Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Thankfully, it’s not a mushroom dish I ordered, or else it would’ve been a waste of a dish… Despite believing that he no longer affected by the trauma inflicted upon him by mushrooms, the smell that came with the letter successfully made him suffer a “relapse.” Klein’s expression rapidly restored itself as he retracted his left hand and placed it on the cup to his side, drinking the ice water inside.
“Please give me another cup.” As though nothing had happened, he turned his head and instructed the waiter who was at the door.
At the same time, he pressed down his clothes and slowly got up while expressing his apologies before heading for a bathroom attached to the private room.
It was opposite the pantry, placed on either side of the main door.
Hiding in a cupboard, Fors heard footsteps approach as the bathroom’s door opened and closed. She couldn’t help but lean into Xio’s ear and whisper in amusement, “It’s the second time!
“They’ve been here for slightly more than thirty minutes, and Dwayne Dantès has already gone to the washroom twice!
“The first time was clearly to pee. If it’s for the same reason, it means that this gentleman’s kidneys, bladder, or prostate is problematic.
“He’s coming out. He’s coming out. He’s really only peeing. Tsk, he seems to drink plenty of water usually and often heads to the bathroom. Sigh, it’s difficult being a tycoon, but it’s even more difficult being a good-looking tycoon in particular!
Xio rolled her eyes.
“What has that got to do with you?
“Focus and be serious. We’re on a mission!
“Also that bodyguard of the member of parliament named Macht seemed pretty strong. He’s probably a Beyonder. We need to be careful.”
Fors had no choice but to suppress her desire to chat as she shrank back.
“They’re guarding the area outside without being wary of others passing through the walls. How unprofessional… Alright, we’ll chat when we’re back.”
At that moment, Klein had returned to the table and sat back in his seat.
He drank a mouthful of ice water, sipped on some white wine, and said to Macht with a smile, “Having been here in Backlund for nearly two months, I’ve been busy getting used to the environment and hadn’t found the time to start a new business. Every day I wake up seeing money flowing out without any coming in. Heh heh, it’s about time I do something.”
He indicated his willingness to participate in the arms dealing by cracking a joke.
Macht stroked his cup and said with a warm smile, “I can empathize with that. In the beginning, I was in such a stage as well.
“How much money do you have to spare? I can introduce you to some friends for a partnership.”
Klein replied in a calm tone, “I’ll be able to spare a maximum of 20,000 pounds at present.”
“You’re richer than I imagined,” Macht said with a heartfelt sigh.
Under normal circumstances, a tycoon who had a liquidity of 20,000 pounds was definitely someone who’s overall wealth was on the order of a hundred thousand pounds.
Not giving Dwayne Dantès a chance to be humble, he casually said, “Didn’t you buy 3% of the Coim Company’s shares before? You can pledge it for at least 10,000 pounds. That will give you some liquidity.”
Klein immediately smiled and sighed.
“I have already donated those shares to the Church. I plan to establish a bursary foundation that’s targeted at the poor.”
“You donated it to the Church?” Macht had yet to meet the priests or bishops of Saint Samuel Cathedral today. Furthermore, he had been out and had yet to receive the invitation; therefore, he wasn’t aware of the new development.
Ma’am Riana and Hazel, who were enjoying the delicious food, looked up as well, subconsciously casting their gazes at Dwayne Dantès.
At their level, it wasn’t uncommon to have friends they knew that could donate 10,000 pounds, but very few could donate that much in one go. And among these few people, there might not even be one who was willing to donate such amounts!
No, there was one now—Dwayne Dantès!
“Yes.” Klein nodded with his usual expression. “If not for the Goddess’s blessings, I would have long died in the chaotic Southern Continent. And when I was young, if I had the chance to attend school and study, perhaps my life would’ve been completely different. Thus, I wish to give those children who desire to change their fates some hope.”
“Your character is as amazing as your generosity,” Riana lowered her cutlery and praised sincerely. Hazel also nodded indiscernibly. The way she looked at Dwayne Dantès turned significantly gentler.
Seeing her parents begin an idle conversation over the charity, she excused herself and walked to the bathroom, seemingly pressing her right hand onto her abdomen.
When she arrived at the door, she was just about to turn right when she suddenly turned her head and looked at the cupboard beside the pantry.
She frowned slightly and revealed a look of confusion before retracting her gaze and opening the washroom’s wooden door.
When Hazel came out after washing her hands, she had apparently forgotten the abnormality that had happened. She touched the necklace at her chest and returned to the dining table.
Dinner came to an end after the dishes and dessert were served. The four left the private room and met the two bodyguards outside with their servants. They were preparing to return home.
At this moment, Hazel suddenly paused and said, “I think I dropped my ear studs inside. Sorry about that. Please wait a moment.”
Without waiting for Ma’am Riana to instruct a waitress to do the search, Hazel turned around and circled around the bend, returning to the room she had been in.
Hazel lowered her hand that held her left ear and directly entered the connected pantry until she was in front of the cupboard. She then placed her hand on it.
She had planned on opening the door to the cupboard at an extremely fast speed, but after some thought, she decided to be cautious by holding onto her necklace with one hand and turning her body sidewards to prevent any sudden attacks from whatever was inside.
As she held her breath, Hazel took the chance when the waiter was clearing the table inside to suddenly pull the door open, exposing whatever was inside.
However, apart from some spare cutlery and table cloth, there was nothing.
Hazel once again wore a look of puzzlement, as though she couldn’t believe the scene before her eyes.
“I clearly sensed something very valuable inside…” she muttered under her breath and quickly closed the door before her maidservant chased up to her and walked out of the pantry.
…
Outside the Intis Srenzo Restaurant, Fors and Xio turned their heads simultaneously and looked inside.
“That girl actually noticed us?” Fors whispered in disbelief and amazement.
If she hadn’t used Door Opening and sneaked out from the back of the cupboard, she and Xio would’ve been discovered, having no choice but to admit that they were secretly protecting Dwayne Dantès.
Xio wore a confounded look as well.
“I remember that you didn’t speak or move about when she was heading to the washroom.”
“Perhaps… She’s a Beyonder as well, and has a certain type of spiritual intuition…” Fors made an uncertain guess. “Mr. Dwayne Dantès sure leads a difficult life. He often encounters the power struggles between tycoons and nobles while having a butler that secretly studies black magic at home. Furthermore, there are Beyonders with mysterious powers living nearby. By the way, what’s her name?”
“Hazel.” Xio was looking for Dwayne Dantès’s carriage, preparing to hide underneath when her gaze suddenly froze. “Fors, look. That person is acting oddly.”
Fors traced her gaze and saw a middle-aged man in a black formal suit. He was pacing along the sides of the street, looking very anxious and frustrated.
“How is he acting oddly?” Fors didn’t have the time to observe him carefully as she directly asked.
Xio answered simply, “He’s dressed as a decent gentleman, but his shoes are very dirty. It’s as though he hasn’t shined them in a while. As you know, Backlund is covered in dust.
“Also, he would touch the area underneath his armpit. I dare bet that there’s an underarm holster hidden there…
“Apart from that, his expression and attitude imply that he isn’t normal.
“Hmm… They’re coming out soon. I’ll head to the carriage first. Watch that person and ensure that Mr. Dantès is protected.”
“Alright.” As Fors found it troublesome, she also found it rather interesting. Hence, she retreated to an area that concealed her as she observed the entrance of the Intis Srenzo Restaurant.
Nearly thirty seconds later, Dwayne Dantès and the Macht family walked out. After bidding each other farewell, they headed for their respective carriages.
At this moment, a two-wheeled carriage charged out from the end of the street at an extremely fast speed, as though it would topple at any moment.
The horse that pulled the carriage wore a rabid look in its eyes, as though it had been alarmed. It charged for the Intis Srenzo Restaurant’s entrance in its panic.
Of Macht’s two bodyguards, one went forward in a bid to subdue the runaway horse, while the other protected the member of parliament and family.
At this moment, the middle-aged man who had been loitering around had approached from the back and drew a revolver. With a warped expression, he aimed at Macht’s head.
Klein’s right hand was raised indiscernibly before he retracted it without doing anything.
He nimbly performed a jump, dodging the runaway horse. At the same time, Fors, who was hiding elsewhere, clenched her palm gently and pulled to the side.
The assailant’s leg suddenly went limp, as though he had stumbled over something, as he fell to the ground, failing to pull the trigger.
In his haste, he pressed down with one hand and immediately leaped up, planning to shoot wildly without aiming.
However, when he squeezed his finger, he didn’t feel any tactile feedback.
The revolver had already dropped by Hazel’s feet!
Following that, he and the runaway horse was subdued by the bodyguards.
“Why did you attempt to assault me?” Macht held back his churning emotions as he took a step forward and asked with a deep voice.
The middle-aged man immediately laughed as he shouted with a hysterical expression, “It’s you! It’s all because of you and the others!
“You talk about atmospheric pollution, wanting things like anthracite! My factory is going bankrupt, my child is dying from an illness, and my wife has committed suicide!”
