The owner of this place is truly a unique individual.
“If anything is broken, please bill it to Duke Richter's residence. Feel free to do so comfortably.”
“Y-you mean the Duke’s residence?”
The owner, who had suddenly jumped out with a triumphant stance, now looked as if her eyes were about to pop out.
She wasn’t the only one surprised.
The thugs who had been huddled together with their heads down were also whispering among themselves.
“Did you just hear that?”
“Yeah. If it’s Duke Richter... that monster Duke...!”
“I can hear everything.”
At my words, the thug who had just spoken quickly covered his mouth.
However, the atmosphere was already charged enough that the other customers had caught on to his outburst.
The murmuring was palpable.
Hah. Am I responsible if our soft-hearted Dante gets hurt?
Just in case, I reached out and firmly grasped Dante’s hand. I flashed a smile at him as he looked at me in surprise.
It was my way of saying not to dig a hole for himself.
With that, I stepped forward more confidently and spoke up.
“Hey, you.”
“H-huh! Yes!”
“Have you ever seen such a handsome monster?”
“...Huh?”
“I’m asking if you’ve ever seen such a handsome monster! Go look in a mirror or something. From your actions and your face—you’re the one who looks more like a monster than my husband! Right?”
“Y-yeah! That’s right!”
The arrow that suddenly turned back toward me made the employee nod vigorously in agreement.
“Well then, if you have a decent spot open, could you give us one? We’d like to have a conversation with those people over there.”
With that bold statement and crossing my arms with Dante, the owner nodded vigorously as if her head might fall off.
* * *
The owner guided us to a quiet and spacious area and personally brought us two drinks.
Ah, this table is low too.
“I'm so sorry! I’ve committed a grave sin. Please spare me!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Please let me go!”
As the atmosphere of interrogation settled in—the thugs bowed their heads submissively.
They were begging for their lives after committing such grave sins!
Their words didn’t make any sense. They were definitely up to no good!
“So what crime did you commit?”
I asked casually while sipping my drink, and the thug with the tattered wrist replied, sniffling.
“Well... I dared not recognize my opponent and recklessly grabbed the wrist of someone noble. I’m truly sorry!”
“So you do recognize your crime.”
Huh? Is that right?
But Dante’s expression remained incredibly serious.
I rolled my eyes before asking again,
“Right. That is a crime. But what about something else?”
“Something else?”
“Yes. Earlier, you were arguing about rent with the owner here. You looked like you were about to smash this place down any moment.”
“Oh! That!”
This was strange.
Even though we were discussing crimes—suddenly the thugs’ expressions brightened as if they had heard something advantageous for themselves.
“It seems there was some misunderstanding! I am indeed collecting rent with proper authorization! Really!”
Authorization?
What nonsense!
A thug collecting rent with official permission from a Duke’s territory?
I’d believe it more easily if I said I had contracted a deadly disease instead!
“Nonsense.”
It seemed Dante shared the same sentiment as well.
Seeing him declare it so bluntly was quite surprising!
Oh? So he can speak harshly too?
This unexpected side of him was refreshing!
How can he look sexy even when saying bad things?
Is this what they call the male lead buff? The world feels unfair! But if the one receiving that buff is on my side, then things change!
“That’s right. It’s nonsense. What lord would authorize a thug to collect rent? It’s not like you’re on drugs or something.”
“T-that’s true! We are responsible for maintaining order on Sermantor Street! Therefore, we collect rent as payment for providing safety!”
Dante tilted his head slightly at their surprisingly detailed explanation.
“You lot are responsible for maintaining order on Sermantor Street?”
His low voice carried an intimidating weight.
With just his gaze and voice, he could easily dominate anyone; it felt like he could choke them with mere words!
The thug seemed at a loss for words now, nodding his head vigorously instead.
However—Dante’s mood grew even grimmer as he found their answers unsatisfactory.
“You’re lying again. The responsibility for maintaining order on this street clearly lies with Count Vietsa and his guards.”
“T-that would be true under normal circumstances! But since the Count has been short on guards and management funds—we’ve agreed to take over security for Sermantor Street in exchange for providing funding!”
I sensed something foul in the cries that mixed injustice and truth in a 7 to 3 ratio.
Yeah. There’s definitely a smell, a smell.
The pungent odor of corruption.
I poked Dante in the back with my hand. He flinched for a moment and turned to look at me.
The ominous expression he had just moments ago was replaced by his usual soft demeanor.
I whispered to him, “It’s corruption.”
“Corruption? Are you saying the drinks are spoiled...?”
“No. I mean corruption. The Count and those thugs are engaging in corruption.”
Ah. Only then did Dante’s eyes, which had been glaring at the drinks, soften again.
“It’s obvious. They’re collecting rent from merchants, and the Count is pocketing fees and kickbacks from them.”
At my straightforward summary, the thug shot me a resentful glare.
What? What are you going to do about it?
“Dante. They’re glaring at me again.”
As soon as I pointed it out, Dante shot them a fierce glare in return.
Ha! You don’t have the amazing Duke with you, do you?
I do.
“I-I’m sorry!”
They bowed their heads so low they nearly touched the ground, their apologies laced with fear.
That was exactly the attitude I wanted.
* * *
“Ugh. I’m tired.”
Soaking my body in the hot water felt like salvation.
The aching pain in my feet and calves seemed to melt away.
“Did you enjoy your outing today?”
Sienna, who had come to assist with my bath, dissolved the herbs I had made into the water.
Ah. The fragrant smell of herbs.
Just the aroma made me feel healthier.
I nodded lazily as I relaxed my body.
“Yeah. It was really enjoyable. I picked out clothes that I liked, and I also visited the dessert shop Marie recommended. But it was strange there—the chairs were higher than the tables.”
“Oh, that place! Didn’t the owner have a peculiar way of speaking? When I first went there, I almost grabbed him by the collar!”
“Hey, you too? Me too!”
We burst into laughter together.
“But I heard that you witnessed some kind of corruption scene. It looked like the Duke was heading to his office with Barhan looking all serious.”
“That’s right. I even watched as they arrested all of them and dragged them away!”
The three thugs were arrested as witnesses and accomplices in corruption.
Only after confirming that they were being taken away along with another group they had revealed did our outing finally come to an end.
“I heard they’ll soon be arresting Count Vietsa or whatever his name is too.”
At my nonchalant report, Sienna clasped her hands together and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
What kind of gaze is that?
Seeing my confusion, Sienna spoke in an excited voice.
“You’re truly amazing! Isn’t all this thanks to you?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes! You were the one who took the Duke out! If you hadn’t gone out with him, ordinary citizens would still be suffering! You really are incredible!”
Is it really flowing like this?
Thinking about it, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Although Barhan had nudged him along, it was me who had taken Dante’s arm and dashed out when he was reluctant to go outside!
“Ahem. Did I actually do something?”
“Yes! Of course!”
“Well, that’s a relief. It means being a Duchess has its benefits while I’m here. Right?”
“...Yes? That’s true but…”
Sienna’s response felt somewhat lackluster, but I didn’t notice it.
I didn’t even realize what kind of expression Sienna was giving me as she looked at me.
* * *
I received news about Count Vietsa and his accomplices just three days later.
It seemed they rushed through the investigation since evidence was crucial in this matter.
Dante had been working overtime every day for those three days straight!
“The investigation confirmed Serafina’s suspicions. As you mentioned, it was indeed corruption colluding with illegal guilds. We uncovered piles of evidence documents from the Count’s residence.”
“Oh dear. What a despicable scoundrel. So what happens now?”
“They will impose appropriate punishment on him. We’ll revoke his authority as a representative of Sermantor and handle things according to Richter territory laws. The money he illegally extorted will be returned to the victims. The Count and his underlings will likely spend several years in prison. We’ll also report this to the royal family; maintaining his title will be difficult for him.”
“That’s quite an impressive handling.”
I gulped down my drink and gave a thumbs up.
“The shopkeepers will be very pleased too! The thugs who were extorting ridiculous rents are gone now!”
“It’s all thanks to Serafina.”
“Eh? What did I do?”
“You took me out.”
Hmm?
I had heard this from Sienna before, but hearing it directly from him felt different somehow.
He fiddled with his glass for a moment before continuing as if confessing,
“To be honest—I was hesitant to go out. It was obvious people would be scared of me. Rather than going out and frightening people or being pointed at—I thought it would be better just to stay safely inside my quiet mansion.”
Somehow—his calm voice sounded sadder than usual.