Chapter 43
Chapter 43. If Good Comes, Evil Does Not; If Evil Comes, Good Does Not (1)
Leaving the always bustling Lichfield Square and riding a carriage east for about 10 minutes.
The city's noise subsided at some point, and soon a completely different landscape unfolded.
Commonly called 'Maple Garden'.
It wasn't an actual garden, but a name attached to Nortaris's emerging affluent district.
Carriages and vehicles traveled over well-maintained roads without a single cracked or split brick.
Beneath the maple tree-lined streets, elegant villas and refined townhouses stood neatly arranged.
Not a single building was built carelessly—even the small boutique at the street corner looked luxurious, as if a piece of a palace had been cut out and brought here.
Truly a landscape befitting the name 'emerging affluent district'.
Of course, since established noble families generally had vast mansions in the suburbs, those residing in Maple Garden were wealthy merchants, successful adventurers, or high-ranking professionals.
It was a neighborhood where the most successful people gathered among those not born with noble blood.
As the sky turned the color of rosé wine and street lamps lit up one by one.
"Next is... Oh, we turn here."
Serena, a local resident, was walking the streets with her guest Penelope.
"Are you sure? I'm doubtful."
"N-no! This time it's really right."
"You said you've lived here for 10 years. How do you get lost every time? Does that make sense?"
"I-I usually traveled by car."
Originally, the two weren't close enough to go around together...
After staying together for a while in a house without even a separate annex, they had become somewhat more familiar with each other.
Now she had gotten a bit used to the two of them bickering.
They even came out to the streets together for post-meal walks from time to time.
Of course, it wasn't anything about friendship...
"Penelope."
"What."
"Why are you suddenly looking for a house in Maple Garden? You're staying at the hotel, aren't you?"
...They had become close enough to comfortably ask these kinds of questions.
Penelope wasn't ordinary either, but wasn't she less scary than Jurgen?
"I'm not looking for myself to live in. I'm looking for a house for Jurgen to live in."
"...Did Jurgen ask you to?"
"No."
The receipt Serena received had Penelope's signature on it.
So she had thought it was definitely a real estate investment, but suddenly a gift...
Penelope didn't have that kind of cheerful personality at all.
"Hmm, it doesn't match the image somehow."
"What do you mean?"
"N-nothing... Anyway, it's a gift?"
At Serena's question, Penelope busily tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Jurgen lives in a shabby wooden building paying monthly rent. I've been there a few times and it's such a mess. He's my business partner in name, so if he lives in a shabby place, it makes me look bad too, doesn't it? It doesn't cost that much money anyway, and it's good for him to live in a neighborhood with at least proper appearance."
"A-a neighborhood with at least a proper appearance..."
Serena, who had some pride in her own neighborhood, felt slightly scratched, while also sticking out her tongue at Jurgen's commoner cosplay close to madness.
'Huh?'
A light bulb flickered above Serena's head.
Because in Penelope's casually passing words, there was a quite meaningful statement mixed in.
'Could this be...?'
Serena subtly threw out bait.
"Penelope, you've been to Jurgen's house?"
"I went quite often. I still go these days."
"Jurgen lives... alone, right?"
"There's absolutely no way two people could live in such a cramped place, right?"
The light bulb flickering above Serena's head lit up brightly.
Specific words flickered along under the light bulb.
Gossip. Scandal. Romance. Love affair.
Ah, now understanding began to flow smoothly.
No wonder they seemed to stick together oddly even for business partners.
The two were adults.
They were already adults.
They were 'true nobles'!
With this premise, the real estate tour over the past few days took on a different story.
The real estate tour Penelope had been particularly attentive to wasn't just a simple gift, but searching for a secret meeting place for the two!
Somehow today's tour seemed like it would be twice as fun!
"How much was this building we're seeing?"
"The annual rent? 110 Crowns."
Naturally, Penelope had no idea she was causing a strange misunderstanding and tapped on her calculator.
The recently expanded syrup sales through Cola Dispensers had become Y&P's solid source of income.
Combined with the existing bottled Cola that still had demand, Y&P Trading Company's monthly net profit reached 1,700 Crowns.
Moreover, growth was promising going forward.
For the co-representative's lodging, an annual rent of 110 Crowns wasn't unaffordable.
"We're here!"
Today's property they arrived at before they knew it was a two-story townhouse with a small garden.
Being on the outskirts compared to other properties, the price was cheap and it looked decent.
Even though it was built long ago, you could feel they had paid attention to maintenance.
"The location is good at least. Quiet."
"Especially, it doesn't seem easily visible to other people!"
"You suddenly seem excited?"
"Me? Nah, must be your imagination..."
Penelope opened the door with the key she got from the real estate agent.
The interior was a bit empty since there was no furniture or anything.
She had no intention of choosing carelessly just because she had some money.
Penelope had an eye for buildings and interior design, managing the hotel even if only as a figurehead president.
"Good, shall we look carefully?"
"Yes!!!"
Penelope began observing the townhouse interior with sharp eyes.
Serena also began observing Penelope with eagle eyes.
"Isn't the living room smaller than it looks from outside? Even with just one guest it would be packed?"
"It might look cozy and nice..."
"Really? Well, if it's too spacious, maintenance would be difficult."
"R-right! Perfect for just the two... I mean, for Jurgen alone to stay!"
The living room.
"The walls are thick for an old house? This much would be quiet to stay in."
"Wow, the soundproofing is good! Essential if you don't want to be disturbed during intimate time...!"
"The windows are quite wide for an old building. Then we'll need to prepare big curtains too?"
"Y-yes... Yes! Curtains! Privacy! We'll need thick blackout curtains and chiffon curtains!"
The interior walls and windows.
"The bathroom is clean too. The drainage seems good. Hmm, it would be better to replace the bathtub. The design is too old-fashioned."
"The bathtub is also a ma-major matter... I think it's too small too."
Following the bathtub,
"This room would work as a bedroom. It's not very spacious, but considering a wardrobe and dresser, a king-size should fit."
"Ki-king-size... O-of course... sleeping habits might be especially bad... as wide as possible... aaahh..."
All the way to the much-anticipated bedroom!
By the time the house tour ended.
"Huaaah..."
Serena's body temperature had risen about 2 degrees.
Her face was as pink and flushed as her hair.
Because just imagining it made her dizzy.
Penelope looked at the steaming Serena and asked puzzledly.
"What's wrong with you? What, were you hot? Why so red?"
"It's too stimulating... Slightly dizzy..."
"Did you push yourself too hard? Let's rest at a nearby park before going home. The weather's nice today too."
Sitting side by side on a park bench, Serena glanced at Penelope's profile.
Until earlier she had been distracted by various delusions, but the cold breeze brought her to her senses.
"Um, Penelope, why are you... telling me such an important fact?"
"Telling you an important fact?"
"Well, um... Jurgen's house... Is it okay to tell me everything in detail..."
Even social circles who mostly had arranged marriages were human in the end.
In the midst of it all, everyone tacitly knew they did everything—dating, having lovers, having affairs, cheating.
They knew it secretly but just didn't bring it up unless there was a special reason.
But showing those clues to others had a different meaning.
Today, Penelope had readily shared her weakness or vulnerability with Serena.
Did she trust her that much? Or was there some other reason?
Serena looked closely at Penelope's lips with an expression half nervous, half expectant.
"Of course you should know. You'll be going back and forth there often too."
"What?! M-me? Why would I go there?!"
At the answer she never imagined, Serena jumped up from her seat as if having a fit.
Penelope was naturally talking about 'business discussions', but to Serena it sounded completely different.
What kind of outrageous statement was this?
Hadn't they just been looking at a secret meeting place?
What reason would Serena have to be invited to a rendezvous?
"Huh? You weren't planning to come?"
"Of course not! What are you even saying right now!"
"Why? The house is close, and there's no need to go far, so it's convenient."
Was closeness to home the problem?
Penelope was completely calm even after spouting common-sense-breaking statements.
Shocked, Serena's jaw trembled.
"S-surely not..."
Serena's imagination amplified once more.
Serena had heard plenty of anecdotes circulating in social circles that were too embarrassing to explain verbally.
Perhaps what Penelope's proposal meant was...
Just as Serena firmly closed her lips and showed resolute refusal.
"Penelope Rosemore!!! I heard you were here and came!"
A voice loud enough to draw all the few eyes in the park called out to Penelope.
It was Rex Salisbury with bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair.
Serena was horrified at the sight of him charging toward Penelope with a fierce expression.
Because Rex was the very person who had orchestrated her near-ordeal of being captured in the Demon Realm.
People who had been leisurely enjoying their free time in the park also recognized Rex's face.
Just as they were about to hurriedly leave to avoid getting involved with him.
"I apologize!"
Rex slid on his knees like a cricket player celebrating, sliding about 1 meter to stop in front of Penelope.
"Not knowing my place, I dared to cross you, Penelope! Please, just once! Just once spare my life!"
As if that wasn't enough, he banged his head on the brick floor shouting loud enough to shake the park.
"L-look at that... That Rex Salisbury to Penelope..."
"Then all those rumors were true, or rather underestimated?"
"I can't believe it..."
The sight of Rex, evaluated as having the dirtiest background among the Council, kneeling before Penelope and begging for his life.
The lucky witnesses who suddenly witnessed the strange scene murmured.
"...?"
Penelope kept a poker face but was very flustered.
Penelope didn't know that Rex had orchestrated Serena's kidnapping, nor that Jurgen had dealt with the Black Fang Gang in the aftermath.
Therefore, Rex's 'spare my life' sounded like a plea regarding Berrymix.
'He looks scary but whines a lot.'
Salisbury Financial was rumored to be quite wealthy, yet he was kneeling and begging for his life over mere beverage market share.
It even looked a bit pathetic.
However, from Serena's perspective, the scene appeared completely different.
First, it was natural for Rex to beg Penelope for his life.
From Rex's perspective, his forces planted in the Labyrinth Demon Realm had evaporated overnight.
He would be afraid that his turn was next.
'But... this is strange.'
She had been constantly curious since being kidnapped and rescued.
Jurgen had clearly told Serena.
What happened in the Demon Realm, him rescuing her, things about the dark mage or Black Fang Gang—keep it secret even from Penelope.
If so, Rex's life-begging must be completely out of place to Penelope.
"...Pathetic. Isn't the whining too much? Over just that."
But.
Penelope wasn't flustered at all.
Rather, she even wore a slight sneer at the corner of her mouth.
As if she had known everything from the start.
Serena trembled as if struck by lightning.
'Penelope... knew everything...'
Well, the two were in a much closer relationship than Serena had initially speculated.
There would be no secrets.
Then Jurgen's request.
'Can you keep what you saw in the Demon Realm as a secret between us?'
What was that?
A test of whether Serena could keep secrets well?
Or perhaps did Jurgen protect Serena so Penelope wouldn't know that Serena knew 'something'?
She didn't know.
Her head felt like it would burst.
Neither Jurgen nor Penelope existed in a realm ordinary people could understand.
They breathed as naturally as crossing the thin boundary between lies and truth, manipulating those around them.
However.
Serena's timidity radar was telling her.
'I don't know anything...'
Digging deeper into this matter would hurt.
It was better to bury it as it was now.
"Please... Please spare me... Miss Penelope... sob..."
Rex begging for his life forgetting even his dignity, Penelope observing him with interest as if she knew nothing.
Scary.
Serena felt distant from Penelope, whom she had recently thought she had become just a little—bit close to.