Chapter 95: Master and Slave
cb8UHTilda Pascal was a villainess.BA0F89k
iGvxtpAccording to the testimonies of Stephan and Merchit, who had lived under the same roof as her, she was a woman incapable of showing mercy.V7u
wEPThey said she destroyed everything that annoyed her.i0iR
ZyFJe2FAnd a personality like that inevitably attracts resentment.rYugiJ
vzrPerda, who had accumulated more resentment than anyone else, knew that very well.9AA
JDOf9That was why he believed there had to be a fairly obvious culprit behind all of this.ldBluCb
qlcThe most suspicious was Rico Dandolo, who had been poisoned.ggta
L6H9GThen came Stephan, Merchit, or even their wives.EZHdG2
5gkeuNHe had even suspected Herman, the father.L5Q
rQPuBut there was one person Perda had never suspected.BqdoW
8ZKXiThat middle-aged man who seemed so clumsy.8L2
7hp1Henri.fO5d
vzyV1“So it was you who ordered the investigation on Tilda?”zGMx
McFnUnable to believe it, Perda asked directly.JWDO
gjJ“That’s correct.”YlWhR
CcEUV“You hired them while wishing for her downfall?”KZZw
xZ3a“That’s correct.”rgMMM
1FRf54“And even knowing it would end like this, you still did all of this?”QwtW
pwZG0E“Of course. I had already considered this ending as well.”JkvLC
Js2Henri smiled faintly.Lnz
33MIgfAt first glance, it looked like an overly gentle smile.FUee
5vsnSo gentle that he seemed like a naïve person incapable of hiding what he felt.nnyq
tBsuo“Why?”V7XQFi8
mTLq“Because I sincerely love Tilda. I would do anything for her.”dfZHh
9W0E“And that ‘anything’ ends like this?”6lqYxb
FjQBRuri interrupted as she listened.jooHqR
SunBj2Her face was filled with disgust.Kvd
cCzdFO“Of course.”ezXayj
BidBn20Henri answered with a smile, as if he did not care at all about her reaction.WBZ
qA5sAnd upon hearing that answer, everyone else’s expressions looked very similar to Ruri’s.Syca
1wSwo4“I don’t mind being criticized. Countless women whispered words of love to me only because of my money and reputation. So why can’t I also love only someone’s appearance?”6peOjmo
PWWO2“I have no intention of criticizing your actions. But I am curious.”wXS
UsqxIL“Please ask.”votOkc
Smj“Is this woman really worth enough for you to hand over your company to me?”ie19NW
VAjQUUrTilda was beautiful, yes.tQO85M
p6df0hBut she was not an incomparable beauty.l5BDD9
yd4LkoXShe was nowhere near Olivia, the woman for whom a man had handed over his entire territory and a million roses.Var
0x97WrwHenri answered as though none of it mattered.2azf
u7c“The company was my father’s treasure, not mine. It never held that much value for me. If anything, I wanted to get rid of it. And so I used the woman I love.”Kk71ixC
ezkcd“Tilda?”ZVLAq
kXlK“She is a truly beautiful woman, but also a truly sinister one. Who in this world poisons her father-in-law and plans to murder her entire family?”GXctco
LK0Henri had been waiting for Rico’s death.Mdn
0OZHe had watched everything.Y7lf
NFVUAnd controlled everything.C7Y
2YV1iIn a way, the one who truly had Tilda spinning in the palm of his hand was Henri.5fCrw
SbOOnly then did Perda finally understand a question he had left aside.Vko1AiO
yri7P“They said that when the catalyst was destroyed, the head of the family, Rico Dandolo, suddenly died.”IVz
Trl“That’s correct. My father passed away.”ucFw
1QNJHwD“That was not Tilda’s doing.”qRr
JxjzPerda’s eyes seemed to pierce through Henri.OAY2
e2DgsZN“But it certainly looked like something she would do.”FMN
VnwreHenri answered ambiguously.WHWoFQ
kiM“My father always wanted me to become a strategist. And I became the son who fulfilled his wishes.”B0OdnlP
p9t“……”wweCGtE
w0MrVPerda could not answer.4ZEZMA
gOj83After the silence, Henri concluded the conversation.6RkO
H3sT0“As promised, I will hand over the Dandolo Guild. I will transfer the ownership rights to you, Regent Perda, and if you delegate the management rights to my brother-in-law, everything will be resolved quickly.”Di5RkKc
2da“Understood.”ahe
8Bks“All of my companies will pass into your hands. So I would like to ask for just one thing.”mWZ
wgur“What is it?”uSaezlF
zttY“I want you to return something that was taken from my wife.”wNTK7i
GpukTAPerda’s gaze shifted toward Ruri.4B6G9
Jcv5RShe frowned with obvious irritation.qDR
MlgAcap“I didn’t touch anything.”4piznds
B7TiThat meant someone else had secretly taken it.fE5QiHe
1K0XaPerda immediately pointed to the next suspect.H5Hc
l62mWT“And why are you looking at me?”dOAGI
sSjubPenelope.COb
KYcQw“Because it could only be you.”DbwM4
2cn“You put me in a difficult position saying such passionate things, ugyaaak!”dovtOib
8VQJN“Stop saying nonsense and talk! Where did you hide it?”KJx
Muihht“Ugek! Eek! I-it’s on my tail! I hung it on my tail!”nSr8m
lgkjNF“You damned demon, it had to be you. Will your insides explode if you go a single day without causing trouble?”9aTeu7K
Qrc“Hngh, my diamond…!”qaC7t
Z5p“What do you mean your diamond, you lunatic?”CiGXcqD
SlzZed searched her thoroughly and, just as she said, there was a ring hanging from her tail.8Cfb
3wfLOA ring made with a Blood Diamond, a jewel impossible to buy with money.OmncNQ6
wsXpLfTZed handed it to Perda.w0i
gyv“It’s a Blood Diamond. An engagement ring?”6b1Z
2Dvc“That’s correct. It is the only thing my wife truly loves.”hkoWx4
hYShGAs soon as Henri received the ring, he walked directly toward Tilda.l218S
GMxJtX“Uuu……”6WoNBW
5xJgShe made gloomy sounds, like a wandering spirit.tgxpw
Tf1“Tilda, my love. Look at this. It’s your favorite diamond ring.”fvH
ZMJXTilda’s empty eyes, while she sat there completely gone and drooling, turned toward the ring.UENyJ
NFWZEq7Those eyes that had wandered aimlessly suddenly focused clearly on the diamond.89h1sN
w0lt“Hehe……”Z55gPt
thxVhShe smiled as though she had obtained the entire world.hBGjsEv
4bsAnd Henri smiled as he watched her.Uyp33I
Zd2b5ik***rBN
fRJHenri promised to disappear together with Tilda.HSs
XRq3He had not lied when he said he had anticipated this ending.81RI
NkHHe had already prepared a house in the west as well as enough money to live modestly.Wjw8
bnATmNHe intended to leave Dandolo Mansion taking only what was necessary to quietly live out the rest of his life.YpzJD
UraBU“He truly is a twisted man.”QKDe9
xXzRuri said.1C9NY
8FayWNHer clenched hands were filled with the desire to break Henri’s neck.BnJyx1
NmOB“You really intend to let him go?”vybYiV
K7ksaePerda nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.jWTXmI
GRfoeE“He fulfilled his promise. So I must fulfill mine as well.”Q8E
bBZk3C“And what if something so disgusting ends up ruining our affairs? Considering how he manipulated a witch from the shadows, he could easily do it again.”ckCc7
goukkfcPerda looked at Ruri.xbQd7F
3CFA“Wanting to kill him is only your personal desire.”hq10
LOCEDig“It’s disgusting. How can someone kill his family and destroy the person he loves like that?”cMOn
aFJKRuri, who normally never interfered in human matters, said that.4Eaxui
JglJnHe used his wife to kill his father and ultimately turned that same wife into his possession.LxZ
HsoEzSAnd for the Dragon Spawn, who valued family more than anyone else, that was unforgivable.mlHKI
TQBBN“Tilda Pascal did exactly the same thing. Even if she did not completely succeed, she tried to divide brothers, poison her sister-in-law, and turn her father-in-law into a vegetable. If the fate of that villainess is to live trapped together with that man, doesn’t that seem appropriate to you?”8ipPTo
0ekLb0R“If you put it that way… I suppose so…”IMGpOFz
nAdSQpfEven Ruri’s furious voice began to soften.dAnZb9
IOBThose actions still disgusted her, but at the same time she felt that both of them had received an appropriate punishment.26V9K
d2hIn the end, she decided to stop thinking about them.SzL9p
c6xw6HAfter all, they would never cross paths with them again.Ijk4
LskBLtjPerda silently watched the place where Henri had departed.T0nGC
y7kS‘What a waste.’NefxBS
HOJeIy3He truly was an intelligent man.uufln
t2MEven Perda had failed to understand his true intentions, so if Henri had possessed ambition for business, he undoubtedly would have surpassed even the Pascal Guild and led the Dandolo Guild into its golden age.SMaPuv
B8pP6And yet Henri acted as though he did not even need that ability.guuFa
mYopEHXThe last expression Henri showed Perda looked like that of a man who had abandoned an immense fortune, yet was still happier than anyone else.2Z9J6
rYSThat expression remained in Perda’s mind like a lingering echo.DFZ
HFb6He did not know whether that feeling was discomfort or envy.Xj5os3y
QjbE8For now, he had no way of knowing.UiHo
xAcSw***EdbS
z2dJhPascal Guild Headquarters019LSjt
KOQ“So the matter regarding my sister has finally ended?”cxpJl
GizZaUHe seemed surprised that everything had been resolved in secret, but he did not dwell on it too much.cFaN5rG
fy7zs7After all, the problem that had been disturbing his mind had finally come to an end, and that alone was enough for him.NNwUBv
JdYWeC“Understood. I’ll inform my brother and also explain the entire situation to my father so we can conclude this matter.”RH7I77
JMoLOStephan ended the magical transmission and felt that a strange emotional residue still remained.uIAd5
TUPIt was admiration toward Perda.dcJEf
22n‘I never imagined he would end up obtaining the Dandolo Guild.’xIQMh5
rtwVSIt had been an unexpected gain.8Xdzv
KmvnSysIf the situation had become any more complicated, Stephan had originally planned to completely destroy that company.Kn6WL
Le8ywusHe had never imagined they would absorb it entirely.odFMq
bJo0gx‘The Regent truly is an extraordinary person.’uEGbbQi
7aaNow he could feel how miserable his decision to abandon everything only a few days ago had been.ZB8gUK
Es0nM3‘Now it’s time to clean up the mess.’5Phv
urt5zTrA sigh escaped Stephan’s mouth automatically.3DrRg
i1nhfMerchit was different.FxUIzmY
rOwlSince it had been something prepared between the two of them, they could simply end it once everything was over.yPDYzG
vK3DY5But Herman was not.l0G
7lOUHerman, who knew none of the truth, had genuinely tried to restrain Stephan.v5O
hKPGpNAnd Stephan had also been forced to respond with complete seriousness.4exKm3
91KxM“Director. The chairman…”uYwtDq
jJm0YWThe secretary could not finish the sentence.1hR1dWl
t6EyThat alone was enough to imagine how furious Herman was.IKvdI
QXVHe wanted to run away.N3bADS2
iASkfHis instincts screamed that at him, but Stephan merely nodded calmly.sDJ99r
BMCGxTSoon after, four enormous bodyguards large enough to get stuck in the doorway and a thin old man entered the office.ofWGN4
QzctsCThose giants were already intimidating enough, but it was the sharp eyes gleaming between the old man’s wrinkles that truly pierced into the deepest parts of Stephan.soU
GY0BV“Why are you still here?”YlMwD2
mk6It was a direct question.EVgu
OBfOmp8Why had he not resigned yet?7WN0YG
R4X“Everything is over.”Iow41m
JG8e“What exactly is over?”lu3U
e4xdLStephan explained absolutely everything.AfsVlh
Jd75That Tilda had attempted to pit Stephan and Merchit against each other using her own husband’s company.oK5nwDy
9tLSAnd that she had even planned to kill Herman throughout the entire process.cBE6
7v1The parts that could sound exaggerated, he deliberately toned down to make them more believable.i17
cAsG1OcEven so, he could not read Herman’s intentions.b0ZtF
YFeZZHis expression was as impenetrable as a sword forged in a dwarven smithy beneath a deep mountain.u4Te
lriPW“So something like that happened.”9xrtSS
Kr9“That’s correct.”aYcgeD
HNHWr6“Even so, you still haven’t answered my question.”jXAu6JU
2rSvQ6u“What question…?”Rj6V
ShMP6“I asked why you are still here.”jYECp5
rrLX4FIt did not seem like the reaction of someone who had just heard such a story.4C8cjQ
oSnStephan answered.GVeHvP
2IgLC“Because I am the director of the Pascal Guild.”zqzU5
99o“I am the chairman. Removing you from your position is not difficult. I expected you to resign on your own, yet you did not.”QjbI0u
0Hm“You still insist that my judgment was a mistake?”H1fm4
PQZ1Pz“Of course. If I am convinced of something, why would I retract it?”0OAN
kxfZpxThe Grand Duchess’s territory would fall into ruin.F2xTrE
0x8IStephan answered defiantly.wR38CGk
4FACk“Valdrova’s territory will prosper.”dGKpzR6
6Zv8yTy“It will not prosper.”0sAu8s
ASYfsbGHerman replied immediately.MFJ
uJ6d“You seem curious about the reason. Fine, I’ll answer you personally.”C3Oa23j
XJOHerman opened his eyes like a tiger and spoke.rMtZ4ok
kyT9ns“I’ve heard rumors that this man called Perda uses black magic.”bSz4
MQJuyEQ“I also have ears. But he saved many people in Hallim.”vXnE8fZ
HGxXO“Being treated like a hero only lasts for a moment. What matters is not who he saved, but the fact that he uses black magic. What will you do when people start saying that the Pascal Guild is supporting someone obsessed with black magic?”TEXLx
RD8Wq“That…”mhTRggi
xKn“And when you decide to withdraw after continuing to support Regent Perda, it will already be too late. Do you plan to throw all the people who depend on the guild out onto the streets?”c3Wuz
YZJfRkStephan could not answer.q4PCO7p
ECwKva“And you are also investing in that technology called magitechnology. What will you do if that man named Vernell dies?”IksXZL
pejOiHerman continued pressuring him.f0ZD
UT8aHy7“Then all that investment will disappear and we will gain nothing. And tell me, do you truly believe that Vernell could never change his mind? And what about Perda, his master?”og0Jhbj
8Sm“They would never abandon me.”sCEMlo
GRtvcEven though Perda initially spoke as if he did not need Stephan, when things became difficult he helped him both materially and emotionally.U2ISCa0
oEeThat was why Stephan could say it with certainty.MRd
m1wKjBut to Herman, those words inspired no confidence.FOo
mNzjnS5“Do you know why cities are never built in the Far East?”WCjL
OLsbNn“Because the territory keeps shrinking.”rGfypzU
vfYAB8n“Exactly. Because there is no hope. Humans could not stop it, and not even the immortals managed it. Do you think you will only understand reality after being corrupted by demonic energy in a region so close to it?”RFXo2O
q3Fw“……”JwZ1
S6dp“Fine. Let us suppose it prospers. And what exactly do you think we will gain from that prosperity? Money? Prestige? Connections? No. The Empire will inspect every corner of our lives trying to contain us. Do you know why? Because we are a guild from the imperial capital. It will look as though the capital’s power is flowing there.”UnCutFr
JVHmR“……”loCZ51O
TX2vcY“Even if that young Regent has charisma and ambition, all politics ultimately end up controlled by old men. Do you know what old men really are?”BhMbr
M24KUHerman’s voice hardened.QFDe
c8Q“People who may no longer have the strength to stand, yet still cling trembling to their bowl of food. It is easy to go from a humble life to luxury, but impossible to return to sacrifice after becoming accustomed to comfort. Power works the same way. Those old men send the young to the battlefield to protect their own interests and squeeze them dry. Do you truly believe insignificant people like us can withstand something like that?”Q4Con
F4yStephan could not answer.ZLxS
uJwHerman’s words were filled with wisdom accumulated through the years, and that wisdom carried logic.e9im9kI
Nf65nGSeen from a broader perspective, Herman was not wrong.s1U
xMXThe risks Stephan would have to bear were enormous.QNAj7Oa
m8vm“Abandon the Far East. Or abandon this company. That is my decision.”e2dCUk
8YrGCxHerman rose from his seat.rVAau
Fo4Just as he was about to leave, Stephan spoke.BnHzz
MPP“You are exactly the same as those old men.”YPu
YK7“What… did you say?”pIbbG
3FRYhHerman widened his eyes and asked again.OLd
SAQIt sounded like something spoken impulsively.xfvqQ8j
3BWaBut there was only determination in Stephan’s eyes.9vFe
moJGK8“Are you also incapable of accepting something new and only insist on your own will?”pWOUS0F
YYhm“Are you calling me a stubborn old man?”kfpyV4j
hnwe“Yes.”2mok
rfn3Stephan admitted it briefly and clearly.5tAdOf
Rm1HuHerman exploded in fury.unFJ
PaSd6Oi“Ingrate. What right do you have to say such things?”vZPil
maL2o“I do have the right.”TL8xk
y071WThe words began pouring out of Stephan as though something blocking his throat had finally broken.GAt7Zx
DwkYtXNThey were emotions and convictions accumulated over a very long time.dV3o
yked“For the past three years, this company has been run by me. The steady growth and stability were my achievements. If you were the one who planted the seed of this company, I was the one who cultivated it. A man does not become a farmer simply because he planted a seed. So that can no longer be considered solely your achievement. That is why I have the right to raise my voice.”vhZNHg
fqKz“Right? You?”sMYxM4
1thlaa“Yes!”n6DR
AlCEEmotion caused his voice to rise higher and higher.gib6y
o2vZfm8“While you remained shut away like an isolated old man, watching us with your arms crossed and placing swords in your sons’ hands to watch us fight, I devoted absolutely everything to this company without ever looking away.”JStdCP
EQUp0WBHerman silently watched Stephan.PCN
0phAnd Stephan continued pouring out everything he had kept inside.pIu42E
6yhcDW“Didn’t I tell you before? When you asked me what kind of person Regent Perda was, I answered this someone capable of giving up everything.”8tsh6G
UjVz“……”zOuJYQ8
vYOhNax“And that was not a mistake. I said it sincerely. Do you know why? Because even if I handed this company over to him, I am convinced he could obtain far more than what you built.”lUXq
iDSM“No matter how much you try to convince me, to me you only sound like someone consumed by his emotions.”T0Z
o5661“It doesn’t matter. When I was in trouble, he called the attacks against the Grand Duchess’s territory sabotage and personally responded himself. He did not speak about the Pascal Guild, he spoke about the Grand Duchess’s territory. He accepted me as part of that place and helped me.”qy7Gr
jsK4Even though Perda once tried to reject him cruelly, he was equally merciful.dRVk
dChAnd at that moment, Stephan understood something.hvTDp8
E6jJXiLEverything depended solely on how he himself chose to act.vSN
qQ8nS“So let me say this clearly.”eGCZCz
hMU7VHe was making an irreversible decision.No8
c7P5rXW“I have no intention of abandoning this position. I run this company, and I will take responsibility for my decisions. So if you intend to interfere with them…”Obf9
Lzy3jwBang!1yjt6c
LfH“Then you will have to fight me prepared to completely sever all ties between us!”9WJoE0n
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationI also have same face as her
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationBro Stephen completely shut this man good one Stephen 👍.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationI agree with ruri.
Fernando
Qi RefinementI’m not saying Tilda is a poor thing, but this Henri seems worse than her. She also tried to kill her own family, but at least she didn’t like him. This Henri, on the other hand, says he loves her, but left her in this deplorable state.