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nHook-Nosed Strategy

nNino eventually found a store. It bore the name “Zepetta Trading Company” written in large letters, indicating that it was under the patronage of Count Zepetta.

nDespite it being the late hours of the night, it was bright inside. With his bare hands, Nino opened the thick double doors, which were clearly a different grade from the doors of the shops he usually knocked on.

nA dazzling light filled the store, but there was barely anyone inside. This shop, which dealt in rare jewelry, brought and showed its goods according to one’s needs. All transactions were done in a room at the back of the shop. He stood in the spacious entrance, which only had a counter and a sofa for waiting customers.

nStartled, the three people on the sofa turned their attention to Nino. But their surprise quickly turned to irritation.

n「What are you doing here, Nino?」asked a man in his forties. He had graying hair.

n「I heard Father was in trouble…」

nNino’s attire was clearly a step or two down compared to what they were wearing. Even when out of breath, he stepped closer to the three without fear.

n「Is there no guard around here?! We have an outsider!」An ill-mannered man threw his feet up on the table. He was the closest in age to Nino, about five years older.

nThe guards standing by the wall looked perplexed.

n「It’s fine. This affects Nino as well.」A woman wearing heavy lipstick smiled at him.

nThe woman with the heavy make-up was probably somewhere between the age of the graying man and the man with the bad manners. The three of them looked similar, the most striking feature being their hooked noses.

n「Our father, Count Zepetta, is in great trouble. We have to work together as a family, don’t we?」

n「Sister Filino. Please tell me what happened.」Nino asked the woman, stopping a few steps away from the couch.

nThese three were Nino’s siblings from a different mother, their father being Count Zepetta. Only Nino was the son of a mistress.

n「Sis.」

n「Silence, Grano. Nino has a right to know.」Filino shut Grano, the ill-mannered man, with a smile.「Nino. Our father was arrested by the Imperial Guard. He was accused of entering the bedchamber of some nobleman’s daughter. What’s more, the daughter was a virgin.」

n「Did he really do that? Sure, he was a bit of a womanizer, but…」

n「He taught us not to lay a hand on virgins.」Tralino, the man with graying hair, nodded, folding his arms.

nIt was a worthless lesson, no matter how you looked at it, but he acted as if it was a very important one.

n「I can’t believe Father would seduce an unmarried woman.」Nino said.

n「It’s unthinkable, right? I believe he was set up.」Filino said.

n「What?!」

n「Even if he laid a hand on a nobleman’s daughter, he wouldn’t let himself get captured by the Imperial Guards.」

n「I can vouch for that.」Tralino chimed in. No one knew where his confidence came from.

n「As you know, Father started out as a peddler. He made his fortune by planting kounatsu in a region that was considered unsuitable for cultivation, and in recognition of his achievements, he was made a Baron and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Count.」

n「I’m well aware.」Nino said. He became a peddler because he idolized his father.

n「But many noblemen looked down on him.」Filino continued.「They saw him as merely an upstart.」

n「That’s terrible.」

n「This time, a lot of issues just came together and our father took the brunt of it.」

n「That’s just wrong…」Nino clenched his fist.

n「Indeed, it is.」

nFilino approached Nino. The scent of the strong perfume she was wearing wafted through the air.

n「I’m sure Father is asking for a chance to explain himself. He’s not the kind of man who gets discouraged by something like this.」

n「Of course. But is there anything we can do to help him?!」Nino asked.

n「I’ve been waiting for those words!」Filino clapped and held Nino’s hands.「Actually, there will be a hearing three days from now. They will allow Father’s relatives to speak too.」

n「Really?! Then are you… I mean is Brother Tralino attending the hearing?」

n「That’s the thing. There’s a bit of a problem.」Filino frowned.「All of us have important business meetings to attend to that day. While we would love to defend our father, I’m sure he’d want us to make money instead.」

n「I’m sure he would say that.」

n「But having no one at the hearing would also be awful.」

n「I’ll go.」

n「What?」

n「I’m here. Will you allow me to attend the hearing? I wish to defend our father!」

n「Nino… You’ve become quite the man.」Filino wiped her eyes, but there were no tears there.「We’ll be counting on you, then. Take this with you.」

nFilino took a sealed letter sitting on the table and handed it to Nino.

n「I understand. Though I have the least wealth among our siblings, I will give my all for our father.」

n「Thank you. Do your best in our stead too.」

n「Okay!」

nNino put away the letter and left with confidence.

n「…What?」Grano watched him go, dumbfounded.「A-Are you sure about letting him go?! We don’t even have important meetings to attend to!」

n「It’s fine. Right, Tralino?」

n「Yes. If we say something bad at the hearing, we’ll be screwed too. Nino’s the son of a mistress. Whatever he says won’t affect us.」

n「This whole thing is a set up anyway.」Filino said.「The hearing is just for show. At best, our father will lose his title. At worst, it’s the death penalty.」

n「Yikes. Really?」Grano turned pale.

n「I owe Father for giving me this business, but I can’t risk my own well-being.」

nCount Zepetta gave huge stores located in different cities to his legitimate children, including the one they were in right now.

n「Father messed with the wrong man. I heard he made the Minister of the Right lose his position. Things had gone too well for him, and he eventually chose the wrong guy to pick a fight with.」

n「Sure looks like it. At worst, we will lose our business too.」

n「Yes. So you better move quick and hide all your valuable belongings.」

n「O-Okay. I’ll do that.」Grano stood up.

n「So long. I’ll see you once things have cooled down.」Tralino also left.

n「Anyway, I never wanted to attend the hearing, but I’m glad Nino came. If no one from his immediate family were to attend, we’d be criticized too. Even though he’s an illegitimate son, he’s still Father’s flesh and blood. With this, we can come up with an excuse. Now, then.」Filino stood up.「Time to leave this shop and stay away from the capital for a while.」

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