The Art of Reforming Villainous Men - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Translator: Yonnee
—
At the time, Adeline’s greeting to Jack had been free of any unnecessary embellishments.
There was no smile, no admiration, no friendliness, and certainly no attempt to gain his favor.
Well, perhaps there had been a faint trace of caution… but that was irrelevant.
‘…It doesn’t matter.’
Jack had left the response to Warwick, his efficient secretary, who replied mechanically that Jack could only meet her if there were no prior commitments.
Technically, Jack wasn’t even obligated to respond to Adeline. His contract had originally been with her father, Diego, who had passed away just a week ago.
Jack’s response was purely a gesture of courtesy to the bereaved.
More importantly, Jack had pressing matters to attend to today.
‘I must get Victoria Tilleman’s commitment to invest before the day is over.’
Jack was in the process of acquiring land in the western Monahan Viscounty.
The problem lay in the current landowner, who was adamant about not selling the land to just anyone.
—Sell my land to some foreigner with unknown ancestry? Ridiculous!
The former Viscount Monahan, though he had relinquished his title, clung fiercely to his pride as a noble.
However, someone as influential as Lady Victoria Tilleman could easily sway the situation in Jack’s favor.
Jack urgently needed Victoria’s help, but she had been reluctant to commit, uncertain about whether the land purchase would yield significant profits.
Thus, Jack had no choice but to put aside his stack of documents and attend the party.
“Let’s have a talk later instead. I’m quite busy today, so.”
Jack replied curtly to the nobles approaching him and made his way to Victoria.
The elderly woman, with her hair now streaked white, was enjoying the party with energy that defied her age. When she noticed Jack, her face lit up noticeably.
“Ah, Jack! It’s been a while. I’ve hardly heard from you lately!”
“Good evening, Victoria. I’ve been tied up with work, you know how it is. But since I’m here now, that should be enough to earn your forgiveness.”
Technically, it had been Victoria who had been hard to reach, but flattery of this kind was a small price to pay.
Jack gave her a light hug as a greeting and subtly broached the topic.
“Have you given any thought to the proposal I mentioned last time?”
“Oh! That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. It’s good timing.”
To Jack’s surprise, Victoria didn’t try to change the subject or stall for time. Instead, she leaned in and whispered softly into his ear.
“I heard there’s going to be a train station built in Monahan next year. Really, Jack, you should’ve told me about something that important! I would’ve invested in you much earlier.”
“……!”
Jack’s expression visibly hardened for a moment.
A train station in the Monahan Viscounty.
Very few people knew about this confidential information, and it was precisely the reason Jack was determined to acquire the land.
Once the station was built, the influx of goods and people would cause the land’s value to skyrocket several times over.
But if Victoria knew this, she might bypass Jack and buy the land directly, which was exactly why he had kept it hidden.
“Where… did you hear that, if I may ask?”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Have you forgotten what I just said? Look over there.”
Feigning annoyance, Victoria lightly waved her fan in the direction of the garden.
Despite the distance between them, Jack immediately recognized who she was pointing at.
Unlike the other guests dressed in light, cheerful colors, the woman standing quietly at the edge of the garden wore a black dress, a sign of mourning.
“Miss Zeller came by earlier and told me everything. Still going to pretend you didn’t know?”
Adeline Zeller.
Her long golden hair flowed down her back, swaying gently.
At that moment, Jack’s gaze met Adeline’s.
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