I Don't Know the Original, I'm Too Busy Trying to Make a Living-Chapter 195

The place Jack led them to was a secret staircase hidden within the building, which ascended to the second floor.

Unlike the raucous atmosphere of the basement, the second floor was eerily quiet, as if it were deserted.

Jack walked gracefully to the farthest door in the corridor and opened it, revealing a cozy-looking room.

Inside, there was an elegant wooden desk and chair on one side, a sofa in the center, and a bookshelf lining the back wall.

Penelope felt a pang of disappointment.

‘So, it’s not a torture room, huh?’

She had half-expected to be dragged to some dungeon or interrogation chamber at this point, but instead, they were brought to what appeared to be a study. How dreadfully ordinary.

Jack strode across the room and sat on the sofa with practiced ease, suggesting this was his personal office.

“Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs across from him.

Ahwin and Penelope promptly took their seats.

Jack then turned to the large men flanking the room.

“You all wait outside,” he ordered.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?” asked one of the burly men, his deep voice tinged with concern.

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re just going to talk. Having you stand guard will only frighten the lady.”

“Please allow at least one of us to stay,” the man insisted.

“...Fine. Just one,” Jack relented.

After a brief round of deliberation among the guards, the largest of them was chosen to remain while the others shuffled out of the room.

Jack offered a bright smile and said, “We have green herbal tea available. It’s quite popular in the capital these days—very refreshing for the mind and body. I highly recommend it.”

“I’ll pass,” Ahwin declined curtly.

“I’ll take coffee,” Penelope chimed in, equally unimpressed by the thought of herbal tea.

Jack’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, though he quickly regained his composure.

Turning to the remaining guard, he said, “One coffee, then. And green tea for me.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment,” the guard replied, stepping out to place the order before returning to his position. He lingered near Jack with a wary expression, clearly uneasy about leaving him alone.

As the room settled into a quieter atmosphere, Jack got straight to the point.

“I think I’m owed an apology. You disrupted our business operations today.”

Ah, right—an apology. The thought had completely slipped Penelope’s mind amidst all the chaos.

She promptly offered a polite apology.

“Sorry about that. It wasn’t intentional.”

Jack’s smile grew sharper. “We’ll have to assess the financial damages caused by the disruption. I won’t overcharge you since it wasn’t deliberate.”

“Financial damages?” Penelope exclaimed, surprised.

“I wasn’t the one cheating!”

Calling a con artist a con artist shouldn’t be a crime, should it?

Penelope bit her lip, feeling a surge of indignation. This felt worse than not being able to call her own father “father.”

Jack, noticing her flustered state, chuckled softly.

“Do you have any definitive proof that there were con artists operating here?”

“Well...”

She didn’t.

The only reason she was certain of the scam was because Ahwin had confirmed it.

‘But come on, what more proof do you need than the word of the Tower Master?’

Despite her frustration, she couldn’t exactly explain that.

Jack’s smile widened, as though he believed he had gained the upper hand.

“Since you’ve apologized, I’ll reduce the compensation to half the amount of our estimated losses.”

Before he could finish, Penelope interrupted.

“By the way, who authorized your operations here? Gambling dens like this can’t legally operate without proper approval, especially not in a district like this.”

“Don’t concern yourself with that. It’s all been taken care of,” Jack replied smoothly, his tone unwavering.

‘“Taken care of”? What does that even mean? He’s not explaining anything.’

At that moment, a knock on the door heralded the arrival of a servant carrying a tray of drinks.

The fragrant aroma of coffee and herbal tea filled the room as the servant placed the beverages on the table.

Jack gestured toward the cups. “Please, have a drink.”

“Sure,” Penelope replied, reaching for her coffee. Ahwin didn’t stop her, which reassured her that it wasn’t poisoned.

Even if it were, Penelope had built up a resistance to most toxins, so she figured she’d be fine.

As she sipped her coffee, she suddenly spoke up.

“Strange. I don’t recall approving this establishment. In fact, I have no intention of allowing gambling dens in Halo. If I ever do, they’ll be strictly for tourism purposes.”

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

“.......”

Jack’s smile stiffened, his expression resembling someone who had just stepped in something foul.

Penelope continued confidently, “You see, gambling is problematic. Once people get a taste of easy money, they start neglecting honest work and chasing quick riches instead. That sort of behavior has a negative impact on society.”

Jack let out a strained laugh. “Approval? Surely you’re not saying—”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Penelope,” she said.

Jack inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face more closely.

“Don’t tell me...”

His lips froze as if he had just pieced together the unsettling feeling he’d had since meeting her.

Penelope casually removed her hood, revealing her face. Jack’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively pointed a finger at her.

“Y-You’re...!”

“It’s rude to point at someone’s face, you know,” Penelope remarked, unimpressed.

Jack, however, was too stunned to respond. He clearly hadn’t anticipated encountering the lord of the estate here.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Penelope sighed contentedly.

“This is excellent coffee. Business must be booming. Oh, but back to the matter at hand—I’m afraid I can’t compensate you for losses incurred at an unauthorized establishment. Sorry about that.”

“......Lady Halo,” Jack stammered.

“Whatever permissions you received are invalid. More importantly, I believe you’ll be facing charges soon. Illegal gambling dens are a violation of estate law, and there’s been no recent amendment to change that.”

Jack froze, his entire demeanor shifting. The massive guard behind him looked equally stunned.

Ahwin shook his head in mild exasperation before issuing a warning.

“Just so you know, it’d be unwise to try anything foolish. Unless you want this whole place obliterated.”

“......?!”

Jack’s gaze snapped to Ahwin, his expression a mixture of confusion and dread.

Penelope waved a hand in front of Jack’s face.

“He’s exactly who you think he is.”

“Th-The Tower Master...?” Jack stuttered.

“Correct.”

“......!”

“......!”

With a loud thud, the burly guard collapsed onto the floor in shock.

Jack trembled from head to toe, as though his world had just crumbled.

Satisfied that Jack had grasped the situation, Penelope set her coffee cup down and clapped her hands together.

“I understand we can’t completely eradicate people like you. Especially with Halo growing so rapidly, money’s been pouring in, attracting all sorts of unsavory characters—including you.”

“...What’s your point?” Jack asked, trying to regain his composure.

“Here’s the deal. If you disclose the locations ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) of all illegal gambling dens in Halo, I’ll settle for a fine.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then you can serve a prison sentence and face exile. Either way works for me.”

“......!”

Jack opened his mouth to retort but fell silent when Ahwin lowered his hood, revealing his radiant golden hair and mesmerizing green eyes.

Jack stared at him, utterly transfixed. The sight of Ahwin’s otherworldly beauty left his face pale as he finally understood Penelope wasn’t bluffing.

“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Jack muttered. “I should’ve realized when I had that nightmare earlier. I rarely dream, you know. If I hadn’t demanded compensation for losses, would this have gone differently?”

“Maybe,” Penelope said with a shrug.

“Pepe,” Ahwin interjected sternly, shooting her a pointed look.

Penelope blinked innocently.

Ahwin’s irritation flared. “Don’t get swept up in his nonsense. You’re way too susceptible to good looks.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You were staring at his face earlier.”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Yes, you were!”

Penelope folded her arms defiantly.

“If anything, you’ve benefited the most from my weakness for good looks. You’re the most handsome man on the entire continent!”

“.......”

“.......”

“...Congratulations,” Jack mumbled, clapping half-heartedly with an empty expression.

Ahwin’s face turned a deep shade of red.