Chapter 43

His inventory was also inaccessible.

Both the shop and inventory required much higher levels to be unlocked.

‘Gideon.’

Alec checked Gideon’s mind, who had been attached to Carson, the leader of the Grave Mercenary.

He needed to monitor Carson’s actions going forward.

Surely Carson would seek out the person who hired him, and Alec needed to see their reactions to prepare for the future.

Soon, Alec began to view the scenes through Gideon’s eyes.

Carson sought out his client the next morning.

* * *

“What?”

Bright sunlight streamed through the open window.

Marcel Howard, the Marquis, couldn’t believe his ears.

His expression was as bewildered and fierce as when he had been told someone had stolen his entire fortune.

Carson stepped closer, his face bruised and swollen.

“Did you not tell me on purpose that the fallen duke was hiding his strength?”

“…Hah.”

Marcel let out a scoff of disbelief.

“Not only did you barge into my office, but now you’re spouting nonsense?”

Despite his words, Marcel’s body tensed with anxiety.

Carson’s appearance since morning had been alarming.

One side of his face was so bruised it had turned a ghastly blue.

At first, Marcel thought Carson had botched some kind of dye job on his face.

But now it was clear he had been beaten by Alec.

‘Impossible.’

‘Even Carson was beaten by Alec?’

Marcel and his companions, Garrison and Damian, were nobles unacquainted with fighting or strength, so they could understand being overpowered by Alec, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

But Carson, the leader of a mercenary corps, being unable to dodge Alec’s punches was incomprehensible.

Carson was a force to be reckoned with in this empire.

His mercenary corps was the second largest in the empire.

Unlike the largest, the ‘Lion’s Fang Mercenary Corps,’ Carson’s group also enjoyed the emperor’s discreet favor.

For the leader of such a powerful mercenary corps to get beaten to a pulp was shocking.

Even Marcel, if stripped of his title and pitted against Carson, wouldn’t stand a chance and would barely escape with his life.

‘What the hell is Alec really…?’

Carson gritted his teeth menacingly.

“If you keep evading like this, Marquis, it’ll be hard for me to maintain our trust.”

“Ridiculous. Carson, are you the kind of petty man who blames others when you fail to complete a task?”

“What?”

“It seems the Grave Mercenary is past its prime. It’s laughable that you couldn’t handle a mere fallen noble.”

“…”

Carson silently ground his teeth.

His glare was sharper than any words.

Marcel decided to provoke Carson further.

He desperately wanted someone to thoroughly destroy Alec.

Remembering the day Alec had humiliated them still filled him with rage and indignation.

‘You bastard, if you thought you’d be fine after trampling on our pride, you were mistaken.’

He wanted revenge, but if not Carson, he had no better options.

Carson let out a cynical laugh.

“It’s clear you’re playing dumb. You’ll regret underestimating our mercenary corps.”

‘This insolent bastard…’

Just as Marcel clenched his fist and prepared to speak, Carson stormed out of the office.

Bang.

The door suddenly swung open, startling Julia, who was in the hallway.

Carson was storming out of her husband’s office.

Julia Howard, the Marchioness, peeked through the open door to gauge Marcel’s mood.

‘Damn it, he’s angry again.’

She felt like she was about to go mad with anxiety and impatience.

Her husband was on the verge of discovering her secret.

“Where did I hear that nonsense? The rumor that my eternal love betrayed me and was sleeping with another man.”

“W-What? Who’s spreading such ridiculous stories? It’s absurd!”

Julia bit her carefully manicured nails nervously.Marcel was a man pure in matters of love.

However, when betrayed, he could be more ruthless than anyone else.

If he found out Julia had a lover, she would undoubtedly have her fingers chopped off and her head shaved bald.

Despite her fear of Marcel, Julia couldn’t live while suppressing her desires.

It was an open secret in the social circles that she had lovers.

But the social scene of the Rilt Empire valued outward peace and happiness above life itself.

No matter how true, no one spread rumors that could cause conflict.

This was an unwritten rule, a common sense, in their social world.

Even if it was rotten inside, it had to appear glamorous and dazzling on the outside, to the point that everyone would envy it.

‘What should I do? Who found out?’

Julia had many lovers.

One of them was Marcel’s friend, Garrison.

However, none of her lovers were the type to reveal their relationship with her.

If they did, they would face her revenge quietly and without a trace.

Thinking deeply, Julia came to a conclusion.

‘Could it be one of those stupid noblewomen?’

One of the noblewomen in the social circle must have harbored a grudge against her.

On the surface, everyone maintained a harmonious relationship, but Julia knew very well that they spoke ill of each other behind their backs.

Yet, Julia was the queen of the social scene.

Though the empress resided in the palace, Julia ruled over the world of noblewomen outside the palace.

Julia was the cousin the empress cherished, with stunning beauty and the personality to dominate the social circles.

Especially since her husband’s textile factory was enjoying unprecedented prosperity, she had nothing to be envious of others for.

With money, she could do anything, and thus easily suppressed the spirit of other noblewomen.

Julia pondered who might hold the most animosity towards her.

‘The wives of my lovers? They would think I seduced their husbands. Or the noblewoman whose capable maid I poached? That was a scouting deal for a higher salary! Or the women whose dress reservations I cut in line? It’s only natural for the more capable to take the lead!’

After pondering countless possibilities, Julia gave up.

There were too many noblewomen who could hold grudges against her.

‘I have to see the Empress.’

Julia turned quietly.

For the first time, she felt the crisis of being expelled from the social scene.

“Who could have spread such stories to Marcel?”

Suddenly, a certain person came to mind.

“…!”

She remembered the warning from that woman two years ago.

Crack.

She heard a faint sound as if her once peaceful world was starting to crack.

* * *

“Who would have done such a reckless thing?”

“Someone has guts, going against Julia.”

“I never would have imagined. I thought it would remain a secret forever.”

“Poor Julia…”

Noblewomen, excluding Julia, gathered in a luxurious tea room, chatting away.

Because Marcel had been spreading word about searching for Julia’s lover, almost everyone in the social circles knew about it.

Having lovers was common among nobles.

However, Marcel and Julia were a bit different from other nobles.

Marcel truly considered Julia his eternal love and loved her deeply, and Julia also devoted herself to Marcel.

The two were renowned as the best couple in the social circles.

Yet, Julia had hidden her desires and betrayal, secretly loving other men.

What would happen if Marcel found out Julia’s secret?

It would be catastrophic.

Marcel would be consumed by betrayal and rage against his wife, and Julia would lose her current affluent life and peace.

“I’m really worried. Can Julia handle this?”

“It would be best if it all blew over, but who knows if it will…”

“Marcel’s sense of betrayal will be immense. He truly cherished Julia.”

“Poor Julia…”

The noblewomen, sipping tea, were filled with worry.

However, they subtly watched each other’s reactions.

Despite pretending otherwise, they were secretly hoping for misfortune to befall Julia.

They had suffered too much under her until now.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories