I Picked Up the Trash Others Threw Away - Chapter 29.2

Chapter 29.2

“That makes me even more anxious.”

“What are you afraid of when you lead the gameboard so well? Even if this is the underworld, there are still business ethics. If he tried to hurt us, there would soon be rumors and his establishment would be destroyed. Even if the owner is a nobleman, he’d suffer a huge loss if he tried to escape responsibility.”

Trish casually took a sip of the glass of whiskey the staff had given us, as if to reassure me.

Shortly after the employee left, someone knocked on the closed door.

The heavy pressure I felt from beyond the door made it clear that Seraph had arrived.

“… Come in.”

I tried not to, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous inside.

Should I have brought a kitchen knife hidden somewhere like last time?

Seraph, who had come inside while I thought that, calmly looked at me and Trish and greeted us.

His long black hair fell over a black mask that covered his eyes almost entirely like a blindfold. I couldn’t tell if he could see anything through it.

The only part of his face that was exposed were the thin lips that had curled into a refreshing smile.

“Long time no see, Lady. Ah, should I call you ‘madam’ now?”

“I’d rather you didn’t call me that here. Just call me Lady.”

“As you wish.”

Seraph, who was sitting opposite me, glanced at Trish, who was sitting next to me, and muttered in a low voice.

“I had hoped to have a private meeting. I suppose I didn’t make that clear.”

“You’re the one who reached out first, clearly aware of my identity. Since we are together, I thought it would be alright to bring him with me.”

“As long as nothing about Moonlake gets leaked outside, I’m fine with it. I trust that you’ll keep everything a secret.”

Trish just shrugged. He seemed to be unimpressed by Seraph’s unfriendly and businesslike attitude.

But I had no reason to point out Seraph’s attitude, as his vigilance was understandable. Instead, I pulled out the business card he had handed me last time and got straight to the point.

“I accept your offer to become a dealer.”

“Dealer? What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been waiting for that answer.”

“Audrey. Is this the offer you received?”

I just gave a small nod. I had brought him here anyway, so I couldn’t hide it anymore.

Trish let out a brief exclamation as if he hadn’t thought of it, but didn’t object.

“However, I have a condition.”

Seraph knew who we were, but I didn’t know who he was.

As the owner of Moonlake, he knew the flow of the casinos and the back alleys, but I was still new to the scene and could easily be scammed.

There was a limit to living a double life while working as a casino dealer every night.

‘There’s a high chance that all responsibility will fall on me if something goes wrong.’

Without a high enough profit to take the risk and a safeguard to maintain a trusting relationship, there was no reason for me to accept the contract.

“As payment, instead of giving me money, I want you to share information about the aristocratic community.”

To live a double life as the count’s daughter-in-law and a casino dealer for a year, what I needed more than money was information.

Of course, I also need money. But I had already received a large sum from Seraph for winning that game. If I just saved it without investing it wisely, I wouldn’t be able to manage it properly and it would eventually run out.

So, I needed to know the flow of society. What kind of businesses the nobles were running, what items were trending these days, who was dangerous, and who would be helpful to me.

“A variety of noble guests frequent the Moonlake casino, right? Of course, it’s a place of secrecy, so you can’t give out personal information directly, but besides that, there must be a lot of rumors going around in the underground scene.”

“You’re proposing a risky deal. Do you think you’re worth that much, Lady?”

“Do you think Hwatu is the only card I have on my sleeve?”

After I countered him smoothly, Seraph chuckled in amusement.

“Your attitude exceeds my expectations, which makes me even more curious about the future.”

“Also, it will be difficult to work as a dealer full-time every day. I’ll teach the other dealers the rules of Hwatu so they can run the game without me.”

“I also didn’t expect you to be at the casino all the time. It’s enough if you just come when necessary. The high-ranking guests prefer to play in a secluded space anyway.”

Seraph pushed out a contract that was half-blank in front of me, offering conditions that anyone would find attractive.

“I’ll do my best to accommodate any conditions you may want. That’s how much I want you, Lady.”