Marriage with a Suspiciously Demure Husband — Chapter 11

HOW MUCH DID KAILUS HADID PAY YOU FOR THIS JOB?

I'M SORRY, GUILDMASTER.

I BELIEVE I MUST'VE MISUNDERSTOOD YOU.

I ASKED HOW MUCH KAILUS HADID PAID YOU FOR THIS MATTER.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING UNDER HIM?

KAI? LUS? HADID...?

WHO MIGHT THAT BE?

IF NECESSARY, I WILL GO OUT AND LOOK INTO HIM RIGHT AWAY!

THERE IS NO NEED TO GO THAT FAR.

TO PLAY INNOCENT WHILE WEARING A SPIRIT STONE NECKLACE THAT BLOCKS ILLUSION ART.

DID NO ONE TELL YOU THAT THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T WORK ON ME?

AH...

NO...

U... SOB...

WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY DOING THIS TO ME...?

AAH...

AAAH...

TH-THAT NECKLACE

WAS THE ONLY KEEPSAKE MY PARENTS LEFT ME...

SOB...

WHAT DO I DO?

WHAT DO I...

SOB, I AM SORRY, MOTHER AND FATHER...

I SHOULD'VE, SOB, PROTECTED IT UNTIL THE END...

MS. GINGER.

I ALREADY KNOW YOUR PARENTS ARE ALIVE AND WELL, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT THAT HARD.

HUH?

YOUR PARENTS COMMITTED FRAUD UNDER YOUR NAME AND LEFT YOU WITH A MOUNTAIN OF DEBT, THEN RAN AWAY BECAUSE OF A FAMILY DISPUTE, SOMEHOW MADE UP WITH YOU, AND NOW VISIT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, DO THEY NOT?

BESIDES, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THIS NECKLACE, YOU CAN SEE TRACES THAT IT WAS MADE THIS YEAR. YOU MUST HAVE SPENT QUITE A LOT OF MONEY BUYING THIS.

WHAT KEEPSAKE?

YOU LITTLE ^&(^&%^&$ &^%* &^$&^% *(&%^ ^$ &$&...

HA... YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE 500,000 GOLD A MONTH?!

YEAH. I THOUGHT THEY WERE PAYING ME WAY TOO MUCH...

I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS BECAUSE I WOULD BE DEALING WITH SOMEONE DANGEROUS ENOUGH TO DIG INTO MY BACKGROUND.

IN TRUTH, I ONLY USED A LITTLE INFORMATION FROM THE "ORIGINAL STORY"...

BUT YOUR SPEECH IS GETTING RATHER CASUAL, GINGER PERIAN.

...MA'AM.

ANYWAY, GINGER IS GETTING 500,000 GOLD A MONTH...

THAT'S WAY MORE THAN MY MONTHLY SALARY BACK WHEN I WAS IN THE KNIGHT ORDER?!

SO THERE'S A REASON KAILUS'S SUBORDINATES ARE LOYAL TO HIM DESPITE HIS TERRIBLE REPUTATION.

MAYBE I SHOULD JUST ASK HIM TO MAKE ME HIS SUBORDINATE... NO, THAT'S NOT IT! I NEED TO PROTECT MY LIFE!!

FOR NOW, I WILL PAY YOU DOUBLE WHAT THAT MAN IS PAYING.

HERE, I WILL GIVE YOU GOLD BARS WORTH TWO MILLION GOLD AS AN ADVANCE.

WITH THIS MUCH, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GATHER THE MONEY YOU NEED QUICKLY, RIGHT?

...ARE YOU TELLING ME TO BETRAY MY EMPLOYER?

I'LL BE DEAD IF I GET CAUGHT.

YOU'LL ONLY DIE IF KAILUS CATCHES YOU.

BUT GINGER, YOU'RE NOT THAT CARELESS, ARE YOU?

BESIDES, WITH THE MONEY KAILUS IS PAYING YOU NOW, IT WON'T BE NEARLY ENOUGH TO GET YOUR LOVER OUT.

AM I WRONG?

THE REASON GINGER PERIAN NEEDS TO GATHER A LOT OF MONEY.

IS A REASON FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DEBT HER PARENTS FORCED ONTO HER.

IT WAS BECAUSE THE PERSON SHE LOVED JUST HAD TO BE A GLADIATOR SLAVE.

YOU KNOW THEIR PRICE ONLY GOES UP AS TIME PASSES, RIGHT?

YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF BETRAYING HIM AND FOLLOWING ME.

I'LL EVEN HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR IDENTITY LATER.

AH, OF COURSE, IF YOU REFUSE, I WILL ERASE YOUR MEMORY WITH ILLUSION ART,

SO ANSWER COMFORTABLY.

YOU'VE ALREADY FOUND OUT THAT MUCH...

ALL RIGHT.

...WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

YOU ONLY NEED TO DECEIVE ONE PERSON FOR A VERY SHORT TIME.

NOAH, I BUILT THIS JUST FOR YOU.

I WANTED TO SHOW YOU MY LOVE TOO.

THE PLAN DID GO A LITTLE OFF,

BUT I MEANT TO HAND HER A GIFT AND PLAY ALONG.

YET SHE WENT AND HAD AN IDEA SIMILAR TO MINE. HOW COMMENDABLE...

YOUR GRACE.

THE FLOWERS PLANTED ALL OVER THE VILLA

AND THE SMALL WINDOWS WERE AS CUTE AS HAZEL.

IT MUST HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL MONTHS TO PREPARE A MANSION LIKE THAT.

CONSIDERING ALL THE SINCERITY SHE PUT INTO IT, SHOULD I POSTPONE “DEALING WITH HER” FOR A WHILE?

YOUR GRACE, THE REPORT...

HM. NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.

SHE'S IN MY GRASP ANYWAY, SO IS THERE ANY REASON TO GET RID OF HER IMMEDIATELY?

SHE IS A LITTLE TROUBLESOME, BUT I FEEL LIKE THINGS WOULD BE BORING WITHOUT HER.

NO, THESE DAYS, I THINK OF HER CONSTANTLY,

SO MUCH THAT IT EVEN IRRITATES ME.

IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL GROWING ATTACHED?

NO, PERHAPS IT'S ONLY BECAUSE I DECIDED TO WRAP THINGS UP.

YOUR GRACE!

I HAVE A REPORT.

WHAT?

INTERRUPTING ME AT A TIME LIKE THIS... HOW UNPLEASANT.

THE RESULTS OF THE ORDER YOU GAVE BEFORE HAVE COME IN.

THEY SAY WE FAILED TO BRING THE "DIVINE PURIFICATION STONE" FROM THE TEMPLE.

I SAID I WOULD PAY THEM, SO WHY COULD THEY NOT BRING IT?

DID I ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING DIFFICULT?

WELL... THEY SAY IT ALREADY HAS A DESIGNATED OWNER, SO THEY CANNOT HAND IT OVER.

THEN ELIMINATE THEM.

USELESS FOOLS. ARE THEY TRYING TO MAKE MY HEADACHES WORSE?

HA... I NEED TO EAT DINNER WITH HAZEL TONIGHT.

SHOULD WE EAT OUT THIS TIME?

FROM WHAT I SAW BEFORE, SHE SEEMED QUITE HAPPY EATING SOMETHING AT A LITTLE HOLE IN THE WALL SHOP.

I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF PUTTING FOOD WITH UNKNOWN INGREDIENTS INTO THAT SMALL, PRETTY MOUTH OF HERS, BUT...

Hm

ONE DAY SHOULD BE FINE.

HIS GRACE IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ...

THE OWNER OF THE DIVINE PURIFICATION STONE HAPPENS TO BE THE CROWN PRINCE'S LOVER.

IF WE ELIMINATE HER AS YOU ORDERED, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATH.

SHE HAS NOT EVEN BEEN CONFIRMED AS THE CROWN PRINCESS, SO WHY DOES THAT MATTER?

THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER PROBLEM...

THAT IS...

SHE IS ALSO THAT PERSON'S FRIEND.

SPEAK CLEARLY. WHO IS "THAT PERSON"?

I MEAN, THAT...

WHAT SHOULD I CALL HER...

THE CAPTIVE... MY LORD.

THE OWNER OF THE DIVINE PURIFICATION STONE IS... THE CAPTIVE'S FRIEND.