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Chapter 43
In truth, Pete Donahue and Mayo Donahue were brothers.
Born into a wealthy merchant family, Pete dreamed of becoming a lawyer and Mayo an accomplished doctor. But after their parents were swindled in a business scam, their family fell into ruin.
From that point on, the two brothers did whatever they could to escape poverty—anything that made money. They started off as thugs, but thanks to their quick wits, they quickly climbed the ranks to become full-fledged members of the mafia.
However, because their personalities were so different, fighting became their daily routine. After one particularly nasty fight, they hadn’t seen each other for two years—until now.
Now, Pete had become a consigliere, while Mayo was the head chef at Starga.
While Mayo admitted Pete was a smart guy, he couldn’t help but feel irritated every time he thought about how his brother had become the No. 3 in the organization.
“You’re not causing trouble these days, right?” Pete asked.
At that, Mayo’s face turned red.
“What trouble? What are you talking about?!”
He had started to shout, but seeing Killian keeping an eye on them, Mayo was forced to shut his mouth.
‘No matter what, one must maintain decorum in front of Madam!’
That was the newly established law of Starga.
To think he now had to cook dinner for that guy… With a sigh, Mayo turned and went back into the kitchen.
“It’s surprising. I didn’t know you two were brothers.”
Pete responded as if Emily’s reaction was only natural.
“I’ve heard that a lot since I was young. I hate to say it myself, but I’m slim and dashing, whereas my brother is… rounder.”
Emily found it difficult to respond to that, so she just smiled quietly.
Killian, seated beside her, chimed in with Pete’s background.
“Pete has helped with many businesses besides Delina. When we head to Sinope, he could also be of help to… what was his name again?”
“Toto,” Emily answered.
“Yes, that one. He’ll be helpful to him as well,” Killian said, nodding toward Pete. “He’s not a lawyer, but he did study for the bar once, so he’s well-versed in legal matters.”
Pete added with a note of regret, “If I had more time, I would’ve gotten my law license. But I’ve been just too busy.”
Whether it was bravado or truth, Emily thanked him.
“You seem like a busy person. Thank you for coming with us.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
The more Pete talked with Emily, the more he liked her. Unlike other arrogant nobles, she was neither haughty nor stingy with politeness.
His boss must have saved the world in a past life to end up with such a beautiful and kind wife. If his own family hadn’t collapsed, maybe he would’ve found a good wife and lived happily too.
‘Bah, no use thinking about such nonsense.’
Pete shook his head and dug into the food Mayo had begrudgingly plated. Compared to the plates in front of Killian and Emily, his looked completely thrown together.
But as long as it tasted good, what did it matter? Pete shrugged and took a bite. He was, after all, a simple man.
“I heard Madam studied a bit about business as well?” Pete asked.
“Huh? Who said that…” Emily looked startled but quickly realized who the culprit was and shot Killian a glare.
Killian was just as caught off guard. He only wanted to brag a little about his studious wife.
Under Killian’s frosty stare, Pete gave a wide-eyed innocent look as if to say, “What did I do?”
With a small sigh, Emily spoke up.
“Well, I’ve just read a few books on the subject in the library.”
“Did it give you a sense of how business works?”
Blushing a little, Emily replied, “I haven’t read that deeply yet…”
“Haha, well, it’s not that complicated.”
Pete took a sip of wine and continued.
“The most important thing in business is connections. But Madam has nothing to worry about—because you know me.”
Mayo, who was bringing in the main course, scowled at Pete’s self-praise.
This was exactly why they fought all the time—his brother’s constant need to show off. Even in front of others, he couldn’t hold back the arrogance.
“Do you know people in the bakery industry too?” Emily asked, her eyes lighting up.
“I get around. I know every famous pâtissier in Vancent. I was even the one who introduced the famous financier baker to Starga.”
At that, Emily tilted her head.
“Why did you specifically introduce a financier baker to Starga?”
“Because Madam’s favorite is financier, isn’t it?”
Emily’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How did you know I liked those?”
Killian, who had been quietly listening, stepped in.
“When the marriage proposal was sent, we received a document outlining Madam’s preferences.”
“Oh my, I bet my nanny sent that. How embarrassing.”
Killian shot a sharp look at Pete, who still wore a calm and smug expression—it was obvious he had brought this up on purpose.
Still, Emily now understood why Starga’s interiors and food suited her so well.
“You prepared everything to match my tastes after seeing that document. Thank you.”
“It was nothing.”
Killian smiled in relief. He’d nearly come off as a stalker, but since Emily was pleased, all the effort had paid off.
After the main course, dessert was served. As Pete pushed around his pudding with a spoon, he asked:
“Toto said he’d make a carrot cake, right?”
“Yes. Do you like carrot cake?”
“I hope it’s not rude to say, but I’m not really into desserts. When I need sugar, I just take my tea with a bit of sugar.”
“I see.”
Emily was slightly disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to excitedly chat over Toto’s cake.
By the time they had tea after the meal, it was already past 9 p.m.
“I think I should get going,” Pete said, standing up.
Cézanne glanced at the clock with a look of regret. She stopped pouring tea and quickly fetched Pete’s coat.
“I kept you late. You haven’t even been able to leave yet,” he said kindly.
Shaking her head vigorously, Cézanne replied, “It’s no trouble at all.”
“Really?”
Pete gently patted her shoulder and shrugged on his coat. Killian and Emily rose to their feet as well.
“Take care getting home.”
“Yes. I hope you and Killian have a pleasant evening.”
“I still have a few words for this guy. I’ll see him off myself,” Killian said.
Pete tensed, sensing Killian might want to retaliate for what happened during dinner.
Time passed, and the day of departure for Sinope finally arrived.
Since the luggage was already packed in the carriage, the morning was relatively calm.
“Cézanne, you look lovely today.”
She wore a romantic pink day dress printed with roses and a wide-brimmed hat. Unused to compliments, she kept tugging her hat down to cover her face.
“Good morning, Madam,” Pete said, arriving at Starga as planned.
“Hello.”
“You look well today.”
“Do I?”
Emily smiled and looked behind her. It seemed Cézanne was waiting for the right moment to greet Pete.
“I’ll go to my husband now. You two go ahead and talk.”
She stepped aside for Cézanne but found it hard to move toward Killian.
He was standing alone, having just given some orders to Giovanni and Alvin.
Emily stood for a while, just watching him—completely captivated.
The wind tousled his black hair, and with an annoyed hand, he brushed it back. His perfectly tailored suit clung to his tall, lean, and well-built figure.
No matter how long she spent with him, she would probably never get used to how handsome Killian was.
Just then, Killian turned his head, and their eyes met. Emily missed the moment to look away, and they ended up staring at each other.
Killian began walking toward her.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.”
Emily tried to sound composed, doing her best not to look flustered.
“You’ll be in the carriage for quite a while. Are you sure your clothes are comfortable?”
Emily looked down at herself. Her day dress was simple, decorated only with a yellow ribbon at the chest—certainly not uncomfortable.
But to Killian’s eyes, the snug waist looked restrictive.
“It’s just two or three hours.”
“Still…”
Killian frowned, clearly not satisfied.
“Killian, are you ready to leave?” Ivan interrupted.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Emily hurriedly urged Killian before he could argue more. Though Killian wanted her to change into something more comfortable, clueless Ivan missed his cues entirely.
Left with no choice, Killian escorted Emily into the carriage.
As soon as she sat down, Emily looked out the window toward where Cézanne and Pete stood.
They had just finished chatting and were now walking off to their own carriage. Emily smiled to herself without realizing.
But following her gaze, Killian’s expression turned rigid.
Pete, with his affable demeanor and flirtatious experience—unlike the socially awkward Star family—suddenly felt like a threat.
‘Don’t tell me… is Pete her type?’
Killian looked at his reflection in the window. Seeing his perfect face only made him more sullen.
He suddenly remembered what Knox once said: that women find men who are too good-looking intimidating.
