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On the outskirts of the capital, there's a clandestine tavern where all sorts of shady characters gather: unpermitted outsiders, criminals who've committed various offenses, and potential offenders.
Faydan, who had fled the mansion in haste, naturally blended in here to evade the Imperial Knights.
'Rockheard, you ungrateful bastard...'
Faydan gnashed his teeth, thinking of Rockheard.
On the day he frantically escaped from the mansion, Rockheard, who promised to bring valuables, never showed up.
It wasn't until several days later, overhearing tavern patrons gossiping, that he learned Rockheard had run off with the mansion's treasures.
He wanted to find the traitor and bash his head in, but his own life was more urgent in the current situation.
Anxious, Faydan decided to sell his pocket watch to finance his escape by sea.
This tavern was where he was supposed to meet the facilitator who would help him smuggle out.
'Why isn't this guy here yet...'
But the facilitator hadn't arrived, even though the appointed time had passed.
Growl—
To make matters worse, his stomach, which had been empty for days, started making a loud noise.
'Damn it...'
Faydan pulled his robe hood down further, fearing the staff would recognize him.
He had nothing to cover his face until he happened upon a shabby robe in a back alley, which had a musty smell.
As he anxiously guarded himself with an empty stomach, someone tapped on his table with a rough hand.
Startled, he looked up to see a burly, bald employee glaring down at him.
"W-what is it?"
"If you're not going to order, you should leave. We don't have enough seats for the customers."
Leave if he wasn't going to order?
Something unimaginable back when he was a duke.
Even if he didn't know them, they would know him and cater to his whims.
'Damn it, how did I end up like this...!'
He wanted to flip the table and ask if they knew who he was, but he knew better than anyone that he couldn't do that now.
Suppressing his rising resentment, Faydan carefully opened his mouth.
"Th-then, can I have a bowl of the soup that person over there is eating?"
The tavern employee eyed Faydan suspiciously before turning around and returning with a bowl of soup.
In normal times, Faydan wouldn't even touch such lowly food, but being starved for days, the smell alone was enough to make him ravenous.
Just as Faydan was about to eagerly eat the soup.
"Money."
The employee pointed to the bowl and held out his hand.
As it was a place frequented by all sorts of criminals, there were many who tried to eat without paying.
So, they always took the money first when selling food.
To them, Faydan was just another suspicious character likely to dine and dash.
Being treated like a beggar!
It was a severe blow to Faydan's pride, but he had to accept his situation.
He had sold his pocket watch to the facilitator and told him to bring the travel expenses, so he currently had no money.
But he was too hungry to give up the soup in front of him.
Gritting his teeth, Faydan eventually put aside his pride and pleaded.
"My associate will be here soon, can't I eat first?"
But the employee didn't move his hand, which was guarding the soup bowl.
He wasn't going to give up the bowl unless he paid first.
Growllll—
Just in time, his stomach started rumbling loudly.
The employee stared blankly at him and then opened his mouth.
"The jacket you're wearing inside looks pretty expensive. If you leave it as collateral until your associate arrives, I'll give you the soup."
"Ha!"
Faydan let out a dumbfounded laugh.
Now they wanted him to take off his clothes!
'...But he'll be here soon, so it shouldn't be a problem to leave it for a bit, right?'
In the end, Faydan gave in to his terrible hunger.
"Here, the jacket. It's more expensive than you can imagine, so take good care of it."
The employee was skeptical but accepted Faydan's jacket.
Then he placed the bowl of soup in front of Faydan.
A bowl of soup with warm steam rising from it.
Just as Faydan smacked his lips and hurriedly grabbed a spoon.
Another employee came to the bald employee and whispered something in his ear.
And then...
They snatched Faydan's spoon. And even the soup.
Having it taken away right before eating, Faydan burst into resentment.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"Someone wants to eat this soup."
"But, there's plenty of soup in the pot over there, isn't there? You can just ladle out a new serving, why this one...!"
"I don't know. They just want to eat the soup you were about to eat."
What kind of ridiculous order was that!
At that moment, Faydan, who was overwhelmed, was about to lose his temper as usual, but...
He hesitated when he saw the employee's heavy build and the gathering gazes around him.
'Someone might recognize me if I mess up...'
In the end, he just yelled loudly.
"Ha, fine. I don't need some cheap food like that. Just give me a glass of water."
Despite the loud rumbling coming from his stomach.
Fortunately, the employee didn't ask for money for the water and brought it to him.
Faydan was about to receive the water glass from the employee and fill his stomach with water, but another employee came over and whispered to him.
'Damn it, what are they whispering about again?'
Faydan sensed an inexplicable anxiety as he looked at the glass of water in the employee's hand.
And that anxiety hit the mark.
"They said this water just came out and looks refreshing, so they want you to give it up. Sorry about that."
The bald employee even snatched away the glass of water!
Finally, the anger that he had been holding back exploded.
"Damn it, who is it? Who is sneakily messing with what other people are eating!"
Then all the gazes of the vicious men in the tavern turned to Faydan at once.
"What, you're ruining the atmosphere."
Faydan flinched at that.
Only then did he realize his status as a fugitive, and his anger forcibly subsided.
"Damn it...! Damn it!"
He sat back at the table and pulled down his hood, suppressing his resentment by banging on the table.
'If they knew I was Duke Farness, they wouldn't be able to say a word...!'
At that moment, another employee approached Faydan.
Annoyed at the guys who were carrying out those kinds of orders, Faydan snapped.
"What, again, what! Are you going to tell me to leave because I've rented out this tavern now?"
Then the employee's eyes widened as if surprised.
"You have some sense, don't you? They said you're ruining the atmosphere, so they want you to leave?"
"Ha...! Hahaha!"
Now he could only laugh in disbelief.
The bald employee and another employee approached Faydan, who was laughing like a madman.
Faydan shook off their hands, which were trying to grab his arms, and made a last-ditch effort.
"Even if you were born low, don't you have any pride? Are you carrying out these petty orders just for money?"
"So, does the noble lord have the pride to hide like a rat in this sewer-like place?"
But the employees ridiculed him as if they didn't care about such words.
The customers who saw the sight began to giggle and agree.
"A noble, that was a nasty guy? Yeah, drag him out because he's ruining the atmosphere!"
The employees grabbed Faydan's arms.
"Let go! Let go, you bastards!"
Faydan tried to shake them off, but he couldn't stand up to the strength of those who had lived hard all their lives.
"You, do you know who I am?! When I go back home, guys like you will be... Ack!"
The employees dragged Faydan out and threw him down haphazardly.
As he fell to the ground, the foul smell of the back alley stung his nose.
"Damn it..."
Just as Faydan was about to get up, gnashing his teeth, the sound of clicking heels came out of the tavern.
Then it stopped in front of him.
It was a pair of women's shoes that looked expensive at a glance.
"To treat the great Duke Farness like this."
Faydan's body stiffened at the familiar voice.
He didn't want to look up, but there was no way to avoid this situation.
He raised his head with despair.
"Money is really scary, isn't it?"
Letizia was standing in front of him.
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