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Chapter 45

Kaliana, who had been thrown out of the trading company moments ago, leaned against the wall and roughly ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

"Damn it. Where am I supposed to get the money right now?"

Her family owned a small territory in the western part of the Empire.

In truth, it was barely more than a few villages clustered together—calling it a territory was almost embarrassing.

The soil was poor, so they couldn't produce enough food on their own.

But thanks to a nearby river, the few residents could manage without major problems.

The trouble began when the neighboring territory started causing trouble.

Those garbage Farizian bastards.

At first, relations with the neighboring Farizian family hadn't been bad.

But one day, the earl—who reminded her of that Maurice scum—started blocking the river.

Demanding a "water tax" if they wanted to use it.

It was an absurd extortion, but with the river blocked, the villagers' farming and daily lives suffered.

Unable to endure any longer, Kaliana had scraped together a small trading company to pay the water tax.

Just when they'd finally caught a breath—

Now the Farizians were colluding with other trading companies to crush hers completely.

"That fly-bitten bastard—maybe I should just set the whole place on fire and watch him burn."

Just as Kaliana glared at the flashy Farizian building and muttered—

A woman cautiously approached her.

"Um... no matter how angry you are, arson isn't the answer."

"Huh?"

Kaliana turned to look at the woman.

"Setting a fire would harm other people too."

Despite her gentle face, her voice was quite firm.

Kaliana looked her over, and the woman continued calmly.

"Besides, you'd only be making yourself a criminal."

She didn't know who this was, but she must have overheard and felt compelled to speak.

But Kaliana had her reasons.

"Ha! What's the point of worrying about that? That bastard harms innocent people too—so what am I supposed to do?"

At that, Emilia rolled her eyes and looked at the building she'd been glaring at.

It was the very place Emilia had just left.

Given the mention of "fly," a reasonable suspicion arose.

"Are you having trouble with the head of the Farizian Trading Company?"

At Emilia's question, Kaliana's eyes went wide.

"What, did he screw you over too?"

"No, it's not that..."

But Kaliana nodded knowingly and continued.

"Yeah, how many people has that bastard hurt? Last time, you know..."

Feeling frustrated, she vented her grievances.

Emilia, having become a witness to a potential arson, decided to listen to her complaints.

As she heard more, she began to understand Kaliana's feelings.

And unexpectedly, her story was also connected to the House of Valen.

So this is why the House of Valen had no choice but to trade with the Farizian Company.

The fabric called Heitran, which the House of Valen needed, was monopolized by a few trading companies—including Farizian.

The problem wasn't the monopoly itself.

The problem was that they didn't hesitate to use underhanded tactics against other companies to maintain it.

"So the Farizian Company is colluding with other trading companies."

But Kaliana didn't understand her words.

"Col... what?"

"Ah."

Come to think of it, the concept of collusion didn't exist here, and it wasn't defined as a crime.

In fact, in the past, guilds controlling production volumes had been quite natural.

But what the Farizian Company was doing was simply one-sided obstruction.

As a result, smaller companies like Kaliana's were suffering.

"Still, I know some of that bastard's dirty secrets. So I tried to get some evidence from his office."

That was why she'd made a surprise visit to Maurice today.

But she hadn't expected him to have such burly guards on standby.

Maurice must know he was doing shady things himself.

Kaliana clicked her tongue in regret.

---

"Wh-what is the meaning of this...!"

After writhing in pain for some time, Maurice finally cried out.

His face was flushed red with pain and humiliation.

The pain was still so intense it brought tears to his eyes—his shin was definitely broken.

"Even if you are the Duke, you can't treat people like this!"

Momentarily losing his reason to the pain, Maurice confronted him.

But Kayden only muttered in displeasure.

"That's the first time I've heard someone say I lack breeding."

At his icy gaze, Maurice recalled what he'd said earlier.

"Y-you low-born wretch, pretending to know—"

"Th-that wasn't directed at Your Grace—!"

He quickly tried to explain.

"It wasn't?"

But Kayden only raised an eyebrow, colder than before.

Maurice flinched and took a sharp breath.

Of course, he'd inwardly dismissed him as a clueless noble, but that didn't mean he dismissed the House of Valen itself.

Who would dare speak such words about the historically prestigious House of Valen, rivaling even the imperial family?!

His earlier remark had been aimed at that clueless woman who'd overstepped beside the Duke.

But Maurice couldn't bring himself to say that.

Because admitting that would surely lead to something very unpleasant.

The atmosphere too...

It was completely different from when the woman was present.

The sharp instincts he'd honed as the third son of his family were finally sounding a proper warning.

Watching the Duke's expression, Maurice stammered.

"I-I'm sorry. I misspoke."

"Ah, misspoke. If that's the case, I suppose I should forgive you."

The Duke lifted one corner of his mouth, his demeanor somewhat softer.

"Then I'd like to continue our conversation calmly."

"Ah, haha! O-of course!"

At the Duke's words, Maurice breathed a sigh of relief.

Grasping his injured shin, he tried to sit back down on the sofa—

Thwack!

"Aaaaargh!"

Kayden kicked the table once more.

Then he leaned back and continued leisurely.

"I just realized I'm quite lacking in breeding myself."

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