The Predator's Contract Partner

“Jacob, you know what? Carola already has two cottages in Yurif, but she wishes we had a third.”

Carola knew that Jacob couldn’t stand being left out of this competition, so she spoke to Jacob first.

“Really? I can’t help it if Carola wants it. Let’s participate in the public auction too!”

Carola and Jacob were conversing about how they would claim the land.

Besides, this time Carola was absolutely antagonized.

‘My father was humiliated. They are definitely behind it.’

Carola’s father, Marquis Fullmoon, got drunk and drugged in a crowded hotel, appearing half-naked and going on a rampage. Carola knew her father. He could have never done such a thing sane.

“Carola is so angry and upset! We are going to show that annoying Arien and that girl whose best.”

“Yes, yes. Carola. I’ll pay whatever it takes to make sure they are humiliated and you can step on them!”

When the three grandchildren of the Cartiers started this stupid rivalry, no one in the capital hadn’t talked about it.

The Cartier family had always been crude, squandering money and fighting dirty. It was always a great spectacle.

Every conversation naturally steered towards gossip about the Cartiers.

And there were constant whispers about the private lives of the duke-successor-candidates and their wives. As a result, the capital’s social circles soon began to brim with vitality.

“Who do you think will win?”

“Isn’t the third best?”

“Damn it. Yes, he is but that person……. isn’t he not even qualified? After all, it must be Mr. Jacob, the eldest son that has the most justification.”

“Aren’t you just saying that because your firm has Jacob’s company as your client?”

“You cannot ignore the power of the temple! The second grandson, the only one whose father is still alive, has a high chance too!”

People even started betting money on their stupid competition. So naturally, the size of the bet increased and grew in an instant.

Yurif City Hall was very embarrassed. Two weeks later, the public auction date was set.

That day, an enormous number of spectators gathered.

‘If it’s become such a commotion it would have certainly reached the Head’s ears by now, so I can’t back down.’

Carola and Arien thought the same thing at the same time.

***

Soon afterward, a letter from the City Hall of Yurif arrived at each household. It stated that potential and prospective titleholders who wanted to purchase the land had to attend the public auction.

Namely, Elisha, Arien, and Carola. Of course, all three had to participate. But no one had actually thought this match was truly between the wives.

After all, the latest format of their rivalry was an auction, so the outcome would depend on how much money was spent. In the end, people wonder how much money each brother would spend on this stupid squabble. It was a question of how far their flesh-eating game would go.

“You idiot! Can’t you handle one small task? I’m uneasy, so I told you to buy the land. Alas, I still haven’t been able to find Risralpho’s real body… … .”

Merha slapped Marco across the face and caused him to stumble from the force.

“Obviously, he must have died then. Do you still believe in his ghost? Won’t you believe me when I told you I stabbed him to death—?”

“Obviously he disappeared around there—Damn it! I still haven’t found his body, so I’m still living in anxiety… … . Besides, that illegitimate bastard dares to make a fool of us! What the fuck is Arien doing? You and her are the same!”

In a normal partnership, one side would be upset if someone badmouthed and blamed the other person, but Marco resented and was irate at Arien.

Even recalling Arien’s blushing and flirtatious appearance in front of Lucerne angered him.

“That hateful youngest’s brother’s inexperienced son dares to try and humiliate me—-?!”

It was primarily because of Merha that his son, Marco, became such a terrible person, always calculative and suspicious of his surroundings. While Jacob’s father and Lucerne’s father were still alive, Merha was the second son in the middle, without merit or any particular distinction.

Lucerne’s father was a great genius, and Jacob’s father had a personality similar to the Gaju’s when he was young. So, Merha, who had no strengths, retreated to the temple early on to avoid fighting with them, concurring an enormous sense of inferiority that tainted everything.

But his son, Marco, was similarly and equally the least loved by the family. Every time he thought about it, Merha was furious and didn’t know what to do with his indignation.

“I knew it, I should have thoroughly broken little Lucerne when he was within my grasp at the temple. I should have done more.”

“How could we tame a man who didn’t budge after swearing, starving, beating him? Besides, Lucerne later told the Head… … .”

At that time, when Gaju entrusted Lucerne to Merha, he had also planted spies around them. However, when Merha abused him too much while ‘raising’ him, the Lord eventually recognized his grandson’s tenacious vitality and took Lucerne in.

Because of this, Merha was even more despised by the Head. Nevertheless, Marco still believed without any basis that Lucerne must have told Gaju about their crimes, thus earning his disfavor.

“Anyway, do it right! The election of the Pope is coming soon, so every action is very important! Your future depends on whether I become the Pope or not–got it?”

“Yes, I know. father.”

Merha nodded.

“By the way, is that bitch—Lucerne’s new bride—so pretty? So pretty that Lucerne, who had been quiet until now, attacked you?”

“Well… … .”

How could Marco respond? He just shut his mouth with a pale complexion.

***