I Became the Affair Partner of a Trash Duke — Chapter 23

HUGO!

HEY, VIVI!

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN, HUGO?

NOT BAD. REYNA TOLD ME YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REALLY ROUGH TIME LATELY.

IS EVERYTHING OKAY NOW?

YEAH, EVERYTHING'S FINE. AND NANNY IS RECOVERING MUCH FASTER THAN EXPECTED.

I SEE. I'M SORRY I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP...

OH, STOP! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR.

YOU'RE... NOT SEEING THAT DANTE GUY ANYMORE, RIGHT?

WELL... YOU COULD SAY THAT.

AND HE HASN'T SHOWN HIS FACE AROUND HERE?

NO. AND EVEN IF HE TRIED, I'D JUST IGNORE HIM.

BUT... WHY DO YOU ASK?

I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

YOU KNOW, VIVI... THINGS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO LOOK UP FOR ME.

THAT'S GREAT! DID YOU FIND A NEW JOB?

SOMETHING... LIKE THAT.

ANYWAY, VIVI,

I'M FINALLY IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN HELP YOU OUT, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU RUN INTO ANY TROUBLE.

THANKS, BUT EVERYTHING IS REALLY FINE NOW! ALMOST EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SORTED OUT.

I SEE. STILL... YOU HAVE TO TELL ME IF YOU EVER NEED A HAND. PLEASE, LET ME HELP.

ALRIGHT, IT'S A PROMISE. THANK YOU.

LIFE ISN'T EXACTLY EASY FOR HIM EITHER SINCE HE'S AN ORPHAN, YET HE'S STILL TRYING TO LOOK AFTER ME.

HUGO REALLY IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON.

OH RIGHT, HERE.

AN INVITATION. IT WAS BRUTAL TRYING TO GET MY HANDS ON IT.

AN INVITATION?

I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN THIS SILVER WAX SEAL SOMEWHERE BEFORE...

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE GRAND OPENING BANQUET OF THE CABARET.

I MANAGED TO LAND A JOB THERE.

I'M ACTUALLY ACQUAINTED... WITH THE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS HOW I SNAGGED AN INVITATION.

SO...

WOULD YOU DO ME THE HONOR OF BEING MY DATE FOR THE DANCE?

ME... WITH YOU?

IT'S A MASQUERADE BALL, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE DRESS, THE MASK, AND THE CARRIAGE ESCORT, VIVI. JUST SAY YOU'LL COME, OKAY?

HUGO, I'M SORRY, BUT...

VIVI, YOU USED TO LOVE BALLS WHEN WE WERE KIDS.

I KNOW IT'S NOT THE BEST TIMING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S ON THE WEEKEND. A LITTLE DISTRACTION WOULD DO YOU SOME GOOD.

I APPRECIATE THE OFFER, BUT I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN TO YOU.

IT JUST DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT.

BUT WHAT IF YOU DID IT AS A FAVOR TO ME?

WHAT?

THIS MIGHT BE MY VERY FIRST... AND LAST CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I WANT YOU TO BE MY VERY FIRST PARTNER.

HUGO, I...

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE MONEY. I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE DRESS. I'M BEGGING YOU.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HUGO HAS EVER PLEADED LIKE THIS, LIKE A TOTAL KID. IT COMPLETELY THREW ME OFF!

LET'S JUST WAIT AND SEE HOW THINGS GO FOR NOW. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN ONCE NANNY'S CONDITION CLEARS UP AFTER HER SURGERY.

ALRIGHT. DO YOU PROMISE YOU'LL GO IF MADAME RECOVERS?

I'LL THINK ABOUT IT.

I SHOULD PROBABLY GET GOING NOW.

SORRY FOR TAKING UP SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.

NOT AT ALL, I WAS REALLY GLAD TO FINALLY SEE YOU.

SEE YOU AROUND.

UNTIL NOW, I WAS TOO POOR TO DO ANYTHING BUT HOVER AROUND YOU FROM A DISTANCE.

I WAS FORCED TO STAND BY AND WATCH YOU GIVE YOUR HEART TO BASTARDS LIKE DANTE.

BUT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

AS SOON AS MY MOTHER'S CABARET TAKES OFF, I'LL MAKE A FORTUNE, PULL YOU OUT OF THIS POVERTY...

...AND MAKE YOU MINE!

HUGO WASN'T ACTING LIKE HIMSELF AT ALL, IT COMPLETELY STUNNED ME.

SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM.

TIME TO GET READY TO HEAD OUT.

TODAY I NEED TO COLLECT MY WAGES SO I CAN PAY OFF THE DEBT FOR THE DUKE'S CARRIAGE REPAIRS.

ONCE I RETURN THAT MONEY, I'LL FINALLY BE COMPLETELY RID OF THAT DUKE!

THE RECENT MAIL.

I'LL JUST LOOK THROUGH THIS QUICKLY BEFORE I GO.

[LAW FIRM]

WAIT, SO THERE WERE EVEN MORE VICTIMS FROM THAT INVESTMENT SCAM?!

EXACTLY HOW MUCH MORE HAS THE DEBT INCREASED?!

NO. IT'S TOO EARLY TO DESPAIR.

I STILL HAVE A JOB, AND I CAN ALWAYS TAKE ON MORE CLIENTS. LITTLE BY LITTLE...

WAIT? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR?!

MY FATHER WAITED AND WAITED, AND IN THE END, HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE. WHAT EXACTLY AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR NOW?!

I CAN'T GIVE UP...

I CAN'T KEEP RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS ANYMORE.

DEBT COLLECTION NOTICE.

THIS CAN'T BE REAL.

T-TWO... TWO BILLION... CROWNS...

FATHER OWED A WHOPPING TWO BILLION CROWNS?!

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CREDITOR, HECTOR OTERO VON BERN...

LEOPOLD OTERO VON BERN.