NOVPUB"What?"
Marquis Branford squinted his eyes, unsure if he had heard correctly, and glanced around.
Everyone nearby stood frozen, their mouths gaping like statues.
Even the butler, who always maintained his composure, now wore a clear expression of shock.
To dare demand something from the marquis?
Not even the chancellor, the second most powerful man in the kingdom, would make such a bold statement. Other powerful figures merely hinted at their desires, never making such open demands.
This was undoubtedly the first time someone had been so audacious in front of Marquis Branford.
The marquis turned fully toward Ghislain, staring him down.
"Say that again."
Ghislain, unfazed, met the marquis's gaze and replied confidently.
“I understand that Your Lordship holds great power in the kingdom. If I succeed, surely granting one request from me wouldn’t be too much to ask?”
“Are you trying to bargain with me, using my daughter’s condition as leverage?”
“Yes. For someone of your stature, fulfilling one request is hardly difficult, isn’t it?”
True, it wasn’t difficult. There were likely many things he could grant.
But to see someone use his daughter’s illness as a bargaining chip? Unforgivable.
A dangerous glint appeared in Marquis Branford’s eyes.
“You may be clever like a merchant, but your calculation is poor. Do you truly believe curing my daughter is worth demanding something from me?”
Ghislain remained calm despite the icy tone.
“I believe it’s more than enough. After all, what good is power if you cannot even protect your own family?”
“You insolent fool!”
The boldness of Ghislain’s words left everyone around them speechless, hardly able to breathe.
Only Marquis Branford’s voice echoed through the hall.
Belinda, now pale, tugged at Ghislain’s sleeve.
'You know how terrifying the marquis is! Why are you provoking him?'
On the other side, Claude grabbed his other sleeve.
'Please stop, you crazy fool...'
Sweat ran down their faces like tears.
But Ghislain ignored them both, pulling his sleeves free as he addressed the marquis again.
“Come on, let go. My Lord Marquis, what will you do? Are you really going to give up on curing your daughter?”
Ghislain stood tall, throwing the decision back to Marquis Branford.
‘Is this guy really... insane?’
Marquis Branford let out a hollow laugh. The situation was so absurd that his anger cooled for a moment.
No one had ever dared provoke him like this. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Not since he had seized power had he found himself in such a confounding situation.
“Heh... Haha...”
Marquis Branford twisted his lips into a strange grin.
“Very well. Try it. If you succeed, I’ll grant you anything you desire. However...”
His gaze turned cold as he glared at Ghislain.
“The price for demanding something from me is not cheap. Your life alone won’t be enough. You’ll need to add more weight.”
“Name your terms.”
The marquis ground out his response.
“Wager your family.”
At this, Ghislain’s companions went pale.
The marquis’s words carried a heavy weight.
Wagering his family meant that if Ghislain failed, the entire Ferdiem family would be destroyed.
This was no longer something Ghislain alone could bear.
Yet Ghislain remained calm and spoke as though it were no big deal.
“That seems fair to balance the stakes with you. Let’s do it.”
Marquis Branford’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.
“How much time do you need?”
“Fifteen days will suffice.”
The situation was escalating rapidly.
The marquis's estate had failed to resolve the issue in over a year, and now Ghislain claimed he could do it in just fifteen days?
Marquis Branford chuckled softly and turned to his butler.
“Butler.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Inform the royal treasurer to prepare to cut off support for Ferdiem in fifteen days.”
Though he was not the king, the marquis spoke as if he were, and with good reason—his power was that vast.
Only a great noble with considerable influence could challenge him.
“Understood.”
The butler nodded as though this were routine. They were well accustomed to such deadly orders.
But the marquis wasn’t done.
“Captain of the Guard.”
This time, a heavily armored man bowed his head.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Surround Baron Fenris’s estate in the capital. As of this moment, no one is to enter or leave.”
“As you command.”
“Baron Fenris and his subordinates are to remain under house arrest for the next fifteen days. After that, I’ll decide whether or not to execute them based on the results.”
Belinda and Claude's faces turned deathly pale.
What had started as a simple visit had now turned into a nightmare.
If the royal forces got involved, both Fenris and the entire Ferdiem family would be crushed in an instant.
And they, too, would surely be executed, their heads lined up like fish on a string.
'This madman has dragged us into this mess. What did I do to deserve this?!'
Claude, though on the verge of tears, didn’t dare speak a word.
This was no joke. It was far beyond their usual antics.
Gillian, who had remained quietly behind Ghislain, let out a heavy sigh, lowering his gaze.
'I’d better start planning an escape route from the capital, just in case this all goes wrong.'
Meanwhile, Ghislain, seemingly oblivious to the panic of his subordinates, continued to stare at Marquis Branford.
The marquis, seeing Ghislain’s utter lack of fear, spoke coldly.
“Do as you wish, Ghislain Ferdiem.”
As the marquis’s troops surrounded Ghislain’s estate, all sales of his cosmetics were halted.
Frightened servants from noble families left without even complaining.
Soon, word spread through the noble circles, causing quite the uproar.
Rumors had already circulated about shortages of the cosmetics, and now someone was actively preventing their sale?
Several high-ranking nobles stormed the estate in anger.
“What’s going on here? Who gave the order? Open the gates, you idiots! Do you even know where you are?!”
One noble pointed at the soldiers surrounding the estate, shouting.
But the knight in charge didn’t even blink. He simply raised the banner of the Branford family, which displayed a roaring lion.
“...”
Upon seeing the emblem, the enraged nobles quickly fell silent.
Had they known it was the Branford family blocking the estate, they wouldn’t have dared raise their voices.
In fact, they wouldn’t have come at all.
After a few awkward coughs, the nobles forced polite smiles.
“Oh, it seems His Lordship the Marquis has business with Baron Fenris. Very well, then. Carry on.”
They promptly turned and left, retreating as fast as they could.
Once the nobles had cleared out, not a single soul dared approach the estate.
Meanwhile, rumors about the wager between Ghislain and Marquis Branford spread rapidly.
Everyone who heard the story shook their heads in disbelief.
This country bumpkin from the provinces had dared to challenge the marquis?
Given the marquis's temperament, if Ghislain failed, he would lose his head without question.
The nobles hoped Ghislain would succeed, not because they cared about him, but because they didn’t want to lose access to his excellent cosmetics.
Meriel, deeply involved in business with Ghislain, was especially worried.
“What on earth was he thinking? If only he’d come to me first, this whole mess could’ve been avoided!”
Meriel had introduced Ghislain to several nobles, helping him build connections.
She had practically become his patron.
But no matter how influential Meriel was, she could not compare to Marquis Branford.
“He’s like a wall that nothing can penetrate. What was Ghislain thinking, challenging him like that?”
Perhaps, if Meriel mobilized every noblewoman in the capital, she might be able to save Ghislain.
But doing so would mean incurring a political debt to Marquis Branford—a heavy burden.
That was how noble dealings worked.
In frustration, she bit her nails, then realized something troubling and checked her remaining stock.
“There are only five left?”
She had used up most of the cosmetics promoting them at social events, leaving very little.
Now, on the verge of tears, she instructed her servants to buy up what little remained.
Similar scenes played out across the capital.
As soon as sales were blocked, other nobles scrambled to buy up what they could from their servants’ half-used supplies.
While the capital buzzed with talk of Ghislain and his cosmetics, Kaor was stuck inside the estate, grinding his teeth.
“Damn it, this is driving me crazy.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have charged through the blockade and broken free, but he couldn’t this time.
Because the reason for this situation was all too clear.
“That damned lord must have screwed up again.”
He had stayed behind to manage the mercenaries and the estate's security, leaving Ghislain to his own devices.
But from what he’d observed over time, whenever something absurd happened, it was almost always Ghislain’s fault.
“This time, it’s particularly bad.”
Kaor frowned.
The soldiers surrounding the estate were no joke.
Their skills and presence indicated that Ghislain was in a dangerous situation.
The mercenaries, worried, approached him.
“If they’ve come this far, it means the boss really messed up. Should we go rescue him?”
“Do you think we can break through that lot?”
“Well, no, but...”
“It’ll be fine. They’re not attacking, just watching. Besides, that idiot wouldn’t just sit back and get caught without a fight.”
“You sure he’s not already been caught?”
“Exactly. When he gets into trouble, it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either the opponent is strong enough to overpower him, or...”
“And the other reason?”
“That crazy lord of ours is letting himself get caught on purpose to screw with them.”
“Oh, I see.”
Having spent enough time around Ghislain, Kaor had developed a pretty accurate sense of how things played out.
Still, speculation was just that—speculation. Given the circumstances, it was wise to prepare for the worst.
“So what do we do now?”
“Hmm...”
After some serious thought, Kaor crossed his arms and declared with a straight face.
“Let’s drink.”
“What?”
“I said, let’s have a drink. Ugh, thinking too much makes my head hurt. The lord will figure things out. If something happens, we’ll deal with it then.”
The mercenaries, clearly relieved, eagerly nodded in agreement.
“Let’s do that! We’ll plan our next move over a drink!”
“I’m all for it! No point in stressing now, right?”
“If it comes to it, we’ll just smash through those guys and escape! Hahaha!”
And so, the mercenaries decided to enjoy the moment.
Soon, a merchant cart loaded with barrels of alcohol rolled into the estate.
The knights of the Branford family, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t believe their eyes.
‘...They’re throwing a party and getting drunk, knowing they could be attacked at any moment? Are they insane?’
Regardless of what the marquis’s men thought, a grand feast unfolded inside the estate.
Kaor raised his glass high and shouted.
“Who takes care of today’s worries?”
“Tomorrow’s me!”
“And who takes care of tomorrow’s worries?”
“The day after tomorrow’s me!”
“So, let’s leave all worries to the future... and drink to our lord’s safe return!”
“To his return!”
The carefree mercenaries clinked their glasses, laughing without a care in the world.
