IBMV – 9.1

“I had no idea I would see you here!” said the lady, in a voice of joy and helplessness. 

She was so thrilled that she was about to shed tears. 

But Kian looked noticeably dark. 

Having been self-absorbed and one-sidedly enjoying their reunion, she belatedly noticed my existence and asked. 

“Is the person next to Kian, your new master?”

I could guess her identity from the fact that she was referring to me as a new owner. 

When I nodded, she said with a refined smile. 

“I’m Veronica Lawrence, Kian’s ex-owner. Countess Lawrence, please.”

The nobles who were the masters of Kian in the novel were all horrible people. So I wasn’t happy to see her. 

However, I knew enough to swallow my heart and return the introduction. 

I said with due courtesy. “Olivia Ashford.” 

She was Count Lawrence’s wife. I don’t know why she came all the way to the capital, but she can’t keep running into Kian like this. 

While agonizing over what to do with this woman, the Countess requested, 

“I know it’s rude to ask you a favor like this, but could you spare me a moment? It’s imperative for me….” 

“········.” 

There’s a quiet cafe near here. Can we talk there?”

There was a nuance that it was not a matter that would end with one or two words. 

She also proposed talking elsewhere, away from the famous restaurant with esteemed guests and the ears of noble society. 

I’m sure our talk won’t be pleasant. But if I refused, I was confident that this brazen woman would show up again and point at Kian. 

I needed to nip this in the bud. 

Once I heard her out, I decided to keep her away from Kian by any means necessary.

*** 

Countess Lawrence lead us to a discreet and quiet cafe. 

I found out why, right away. 

The coffee tasted surprisingly bad. 

At least one could talk easily here without the distraction of other customers. The place was empty.

“I’ll get to the point since I know you are busy,” the Countess said bluntly.

“Sell Kian to me.” 

“……!”

I took a sip of my stale coffee and almost spat it out. 

It was an unexpected shock. What is she saying now….? 

I put the teacup down calmly with a firm’ clink’. 

Then, politely expressed my refusal. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I have no intention of selling Kian.”

But the Countess did not easily step down. She tried to carry on the conversation tenaciously, confessing her circumstances that I did not ask for, nor did I care for. 

“It was never my will to sell Kian. My husband forced him away from me. But a year ago, my husband was killed in action, and I thought I’d like to get him back, even though it’s late. And today, I came on a trip to the capital, and I happened to meet Kian. So, please return him….” the Countess appealed with tears in her eyes. (ugh gross)

The only thing I heard was that she thought I had taken Kian from her. 

“No matter how much you paid for Kian, I’ll pay twice or three times as much.” 

The Countess said in a quivering voice.

It was Kian. 

“Master ···.” 

“…..··.” 

There was a note of uneasiness in Kian’s light blue eyes. 

Did he really think I was going to sell him? 

It’s obvious what will happen if you sell Kian to that woman—you die. 

I turned my head towards Countess Lawrence. 

“Countess, you said you would pay twice…… no, three times the amount I paid for Kian, right?” 

“Of course.” 

The Countess had an aura of arrogance; she was probably the sole inheritor of her deceased husband’s estate. She carried the attitude that no matter how much I demanded from her that she could easily pay. 

But I don’t think you would maintain that confidence after hearing what I paid. 

“Then, can you prepare 300 billion gallons right now?” 

The Countess’s mouth dropped stupidly. 

“Oh, you didn’t know I bought Kian for a hundred billion gallons, did you?” 

The Lawrence estate lies thousands of kilometers from the capital’s aristocratic society. So it’s not surprising that she’s in the dark about the circumstances and rumors surrounding me.

Maybe that’s why she fearlessly offered to buy back Kian three times more. 

The Countess stuttered in a quivering voice. 

“300 billion gallons! Come on, that’s ridiculous. That’s too exorbitant a price, right?”

The count’s wife bit her lips as if she was struggling with defeat. 

I smiled and told her, “You don’t seem to have the ability to pay Kian’s ransom.” 

The Countess’s face was distorted. 

Her cheeks blushed with shame. 

“It seems this is the end of our conversation. We are leaving.” 

I took Kian out of his seat, leaving her shaking with indignation. 

We took a few steps, a sharp voice came. “Wait a minute!”

I kept walking, ignoring the Countess’s cry. 

It’s not worth it anyway. But the next moment, I had no choice but to stop walking, even if I didn’t like it. 

“Kian… is he still good in bed?” 

***

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