Although Rose was only bringing an existing business from Korea, she seemed like a genius in Gwen’s eyes.
“Your understanding of money is outstanding. Even without me, Rose will undoubtedly succeed.”
Upon Gwen’s words, Duke Arteum raised his eyebrows and asked with a twitch of his brow.
“If so, you can leave if you want. You just mentioned that Rose can succeed on her own.”
“Success should be achieved, but… without me, she might face difficulties.”
Gwen sipped his coffee with a leisurely expression.
“Business is not that easy. The dynamics change based on how high the net profit is relative to revenue, how you supplement areas with the earned money, and how you can increase assets through various means.”
In finance and accounting, Gwen was undoubtedly the best.
“And it’s also crucial to legally minimize taxes.”
The more wealth one has, the terrifyingly high the taxes to be paid sound.
Gwen, rather than evading taxes, cleverly preserved funds through legal means.
“I can strategically grow Rose’s business. It’s my expertise. Did Rose receive an investment of 10 billion Les from Your Excellency?”
“Yes.”
“How long do you think it will take for Rose to repay the 10 billion Les?”
The Duke pondered Gwen’s question.
It was a considerable amount, and it wouldn’t be repaid quickly.
If they could establish themselves within six months and start making a profit…
“About a year. Wouldn’t it take that long to repay?”
A year was quite tight.
Though he said that, in reality, it might take more than three years.
“A year…”
Gwen mumbl
“Is that really true?”
“It’s entirely possible. If I’m present, that is.”
It was a confident attitude.
The Duke gazed at Gwen with a scrutinizing look.
His words didn’t feel like mere boasts.
‘Indeed, a confident and assured attitude.’
With Gwen by his side, it seemed like not only the department store business but also the economic situation of the territory could instantly revive.
“…”
However, there was still something that weighed on his mind.
The fact that he couldn’t completely trust Gwen, who had worked under Cedric.
The assumption that Gwen could be a spy under Cedric’s orders had some credibility.
The Duke closed his eyes tightly, then let out a subdued sigh.
“Why do you want to do business with Rose? Did she promise you an enormous salary?”
The Duke asked Gwen, looking at him as if testing the waters.
“I simply wanted to be with Lady Rose. There’s no other special reason.”
It was a model answer.
The Duke opened his eyes that had been lowered. In a sharp tone, he asked,
“If Cedric, the former Marquis, finds out about this, have you thought about what might happen?”
“…You don’t need to worry about Lord Cedric.”
Not need to worry? The Duke didn’t like Gwen’s response. He immediately confronted him.
“Have you, by any chance, approached Rose under Cedric’s orders?”
The formal inquiry of the Duke had begun.
“That man is very persistent and malicious.”
The Duke recalled Cedric, a person with venomous eyes like a snake.
He was someone who did all sorts of despicable things, from conspiring against other nobles to trampling even close relationships, all to climb to his current position.
Cedric, who would never leave Rose alone, knew the secret about Sycagor, and because of Rose, his position was unstable.
“It seems too strange. Considering Cedric’s personality, he surely wouldn’t leave Rose alone. It’s too quiet even when it’s quiet.”
The Duke scrutinized Gwen.
“It doesn’t look like someone waiting for a trap like setting a trap himself, doesn’t it?”
He sent a suspicious gaze suggesting that Cedric’s ‘trap’ might be Gwen himself.
Gwen, who had been silently listening to the Duke’s words, wore a somewhat bitter expression.
What was he trying to say?
Gwen’s lips trembled slightly. Even his fingertips, wrinkled with wrinkles, were shaking.
Struggling, Gwen finally opened his mouth.
“…He abandoned me.”
Gwen dropped his head immediately.
The fact that he had been abandoned remained a painful memory even after some time had passed.
He had regarded Cedric not only as a master but also like a family beyond the master-servant relationship. And Cedric had thought the same way.
However, Cedric was not that person.
Not only did he kidnap him, but he also tried to kill him. And not just him… even the loved ones!
“I barely escaped from the capital. As soon as he found out that I was working with Lady Rose, he mercilessly tried to kill me. There’s no longer any connection with Lord Cedric. Just as he abandoned me, I abandoned him.”
What returned to him for his loyalty was only death.
There was no lingering attachment to Cedric anymore.
Instead, resentment stained Gwen’s heart with betrayal.
“As I’ve mentioned before, the world doesn’t always go as one desires. While it’s true that I and Your Grace were enemies yesterday, I don’t believe it will remain so until the end.”
To be clear, even though Cedric, whom he served, was in opposition to the Duke, Gwen, as his manservant, could be considered an enemy.
“I will dedicate everything for Lady Rose. Your Grace as well… I presume you share a similar goal.”
Gwen looked at the Duke with transparent pupils.
The Duke tapped his fingers on the table, dash dash, creating a rhythm.
“For Rose… I suppose.”
The Duke mumbled in a subdued voice, then made a decision.
“Fine.”
As his hand, which had been tapping the table, came to a halt, a strong voice echoed.
“I will trust you.”
A benevolent smile appeared on Gwen’s face, which had been darkened.
Gwen knew that his sincerity had gotten through, and he let go of the anxiety that had burdened him.
However, with the Duke’s subsequent words, Gwen couldn’t help but tense up again.
“But I don’t completely trust you yet.”
The Duke curled the corners of his mouth and picked up a knife. Slowly, he ran the blade through the air.
“If even the slightest suspicious sign appears…”
Whoosh!
The Duke threw the knife towards Gwen.
The knife flew through the air menacingly toward Gwen.
Gwen, with no chance to evade, closed his eyes tightly, expecting the worst.
Yet, the knife passed perilously close to Gwen’s side.
With a swooshing sound, a few strands of Gwen’s hair were cut off.
The cut hair dangled and fell to the ground.
The knife, narrowly avoiding Gwen, lodged itself into the wall.
“I’ll wipe out not only you but your entire family. So, it’s better to abandon any foolish thoughts.”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
