Chapter 07
…Does she really have no intention of going back?
If I drag her by force, it might draw the attention of even the ‘Sharks.’ That would be dangerous.
It’s better to persuade her through conversation if possible…
What should I do? What should I say to change Chelsea’s mind?
If she had even a little lingering attachment to the Marquis’ household, I could use that.
As I scratched my palm in frustration, thinking—
A system message I saw earlier suddenly came to mind.
Chelsea and the Dowager Marchioness shared a bond like that of a real mother and daughter.
What do the greenhouse and her mother-in-law mean to Chelsea?
The former Marchioness, who supported Chelsea unwaveringly from the moment they met until her death.
The presence of such a warm mother-in-law must have been the reason Chelsea could endure her difficult marriage and not give up on the Marquis’ household.
Moreover, she had even left her greenhouse to Chelsea as an inheritance.
Along with a gardening notebook she personally wrote.
There might be something in it that Chelsea simply couldn’t ignore.
Maybe… that’s the key.
Looking at the stowaway ship, now ready to depart, I quietly spoke.
“You do have something.”
“Huh?”
“Something you shouldn’t leave behind.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“I mean the things that will wither if you leave.”
“……”
“Are you really going to abandon everything?”
“Who are you…?”
Chelsea stopped walking and looked at me with startled eyes.
Just as I expected—she still had lingering attachment to the greenhouse.
Her eyes wavered greatly.
“You should go back before it’s too late.”
“I-I…”
She was still hesitating, unsure.
I needed to push her a little harder.
“A ship that leaves can come back, but time doesn’t work that way, does it?”
“……”
“I hope you don’t make a decision you’ll regret.”
That’s supposed to be your husband’s specialty, you know.
“……”
Chelsea lowered her gaze, deep in thought.
But she didn’t hesitate long.
Her bowed head soon lifted.
Her bright eyes were now filled with determination.
She looked straight at me, her decision made.
“Thank you.”
And then she turned and ran.
“What? Where are you going?! …Ha, forget it. Just come back!”
One of the smugglers, about to get angry, glanced toward the ‘Sharks’ and gestured to leave her be.
As expected, they chose not to draw unnecessary attention.
They had probably already received their advance payment anyway.
Sudden mission complete!
You persuaded Chelsea and stopped her departure!
However, you have not fully secured her yet.
Where did Chelsea go?
- 2000 Cash has been added.
- You have obtained an Item Draw Ticket.
Maybe because the difficulty was high, the rewards weren’t bad.
2000 cash is pretty nice.
But an item draw ticket?
That’s something I always see in mobile games.
‘Should I try it?’
It’d be nice if I got money or gems, but with my luck, no way.
Still, anything useful would be fine.
Something that could help in situations like today.
Blending naturally into the group of smugglers, I pressed the item draw button.
Drumroll…
With unnecessarily flashy sound effects, the machine spun around.
Then, after a moment, a bronze box popped out.
Huh? Bronze? That doesn’t look promising.
Item Draw Result!
You obtained a C-rank item,
‘Fog Generator (One-time use) – Only I can see through it.’
Wow, giving a stealth item as a reward for a stealth event.
Even though everything’s already over—what kind of late timing is this?
I felt annoyed, but the item itself wasn’t bad, so I held it in.
The low rank was probably because it’s single-use.
Still, it could be useful in a pinch.
‘Whatever. Let’s just go home.’
Sighing, I hid in a corner to remove my disguise.
Clunk.
From far away, I heard the sound of something hard hitting and shifting.
I turned my head without thinking.
It was coming from the boxes the ‘Sharks’ were carrying.
Are they transporting live fish?
But my heightened observation sensed something else inside.
Clunk.
Clunk.
That… is definitely not the sound of fish flopping.
It sounded more like… a large, sentient creature struggling carefully inside.
No. Don’t get involved.
I quickly turned my head away. My heart began pounding.
‘They said S-rank criminals… I didn’t think they’d be doing something this insane.’
I’m no match for them with just a few stat boosts.
Even if what’s inside isn’t fish, I have to pretend I didn’t see anything.
But despite my resolve, the box kept lingering in my mind.
Because that box… was small.
Too small for a fully grown adult man.
Then what’s inside…?
‘This is driving me crazy.’
I shut my eyes tightly.
“I hope you don’t make a decision you’ll regret.”
The words I had said to Chelsea echoed back at me.
I also remembered my past life—small and helpless, with no one to rely on.
And the days I resented those who pretended not to see.
‘Ha…’
You have purchased Limited-Time Stat Enhancement (Strength, Agility).
In the end, I couldn’t just walk away.
And since I had the perfect item to use, I decided I’d meddle just this once.
I didn’t want to carry this burden with me.
Fixing my gaze on the moving box, I opened the item I had just obtained.
And immediately threw it toward the ‘Sharks.’
“W-what? Why is there suddenly fog…?!”
“I can’t see anything!”
A sudden commotion broke out at the quiet Laford Port.
The unexpected fog completely blocked everyone’s vision.
It wasn’t just the fishermen who panicked.
Even within the infamous underworld organization, ‘Shark,’ confusion began to spread.
“What’s going on? Should we call the boss…?”
The two men carrying the “important box” stopped and looked around.
“What the—who pushed me?! The box tipped over!”
Chaos erupted all around.
Of course, the other boxes only contained ordinary seafood, nothing important…
But the sudden fog and the confusion made it seem like someone had orchestrated this.
Just as one man was about to speak—
“Let’s check it—”
“Argh!”
Before he could finish, the box they were carrying lurched violently.
The other man had let go.
“What are you doing—if you drop it—!”
Trying to regain balance, the man stepped forward—
Squish.
Instead of hard ground, something soft pressed under his shoe.
“?!”
He quickly tried stepping elsewhere, but it wasn’t any better.
If he could see, he might’ve reacted in time—but he couldn’t see anything.
In the end, he slipped and dropped the box.
Crash!
The lid, loosely closed, burst open.
Realizing something had gone terribly wrong, the man shouted urgently:
“Someone’s targeting the cargo! Catch them!”
“Alright.”
He hadn’t said it to anyone in particular—but the immediate reply turned his face pale.
That voice, smooth and chilling—
It belonged to the boss of ‘Shark,’ Kasha.
“Hm.”
Amid the chaos, Kasha alone seemed completely at ease.
He walked forward casually, as if the fog didn’t affect him at all.
Then, without hesitation, he reached out.
“—Ugh!”
Someone let out a suppressed groan as their arm was grabbed.
“You shouldn’t steal what belongs to others.”
Kasha spoke with a playful tone.
Gentle. Almost affectionate.
Like scolding a child.
The captured arm trembled in resistance—but it wasn’t enough.
“Who are you? I’d like to see your face.”
Smiling brightly, Kasha pulled the arm.
But—
“!”
A sudden pain struck his hand, forcing him to let go.
He immediately reached out again—but the ‘thief’ had already escaped.
They had bitten his hand and fled.
“Fast.”
Touching the bite mark on his hand, Kasha slowly smiled.
