I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 147

Erhan straightened his clothes, a little nervously, and entered the upper floor.

 

The top, which was booming with the latest cure for Monstera plague, looked bustling, with not a single person playing.

 

He grabbed the first random person he saw and asked.

 

“I was told an investor wanted to see me.”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Erhan felt bad that he didn’t recognize his face, but decided to let it slide this time.

 

He didn’t think it would do any good to cause a scene.

 

“If I told you I was from an Armeria family, you’d know.”

 

“Let me check, just give me a minute.”

 

The employee who caught him said he would check and left.

 

Having been so obviously a nobleman, I was offended by his refusal to bow down.

 

I thought to myself, ‘This top won’t last much longer.’

 

It was kind of sad. It was the top that had saved him when he was sitting on a pile of debt.

 

He had been wandering around, trying to collect the money that the Duchess of Begonia had invested in him.

 

Unable to abandon his business as it was, he stole the family seal and mortgaged the Armeria estate.

 

“I almost lost the estate.”

 

That’s when the top came to his rescue.

 

Although I was the first one to ask for help… Anyway, it doesn’t make a difference that the top helped me.

 

Erhan didn’t have the ability to repay the money, but he had faith.

 

‘Leen.’

 

The business he was working on, mortgaging his life and his estate, was related to tourism.

 

After the pandemic broke out and people stayed at home, it wasn’t working out. Of course, it didn’t.

 

The road ahead was bleak then, but not now.

 

The son of this top boss was a close friend of Leen’s.

 

So it was perfectly fine if he asked Leen to repay his debts at today’s meeting.

 

“She can be helpful sometimes.”

 

The entirety of this merchant’s staple items were herbal medicines.

 

Leen was called the Saint.

 

If she could save the empire, why couldn’t she save her own family?

 

To be honest, I was furious with Leen for hiding the fact that she was making money all this time.

 

If I had known she was making so much money, I wouldn’t have bent over backward for her.

 

Erhan was in the middle of cursing at Leen.

 

“Let me show you around.”

 

Erhan was led into a room by a staff member.

 

Inside, a half-masked man stood against one wall.

 

At first, I thought he was Hans, the man who had lent me the money, because of the intimidating way he naturally flexed his head and waist.

 

But the way he was standing with a pack on his back, it seemed like he was an escort in case something bad happened.

 

His lack of a sword was a bit suspicious, but his tall, well-proportioned, inversely triangular body was proof.

 

‘Honestly, with a body like that, you ought to be ugly,’ Erhan thought.

 

But if his face beneath the half-mask was any indication, he was anything but ugly.

 

‘Sculpted’ would be the word for someone like him.

 

His black hair and simple attire were stoic, but his red lips, contrasting with his white skin, were strangely lascivious.

 

“Are you interested in my escort?”

 

The voice did not come from a man, it was that of a thin, fine woman.

 

Erhan turned, startled.

 

A woman sat cross-legged in the seat across from him, where no one had been a moment ago.

 

The woman was half-masked, like the men who were her escorts, but her dress and jewelry were extravagant, flaunting her wealth.

 

I was staring at her in a daze. I felt a tingling sensation on my cheek, and when I looked to see the source, I realized that her escort was glaring at me.

 

He looked like he wanted to tear me apart. I thought I could almost hear him.

 

‘Get your eyes off her.’

 

Erhan coughed and began to speak, his energy drained.

 

“The person I’m supposed to meet is the Master of the Top here.”

 

“If you mean Hans, he doesn’t come here.”

 

She covered her mouth with her fan and smirked.

 

“The note Hans issued to you, I bought it.”

 

“Oh…?”

 

“Which means I’m the creditor, and I’m the one you owe money to.”

 

As the woman pulled a cigarette pipe from her sleeve, her escort urgently whispered something in her ear.

 

“That’s bad for the body… addiction…”

 

She smirks and whispers the same thing into the man’s ear.

 

“It’s safe… vitamins… good for the body… just the vibe…”

 

Erhan, who can’t hear the conversation, could only see them whispering their love.

 

After a few moments, their close body parted as if the conversation had ended.

 

“You must have signed it, knowing that it was notarized by the Duke of Lysianthus…”

 

The woman lifted her cigarette pipe and her escort placed his hand on it.

 

As if by magic, the pipe billowed with smoke.

 

She brought the end of the pipe to her mouth. Then she blew the smoke into Erhan’s face and exhaled.

 

It was not the scent of cigarettes he knew, but of bitter herbs.

 

“You know what happens if you don’t pay it back in time, don’t you?”

 

The look suited her so well, that Erhan didn’t even consider being offended.

 

“You seem more relaxed than I expected.”

 

“…Just because you are in debt doesn’t mean you have to be a cowering wimp.”

 

‘Hmph.’

 

Her squeal echoes through the room.

 

“I see you have enough money to pay off your debts, your business must be doing well?”

 

“Well, the money will be paid by someone else.”

 

“Well, it can’t be a small amount of money. What kind of deal did you make?”

 

Erhan puffed out his chest and spoke proudly.

 

“Leen, who is being called a saint in the empire these days, is my sister.”

 

The woman was speechless at his words. She seemed to think about something for a moment.

 

‘Hmph, you must be surprised to hear the name Leen.’

 

Imagine their surprise when they learned that the rumored saint was Leen.

 

“…Really? As far as I know, Miss Leen doesn’t have any parents, let alone siblings.”

 

“What are you talking about? Leen and I have been raised like siblings since we were children!”

 

“So you’re saying that you’re not biological siblings according to the family register.”

 

Seeing the bored expression on her face, Erhan hastily spoke up.

 

“That was a matter of circumstance. It didn’t make it into the family register, but I’m sure she considers me family too.”

 

“Circumstances…”

 

Her eyes narrowed.

 

“I’m curious, about the circumstances.”

 

“Oh, it’s a private matter…”

 

She stared at Erhan, then took a puff on her cigarette pipe.

 

Whoosh—

 

Smoke covers Erhan’s face and then disappears.

 

When Erhan’s vision returns to normal, the woman has taken off her mask.

 

Erhan’s pupils trembled like those of strabismus as he looked at her face.

 

The woman’s eyes, on the other hand, were deceptively calm.

 

“Isn’t the reason you can’t tell me what’s causing this, because you objected to being included in the family register?”

 

“Le, Leen…?”

 

“I didn’t realize you thought of me that way, Erhan.”

 

She untangles her crossed legs and slowly rises from her seat.

 

“Kneel.”

 

There was not a hint of pity in her gaze as she looked down at Erhan.

 

Erhan stood still for a moment, stunned by how different she was from the Leen he remembered, then jumped to his feet as if realizing something.

 

“You, you ungrateful…!”

 

“I clearly told you to kneel.”

 

Thud—

 

It wasn’t his will. Erhan had been forced to his knees by something unseen.

 

Enraged, he spits out the words, “I am the man who will be Count of Armeria! You think you can do this to me and get away with it?”

 

“Uh, absolutely.”

 

Leen leaned her head against her escort’s broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

 

“But what about you, the estate? If you don’t pay me back, you’ll have to surrender it to me.”

 

A laughing voice pierces Erhan’s eardrums.

 

“A noble without a manor. I don’t know who would treat you any better.”

 

“A commoner, how dare you!”

 

“You’d better watch what you say about commoners, Erhan. Haven’t you heard that I am beloved by the people of Lysianthus?”

 

Leen squinted, as if to make sure he understood.

 

“I’m a soon-to-be Duchess, not a mere Count or Countess, and you’re sticking your head in the sand.”

 

“Du, Duke, yes, you, I will reveal your true identity to the Duke of Carson!”

 

Leen tilted her head slowly.

 

“Reveal what?”

 

Erhan chuckled and pointed at his escort.

 

“The escort next to you, your lover, hah! If Duke Carson finds out, he’s going to have a fit.”

 

Leen exchanged a silent glance with her escort.

 

The corners of his mouth quivered as if he were holding back laughter.

 

“Of course, you’ve been flirting with men since the olden days, and Rex is a victim of yours.”

 

It was that moment.

 

Bang!

 

Erhan’s head slammed into the floor. Blood trickled from his gaping forehead.

 

“Start talking again. Who’s the victim?”

 

Seeing the scene, Leen clicked his tongue and scolded his escort.

 

“We agreed you wouldn’t get involved.”

 

“…But!”

 

Leen patted him on the head as if to soothe him. Then she grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him to her.

 

Their lips overlapped.

 

Erhan’s eyes took in every detail of the scene with his mouth open.

 

Unlike the fierce kiss, the way she looked at her escort revealed a deep affection that she couldn’t hide.

 

Parting her lips, she licked her escort’s red lips to finish.

 

“Hmph…”

 

The escort’s body collapsed as if his legs had given out, and Leen casually placed a chair behind him.

 

She smirks at Erhan.

 

“Go tell the people of Lysianthus what you saw.”

 

“…You don’t think I can?”

 

Erhan jumps to his feet, his face flushed with anger.

 

“Wait.”

 

Erhan draws a widespread grin at the words that stop him.

 

“You’re late!”

 

But Leen was still beaming.

 

“No, you don’t have to go all the way to the Duke of Lysianthus’ mansion, just tell him here.”

 

“What’s that….”

 

Leen flicked off his escort’s half-mask.

 

His hair turned pink, revealing a face that had been hidden.

 

‘Carson Lysianthus.’

 

It was him.

 

“That’s a lie, a fraud, a lie…!”

 

“Alas, how long before the debt is due?”

 

In contrast to Erhan’s burning emotions, Leen’s carefree voice rang through the room.

 

“If you don’t pay back within the time frame, we’ll have your property inspected and seize your real estate and liquid assets.”

 

Leen’s lips curled up.

 

“I really wonder what my aunt will think of you if she finds out about this?”

 

“You ungrateful wretch, you ingrate!”

 

“You keep talking about this whole thing about being ungrateful… That’s why I didn’t tell you first, right? It’s your choice to tell her or not. I’m only going to torment you.”

 

If you keep your mouth shut, Auntie Uncle, and Luca won’t find out about this until the due date.

 

Only if you keep your mouth shut.

 

Just you.

 

“Good luck with that, Mr. Debtor.”