Fair Trade

Why couldn’t he just apologize? Why on earth was he putting on that mask of a pitiable man…

“Sei.”

“Yes.”

“…I’ll meet a new dealer here soon. You might have to stay much longer than expected, so take a look around.”

He didn’t apologise until the very last moment. Sei didn’t really want him to apologise, but she became depressed when she realised she was being treated like a tool.

It was only after Giulio left the room looking for Romano, did Sei collapse onto the bed, exhaling a long sigh of relief. Her heart was still pounding wildly, despite the fact that all her tension had been released.

She pondered how she could have stolen with such a cowardly heart. Or was she only nervous before Guilio?

At this rate, she’d have no heart left. Feeling terrified just by looking at someone required a significant amount of energy.

‘Did you… see it all?’

She grabbed the necklace that Yuri gave her.

After the sun went down, there was a pretty chilly breeze blowing. Sei, who had been lost in her thoughts for some time, put on a thick cardigan, fixed her broken necklace, and left the room.

*  *  *

In the dark room, the hazy smoke of the cigarette rose. Yuri Petrov, who was staring intently at the two screens, had a deep furrow between his forehead.

“You’re damn smart…”

What he was checking was inside the mansion that Sei showed. On the screen, the woman exited a room and walked around the villa, displaying the location of the camera, the number of rooms, and all the activity that was going on inside. Drawings of the same were being automatically drawn on the next monitor in accordance with her movements.

Everything was perfect. Sei was quick-witted and adept at shifting positions. She was an expert at dealing with crises.

However, he rubbed his cigarette out, suppressing his rage. His gaze was fixed on the monitor, but all he could think about was the scene in which Sei was strangled.

Giulio Parenti’s eyes were filled with a seething sense of betrayal as he strangled Sei’s neck. It was one of those all-too-familiar feelings. Because he had strangled his enemy’s neck with those eyes as well.

Parenti, who had hugged an unconscious Sei, walked into the building, in an almost half-panic state.  If the necklace hadn’t been broken at the time, he would have been able to check on her right away. He wouldn’t have to be so concerned if he knew her condition.

However, the necklace fell somewhere on the stairs, so Yuri had to rely on the GPS signals from the bracelet which had no surveillance function.

As he slowly stroked his sharp jaw and clenched his teeth, Miles appeared behind him with a tea tray.

“I knocked a few times. You haven’t slept in two days, have you? You’re going to hurt yourself, young master.”

Miles, now gray-haired, was a butler who had been looking after the Petrov family for the past 30 years. He joined alongside Yuri after leaving their main house a few years ago. After Cohen Petrov’s death, it was time for Camille to take over their business.

The Petrov family was an interesting family that valued the eldest son’s succession. Except for the eldest son, all of the men in the family had to get their tubes tied by the age of 20. The rule was enacted to ensure that brothers did not compete for the position of heir, and that all power went to the eldest son.

Yuri was no different. He became Camille’s shadow as per the rule. He was, however, far too intelligent to be following someone. He was fortunate to be a step away from greed and power.

Yuri was not the type to rule over others. Despite this, the Petrov Corporation revolved around Yuri. Camille incited fear, and Yuri Petrov influenced him.

Miles was confident that he had made a very quick and wise decision. He chose Yuri Petrov, not Camille Petrov as his master to dedicate his life to. He never knew when Camille Petrov could use him as a human shield.

“I thought you quit smoking.”

Miles opened the window of the room, with an affectionate nagging. Then, a cold wind blew in, immediately clearing the smoke filled atmosphere.

While sipping the tea Miles had brought, Yuri didn’t take his gaze away from the world Sei was seeing. The interior drawings were now about 80% complete.

‘This afternoon.’

Sei murmured to herself as she stood in front of the pool where she had been strangled. Yuri’s brow twitched and he frowned when he heard that. Miles noticed his clenched fists. He was quick to notice his master’s changes.

“It’s Nice.”

Only then did Yuri raise his head and look at Miles. Nodding his head a few times, he asked, checking the time.

“If we leave now, how long do you think it will take us to get to Nice?”

“Well… If you take a private jet, you’ll arrive in six hours if the plane doesn’t need to refuel. Traveling by plane, however, will take approximately 10 hours via Zurich. Do you intend to take a vacation?”

Seeing Miles asking casually, Yuri smiled, put down his teacup, and got up. He took his wallet, mobile phone and passport. All of this, along with a gun, was enough for him.

“Call for the airfield to be cleared. Immediately.”

“Would you like me to pack your luggage?”

“Keep it as simple as possible. I’m not going to war.”

“But it’s Nice. You would enjoy there.”

“Miles.”

Yuri motioned him to turn around. Miles clasped his hands, which were covered in his signature white gloves, as he waited for his next words.

“Do you know what to give to a woman who hates flowers?”

“If it is a woman who doesn’t like flowers, I think it would be better to gift her jewels.”

“That’s too obvious.”

“The more obvious, the lower the likelihood of failure. After all, what would an unmarried old man know… What have you done without dating with that handsome face?”

“Ha, Miles.”

“‘You have to get married. You aren’t at an age… to only trust your face and relax, young master.  The day after tomorrow… Ha.””

Miles, who sighed, bowed in an exaggerated pose like an English gentleman and then exited the room. Why did their conversation suddenly go that way?

Standing with an absurd expression on his face, Yuri laughed out loud and picked up his coat.

‘I know you’re watching everything.’

Were you talking to me?

It was the first time he’d heard the woman’s voice, which was tinged with tears.

Yuri couldn’t take his gaze away from the monitor until he heard Miles announce everything was ready.

He took a look at the deep blue night she was staring at. He could hear her breathing when he put the earphones in his ears. Her little sobs, too.

She grabbed the necklace with her palm as the screen trembled slightly. The screen went black, and the sound was muffled. He tightened his grip on his chin as if he were submerged in water.

“So… how can I stop her tears? It’s not that I can buy her heart*.”

[T/N: Buy her heart here also means gaining her trust.]