couldn’t pick up the money and retreated backward. Soon, the door closed, leaving only the perverted man and Therese in the narrow guest room.

“Today’s my lucky day.”

The man, humming a tune, began to undress. He removed his vest, loosened his belt, and placed his decorative sword on the table before slowly turning around.

“Come and embrace me.”

Through his open shirt, a mass of hair was visible, and Therese had to steady her breathing to suppress her nausea.

‘The door is securely closed.’

After surveying the surroundings, Therese slowly approached him.

“You sure know how to tease a man’s heart.”

Seeing Therese not immediately rushing to embrace him, the man began fumbling with his pants. He then pulled out his dark, short member and stroked it, moaning in excitement.

“You’ll be in ecstasy once I fill you with this.”

The man, lost in his fantasies, continued his lewd talk while pleasuring himself.

“Sh*t! Huuuh!”

Reaching climax in mere seconds, the man held his short member with a lewd expression.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Suppressing her nausea, Therese spoke calmly.

“Do you often do this here?”

“Worm-like wenches are just waiting for me to embrace them.”

The man exhaled hot breath as if it were only natural. Pretending to embrace him, Therese grabbed and twisted the man’s right arm.

“……Aaargh!”

The man, caught off guard by the sudden attack, staggered and fell. Wiping the saliva from his mouth, he glared with yellow eyes.

“So you like rough play, huh? You’ve met the right person. I’m an expert in that field.”

The man, drunk and with impaired judgment, still regarded Therese’s actions as mere play.

The man, wrapping the belt from the table around his hand, approached Therese with the intent to strike her.

It was then.

The door opened, and a long shadow covered both the man and Therese. Annoyed by the intruder, the pervert didn’t hide his anger.

“Why are there so many interruptions today? Who the hell are you?”

Approaching aggressively and attacking with the belt, the stranger fell helplessly.

“Not even worth a punch, you weakling!”

Having easily subdued the intruder, the man approached Therese with the intention to embrace her. As he got closer, the smell of alcohol was overwhelming, making it hard for Therese to breathe.

“Come here, pretty. The hide-and-seek is over.”

Therese was conscious of the presence behind the man’s shoulder as he opened his arms to embrace her. Though he wore a mask and shabby clothes, it was impossible not to recognize him.

‘Why would he come here dressed like that?’

It was absurd to think that Jeremy Richard, the empire’s hero, had been knocked down by the man’s wild swings.

‘Why is he just standing there like that?’

But she couldn’t let this pervert go. Judging by his persistent nature, he would undoubtedly find that maid again and commit terrible acts.

‘I have no choice.’

As Therese bit her lip, the man reached to grope her chest.

“How is it? You must be ecstatic, right?”

The foul breath made Therese feel like she was suffocating.

Quickly stepping back, Therese grabbed the hidden dagger with her left hand. It was a product Roshan had specially requested, slender like a rapier but short enough to carry easily.

‘It’s not enough for a one-on-one duel, but it’s enough to deal with one drunk man.’

As Therese lowered her stance and glared at him, the man made a strange sound.

“Are you trying to threaten me with a toy?”

Smiling at the word “toy,” Therese stabbed the man’s shoulder. Even as the blade sunk deep, the man seemed incredulous.

“Oh dear, my hand slipped.”

With just one attack, the man fell to his knees.