Tail’s Curse Chapter 13

 

As the soft, almost haunting voice echoed, everyone’s shoulders flinched. 

 

Noah, who had just slammed the ledger shut, slowly raked his gaze over the faces desperately avoiding his, then swept his long, ivory-smooth fingers through his hair. His fox-like eyes, tinged with red, narrowed in amusement.  

 

Everyone who met his gaze inwardly screamed in unison:  

 

‘We’re screwed.’  

 

“How strange. Why is my money missing? Where could it have gone?”  

 

‘Yes, indeed. Where could it have gone?’ 

 

“Did no one see anything? Gold coins don’t just grow legs.”  

 

His smiling face, framed by delicate petals, was radiant, but those watching felt their lifespans shortening by the second. 

 

And for good reason—resting plainly on Noah Tudor’s office desk was a military-grade firearm.  

 

Noah Tudor, a distinguished naval admiral, was a master marksman who had never once caused an ‘accidental death.’ 

 

Unless, of course, it was on purpose. The awkward scene of subordinates and employees exchanging forced smiles with their boss only made the air grow colder.  

 

When the corners of his grinning mouth suddenly froze like a ghost’s, everyone held their breath. 

 

Sir Noah Tudor, baring his white teeth, moved only his lips like a ventriloquist’s puppet and murmured, 

 

“This pains me. To think my beloved subordinates would betray my trust over such petty change.”  

 

“It wasn’t me!”  

 

“Me neither! I saw Frank snooping around the safe!”  

 

“You bastard! I didn’t do it! I want to live!”  

 

“I’d rather steal from the devil! Just tell me to jump into the sea instead!”  

 

“Alphonse lost half his fortune in cards yesterday! He’s suspicious—start with him!”  

 

“You traitorous rat!”  

 

Amid the chaotic uproar of colleagues desperately selling each other out, Noah Tudor crossed his legs on the desk, polished shoes gleaming, and flicked the tip of his cigar before humming:  

 

“My subordinates truly embody the spirit of camaraderie. Impressive. So, shouldn’t the punishment be shared accordingly?”  

 

“What are you talking about?! My loyalty to you is absolute! These scum are just display pieces sharing the same space!”  

 

“Camaraderie? Who here is a comrade?”  

 

“I don’t even know this bastard’s name!”  

 

They were comrades who had been stationed in the same unit for over a decade. Bound by an unspoken, fiery camaraderie, Noah chuckled softly as he closed his eyes.  

 

“Yeah?”  

 

Well, you see…  

 

“I hate people who steal my money the most. Next are those backstabbing bastards.”  

 

Is that so?  

 

“But in this case, both apply, don’t they? What should we do?”  

 

…Haha. You’re right.  

 

Noah Tudor tapped the edge of the table with the barrel of his gun and recited solemnly,

 

“They say even a handful of grain or a single silver coin—if a rat gets into the granary, that house is doomed. I was taught to kill every rat I see.”  

 

Everyone in the empire knew the Tudor family’s wealth was astronomical. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they owned half the world’s gold coins. 

 

So where did this man, of all people, learn such miserly values? 

 

By all accounts, neither his parents nor the family’s traditions had anything to do with such greedy principles. 

 

Yet here was Noah Tudor, embodying the saying that the rich only grow more miserly.  

 

Someone, cautiously eyeing their superior—whose angelic face contrasted with his beast-like, venomous gaze—ventured a timid question:  

“Could it have been… an error in the accounting process?”  

“What kind of nonsense is that? Are you saying my calculations are wrong?”  

 

As Noah’s sharp eyes swept over them, the speaker quickly backtracked.  

“O-Of course not! Hahaha. The clerks handling the ledgers are only human, so mistakes might…”  

“Oh? They said they’ve never made a mistake and told me to ask you.”  

 

Noah muttered indifferently as he cleaned his gun, a cigar between his lips. 

 

Everyone’s eyes darted nervously left and right. The world was a terrifying place—throwing their own comrades under the bus just to save their own skins…  

 

The moment curses started flying—

 

BANG!

 

A gunshot rang out. 

 

“Agh!” 

 

Someone screamed and rolled on the floor. He actually shot! That just grazed my hair!  

 

The one who had put a bullet hole in the wall laughed lightly and murmured:  

 

“Now then… who’s the culprit?”  

 

‘You’d better come forward soon. I’ve got four bullets left.’

 

A man so beautiful it was unfair, down to his fingertips, lazily smiled as he loaded his pistol, making the scene far less terrifying than it should have been. His adjutant, Jason, standing beside him, let out an exasperated sigh.  

 

“Your Grace, if you kill someone over two gold coins, the Patriarch will be furious.”  

 

“You don’t know him, Jason. My brother is always angry anyway.”  

 

‘It’s you who makes him angry!’  

 

While everyone shared the same thought, Noah stroked his chin and grinned faintly.  

 

“Come to think of it, something similar happened when we were kids. I was stacking gold coins into a tower for fun, and my brother accidentally knocked it over. Ended up short exactly two coins. We fought over it—he got hit in the head and cried like a baby.”  

 

“I assume you made up afterward?”  

 

“Nope. I broke his toy sword. The exact worth of two gold coins. He cried even louder. I’ve always been precise with my calculations, even as a child.”  

 

“…”  

 

‘Is this guy even human?’  

 

Jason stared at him blankly.  

 

“Well, I only charged him the principal because I love him. Anyone else, I’d have taken interest too.”  

 

“Of course, sir.”  

 

Jason replied dryly, then cleared his throat.  

 

“By the way, His Highness sent a telegram. He wants you to stop by Katisha once you’re done here.”  

 

“Why? Did he get married? He’s been too busy running away from that empress chasing after him.”  

 

Noah flicked his fingers, and the subordinates who had been doing push-ups as punishment scrambled to their feet and bolted out of the hallway. 

 

Noah kindly warned them that if they didn’t fill the vacant spots by the top of the hour, he’d put holes in their hides the size of gold coins. Then he glanced at Jason. The adjutant shook his head at his superior’s unspoken ‘Finally?’  

 

“No. Quite the opposite, actually.”  

 

“What do you mean?”  

 

“It means it’s about time Your Excellency started looking for a bride. You’re at the right age for marriage.”  

 

“Bullshit.”  

 

“That’s blasphemous.”  

 

At Noah’s sneer, Jason responded bluntly.

 

As those reddish eyes, now devoid of interest, began flipping through documents with boredom, Jason—though reluctant—mechanically offered his advice as a subordinate, since he’d heard the matter discussed before.  

 

“Right now, the Tudor family’s legitimate heirs are only you two, the family head, and His Excellency. You should marry and produce an heir as soon as possible.”  

 

“That’s my brother’s job, not mine. Tell him to stop getting dumped and just marry the princess quietly. He’s got no eye for women anyway. Honestly, he takes after Uncle Oliver. Didn’t Uncle get scammed by some con artist too? Aunt only married him out of pity for a hopeless bachelor.”  

 

Noah swung his foot idly while badmouthing his family, grinning all the while. But in truth, this issue had been brought up for years.  

 

Noah Tudor, far from lacking in his prime, was obsessed with money, art collections, investments, sailing, and war—anything but women. 

 

He’d never been involved in any scandals or rather, there had been many, but he’d personally erased them, whether by force or choice. While his dedication to work was commendable, the family was growing concerned over his complete lack of interest in romance.  

 

Jason stared at him silently.  

 

‘At least the family head dates. You don’t even do that.’  

 

Even among subordinates, rumors swirled that their devilishly handsome superior might be impotent or have unconventional tastes. 

 

But according to those who’d served with him, that wasn’t the case—he simply had zero interest in relationships. 

 

In his youth, he’d dated a few times, only to call it quits, complaining it was tedious and bothersome.  

 

The only way this man would ever meet a woman is if she intrigued him more than money.  

 

Or if she was extraordinarily expensive.  

 

“Ah, right. Vincent also reached out. It’s about that family’s debt… They’ve passed the due date but still can’t repay…”  

 

As Jason brought it up, Noah flipped through the documents dismissively and replied,  

 

“Why ask me? Cut off their mansion and funds, then put everything up for auction. Squeeze them dry.”  

 

“Of course, we did that. But there’s nothing left to squeeze.”  

 

“Then make something come out.”  

 

“Understood. However, the debtor claims his daughter fled with the family’s entire fortune. Basically, telling us to get lost.”