Chapter 46

[At the Rettrang National Opera House Royal Box, a beautiful woman appeared with Duke Wale.

The woman who appeared with Duke Adrian Wale in the Royal Box at the Rettrang National Opera House was revealed to be the Dukedom’s tutor. The Duke, who is soon to be engaged, with a woman of unknown status……]

“Ah! Aa……”

A sigh escaped James’s lips.

“Aren’t you going to tell me what happened right now? What kind of nonsense did you pull!”

James instantly realized what had happened.

After handing the ticket to the Duke, he’d received a telegram that Edward had left for Agris ahead of schedule.

He’d been so busy packing to chase after his boss that he hadn’t even had time to regret the effort or the ten times the ticket’s cost he’d paid to get it.

With Edward’s whims and schedule changes, whether the ticket was wasted or not was out of his hands.

But now, Miss Diane Lina, who said she wouldn’t go, had changed her mind and gone to the opera with Duke Wale?

Using the very ticket he’d given to the Duke out of necessity?

His thigh trembled.

Seeing his boss’s face now, it was clear Edward’s odd obsession with Diane Lina was still strong, and the fact that the ticket he’d gotten was used by his brother to take her to the box seat…

Ah, with his boss’s temper… he was doomed.

Why had she changed her mind?

Why did the Duke take her to the opera?

“I, um… Sir, you told me to get the ticket, so I gave it to the Duke. You weren’t around. You changed your schedule without telling me, so I thought maybe you’d go to the opera in the evening.”

James braced his thigh as he spoke.

Thinking about it, he hadn’t done anything wrong!

“If I told you to get the ticket, you should give it to me! Why give it to my brother! Do you think I spent my money so my brother could take that woman to the opera box seat and listen to music with her? Huh? What’s the point of having a head?”

“Huh!”

For the first time since working under Edward, James let out an incredulous exclamation in front of him.

What’s the point of having a head?

Did this boss even know how much this head was worth?

‘This young brat!’

At that moment, a small potato seemed to get stuck in his throat.

James swallowed his curses with the potato.

If he actually said those curses out loud, his boss would fire him on the spot.

So he had to swallow and digest them.

If he left, Edward would hire five secretaries to do James’s job, but James would have to earn one-fifth the salary elsewhere.

His own skill was his curse.

“What! Are you getting angry at me now? Do you realize how much you’re driving me crazy?”

James took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t think it through.”

Unless he quit, his logical and rational conversation skills were useless against this boss.

“Ah, d*mn! D*mn! D*mn it!”

James tried to empty his mind as Edward continued his string of curses.

It would pass. Eventually, it would pass.

“Finish everything in two days! I’ll go back to Rettrang and return right before the opening. Finish up everything I left and wait here. If there’s a mistake with the hotel, you’d better write your resignation and wait.”

James gripped his knife and fork tightly.

Finish in two days?

And do everything else perfectly, just like the boss?

‘That bastard!’

He’d endured all kinds of contempt and insults from Edward, all for the money.

He was enduring now for the money.

But even five times the salary was pushing his limits.

Of course, quitting and getting a new job was a losing hand.

There was another reason he stayed loyal and worked so hard for Edward.

When it came to money, Edward was the easiest boss to negotiate with.

‘I’ll only endure for seven times the pay.’

Salary negotiations often came unexpectedly.

“Sir!”

“What!”

“I’ll need nine times the pay if you want the hotel opening finished perfectly in your absence.”

Edward was desperate now.

He was ready to dash to Rettrang where Diane Lina was at any moment.

So he was willing to leave all the last-minute hotel work to James, against his nature.

And hiring five new secretaries was only possible when there weren’t urgent tasks.

Right now, only James Wharton could get everything done to Edward’s standards before the Agris Wale Hotel’s opening.

No matter how many people he hired, it would take time for them to get up to speed.

Adversity becomes opportunity—getting slapped with curses turned out to be a chance.

Struggling to get the ticket, running around the boutique for the dress, getting cursed more than he ate breakfast—all of it led to this.

“Nine times? Are you joking? Are you sane? After all this mess, you bring up money? Have you got no conscience?”

Edward immediately understood James’s salary negotiation.

More curses flowed.

“Sir, why would conscience matter for salary? You’re not exactly a conscience-driven worker yourself.”

James wasn’t about to lose on salary.

Now, for once, he held the knife.

“……”

A smart boss wouldn’t miss the situation.

Edward was now calculating his own position.

He glared at James but said nothing.

Diane Lina.

He was furious thinking about all the trouble and insults he’d endured because of her, but she was a godsend.

Soon his salary would be seven times the average, not five.

She was Edward’s absolute weakness.

“Six times.”

Edward finally started negotiating.

He had no choice.

Even ten times the pay was nothing to Edward, given his coal mines.

Rich people really are scary.

“Eight times.”

James countered.

Edward surely knew James wanted seven times when he asked for nine.

Edward picked up his knife and cut his bread, glaring at James.

James felt a chill but didn’t look away.

“Fine. Seven times. Done.”

James finally breathed easy.

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll work hard. As always.”

He bowed politely and quickly started eating his potato soup again.

He couldn’t stomach the bread, but he had to eat the soup to survive the boss’s schedule.

“Did they cut the potatoes with a saw?”

Edward grimaced after a brief silence.

He was holding a soup spoon.

“The potatoes are too big for soup. Idiots will choke on them. Tell them to fix the soup.”

“Ugh.”

He felt the potato stuck in his throat again.

Idiots…

That boss.

Thinking of his raise, James held back even internal curses.

Mental discipline was the key to surviving as Edward’s secretary.

“Book the last train to Rettrang tomorrow night.”

“Yes!”

James nodded, swallowing another potato chunk.

❖

The Earldom family stayed at the Rettrang Wale mansion for more than a week after the opera.

Even though Lady Lautrec spent a lot of time with Leon, the two didn’t seem to get any closer.

“That grown-up woman—I hope she never comes to our house again.”

Leon said, as soon as the Earldom family’s carriage left the mansion gates.

“Leon.”

The Duke pretended to scold his son, but both Leon and Diane could tell he wasn’t really angry.

“I have to go to my piano lesson now.”

Leon ignored his father and changed the subject.

“Alright, Young Master. Work hard.”

Diane smiled and tried to leave.

After the opera, she wanted to avoid being alone with the Duke as much as possible.

“Don’t go. Can’t you watch me practice piano?”

Leon whined.

He wanted to do everything with Diane.

“No, I need to go for a walk since I’m already outside.”

“Tsk…”

Leon sulked.

“Shall we walk together? I was just about to go for a walk myself.”

Hmm?

At the Duke’s unexpected words, Diane looked at him with wide eyes.