Chapter 91. The Conclusion of Mereloff

The atmosphere was as cold as if a guest had been invited to a funeral. The butler, while pouring water into Ian’s glass, only kept an eye on his master. Everyone residing in the Mereloff mansion was only watching the mood of the Earl, yet Ian and the man he brought, Beric, showed no signs of discomfort at all.

“Wow, the smell is really good.”

Beric sniffed and enjoyed the smell of the meat to his heart’s content. The Earl of Mereloff asked in an irritated tone,

“Sir Ian, why did you bring this man?”

“He’s someone you’ve seen before, Beric. He’s the one I’ve been relying on the most lately to handle my affairs. Since you invited us to dinner, I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce him.”

Since you didn’t explicitly say to come alone, is there a problem? Ian’s seemingly clueless and smiling attitude made the Earl of Mereloff even more irritated. If he had known, he would have spit in the soup the guy was eating.

“Let’s serve the meal.”

“Yes, my lord.”

At the Earl’s command, the butler began to serve the dishes. Indeed, they say that even if a rich family falls, it will last for three generations, and although the estate itself was on the brink of collapse, the condition of the mansion remained intact.

Ian smiled as he saw the goulash.

“I’m glad you’ve developed a taste for goulash.”

“Yes, I admit it’s a delicacy. I heard you allowed the villagers to trade goulash. Now even the commoners will know this taste?”

“Good things should be shared. There’s no need to thank me. Thanks to you, I was able to prepare some of the tribute. Consider it a token of gratitude.”

As soon as Ian took a sip of water, Beric, as if on cue, started to 'devour' the food. It was as if he was going to empty out the entire Mereloff warehouse. The clinking of Beric’s utensils continued to echo.

“...There’s a limit to how vulgar one can be. Really.”

The Earl openly criticized him, but Beric didn’t seem to care. His attitude was clear: you bark, I eat. Ian handed over his own plate to Beric and began to speak.

“Since you invited me to dinner, I prepared a gift to show my gratitude. It’s Clark, the slave you gave me last time.”

At Ian’s words, the lady’s knife paused for a moment, though so briefly that only Ian noticed.

“I’m returning him. If I had known there would be such a significant transaction, I wouldn’t have accepted him in the first place.”

“Hmm. Well, if that’s what you want, I won’t stop you.”

“Since there’s no written agreement, you can just take him back. Oh, and I have a proposal. I’d like you to encourage the villagers to consume goulash from our estate.”

The Earl frowned. If that happened, it would be the same as Mereloff’s money flowing into the neighboring estate. Seizing the moment, he put down his utensils and retorted,

“Sir Ian, as long as the earth doesn’t split, we’ll be neighbors for life. How could you decide such a significant matter like allowing goulash trade on your own? And right after trading with us!”

“I don’t understand. We didn’t sell anything in Mereloff, and how could we stop the villagers from coming to buy it?”

So, didn’t you reaffirm your economic autonomy? Ian crossed his arms, deliberately showing his displeasure.

Of course, he didn’t really care, but this level of action was necessary for a proper negotiation.

“Moreover, I was able to approve the trade because of the transaction with you. It means that the frozen relationship between Mereloff and us has thawed. I thought you would see the significance, but it seems I was mistaken.”

‘That bastard’s mouth...’

The Earl barely suppressed his boiling anger and regained his composure.

“So, I do see the significance, but the timing is a bit off. I almost misunderstood. You approved the trade with the villagers right after buying goulash.”

“That’s exactly why I’m making this request. I’d like you to encourage the villagers to consume it, but please prevent them from trading live goulash. We’ll also enforce this, but we lack the manpower. Supply and demand are closely related, so it won’t work if only one side is careful.”

This was the reason Ian accepted the dinner invitation.

Focusing on the act of 'buying' rather than 'selling' live goulash. If the Earl is dead a month later, it’s uncertain, but it’s safer to prepare for the possibility that he’s still alive.

Of course, it was also to fill Beric’s stomach. His activity level was so high that his food expenses were unmanageable, and occasionally doing this seemed beneficial.

As long as the Earl doesn’t have a stroke.

“Another bowl, please!”

“Please wait a moment.”

“Fill it up. Don’t cut it thinly.”

Beric held up his empty plate and requested more from the butler. The Earl, grinding his teeth, couldn’t stop him and just drank more wine.

“...You’re drinking too much.”

“Fine. I’ll inform the estate. Live goulash will be prohibited. Is that clear? You know what I mean, right?”

The Earl ignored his wife’s words and warned Ian. He would cooperate as much as possible, but if Ian sold live goulash before cultivating it in the mansion, he wouldn’t let it go. Ian glanced at his wife and nodded.

“Of course, my lord.”

“Then, let’s finish and get up. I’m sorry, but I have a lot of work to catch up on. Lady, please entertain Sir Ian.”

Unable to continue the meal due to his frustration, the Earl’s behavior was extremely rude, but Ian didn’t mind. In fact, the dinner would be more comfortable without the Earl. The lady nodded as if to say she would take care of it, and he left the room.

Bang!

“Phew.”

As the door closed, the lady sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn’t act like this when there were external guests, but it seemed her nerves were becoming more sensitive lately, probably due to the medication.

“Are you alright, Lady?”

“Yes, I’m fine. See, I’m enjoying the meal, aren’t I?”

But despite her words, her appetite seemed to have dropped, and she put down her utensils. She dismissed the butler and the other servants from the dining room with a glance.

Creak.

As the door closed, Beric continued to eat enthusiastically. Ian casually asked about the situation.

“How is it? Are you using the cosmetics you took last time?”

Just in case. If the Earl of Mereloff had a magic stone brooch like Derga, the same might be true for the Earl. Understanding his meaning, the lady smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes, I used it today. Doesn’t my complexion look better?”

“It does, but I’m not really sure.”

“You mentioned bringing Clark.”

“He’s outside. He’s more valuable than gold.”

The meaning was clear: he was sending him for her. If the Earl of Mereloff died, the lady would become the head of the household, and from Ian’s perspective as a neighboring estate, it was an opportunity not to be missed. While their interests aligned, it was a clear gesture of goodwill.

The lady slightly raised her head and greeted him.

“I see. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Still, it seems impolite to accept it for free. I noticed you were interested in my ring last time.”

The amber gemstone made by a mysterious alchemist. She looked up and muttered,

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to give you this.”

“I’m very grateful.”

“Will you tell me why you’re so interested in the alchemist’s failed gem?”

It was out of simple curiosity. Ian showed her a necklace he wore, as if it was nothing.

“Actually, I have something similar.”

“Oh, a necklace.”

“It seems to be from the same alchemist, and I’ve had it since I was a child. I have many questions about it.”

The lady leaned in to inspect the necklace, clearly intrigued. It was definitely the same as her ring.

At that moment,

Creak.

A servant hesitated and stopped at the door, probably because Ian and the lady were too close. No one in the dining room was doing anything suspicious, but the servant instinctively lowered his eyes.

“I’m here to change the plates.”

“Yes, I was about to call you. Please change this one’s plate.”

The lady gestured, as Beric had smeared sauce everywhere. The servant nervously tidied the table and bowed before leaving.

“Are the guests still eating?”

“Did he come here after starving for days? Why is he eating so much?”

“Exactly. Oh, the meat will be ruined.”

In the preparation room attached to the dining room, the servants’ movements became busier. The servant who brought the plates stood there, looking puzzled. An impatient colleague tapped her shoulder.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you moving?”

“Huh? Oh, right, I’ll move.”

“Did you see a monster inside?”

“...Not a monster, but, did the lady and Sir Ian used to be that close? I thought they hadn’t seen each other in a while.”

“Why? What happened?”

“When I went in, the lady was touching Sir Ian’s neck.”

Clang!

Shocked, the colleague dropped a plate. All the servants in the kitchen stopped what they