“Water, huff, water.”

After laying Jexy on the bed in the inn and waiting for about two hours, she clawed at the bedsheet.

Augustus, who was dozing off in a chair, suddenly woke up from his sleep and grabbed the back of her neck to lift her up.

Then, he placed the spout of the kettle to her lips and poured water.

“Gulp, ugh, huff, gulp.”

The water soaked Jexy’s chin and the front of her chest. In the midst of it all, Jexy eagerly parted her lips to drink even a sip of water.

The water in the kettle that had been filled to the brim was soon emptied. Drip, drip, the last drops of water fell on Jexy’s cheek.

“If you’ve finished drinking, try to get a hold of yourself.”

Augustus shook the hand gripping Jexy’s neck and threw the kettle to the floor.

Each time a loud noise rang out, Jexy’s limp body twitched.

“Hey.”

“Sss, cold.”

When Augustus raised his voice, Jexy barely opened one eye.

“Who are you, bear-like mister?”

Jexy’s alcohol-soaked brain was not functioning properly. She was out of her mind.

“Who else, it’s Arthur.”

“Arthur? You said Arthur? Our Arthur? What, why is a dead man here? Ah! Is this a dream? I see?”

“Yeah, it’s a dream.”

Augustus was surprised by his own ability to think on his feet.

“Arthur, I knew you’d come to help me.”

Jexy wrapped her arms around Augustus’s neck. The smell of alcohol was quite disgusting, but Augustus endured it.

“What should I help you with?”

Augustus moved as the situation led him. If things went well, it seemed there would be no need to get his hands bloody.

‘How lucky.’

For about a year, his luck had been terribly bad, but from today, his fortune seemed to be turning around.

Augustus grinned and hugged Jexy in his arms.

“Wait, Arthur. Why have you gained so much weight? Come to think of it, your face looks quite injured too. Did you fall into hell or something?”

Through a few words, Augustus learned that the person named Arthur, whom Jexy was mistaking him for, was a dead man.

“That’s what happened. More importantly, Jexy, you seem to have worries. What can I help you with? Is Duke Hastings giving you a hard time?”

Augustus detached Jexy from himself. Jexy’s body flowed onto the bed like candy melting from the heat.

“Hmm, Arthur. After not seeing me for so long, you only talk about that Hastings person? He’s the one who killed you.”

The moment he heard those words, Augustus realized. Who Arthur was.

Arthur, who was killed by Hastings.

He was a legend of the Rose Faction. A spiritual pillar, an excellent strategist, and a person respected by all.

One of the reasons the once-vanished hardliners were active again was Arthur’s death.

The anger over his death was directed at Hastings and the nobility.

Although they could not immediately go for revenge, they kept the sparks that would ignite at any time alive, and that became the force that nurtured the current hardliners.

‘Could this woman be…?’

As he recalled Arthur, he had a vague idea of who Jexy was.

〈Our boss has a woman, you know. You’ll be surprised to see her.〉

〈Because she’s pretty?〉

〈No. She’s far, far below his level.〉

The woman who was pointed at for not being a good match for Arthur. The woman who never showed her face at Rose Faction gatherings despite Arthur’s persuasion.

There were rumors that Arthur had a son, not a woman.

“Arthur, about our son. Joseph. That child seemed to be doing well? Heh, this mother is being hounded by debt collectors and living in hiding, but that brat is wearing nice clothes, eating delicious food, clinging to his fake mother and father, and ignoring me. What an ungrateful child!”

As if Jexy really thought it was a dream, she rambled on about things Augustus hadn’t even asked.

“Arthur, hug me. I’m lonely. I’m telling you to hug me like before. You said you’d save me. You said you’d change the world. Arthur, Arthur…”

Jexy’s hand that had been flailing in the air fell with a thud onto the bed. Her voice, which had been slowing down, soon turned into a snoring sound.

Augustus stared down at Jexy for a while without moving. Unorganized words floated around in his head.

What did that drunken woman say?

It took a long time to process and digest her words.

‘The young lord Hastings is not the Duke’s son!’

That much could be possible. Adopting children was common in noble families. There were also frequent cases where the fact of adoption was hidden for fear of future succession issues.

The problem was Joseph’s biological father.

‘Hastings, who is cracking down on the Rose Faction, is raising the son of the Rose Faction’s spiritual pillar? Who would know about this? Am I the only one who knows?’

This was a tremendous weapon. A weapon that could be turned into money. Augustus shuddered. God had not abandoned him.

Just when he thought he had been unlucky for the past few years, God was giving him great fortune!

Augustus clenched his fists tightly so as not to shout.

For information to be turned into money, the number of people who knew had to be small.

Augustus returned to his initial question.

Who else would know about this?

That question was soon rephrased into different words. Who would hinder him from making money?

Of course, Duke Hastings would know. But since he couldn’t be the first to spread rumors, he was excluded.

In that sense, everyone related to Hastings was ruled out.

‘Did this loose-lipped woman hold her tongue until now?’

It was hard to believe, but it was also difficult to completely deny. Because the Rose Faction had the experience of trying their best to find Arthur’s son but failing.

‘Jexy hid right away.’

After Arthur died, they went to find her, but she had already packed her things and ran away.

At that time, it was thought she ran away because she was afraid of being tracked by the security forces, but it was Cain who hid her.

Even Cedric, who occasionally talked about Arthur, seemed completely unaware.

‘It might be that only I know.’

A windfall.

The muscles on Augustus’s face twitched.

He would soon become rich. He would pay off all his gambling debts, buy lots of weapons from abroad, call in the Rose Faction guys, and shoot dead all those who looked down on him.

It would surely happen that way.

As long as Jexy didn’t go around running her mouth.

“Well then, what should I do with this woman now?”

Augustus stroked his beard.

* * *

Unfortunately, God does not favor anyone. He is always fair, giving both fortune and misfortune at the same time.

No. In fact, he gives neither fortune nor misfortune. God only shows the truth.

It is up to humans to make it into fortune or misfortune.

However, foolish humans always blamed everything on God.

When good things happened, they thought God loved them, and when bad things happened, they thought God hated them.

Augustus was like a typical example of a foolish person.

A person being foolish had nothing to do with education.

Because even Scarlet, who had spent a lot of money on her education, thought that God had bestowed fortune upon her.

“Is that so? The young lord Hastings is not Cain’s child?”

“I merely conveyed the story I heard as it was, Miss.”

As heard, as seen, told as it was, so the judgment was up to Scarlet.

Usually, Scarlet would have thrown things, asking where he got the nerve to say such impudent words, but right now she was in a very good mood.

‘Joseph is not Cain’s son but that Arthur’s child?’

A tremendous opportunity had come to her.

With this information, she could drive out Jane and immediately take the position of Duchess.

‘Cain won’t give up on the child.’

If he was going to give up, he wouldn’t have brought the child in the first place.

He would try to protect Joseph to the end.

There was room for Scarlet to dig in.

‘What if I say I’ll tell His Majesty about Joseph’s true identity?’

Cain would surely try to stop her. He would ask what she wanted.

Scarlet smiled slyly.

What she wanted had been consistently one thing since meeting Cain.

‘Cain, I will definitely have you.’

Scarlet’s smile deepened. It was a poisonous smile.

* * *

The day of Cain, Jane, and Joseph’s second outing arrived.

“Oh, where are we going today?”

As soon as Joseph, wearing suspender pants, spotted Jane, he ran over and clung to the hem of her dress.

When Jane tried to pick Joseph up, Cain reached out his arm. Joseph grabbed Cain’s arm, and he lightly lifted the child into his embrace.

“Father said he would float a boat on the river.”

Boating on a cool lake breeze on a summer day was one of the luxuries of the nobility.

Jane invited many people to this boating trip. Children she had picked out as Joseph’s friends and their parents.

“Boat, we’re riding a boat? There’s a boat too?”

“Joseph, your father lacks nothing.”

“Wow.”

Joseph looked up at Cain. The child’s eyes, as if studded with stars, were filled with respect and affection.

It was a burdensome gaze.

Feeling like he had to say something, Cain opened his mouth.

“It’s a good day for boating.”

Jane looked out the window. It was a day with very nice sunshine and pretty cumulus clouds crossing the blue sky.

Continuing the conversation about the weather, the three of them went down to the front door.

“Snacks, mat, lunch boxes, parasol, and! Ah, the young master needs to wear his hat.”

The departure was slightly delayed as the maid went to fetch Joseph’s hat. Still, thanks to preparing early, there was plenty of time left until the appointed time.

Cain helped Joseph into the carriage and held out his hand to Jane.

“Uh, Mother, hurry!”

At Joseph’s urging, Jane hastened. Now, only Cain had to get in and they would depart.

“Wait a moment, Your Grace!”

Suddenly, Nathan appeared and grabbed Cain. Cain slightly raised an eyebrow.

It was a look that said if it wasn’t a big deal, be prepared for grabbing him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Nathan did not need to brace himself. Because the news he brought was news that required grabbing Cain.

“Jexy has disappeared.”