“If you’re paying good money to pretend to be sophisticated for a night’s companion, you should put on performances that match the standard. What’s with putting on third-rate bar performances and making a mess of things?”

Though he wore aristocratic clothing with dignity, his actions could only be described as those of a ruffian. The host hurriedly ran over and bowed his head to him.

“I apologize for disappointing you, Young Lord.”

Then the man kicked the host. The host crashed into a table behind him and rolled on the floor.

“Is just saying sorry enough?”

The host quickly got up and bowed his head again.

“I was foolish and couldn’t follow your profound intentions. I’m sorry. Please tell me your deep meaning, and I’ll do better from now on.”

Then he beckoned the host over with his finger and spoke loudly into the host’s ear.

“Don’t waste time with useless things. Send me 1st place, 3rd place, and 4th place. To save time too.”

The host looked troubled.

“The auction is about to start.”

“Send them before the auction. Even if it’s late, I’ll win the bid anyway, so consider it skipping complicated procedures.”

“If that happens, the Marquis will…”

When the host mumbled his words, Young Lord Eric of Clarence grabbed the host’s bow tie.

“That money will soon be my money anyway. It’s just pretending not to see while trying to please Father.”

At Eric’s words, the host looked startled and tried to make him shut his mouth.

“Please refrain from words that undermine credibility.”

Eric smiled slyly and whispered to the host.

“So hurry up and send them to my room.”

Eric stood up abruptly and walked out of the event hall. The host glanced around and returned to his position.

People who heard their conversation whispered among themselves, and the host moved up the next performance to restore the ruined atmosphere.

“Next, we’ll have the fatally enchanting opera singer Henrietta Grezel.”

Henrietta came out and sang a scene from an opera, but people’s attention didn’t easily return.

“I’m leaving now.”

Some nobles tried to leave their seats.

“Hey now. Do you want to earn Marquis Clarence’s hatred? Isn’t this a place we all came to knowing what it was about?”

Some associates urged them to sit back down.

“There are all kinds of ways to give bribes.”

“Since we’re here anyway, let’s leave in good spirits. We should at least break even.”

Unfortunately, Debbie was seated in the nobles’ section, so all their whispered conversations reached her ears.

‘Ways to give bribes?’

Only then could Debbie understand why the white-gloved phantom thief had told her to come here.

The fundraising for ‘underprivileged neighbors’ on the placard wasn’t real – it was a scam ‘to legally give bribes.’

Come to think of it, all the people in the top 20 sexiest men and women were somehow connected to Marquis Clarence through blood, regional ties, school connections, or something else.

Even Blake, though he was the president of ‘Troublesome’ magazine, a competitor to ‘Yellow Sun,’ was officially one of Marquis Clarence’s illegitimate children.

Looking around with bewildered eyes, Debbie stepped outside briefly to get some fresh air.

Then she noticed a masked man wandering around the event venue.

Through his mask, she could see gray hair and black eyes, but for some reason, the mask seemed slightly loose on his face.

Debbie felt a sense of familiarity and approached him. The wandering man was startled the moment he turned to look at Debbie. Debbie was certain he was someone she knew.

“Are you Inspector Jerome Dublac by any chance…?”

The other person reflexively covered Debbie’s mouth.

“Shh. Please be quiet.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“More importantly, how did you recognize me?”

“The gauze on your nose! I thought you’d take sick leave, but you’re immediately deployed to the field? What brings you here?”

At Debbie’s words, he stammered an excuse.

“I also came to bid on a celebrity…”

“You’re on undercover duty.”

“N-no!”

“Keep your mouth shut. I can’t interfere with official duties.”

The other person struggled and then dropped his shoulders like he had no choice.

“Please keep it secret.”

When Jerome gestured to several masked men approaching Debbie’s vicinity, they returned to their positions.

Debbie realized security officers were spread all around. So she whispered in Jerome’s ear.

“Did you come to catch them in the act because it’s a rigged auction?”

At Debbie’s words, Jerome asked in confusion.

“A rigged auction?”

“Didn’t you come to catch them in the act of handing over this donation money to Marquis Clarence?”

Jerome muttered like he was stunned.

“Can you… take responsibility for those words?”

“You said you belong to the Central Investigation Unit. I thought you came to investigate misconduct.”

“I came to catch corrupt security officers within the security office… no, no, it’s an internal security office matter… I can’t tell you anything. But what did you say?”

“This charity bazaar. Investigate it thoroughly. The people who donated, where the donations are used, their purpose and usage… Even as a third party, I see many inconsistencies.”

“Donation money to Marquis Clarence…? Are you certain? Can you testify? Have you secured evidence?”

Jerome asked back.

“I can testify, but evidence…”

Come to think of it, just hearsay had no credibility at all. Debbie clicked her tongue bitterly.

“Saying the circumstances suggest it doesn’t help the investigation at all.”

Debbie looked around to see if her speculation about the charity bazaar’s purpose based on circumstances had leaked to others.

Seeing no one else around her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for the tip. But next time, secure evidence first before speaking. Besides, that’s not my responsibility. My being here is classified, so please pretend you don’t know I exist. Otherwise, for interfering with official duties…”

Debbie made a gesture of firmly zipping her mouth with her hand and went back into the event hall.

“Miss Debbie, the auction is starting.”

As soon as she entered the event hall, she met Black who had been looking for her. Black spoke while breathing heavily like he had been running.

“Miss Debbie, the auction started. The president will be up soon. Let’s hurry.”

Blake was ranked 9th among sexy men.

So he went up to the auction stage in a relatively early turn.

“When someone is young, wealthy, and handsome, nothing could be better. Even with aristocratic dignity. You’d lose out if you miss a man like this. He may have the notorious reputation of ‘Empire’s Trash Can,’ but doesn’t everyone have at least one bad reputation? Count Barnabas, please come out!”

Blake stood on the auction stage with a sullen expression and looked at Debbie.

Debbie wondered who would bid at such a charity auction, but it was needless worry.

Whether because they wore masks or because they desperately wanted to give bribes to Marquis Clarence, three or four women bid on Blake.

Since Debbie had been asked by Blake to win his bid somehow, she waited quietly until the highest price was updated, then waited until the host encouraged final bidding twice.

Then, since it wasn’t her money anyway, she boldly bid and easily won Blake.

“Are there no more bidders?”

The host said this three times in a row, then raised his hand toward Debbie.

“Sold!”

At that moment, Blake smiled happily. Debbie wondered why he was so pleased about being won with her money.

As soon as Blake was sold, he came down from the stage and approached Debbie.

The flustered host tried to stop Blake.

“Meeting with the winning bidder will be arranged separately after all auctions end. So please go to the waiting room…”

However, Blake ignored this, lifted Debbie like a princess, and headed outside.

“People from the Marquis family are all so willful.”

The host grumbled while covering the microphone with his hand to reduce the sound.

“Please put me down.”

Debbie struggled to escape from his arms.

“Let’s reduce unnecessary time waste.”

“What about Editor-in-Chief and Mr. Black!”

Debbie didn’t give up and tried to get down from his arms.

“Let them do their reporting. They didn’t come to play.”

“Where are we going now?”

Debbie asked him in confusion.

“A room is reserved for the winning bidder. Let’s go somewhere quiet and enjoy our own date.”

“Is it okay to ignore procedures and do whatever you want?”

“Yes.”

Before she knew it, Debbie found herself led by his hand into a hotel room. Placed on the soft bed, Debbie cried out urgently.

“Impure intentions during a date are against the rules!”

Then Blake chuckled.

“Who said anything about s*x?”

He took off his outer coat, unbuttoned a couple of shirt buttons, and picked up a wine bottle on the table.

“Just standing in the event hall is tiring. Even if we’re killing time, it’s better to do it quietly alone together. Don’t you think? You don’t want to watch other people get auctioned off.”

He handed Debbie a wine glass.

Glug glug glug.

Red liquid filled the glass. He toasted with Debbie like he could finally breathe and drank the wine in one gulp. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Ah. Now I feel alive.”

“Did you know?”

Debbie asked him while holding her wine glass.

“That the proceeds from this charity bazaar auction don’t go to underprivileged neighbors but to Marquis Clarence?”

“Who told you that?”

He answered with a bright smile.

“Young Lord Clarence was sitting next to me, and I found out. He was talking openly with the host.”

“Ah. That guy would definitely do that.”

Blake urged Debbie to drink up quickly.

“Whatever they do with that money doesn’t matter. It’s money they’d extort with various excuses anyway, so it’s good to play along appropriately.”

Debbie drank the wine with a bitter expression.

“But there were plainclothes security officers spread all around outside?”

“Plainclothes security officers?”

“I went out for some air and saw Inspector Jerome Dublac from the Central Investigation Unit.”

“Oh no…”

His brow furrowed.

“Do you remember their faces?”

“Just a few.”

“Fret will be in danger…”

At his words, Debbie tilted her head.

“What?”

“Because Fret is disguised as Gray and staying behind.”

At his words, Debbie’s eyes widened like lightning had struck from a clear sky.

“Mr… Mr. Fret is the Editor-in-Chief?”

“Ah, normally it’s me. Sometimes it’s Fret.”

He answered nonchalantly. While Debbie blinked speechlessly, something even more shocking happened next.

He took out a mask from his jacket and put it on his face.

“Gasp!”

“Sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand, but when security officers investigate later, make up something appropriate. You can say you drank wine, got drunk, and don’t remember.”

He put on white gloves and looked at Debbie’s face, then chuckled.

“I have a lot to say, but later.”

Then with skillful movements, he climbed through the window and quickly went up to the upper floor.

“Take care of things until I return. Don’t forget to pick up the bag.”

Debbie watched him breathlessly, and when he disappeared from sight, her knees gave out and she collapsed.

It felt like the sky was falling.

The president is the white-gloved phantom thief!

Debbie covered her face with both hands.

Even Editor-in-Chief Gray is the president too!

Her face burned red with unavoidable shame.

‘Gasp! How can I go to work when I’m so embarrassed!’

Debbie wanted to run right away and dispose of all the magazines containing her writing.

She held her head with both hands, twisted her body, and expressed her frustration with her whole being.

‘What did he think while reviewing my writing?’

After shame came anger.

‘How much fun did he have watching my foolishness?’

‘Is he sane? What expression did he make while reading my story about having s*x with him like reading an essay?’

After that anger burst forth, deep sadness washed over her.

‘I’m an idiot! How could I not realize they were the same person?’

‘Come to think of it, there were hints everywhere.’

‘I even praised him as the best and criticized him as the worst.’

‘It was the same guy!!’

After gripping and tearing at the bedsheets while grieving endlessly, she leaned weakly against the bed in emptiness and exhaustion.

‘This is maddening.’

‘Whatever. Let whatever happens happen!!’