Chapter 232 - 232: Go rob someone foolish enough to pay that much
Thirty minutes later, Kyle left his office. Today, he was in town; otherwise, those unannounced visitors would have had to wait for hours to see him. He went downstairs and found Louis in the kitchen, preparing something.
He paused and knocked on the open door to attract Louis's attention.
Louis looked over with a raised eyebrow upon seeing Kyle. "We'll be returning to the mansion once I get back," Kyle said before leaving, after seeing Louis nod.
Outside, the noises of bustling crowds, though smaller than before, drifted by as new merchants sold their wares at a temporary stall.
Kyle was still marvelling at this merchant who still dared to open the business here after that massacre — perhaps the profits they made outweighed the risk.
He shook off those thoughts and pushed through the crowd; those who recognised him made way and called out in greeting.
Kyle walked past three buildings and turned left before stopping in front of a three-storey building—the guests' building.
He entered the building exactly forty minutes later. Inside, three men sat in the living room near the window, gazing out onto the street.
The two young men were fully engrossed in their hologram screens, while a middle-aged man nibbled on the shortcakes provided in the guest building.
The middle-aged man was the first to notice Kyle's presence, his eyes gleaming with an indescribable light.
"You must be the famous butler." His words caught the other two's attention, and they looked up from their screens, stunned when they laid their eyes on Kyle.
Kyle's dark blue, nape-length hair was slicked back neatly, with not a strand out of place.
Though dressed in a plain butler's suit, each step he took revealed glimpses of the strong, rippling build beneath.
When his icy blue gaze settled on them, the two felt their hearts skip a beat and wondered who the island owner was to employ such a handsome man beside her.
They, who shared the same gender, were affected by his looks. Now imagine the owner who had to look at Kyle constantly. 'He must be her lover; there's no way he's just a butler.' These thoughts raced through their minds.
"I'm Kyle. What brings you to Desire Island?" Kyle asked directly as he pulled out a chair facing them and sat down.
One of the young men blurted out bluntly, "Are you the owner's lover?'' forgetting to hold back his thoughts.
Kyle nearly choked on his saliva at the question, but he quickly regained his composure, leaving the question unanswered and simply casting a look at the middle-aged man.
"Nigel, don't be rude," the middle-aged man said sternly before looking at Kyle apologetically. "I was informed that to see the owner, I must go through you first."
Kyle remained silent, listening with a neutral expression as he carried on.
A frown crept across the man's lips, seeing Kyle so unfazed that someone from the City Lord came to visit.
He had expected Kyle to show at least a flicker of nervousness or gratitude—after all, the City Lord's husband had spoken to him, a mere servant.
Kyle started tapping gently on the table, already feeling impatient with his delay.
"I came to visit the island owner. Pass the information along." The man's tone sounded as if he was commanding a servant, a tone Cyra had never used on him.
Kyle's tapping halted, but his expression stayed the same.
"Sir, you'll have to come back another day; my mistress is not on the island." Kyle said casually, glancing at the man while ignoring the sharp stares of the other two.
He didn't bother to ask what his intentions were for finding Cyra. With the two young, delicate men, he immediately knew it wasn't serious business but rather matchmaking.
"When is she going to return? We can wait in the guest building," the man suggested, but with a finality in his tone, as if merely telling Kyle when he had already made a decision.
Kyle's eyes flashed, and his brows subtly furrowed. "Sir...? " he asked in a questioning tone, realising that he had not yet introduced himself.
"Mason Black, and these are my sons, Milton and Mitch." Kyle turned to the left; the amber-eyed one was Mitch, the blunt one who had asked that question earlier.
"Sir, Mason, I don't know when my mistress will come back." He paused to ensure they listened carefully to what he said next.
"You can remain here and wait, but you'll need to cover the cost of your stay and meals," Kyle said, causing the three to frown.
"Why should we pay? Are we not the guests?!" Mitch asked, his displeasure evident in his tone.
"Though money is not an issue for us, it's basic courtesy that a guest should be treated well," Milton added, calmer than his brother and knowing how to hide his genuine emotions.
Mason said nothing and did not stop his sons, agreeing with them.
Kyle waited patiently for them to calm down before responding.
"Hmm… a guest should be treated with courtesy, but… when the one you are visiting doesn't know of your visit or invite you, technically you aren't a guest." Kyle's reasoning left them speechless, knowing there was some truth in his words.
Now that that's out of the way, let's discuss how much for a day in the guest building, in addition to your meals. Kyle's tone turned serious, showing he truly meant for them to pay.
Without waiting for their response, Kyle stated the price.
"Both feeding and a day stay in the guest room cost a total of 30 thousand gold coins."
Gasp!
The three drew in cold breaths at his words. They had to glance around to see if the building was decorated with gold or if the cake served was made of rare spices.
"Thirty thousand gold coins! Go rob someone foolish enough to pay that much. Even if we have a mine full of gold, we won't pay that!" Mitch's voice rose in excitement as he pointed at Kyle with an incredulous expression.
Mason and Milton were no better; their calm masks were cracking under Kyle's words.
"Bulter, my patience is limited; you can't simply say any price that pops into your head because I am allowing you to speak," Mason said coldly, his tone displaying the authority of someone of high status looking down on a servant.
Kyle just yawned in response; his poor sleep the night before and full stomach were making him feel drowsy – he had thought their discussion would end sooner, not expecting Mason to prolong it.
"If you believe the price is too high, you can leave the island and don't use the City lord's name to pressure me into allowing you to stay," Kyle said coldly, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
Mason had never experienced such disrespect before—being raised in the Black Aristocrat family had provided him with enough support to get anything he desired. Yet, now a simple butler dared to defy him.