Chapter 1.5

When Jane practically screamed this, Ian shrugged.  

She couldn’t read them? Of course not. That was only natural. 

Ian thought as he leaned back leisurely on the sofa.  

“They were written in Ancient Jonian. Unless you’ve studied ancient languages or have a particular interest in them, it’s only natural that you couldn’t read them.”  

“…What did you just say?”  

“Not sure if you’re aware, Lady Jane, but the law only specifies that notifications must be sent three times. In other words, it doesn’t matter in what language the notifications are written.”  

“So, in the end, what you’re saying is…”  

“All of this is perfectly legal. I’d appreciate it if you’d recognize that Calrod is a guild that values the law.”  

“You’re not valuing the law; you’re exploiting its loopholes.”  

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that this is all legal.”  

Ian said this with a smile. Not a painted-on smile, but one that seemed genuinely cheerful.  

For a moment, Jane was at a loss for words. Then, a wave of despair swept over her. She had spent her entire life working to pay off her debts, only to end up neck-deep in this mess. 

This was too cruel, wasn’t it? 

Jane lamented silently to the heavens as she glared at the man. Truly, there was no god in this world.  

“So, you’re telling me that I—”  

Her trembling fingers hovered over the numbers densely written on the parchment. That was when Jane realized she was agitated. Agitated, of course, because if Ian’s words were true, she would have to endure an interest rate of 80%.  

80%.  

80%!  

She barely managed to steady her breathing before shouting.  

“—have to pay this absurd amount every month?”  

Not that she had really calmed down. But Jane stood her ground. Expecting someone to remain calm after hearing about an 80% interest rate was completely unreasonable, wasn’t it?  

“Are you kidding me right now?!”  

Jane stomped her foot as she shouted. No matter how shameless someone might be, there had to be a limit, didn’t there?  

Watching the furious Jane, Ian smiled as if he had been expecting this reaction.  

He didn’t rush. Crossing his legs and resting his hands on them, his voice carried a deliberate arrogance.  

“Kidding? Jane, you’d be surprised if you knew how serious I am right now. Ah, it’s certainly a challenging amount to repay, I’ll admit.”  

Jane stared blankly at Ian, dumbfounded. Nothing he said made any sense.  

Despite her wary gaze, Ian didn’t seem offended in the slightest. On the contrary, he pushed the plate of refreshments toward her and continued speaking.  

“That’s what I’m proposing to you as Option A.”  

“Option… A?”  

“Though, to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it. An 80% interest rate? That’s ridiculous. Unless you have the means to pay hundreds of gold coins every month, which few people in Elpendor do. Don’t you agree?”  

“It’s a relief that you at least know how ridiculous this is.”  

Ian responded to Jane’s sarcasm with nothing more than a shrug. Even he had to admit that the interest rate was utterly absurd. Tilting his head slightly, he continued speaking.  

“Option B is a faster and more effective way to clear your debt. Would you like to… hear it?”  

His voice was subtle, low, and soft, like someone luring a child with candy. In other words, it was the voice of a true villain.  

Instead of answering immediately, Jane stared at Ian intently.  

‘…There’s definitely something going on here.’  

The problem was that she couldn’t figure out what his scheme was. Jane’s eyes narrowed.  

‘What is it? What does he want that made him go to all this trouble?’  

Most of the people who approached her usually had straightforward motives. Nine times out of ten, they wanted money.  

Money, money, that cursed gold.  

But this man didn’t seem desperate for money. Even the tea he was casually sipping at the moment said as much. Jane knew that the tea leaves floating in his cup would cost at least five gold coins per handful. She had nearly fallen over backward when she discovered the price during her research. And yet, he drank it as if it were nothing. It was too much to be mere posturing.  

And what about the decorations in the room? Or the clothes he wore? And then there was his accent and tone, which he didn’t even bother to conceal.  

Jane was certain. The man sitting before her was no mere loan shark.  

“Fine. Let’s hear what this Option B is.”  

It didn’t seem like he would go to such lengths just to squeeze some money out of her. A little investigation would have easily revealed that she didn’t have much to her name.  

Then what could this man possibly want from her? 

As Jane was lost in thought, Ian quickly responded.  

“Option B involves drafting an entirely new contract.”  

“A completely new contract?”  

“Yes. I’d like to form a new contract, not with Jane, but with… Olivia. Of course, in that case, the first clause would state that your debt will be fully repaid upon the contract’s completion.”  

Until Ian spoke those words, Jane had been running through every possible scenario in her head. But when he finally revealed his terms, Jane felt her mind go blank for a moment.  

“…What did you just say?”  

Even at Jane’s dumbfounded question, Ian didn’t laugh. Instead, he reached out and pulled a book from the edge of a nearby shelf.  

Once again, Jane recognized the book at a glance. There was no way she wouldn’t. The title, which she had agonized over choosing among dozens of cursive fonts, was embossed in gold on the spine.  

Ian even adjusted his grip on the book so Jane could see the title more clearly.  

“If necessary, I could explain everything to you and refute your arguments one by one…”  

Adjusting his grip—what a pointless gesture. Even if there were dozens of books scattered around, Jane would have recognized it instantly. It was her book, translated into twelve languages and sold worldwide.  

Jane stared blankly at the handwritten signature beneath the title. The book Ian was holding was even a special edition. Only one hundred copies had been printed, and her name, scrawled in beautiful handwriting, adorned the bottom.  

The author: Olivia.  

Who would have thought that her mother’s name, which once filled her with pride, would now make her so nervous? When Jane didn’t respond, Ian shrugged and continued speaking.  

“Let’s skip over the tedious details, Jane. Or should I call you Olivia? Either way, I won’t bore you with how deeply Her Majesty the Queen was moved by <Understanding Misunderstandings>.”  

The man, casually mentioning Her Majesty the Queen, was smiling. Like a villain, his eyes curved into crescents, and his teeth gleamed.  

As she looked at him, Jane thought to herself.  

If something feels suspicious, run.  

She should have listened to her mother’s advice.  

***

Jane Wingston Rephelia.  

Her full name, which no one remembered anymore, was something Jane had gone to great lengths to hide. There were many reasons for this, but one of the smaller ones was that the work she had chosen to survive was far from anything noble.  

Even a ruined noble was still a noble. Even if her family had fallen so far that no one remembered their name, as long as her name was listed in the noble lineage, she couldn’t openly write novels. Even if it meant she wouldn’t starve and could pay off her debts.  

“And so, according to you…”  

For that reason, when an editor asked her for a pen name, Jane had impulsively given her mother’s name.  

Olivia. The woman who had tried harder than anyone to uphold the dignity of Rephelia might have been furious to learn her name was being used as a mere pen name for novels.  

‘She would definitely be furious.’  

At least, that’s how it had been back then. It was too late to change her name now.  

But still. Of all things, to end up entangled with a loan shark under the name Olivia… Jane thought that this time, her mother might actually faint. As that thought crossed her mind, Jane replayed Ian’s words in her head.  

“So, you’re saying my debt wasn’t your goal?”  

“Come now, Jane. Do I look like someone who would be interested in such a petty sum? If that’s what you thought, I’m disappointed.”  

Jane stifled a laugh as she looked at Ian’s crooked smile. She wanted to tell him he looked desperate, but unfortunately, Ian seemed anything but. Even Jane could see that much.  

“…So, you deliberately orchestrated all of this to approach me? From the very beginning? Why?”