At that sight, John asked with an even more crooked smile.

“Is that not a lie?”

“Why would I lie about such a thing? Currently, Baehm Sa is receiving more attention than its capabilities due to the advantage of domestic market monopoly, but at least until now, I haven’t found any value worth investing.”

“Is it okay to speak so harshly when you’re acquainted with the president there?”

Derek let out a hollow laugh. Zen shook his head with a troubled expression, as if it couldn’t be helped.

‘Until now, he said…’

Bellus, who had been lost in thought while stroking his chin, crossed his legs comfortably and said playfully.

“Ah, what’s this. I was hoping to have some fun following someone who makes good money.”

“Such excessive words…”

“No, I’m not joking. Really, don’t you have any good information?”

Bellus spoke lightly, maintaining his playfulness until the end, but his friends thought. If an unremarkable answer came out here, this would be the last time they’d see Zen Baker in this place.

‘But I have no choice but to say something unremarkable.’

What insane investor would go around leaking information? So this is a dismissal disguised as a test.

‘Anyway, Bellus. You’ve got to hand it to him for his capriciousness.’

‘But honestly, Zen Baker alone is far better than all the bourgeoisie here combined.’

His friends were reluctant to let Zen Baker go, but what could they do? Just as everyone was mentally bidding a regretful farewell to Zen Baker, Zen looked around and whispered softly.

“Such information is difficult to discuss in a place like this.”

As the eyes of the men, including Bellus, widened, Zen shook his head slightly and said.

“Surely, you weren’t just joking?”

“No, that’s my line.”

“I’m not joking.”

Zen’s brilliant golden eyes stared into Bellus’s deep blue eyes.

“Since you’ve invited me to such a precious occasion, I naturally intended to pay my dues. Of course, it’s impossible for someone like me to provide information grand enough to satisfy you all… but I can guarantee that it’s information that won’t hurt to hear.”

As Bellus let out a slight chuckle, Zen laughed softly.

“As you know, information that everyone knows has no power to attract money. So tell me. When, where, and to whom should I speak?”

At that moment, a waiter placed whiskey in front of Zen and Bellus. Zen lightly greeted him, grasped the whiskey glass, and took a sip.

His slightly raised eyebrow at the unfamiliar aroma showed that this was his first time in such a place, but his seated posture was as relaxed as could be.

‘He really seems confident.’

He said it was nothing special, but could he show such a relaxed demeanor with truly insignificant information?

‘He can’t.’

Bellus didn’t particularly like people who acted casually in front of him, but he couldn’t help but like the current situation. How could he feel bad when Zen had given him the power to choose?

“Now that you say that, it makes me want to check. Shall we make a separate time then?”

At Bellus’s words, the eyes of his three friends moved quickly. Bellus, while feeling their exchanged glances, pretended not to notice and said innocently.

“The five of us, I mean.”

The surprised eyes of his friends fixed on Bellus. Bellus continued to stare at Zen and said.

“How about it? Is this okay?”

Zen smiled with satisfaction and replied.

“Of course.”

[This is the timeline separator]

This was when Deborah worked at the Heather family. At that time, Deborah’s colleagues used to send most of their earned money to their families back home.

“That living expense is always short, always!”

“My youngest sibling wants to go to school. He’s not the type to speak up, but since he did…”

“Medicine for my mother. She’s not well.”

Thus, her colleagues decided to live a life with sore fingertips for their own understandable reasons. Despite their daily struggles, they were not denied small moments of romance.

“What are you going to buy when we go out this time?”

While arduously waxing the stairs, one maid said. As they were all crouched down, putting strength into their arms while working, joy found its way to their sweat-soaked faces.

“I’m going to buy rose cream! I’m telling you, if you just apply that, it feels like you won’t age. Oh, Lodgie, didn’t you say you were going to buy lace?”

“I’ve given up on that. I guess you could say my desire has been sufficiently satisfied with our work uniforms.”

“True. There probably aren’t any other maids around here with work uniforms as nice as ours. When we occasionally go out wearing them, everyone can’t help but glance at us.”

“That’s right!”

Everyone laughed happily out loud.

“Ah, this time when I go out, I’m definitely going to buy candy! And I absolutely won’t let Hans take it from me!”

“Hmm. I want to get a hat. And I want new shoes too.”

“Oh my. Then you won’t be able to send living expenses.”

“Ugh. I guess I have no choice. I’ll just buy a card to send to my sibling.”

When Deborah heard her colleagues’ joyful laughter and groans, she smiled faintly.

“Debby, aren’t you going to buy anything this time either?”

“No. There’s nothing in particular I want.”

“Wow. How can you be so free of material desires like you? I always find more things I want!”

A colleague said, resting her cheek on her wax-scented hand.

“Debby might even be able to marry a rich man later! You can bring a substantial dowry too.”

“Hey, silly. Would a rich man marry for a dowry? And someone like Debby would be taken even if she’s poor. She’s pretty.”

“Ugh, still!”

This time, another colleague said with a bright smile.

“Or maybe Debby will become the head maid.”

“That’s right. Debby is good at work, speaks well, and the master and mistress really like her!”

Deborah, who had unwillingly become the topic of conversation, smiled awkwardly and said.

“The master and mistress are kind and good people to everyone. And how could I become the head maid? I’m far behind compared to all of you.”

“Oh, Debby! Too much modesty is off-putting, you know?”

Everyone laughed beautifully like flowers swaying in the spring breeze.

At that moment, Sage snorted and said.

“She knows her place well.”

The surroundings became quiet as if cold water had been poured. Yet Sage continued, regardless.

“Honestly, which rich person would take in an orphan who’s lucky to even have a surname?”

“Hey, Sage!”

One colleague shouted, her face reddening. Sage, unfazed, raised her head and continued.

“What? Am I wrong? And looks too. There are so many prettier girls in the capital, what’s the big deal?”

“You, you’re going too far.”

“You all should stop talking nonsense and just work. Don’t your hands slow down every time you speak?”

“This is really!”

At that moment, Deborah called out to her colleague who seemed about to lunge at Sage. And in a kind voice, as if soothing, she said.

“I’m fine.”

“But…”

“Really, really, I’m fine. So let’s not get angry.”

After saying that, Deborah looked at Sage. Sage’s face reddened at Deborah’s embarrassed expression, which showed no trace of resentment or displeasure.

“You think you’re so great, really!”

With that, Sage stormed off.

“Oh my, oh my! Look at her! Leaving her work like that!”

“She’s so unpleasant!”

The colleagues’ exclamations burst out simultaneously.

“Sage, she wasn’t like this before, but she’s getting weirder and weirder! Shouldn’t we tell the head maid?”

“I’ll talk to her later.”

The senior maid, who had served the Heather couple since Geman and had worked the longest among them, said. Everyone hoped she would resolve it, as they had to divide and take on the work Sage had left behind.

“It’s really annoying.”

While everyone expressed their dissatisfaction, Deborah didn’t. She just kept thinking.

‘What is it about me that she dislikes so much?’

The senior maid quietly watched Deborah, who continued working without stopping her hands while lost in thought. And late in the evening, she called Deborah and said.

“Did you feel bad today?”

“No. I was fine.”

“How can you be fine? I’ve spoken to the head maid about Sage, so there will be some punishment.”

To Deborah, who wore a bitter smile, she said.

“The other girls want Sage to leave this mansion, what do you think?”

“What? No, I don’t think that way. The others said that out of consideration for me, but I don’t think they truly want Sage to leave.”

The senior maid nodded and said.

“Yes. I’m glad you said that.”

She sighed deeply, looked around, and whispered softly.

“Sage’s family is in a lot of trouble. Everyone working here isn’t well-off, but that girl…”

Once, when the senior maid had the same day off as Sage, she had accidentally seen Sage being grabbed by the hair by a middle-aged man who smelled of alcohol on the street.

Surprised, she ran over to stop him, and what the man said was outrageous.

[Give me the money!]

Belatedly, patrolling police officers ran over to separate Sage and the man, and asked Sage.

[Do you know this person?]

To this, Sage, with her face red and tear-stained, shouted.

[I don’t know! I don’t know such trash!]

And then she ran away. So the senior maid had to have a long conversation with the police officers on Sage’s behalf, thinking that Sage had ruined her day off.

[You, don’t you have anything to say to me?]

When she returned to the mansion and confronted Sage. Sage, her face swollen from crying so much, bowed her head deeply and apologized. Seeing this, she felt sorry for her again and sighed deeply before asking.

[That man, is he really a stranger? If you’re being chased by debt collectors, I have no choice but to report this to the head maid.] [He’s my father.]

The senior maid’s eyes widened at Sage’s answer.

[What did you say?] [That man, he’s my father.] [……]

To her, who was too shocked to say anything with her mouth open, Sage said with a bitter expression.

[Do you want to say that I can be in debt to my father too? But what can I do? I haven’t received a single penny from that man. Really. But what…!] [Calm down. I didn’t think that.]

As she grabbed Sage’s shoulders and spoke seriously, Sage’s forcefully furrowed brow relaxed naively like her peers. Sorrowful tears streamed down Sage’s cheeks.

[Really, really, I don’t know how to live anymore.]