I Just Wanted Revenge, But Everyone Loves Me - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 89
At the same moment.
An elderly man with a Snake Tattoo on the back of his hand, concealed beneath leather gloves, rose from his seat.
Moderate height, lean frame. Scattered white hair and a face etched with the wrinkles of time.
With kind eyes, the old man appeared to any outsider as nothing more than an ordinary grandfather.
Of course, that was merely the surface.
“The matter you mentioned has been handled, sir.”
Arabesque—the most renowned guild within Brosia, yet whose true nature remained unknown to all. Walter, its longest-serving leader, was in a foul mood.
Not only was someone daring enough to betray the guild, but they were attempting to sell our intelligence to others.
And to no lesser figure than—
‘The Chancellor? That bastard?’
To think of joining hands with the man he despised most.
The audacity went beyond mere boldness; it was breathtaking.
“Fortunately, it appears our information hasn’t leaked.”
“It had better not.”
A guild maintained for centuries.
For Arabesque’s existence to be exposed because of a single traitor? Unthinkable.
“And… there is another matter. Recent commissions have come in with a common thread.”
“Bancadium?”
“Yes. Since this incident, there has been a marked increase in those seeking information about Bancadium. Particularly from among the Emperor’s inner circle.”
“Ha!”
Walter laughed for the first time that day.
“The Emperor took quite the blow on this one. He tried every trick in the book to isolate Bancadium, and it blew up spectacularly in his face.”
The newspapers called it a miscalculation, but—
‘Was it really?’
Those who knew the Emperor’s temperament would never believe such a tale. He’d been nothing if not zealous in his efforts to isolate Bancadium.
He’d even conspired with the Temple, attempted to move forward together, yet ultimately failed.
With success nearly assured, things had somehow unraveled. By now, he must be seething.
“What puzzles me is why he’d choose such a passive route. If I were in his position, I’d have simply cut Bancadium’s throat outright. Yet he opted for a blockade instead, isolating them gradually.”
Given the Emperor’s temperament, he should have struck them down immediately to prevent any seeds of discord.
That he hadn’t—
‘There must be a reason he cannot kill them.’
A reason that might prove harmful even to himself.
Otherwise, the Emperor would never have acted so passively.
Hadn’t it been the perfect opportunity to eliminate Bancadium, that perpetual thorn in his side?
‘Things will grow noisy for a while.’
When was the last time I saw the Duke? After his wife passed away. I haven’t laid eyes on him since then, it seems.
“What will you do about the Lohaife Auction, sir?”
“Ah.”
At that moment, Walter’s lips curved upward, drawing him from his reverie.
“I’ll attend, of course.”
A precious item will be on the block, after all.
I must intercept it by any means necessary.
No one else must have it.
“I’ll have the carriage prepared.”
His subordinate, understanding his firm resolve, bowed his head without a word.
After the man excused himself,
Walter descended the stairs at a leisurely pace.
Having spent the time reviewing the salons and gambling dens in the surrounding areas, he’d reached Nuabeque last and was preparing to head back.
So after coming down to the noisy lower floor,
he slipped quietly into the rear corridor—
“Hey! Did you steal Cake Number 3,291,931,694?!”
“….”
“I tried!”
“…?”
What was this about?
‘Just now.’
Stealing cake how many times?
* * *
“How on earth did our little one find out about this place? Hmm?”
“I saw it in the newspaper.”
“In the newspaper?”
“Yes! It said this place is incredibly fun.”
Well, I had seen it in the newspaper, so that much was true at least.
It wasn’t an outright lie.
‘Good. The timing works out.’
I accepted today’s newspaper from a staff member and chuckled at the full-page article spread before me.
‘The auction is in a month.’
The article detailed how Marquis Lohaife would be putting all his collected artworks up for auction, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to the poor and destitute.
But this auction harbored a very deep secret.
‘One significant enough that he’d liquidate everything he cherished at once.’
The financial state of the Lohaife household was dire.
Art collecting was an extraordinarily expensive hobby.
Which meant, quite simply, that it demanded enormous sums of money.

The Lohaife Marquis family had been wealthy merchants.
Their primary enterprises were trade and export. Naturally, this had sparked an interest in artworks.
But that interest proved short-lived.
The moment the business began to decline, that expensive hobby became an anchor dragging the Marquis down.
Even as his finances deteriorated daily, his eye for art grew ever more refined—and he coped with stress by purchasing more pieces.
Only when he’d reached absolute rock bottom did he resort to an auction.
But of course, he couldn’t publicly admit it was for want of funds.
‘So he ran the story as a charitable event—a way to save face.’
His head worked rather well. Thanks to such a grand publicity campaign, he managed to—
“You know, I’m thinking of attending the Marquis Lohaife’s auction this time.”
“Indeed, they say all manner of rare items will be on display. And since it’s for charity, there’s no harm in participating.”
—brilliantly obscure his near-bankruptcy.
‘Good. What I need right now is precisely this.’
Exactly this.
This salon was a place all enjoyed—commoner and noble alike.
As such, it was where the widest variety of information circulated.
The sort of gossip one would never hear in refined settings, for instance.
This was the easiest place to access such information.
‘Though of course, I’ll need to verify what’s true and what’s rumor.’
For now, I needed to gather as much information as possible.
‘I only ever lived in the attic.’
My world consisted solely of newspapers, newsletters, and books.
Before I stepped out in earnest, I needed to check—what are people talking about these days?
‘But there are more children here than I expected.’
I’d thought this was a place only for adults.
Yet I occasionally spot children as young as myself.
Children’s voices echo throughout from time to time.
“What’s wrong? Looking for something?”
“Oh, no. I just noticed there are quite a few children around my age.”
I turned my head about curiously, surveying the space.
Hyacinth took a sip of her cool drink and spoke.
“It’s because this place sits right in the center of the plaza. Anyone can get here easily. Some parents don’t want to leave their kids alone at home, so they bring them here sometimes.”
“Ah, I see.”
So that’s why there were so many.
‘Right—all you need is to cover your face.’
Anyone with money could enter.
“Miss.”
Just then, Rem, who had been quiet until now, called out to me.
“I’m going to step away for a moment. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Right now?”
“I’d like to look around the area a bit first.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Hyacinth also asked a question, startled by Rem’s sudden departure.
But apparently nothing alarmed him immediately. Rem shook his head.
“Just checking something. Confirming.”
“Well, be quick about it. I’ll wait here.”
“Understood.”
Rem nodded.
After that, Hyacinth said something more.
Meanwhile, I glanced around the space.
‘What’s that?’
I noticed a small commotion not far away.
I stared toward that spot—
A burly adult with a thoroughly nasty expression had seized a child and—
‘Wait, is he dragging that kid away?’
My mouth fell open despite myself.
Whatever was happening, it was clearly not normal.
It was almost as though—
‘Come here, would you?!’
The way the Count had dragged me along.
Moreover, on the back of the man’s hand I glimpsed a familiar marking.
The head of a blue serpent.
That was the symbol of Arabesque—I’d seen it in old newspapers!
‘Surely not.’
A guild member had come here?
The moment the thought crystallized, I leapt from my chair.
The instant I spotted my target, all other thoughts vanished.
‘Even if I’ve mistaken what I saw,’
having glimpsed a mark that resembled it, I had to verify.
Whether this really was an Arabesque guild member or not!
‘Did he go in that direction?’
I recalled the last direction I’d seen them head, my eyes darting about.
Patter, patter, patter, patter.
I immediately plunged between the crowds.
A moment later.
“Well, while that person’s gone, we should…”
Hyacinth, who’d been watching the direction my quarry had taken, turned her head.
But then—
“?”
Why.
‘The seat…’
was empty?
Hyacinth’s complexion drained in an instant.
‘Wait, hold on.’
Where the hell did this troublemaker go?!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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