“The atmosphere has become too heavy, hasn’t it? Let’s finish our tea and get up. We need to go back for another fitting, so I want to greet the head tailor personally.”
Although Clayo didn’t want to meet with Gabon for another fitting, he couldn’t go against Dione, so he just went with the flow and danced to Dione’s tune. The only thing that allowed him to endure this was his determination to leave with the promised cash in hands. However, due to his worn body and mind, he stopped walking at the entrance for a moment.
“Please get a red ribbon tie from this place too.”
“You’re not interested in clothes, so why are you buying this? It’s too childish for you to wear.” Dione quickly reacted inquisitively, but Clayo shook his head gently and said, “It’s for the cat, not me.”
“!!!”
When she heard Clayo’s words, Dione’s face lit up.
“My, I didn’t think about that. Ah, how cute would our nails be if they match?”
Dione, who had everything they bought packed, put everything aside on the wagon and bought several more ties.
“Please wrap all three colors of that polka-dot bow tie over there, and the remaining stripe ties together.”
After leaving the tailor’s place, Dione, with her usual lovely expression on her face, once again took the lead. She ordered their carriage to drop by at the bookstore as she said she had something to do there.
“Alas! Colfossen’s new book was published late. I’ve been inquisitive about the sequel to Novantes and Typhoon Hill! Ahh!!!” Dione practically gushed as she dragged Clayo to the bookstore.
While Dione was busy buying a bunch of new novels, Clayo escaped through the bookstore’s backdoor. And he went to the Plata Bank’s headquarters, which was coincidentally located just behind him. As such, while Dione was smiling happily amongst her new books, Clayo was withdrawing his eight hundred thousand dinars reward for enduring the torture.
Soon after, they returned to the mansion. Then, they had had a simple but nice meal before they gathered in the drawing-room. Only being obedient to women, the deceptive cat quietly held its chin out proudly, allowing Dione to put the red bow tie on it.
“How cute~!”
Dione held Behemoth’s up by its sides and rubbed her face on its chubby belly. And while the cat wearing the red bow tie was indeed cute, Clayo couldn’t understand Dione’s frenetic response, so he only yawned repeatedly in boredom.
“Yeah woo woo ― (Yeah, praise this handsome me more!)”
Okay, should Dione hear your inner voice, she won’t think you’re as cute as she does now.
***
Clayo’s room was the last bedroom on the second floor. It was a place that was remote enough that few people would immediately notice his absence if he planned to escape. And right now, he was alone in the room with Behemoth. The cat was spread out on the carpet with a happy expression after it had drunk two bottles of ‘Bishop’s Tower.’
Seeing this sight, Clayo patted the sleeping cat and unfastened the red bow tie that was buried in its neck fur.
Thank you for everything, buddy.
Before entering his bedroom from the drawing-room, Clayo had called the youngest maid whom he believed he could easily dupe. He then asked the maid to provide the cat with something to drink from the cellar should it ask to drink in exchange for one thousand dinars.
Without even turning on the lights, Clayo took the withdrawn money from his jacket and stared at the 1,200,000 dinars that were made up of 100 dinar bills inside the subspace bag given by the bank. Looking at the amount of money, he trembled a little in nervousness.
It was simply too much money for the natural common-born mind like his to handle. And yet, he just couldn’t choose the alternative, which was the check, because it could be traced. And since he wanted to run away, he couldn’t use that method.
Though I’m glad, the bank gave me this subspace bag. It’s advantageous!
Even though it already had 1.2 million dinars worth of bills, Clayo was still able to fit this magic tool into his pocket perfectly. It was a gift that could be used the next time he needed to.
Thanks to this, I could carry a large amount of cash. But I should stop using Plata Bank. Should I instead switch to the Baron’s preferred bank?
Clayo hurriedly changed his clothes and shoes for modest out-of-town clothes he possessed that was as old as possible. He grabbed the wall decoration and crawled down the terrace carefully. Fortunately, no one saw the stealthy act of the young boy. So, he managed to leave the mansion safely. Upon leaving the mansion, Jeongjin cheered inwardly.
As long as I live, I should do everything I want and live well. I am never looking back again!
***
Just like what he had seen from the espionage movie, the boy caught the earliest departing train. Then, he switched to the opposite train that was scheduled to leave soon at the next station.
The second-class compartment of the night train was cluttered. He could see cigarette ashes floating all over the chamber even though it was dark. And he could hear the snores of the drunkard mixed up with the rumbling of the night train.
It was then that he ultimately realized he had indeed come to a whole new world. Thus, while feeling a mix of emptiness and relief, the young boy fell asleep as he watched the light of the city moving farther away from the window.