Janette waved her hands at the sight of the medicine bottles, which looked expensive at a glance.
“You really don’t have to give these to me. I still have some of the medicine I’ve been using.”
Instead of answering, Kendrick pulled out another bottle.
“This one is good for scars. They say it removes almost any scar, so once your wounds heal, make sure to apply it regularly.”
Janette looked at him silently.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of compromise in his eyes.
“If I refuse this too, are you going to threaten me by saying you’ll throw it away?”
Kendrick flinched.
“A threat? That’s harsh. I was simply persuading you.”
“Persuading?”
“It seems you’re very bad at accepting things from other people, Miss Janette.”
“….”
Hit directly where it hurt, Janette lost her words.
He was right.
She still wasn’t used to receiving kindness or consideration from others. In fact, childish bullying aimed at her felt easier to endure.
“But you’ll have to get used to it now. A maid serving Ludwig could become someone’s idol—or someone others feel compelled to look after carefully. And above all…”
Trailing off, Kendrick smiled softly at her.
“I like putting things into the hands of my people.”
…My people.
Janette blinked slowly.
For some reason, those words lodged deeply in her heart.
Meanwhile, Kendrick himself was startled by what he had just said.
My people? That was a bit…
Wouldn’t that sound like he was openly flirting with her? Now that he’d said it aloud, the wording felt strange.
Slightly flustered, he wondered if he should correct himself with something like partner or comrade—
But before he could—
“Thinking about it again, Theo really does seem like an amazing boss.”
“…What?”
Out of nowhere? At this timing?
Yet Janette’s eyes were completely sincere.
“Bosses who take such good care of their people are rare.”
Even the executive director Janette had served in her previous life had only cared about himself. He’d never paid attention to the people working under him.
Compared to that, Theo was practically the ideal superior.
Faced with Janette’s sparkling gaze, Kendrick found himself speechless.
He had definitely been complimented, so why did he not feel particularly happy about it?
As he tilted his head at the strange irony of it all—
“I’ll make sure to use these medicines well. And even though it’s late, thank you for the gifts you sent.”
Janette smiled brightly as she carefully packed away the medicine bottles.
Not long after, the meal they had ordered arrived.
When they finished eating, the waiter approached politely and offered dessert drinks.
“Would you prefer tea or coffee?”
“Black tea.”
“Coffee for me, please.”
After confirming their order, the waiter bowed respectfully and disappeared.
Once the table fell quiet again, Kendrick spoke.
“So you like coffee.”
“I’m not sure if I like it exactly…”
Janette frowned slightly as she answered, looking as though she were carefully sorting through her thoughts.
“When I drink coffee… strangely enough, I feel calmer.”
She didn’t know why.
To begin with, nobles rarely enjoyed coffee, and for that same reason, the Graham family didn’t drink it either.
Yet somehow, Janette liked coffee.
She enjoyed black tea and herbal tea too, but coffee felt different.
“What about you, Theo? Do you dislike coffee?”
“Yes. I hate it.”
The answer came unusually firm.
“Why? Is there some reason?”
“There was a time when I drank enough of it to make me sick of it.”
Drank enough to get sick of it?
At Janette’s puzzled look, Kendrick merely shrugged.
“By the way, regarding the request you entrusted to us before.”
The moment the subject changed naturally, Janette’s eyes widened.
“Simon?”
“Yes. The matter involving him has been successfully resolved.”
“You recovered all thirty million ecl safely?”
“Of course. Every last ecl.”
And not just that.
They’d also cleanly broken one of his legs and an arm.
But Kendrick merely smiled without adding that part.
“That’s a relief. I didn’t want even a single coin ending up in that bastard’s hands.”
“Your prediction was exactly right, Miss Janette. The moment he got the money, he ran straight to a gambling den.”
“He’d jump out of bed for gambling even in the middle of the night.”
“So then, what do you intend to do with the thirty million ecl? If there’s a specific way you’d like it handled, I’ll help.”
Janette answered immediately.
“First, I’ll pay Illinia the commission fee.”
“There’s no need for that. Consider this one a free service—”
“No. I requested this as a client. I should pay the proper price for it.”
Faced with Janette’s stubborn insistence, Kendrick backed down this time.
“Understood, customer. Then I’ll charge three million ecl as the commission fee.”
Seeing Janette nod happily, Kendrick chuckled and added,
“Then how may I assist you with the remaining twenty-seven million ecl, customer?”
“Well, about that. The remaining money is…”
After parting ways with Janette,
Kendrick headed not for Ludwig, but underground into Soluna.
At Illinia’s headquarters, Hobbs and Gale were in the middle of a conversation.
“I heard from a traveler from the East that a nasty cold’s been spreading around there lately! They’re worried it might turn into pneumonia!”
At Gale’s rough voice, Hobbs nodded.
“Really? Then perhaps we should stock up on medicine effective against colds, just in case.”
“Makes sense. Lots of travelers come through here. Never know which one might spread pneumonia.”
“Exactly. There’s no harm in preparing ahead of— Vice Captain?”
“Oho! Vice Captain! Long time no see!”
The two men finally noticed him and stopped talking to greet him.
Gale waved energetically and strode over.
“Looks like you’ve gotten even bigger.”
“Oh, you can tell? I’ve been building more muscle lately.”
Formerly part of a mercenary corps, Gale considered muscle-building his hobby.
According to him, muscles were the standard of beauty.
Flexing his bulging biceps proudly, Gale grinned.
“Heh heh. My adorable Fernando.”
Ignoring Gale whispering affectionately to his muscles, Kendrick walked over to Hobbs.
Beside the towering pile of documents on the desk sat a cup of coffee.
“You still drink that stuff so well.”
“Coffee?”
“Yeah. You drank enough of it on the battlefield to last a lifetime. Aren’t you sick of it?”
During the war, clean water had been hard to come by. Before drinking water, soldiers had to boil it thoroughly.
But boiling didn’t remove mud or impurities.
Drinking plain murky water was torture, so the soldiers resorted to brewing coffee instead.
The strong aroma and flavor masked the foul taste.
Coffee also helped keep them awake, making it the perfect drink for soldiers who had to stay alert day and night.
After drinking it endlessly like that, even the smell of coffee made Kendrick nauseous once he left the military.
It felt as though he’d consumed an entire lifetime’s worth of coffee back in Ashlaide.
“I don’t particularly hate it,” Hobbs replied. “Maybe it’s because it became a habit, but I actually feel more anxious when I don’t drink it.”
At those words, Janette suddenly came to mind.
She had said coffee calmed her too.
“How did the meeting go?”
“It went well. Thankfully, she seems to be adapting nicely at Ludwig.”
“…Why say that like it’s new information? You already knew everything.”
After all, you were spying from the mansion right next door.
At Hobbs’s reaction, Kendrick narrowed his eyes with a smile.
“Do you have a complaint?”
“Not at all. Did you deliver the medicine properly too?”
Kendrick nodded while casually skimming the stack of documents.
“You’re sure that medicine won’t leave even the faintest scar behind?”
“It was made by the finest pharmacist in the Empire, so there’s no doubt. You do know a single bottle of that medicine costs enough to buy two carriages, right?”
“Only two? Didn’t you buy the cheap kind?”
“Yes, yes, that’s enough! I shouldn’t have said anything!”
Hobbs answered briskly before letting out a deep sigh.
“So then, what did she say she wanted done with the thirty million ecl entrusted to our side?”
