If You Are Suited for the Villain's Secretary - Chapter 17

—————

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

—————

If the Villain’s Secretary Suits Me
Chapter 17
“But if Walton finds out about this, he’ll be quite upset. Is that really okay?”
“A mere branch manager at a plaza bank? Even if he were the director of the Imperial Bank itself, I wouldn’t care. Besides, Walton is just a commoner with money—not even a nobleman.”
Norbert let out a scoff at the employee’s question.
“Whatever displeasure Walton feels, the worst he can do is refuse us loans or deny us entry to his branch. But that’s hardly a problem—there are other Imperial Bank branches near Crimson we can use instead.”
“I see…”
“And that old fool is a collector obsessed with Tate series timepieces. In the end, if he wants to obtain the watch, he’ll have no choice but to bow before us and desperately offer his money. The Chairman wants to see that pathetic sight.”
Kaileb Crimson’s desire to humiliate Walton wasn’t simply about making money.
Kaileb Crimson hated Walton.
In the past, Walton’s audit had destroyed all the illegal funds Kaileb Crimson had carefully laundered. Walton was the type of man so obscenely wealthy that bribes didn’t work on him.
Of course, Walton didn’t know those funds belonged to Kaileb Crimson. But Kaileb Crimson hadn’t forgotten.
“Anyway, ‘Tate 81’ will soon be in our hands… We just need to successfully bid on the Empress Dowager’s pendant and the First Empress’s dress that the Countess requested.”
“The Countess?”
“Of course, the Chairman’s daughter. She told the Chairman she desperately wanted those two items.”
That’s why I had allocated such a generous overall budget.
The remaining funds after acquiring the watch were meant for the pendant and dress.
But it didn’t seem like that would be difficult at all. Both the dress and pendant were so hopelessly outdated that they looked tacky.
‘At most, each should go for around 100 million gold.’
Unless someone was blinded by vanity and ostentation like a certain fool, no one would simply buy something just because it belonged to the Imperial Family.
“So the pendant and dress—we can just buy them outright without much competition. Once we win the bid, you run to the parking lot and prepare to transport the cash.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Imperial Vault auction had a system requiring immediate cash payment upon successful bidding to prevent indiscriminate bidding and overheated competition.
It also made for a good image—stacking cash on stage and showing that the Imperial Family was using such vast sums for charity. In truth, that was the primary reason.
Therefore, Crimson had arrived with several carriages loaded with bundles of banknotes.
“Then let us begin the auction!”
The auctioneer announced the opening.
Norbert settled back in his seat with ease.
‘The pendant is first, the dress is ninth, and the watch is tenth—the final lot.’
Another of his subordinate employees was inside the auction house. So I just needed to watch and give instructions.
That’s what I had thought.
-A newcomer?!
Until Lenox’s urgent voice came through the listening device.
-Where exactly are you right now… What? You found out Crimson’s budget? 2.3 billion gold?
“What—?”
Norbert let out an uncontrolled shriek.
No stranger had ever come near where I was, and I certainly hadn’t written down the budget for anyone like that fool Walton.
But how? By what means?
-But with that amount of money, our chances of winning the bid on ‘Tate 81’ are… What do you mean there’s a way? Just trust me?
The auctioneer’s voice overlapped with Lenox’s words.
“We shall now commence the auction of the Empress Dowager’s pendant. Ten million gold, twenty million gold, thirty million gold… Ah, wait a moment. Bidder number 15, a lady, has placed a bid of two hundred million gold!”
“What? Two hundred million gold?!”
Norbert shot to his feet, and in the distance, his gaze caught a woman with ash-grey hair dressed in extravagant finery, paddle raised in her hand.
To his flustered ears came voices flowing from two receivers.
-Understood, I understand, just… wait!
Crack—
The sound of Lenox destroying the listening device he’d so carefully hidden,
-Secretary! What should we do?! Some woman suddenly placed a bid, and we’ve far exceeded the one hundred million gold we anticipated…!
The urgent voice of a subordinate.
Norbert, his teeth gritted as the situation spiraled into chaos, let out a sharp shout.
“Just bid! Keep up with her!”
***
A moment earlier.
“I only glanced away for a second because I stumbled on a stone….”
Lenox had vanished.
But rather than disappointment at losing him, I felt admiration.
“Lenox really is the finest tracker. Impressive.”
He conceals his presence well, possesses keen observation, and moves with remarkable agility!
Truly, he’s the most capable person to help me find my father.
I’d followed him because I wanted to witness firsthand the skills briefly mentioned in the original work.
“Though his tendency to talk excessively, act rashly, and dig tunnels alone are definite drawbacks.”
Recalling Lenox rubbing his shoulders repeatedly, I nodded to myself.
In the original work, Lenox was counted among the finest trackers, but from this point onward, he disappeared, only to be discovered later in some Mage Tower.
He was so broken that even Aden, driven to madness himself, felt pity for him.
‘It was because of the blood contract.’
I had no intention of letting my full house card rot away in the dark basement of some Mage Tower.
So I planned to break that cursed shackle.
But not just yet.
I hadn’t only been following Lenox. I’d also been checking through the magical camera, zooming in to see if there was a woman with ash-grey hair among the auction attendees.
‘Since she’s not here, she hasn’t arrived yet, it seems.’
I headed straight for the Parking Lot.
Among the gleaming carriages, Delilah’s wasn’t visible yet, but upon seeing the unusually large and orderly arranged carriages, I smiled.
‘Those belong to Crimson.’
“Since I’m new, Crimson won’t know my face yet. So couldn’t I at least eavesdrop on conversations? I could move around and observe the situation too.”
What I’d focused on wasn’t eavesdropping on ‘conversations’.
Approaching someone like Norbert would be difficult to extract information from unless I possessed mind-reading abilities.
‘But examining the carriages is possible.’
The moment I heard about the charity auction system requiring immediate cash payment, I calculated this method would be most efficient.
There was no time to hesitate.
As I strode forward, several coachmen guarding Crimson’s carriages moved to block my path.
“Wait. What are you doing right now?”
“Taking photographs.”
“Who are you? Are you a journalist or something? We don’t need any of that promotional nonsense or model photography….”
“What are you talking about?”
The burly coachmen surrounded me menacingly, but I refused to be intimidated.
A camera and notebook weren’t the exclusive tools of journalists.
“I’m here on an inspection.”
“An, an inspection?”
“This carriage is clearly overloaded. Look at how the ground is compressed, how the wheels are bent—a carriage this heavy traveling on public roads? It’s a clear violation of the Road Management Act, Section 56, Subsection 9. Move aside. I need to take photographs.”
The coachmen murmured among themselves.
“Road Management Act 56? There’s such a thing?”
“How should I know!”
For the record, it was indeed a law in the Empire.
I’d memorized it almost by force during my time at the Mason Merchant Guild. The inspectors in Sirena were notoriously strict.
But in small towns, road management was difficult to enforce, so they conducted inspections; in major cities, the law was practically obsolete. People in the Capital City had every reason not to know about it.
“Well, wait. Then which department are you with….”
“Which department? I should be asking you that. Which department does this carriage belong to? …Ah, never mind. You don’t need to tell me. I just need the carriage’s serial number.”
“But, that is, this carriage is carrying funds related to the Imperial Auction items….”
“Yes, so you brought a carriage in violation of traffic laws while knowing about this ‘Imperial’ charity auction. I understand perfectly.”
Originally, the people that transport operators like coachmen fear most aren’t their employers—they’re the inspectors.
They can find work elsewhere, but inspectors are the ones who can revoke their licenses.
‘And inspectors conduct surprise inspections, so they usually dress in ordinary clothes.’
Lies are all about confidence, and I was more confident in my performance as a burnt-out office worker than anyone.
‘Because it wasn’t an act….’
Suddenly, tears were threatening to spill.
But the coachmen, unaware of that truth, instantly became respectful.
“Th-this is absolutely not overloaded! The carriage is heavy because it’s a luxury model, and the cargo inside is just a few money boxes and empty bags! And we distributed them across three carriages!”
“Hmm.”
“Really! We can show you!”
“Then open the rear door.”
That was how I discovered Crimson’s budget.
‘Twenty-three standard Imperial regulation boxes, Type 3.’
Two billion three hundred million Gold.

—————

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

—————